NASCAR race looks pathetic with empty seats, driver gives the finger & the most embarrassing command ever?

Monday Morning Pit-Stop is a weekly NASCAR column that runs on OutKick.com and Fox News Digital. If you’re looking for a normal NASCAR recap, go check out insufferable ESPN … assuming they still know NASCAR exists.

Well … Once a crown jewel, always a crown jewel, I reckon.

That wasn’t your daddy’s Brickyard 400. Sure, we got a decent finish and solid final 10 laps, but goodness gracious, does NASCAR have a problem on it’s hands with this car.

There’s no real point in relitigating it this morning. We all know it’s garbage. Frankly, NASCAR knows its garbage. And if they didn’t before Sunday’s race, they certainly do now after seemingly every driver complained about it after the race.

NASCAR STAR SAYS QUIET PART OUT LOUD ABOUT EUROPE, PUNCHES NEARLY THROWN & GET THESE ‘S—BOXES’ OFF THE TRACK

Every driver except Corey Heim, of course! Who? That’s right. Corey Heim. He’s now a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, folks, and he isn’t even a full-time driver! Better get used to the name, because he appears to be the real deal.

We’ll talk about it today.

What else should we break down after Sunday’s semi-snoozer in Indy? How about that crowd? Wasn’t the best optics for NASCAR, although there is a catch.

HAS NASCAR LOST THE SOUTH? EX-DRIVER UNLOADS AFTER SEEING “100,000 EMPTY SEATS”

I’ve also got Carson Hocevar flipping off our winner while merging into traffic, Taylor Reimer kissing the bricks, the worst starting command in the history of commands, and are NASCAR races too long?

Kyle Larson thinks so, and boy, did it create a firestorm this weekend. He’s right, by the way, but only sort of.

Four tires, a splash of Sunoco racin’ fuel, and maybe a Red Bull for Kyle so he doesn’t fall asleep at the wheel … Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the ‘Everybody Hates This Stupid Car’ edition — is LIVE!

Carson loves Corey!

Which negative thing should we start with today? Look, I don’t love coming out of the gates with this kind of attitude on the final Monday of July, but I don’t dictate the content.

The racing does, and it wasn’t great this weekend.

You know what? Before we get into any of the negative stuff (the car, the racing, the crowds, the length of a race), let’s hit the refresh button on this Monday and get our minds right.

And I know the PERFECT person to help us do just that!

Carson Hocevar … come on down:

The optics at Indy didn’t look the best

Lordy. Is Carson Hocevar a content machine, or what? Imagine what he’s gonna do when he gets into a legit car? He is, easily, the best thing going in NASCAR right now.

Frankly, it’s not particularly close. Listen to Dale Jr.’s voice in the above clip. It’s the most excited he got all day! Also, may have reminded him of this gem of a moment from his daddy’s final race:

Dale Earnhardt giving a rookie Kurt Busch the finger at his first Daytona 500? I mean, how good did we have it back in the day? The racing. The broadcast booth. The drivers.

We had it all, and we just pissed it away. Sad.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar gives a thumbs up to fans on Saturday, July 25, 2026, during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Anyway, we’ve gone from that to just a brutal scene Sunday at Indianapolis. Again, the Brickyard 400 is still considered a “crown jewel,” but Lordy, it didn’t look — or feel — like one.

Covered grandstands. Empty seats. I know it’s an absolutely massive venue — I get it — but it just looked bad:

NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey Heim (67) does a burnout after winning the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Fans stand in the grandstands as racing resumes following a caution period Sunday, July 26, 2026, during the NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Ind. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

Let’s see how the drivers enjoyed the racing

We do this every time we go to Indy, by the way. The place is huge. It holds 400k. Do you understand how massive that is, especially in terms of other venues?

I think they’d have a hard time selling out an NFL game there, much less a NASCAR race in 2026. The folks who run the ticket stands tell me there were around 70,000 fans at the track yesterday, which looks horrific on TV — as you can see — but is actually a pretty decent number for NASCAR.

The Daytona 500 is easily the biggest race of the year, and that one gets around 101k. No other race, track, or venue comes even close. Any other race weekend, NASCAR would LOVE to see 70k.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Todd Gilliland (34) leads Connor Zilisch (88) on Sunday, July 26, 2026, during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

But when you spread them out at the biggest venue in North America (unofficially), it’s just a tough look. Also a tough look considering NASCAR used to pack this place to the brim. But it also used to get 20 million TV viewers a week, so, you know, times have changed.

You know what else has changed? The racing itself.

It stinks, especially at a place like Indy where it’s quite literally follow-the-leader from start to finish.

The ONLY time you could gain spots yesterday was on a the restart. That’s it. If you were in the lead, you stayed there.

Joey Logano … how do we fix this bad boy?

NASCAR’s down time, Taylor kisses the bricks and fire those engines!

“What would it take for you guys to pass here?”

“Probably an Xfinity car.”

Whoooooooooof. Just a brutal day. Just a brutal look for NASCAR at Indy, where there was NOT ONE green flag pass for the lead. Not one. We had lead changes during the pit cycles and restarts. That was it.

Do you know how embarrassing that is? That’s an F1 stat. That’s the crap I literally mock all the time. I don’t have a leg to stand on today! I’m cooked. All NASCAR fans should be furious at that one stat today. If nothing else, be pissed at THAT.

That is a major problem …

… as is the length of races:

“Yes I agree a lot of our Cup races are too long. Three hours is too long,” Kyle Larson said before crashing out 100 miles into Sunday’s race.

That comment took a ton of heat this weekend. A TON. Fans are pissed at Larson. It all stems from IndyCar driver Scott Dixon’s comments last weekend saying a NASCAR race is a good time for a nap (objectively true), and it has everyone fired up right now.

Here’s the thing … Larson is halfway right. NASCAR races are too long, but not because of the mileage. They’re too long because we can go nearly 30 minutes without any actual racing:

LOOK at those numbers. Truly astonishing.

• There was ONE green flag lap of racing in 26 minutes at one point yesterday. One. There were 45 minutes of combined caution time before the final stage.

Yeah, that’s too long. I don’t think Larson was speaking out of turn. Sleep tight, race fans!

Perhaps the only thing that could keep folks awake yesterday was this ELECTRIC command to get the day going:

Thanks, Mike! Who else is ready to run through a brick wall today? You reckon he gives pep talks on the side?

OK, that’s it for today. Good work, everyone. Let’s get this thing back on track next week at …

Wait. Never mind. The fellas are off next week.

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See you in two weeks at Iowa.

Take us home, Taylor Reimer.