By Matthew Montoya
At the University of the Incarnate Word, several people are fans of the sports the university provides. For myself, however, while I do love all of sports in their own way, my personal favorite sport is in the minority.
NASCAR.
For 10 years, NASCAR has been my favorite sport, and nothing will change that. I believe that while it doesn’t get as much love and appreciation from people as it should, I believe there is a reasonable explanation for that.
NASCAR introduced a postseason format for the final 10 races in 2004. Ten years later, they created a playoff format that rewarded winning and finishing the highest in the final race out of the final four drivers rather than consistency.
Because of championships like Kyle Busch’s 2015 title, where he missed the first 11 races of the season due to breaking his legs, or Joey Logano’s 2024 championship while only having seven top 5 placements and 13 top 10 placements in 36 races, fans have clowned on the sport for rewarding mediocrity rather than consistent performances.
The breaking point for the most loyal fans was the championship race last year in 2025.
Championship 4 driver Denny Hamlin had six wins, was one of the best drivers all season, dominated the championship race and then a caution came out, forcing a two lap shootout, and everyone made pit stops.
Championship rival Kyle Larson took two tires, Denny Hamlin took four tires, and it ended up costing him the title. Larson finished 3rd, and Hamlin finished 6th after leading 200+ laps.
It meant absolutely nothing, and fans were justifiably outraged at the result.
Because of this, NASCAR was forced to change the points format for 2026, and while it’s not perfect, it’s not as bashed on as much as the previous format.
So now that you know why NASCAR is not appreciated as much as it used to be, let me tell you why you should give it a chance.
So far this season, Tyler Reddick drives the #45 23XI Racing Toyota and is the current points leader, having won five of the first ten races, solidifying his dominance.
While some fans might not like a driver winning a majority of the races early, I would say that is good for the sport because there is always that one team or one player that they all wish to beat. Right now in NASCAR, Reddick is that guy.
As for variety, the other five races have been won by different drivers. Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar, who got his first career win last Sunday at Talladega. So far, this season has given us a little bit of everything. Domination from one driver, a variety of race winners, and good racing almost every week.
While some people view NASCAR as just a Southern sport that has a majority of left turns that drives around in a circle, it has always been way more than that.
I ask you guys to give NASCAR a chance
I have my own YouTube channel, “FireBall Hamlin,” where I create live NASCAR reactions and other videos. While I don’t make a lot of money from it, that’s not the point. I do it for the love of the sport and inspiration for one day I can be a sports broadcaster for NASCAR.
If you give this sport a chance, the drivers and their creative personalities might end up making you a fan of NASCAR.
