The NASCAR Truck Series is facing mounting criticism over its scheduling, as recent races saw alarmingly low live viewership and empty stands, highlighting concerns that race times are keeping fans from tuning in. The ongoing debate about NASCAR Truck Series scheduling was reignited during the recent race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with industry stakeholders pointing to start times that conflict with fans’ work schedules.
Truck Series Debuts on Charlotte ROVAL with Disappointing Live Audience
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series made its debut on the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL circuit last Friday, an event that brought with it no shortage of drama on track. Corey Heim began on pole position but was immediately taken out in a chaotic first corner incident when Grant Enfinger collided with Layne Riggs, sending Riggs into Heim and damaging all three competitors’ vehicles. The collision reshuffled the field and handed the lead to Brent Crews, who dominated by leading 50 of 70 laps as he pursued his maiden Truck Series victory.
Despite heavy damage, Heim staged an impressive comeback by the end of the race, clinching his record-breaking 10th win in a single Truck Series season. Although the on-track action was a mix of lower-key racing and thrilling moments, the event stood out as both historic and deserving of attention as the inaugural Truck Series contest on this unique road course. However, that excitement did not translate into high live viewership.
Low Ratings Raise Concerns Over Race Timing
When viewership data became public, it was revealed that fewer than 300,000 people watched the Charlotte ROVAL Truck Series race live. This led to an immediate outcry, with many noting that airing the race on FOX Sports 1 could play a part in suppressing numbers, but the main frustration centered around the Friday afternoon start time.
The green flag dropped just after 3:45 p.m. ET—a slot that arrives squarely during the standard American workday. Fans across the Eastern Time Zone, as well as elsewhere in the country, found themselves unable to tune in live. Empty grandstands underscored the problem; those present at the venue described the turnout as disheartening and well below what NASCAR’s home track would hope to see for any significant series.
This low attendance isn’t unheard of for the Truck and Xfinity Series, which typically draw smaller crowds than the premier NASCAR Cup Series, but the sparsely populated stands for this highly anticipated first run on Charlotte’s ROVAL stood out as a visual indicator of broader issues. Both fans and pundits alike pointed toward the timing as the main culprit, especially with the venue boasting newly upgraded lighting that enables prime-time competitions.
Arguments for Scheduling Races in Prime Viewing Hours
The decision to hold the Truck Series event at 3:45 p.m. instead of capitalizing on the track’s capability for night racing drew immediate criticism. The Xfinity Series race was scheduled later on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET and was completed in twilight, demonstrating that the facility and the surrounding schedule could accommodate later starts without logistical difficulty.
Many pointed to the presence of the IMSA Mustang Challenge as a weak justification for shifting the Truck Series event to such an early slot. The IMSA event, which required qualifying and race times at the same facility, was cited as a reason for the Friday afternoon green flag, but critics argued that alternative arrangements could have allowed the Truck Series to take center stage in the evening. The issue was particularly frustrating given that NASCAR owns IMSA, making it logical that the stock car series should enjoy schedule priority.
Fans and Drivers Advocate for Night Racing
On-site observations painted a bleak picture of fan engagement, with many rows of empty seats and little of the energy that typically accompanies live motorsports events. Race team employees who do not often travel with the series also missed out on the local opportunity to see their trucks compete in person, further highlighting the consequences of early afternoon races during the workweek.
After the race, driver Josh Bilicki, who delivered a strong sixth-place finish, voiced support for moving future Truck Series events to later in the day.
“I wish that they ran this race a little later in the day to get more fans in the seats before watching,”
Bilicki said. “It just seemed like an early race. They got lights here now. Our Xfinity race tomorrow will end at night, and then they’re running a Mustang Challenge race here too tomorrow night under the lights.
”I would like to see this race — if it comes back on a Friday — race under the lights.”
Scheduling Challenges Extend Beyond Charlotte ROVAL
The dilemma faced at Charlotte is symptomatic of a larger trend across the series. Just weeks earlier, the Truck Series returned to Watkins Glen International, where the race also occurred on a Friday afternoon. Though that start time was slightly later at 5:30 p.m. ET, it still meant that fans—particularly those on the West Coast—faced similar obstacles in catching the event live. Saturday, which saw only the Xfinity Series on track, could have been a natural opportunity for a doubleheader, allowing for better audience crossover and increased attendance.
This pattern is set to repeat at the upcoming Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The Truck Series is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 17, forcing another conflict with typical work hours across much of the country. Notably, the Talladega Truck race was also shortened from 250 miles to 225 in recent years to accommodate daylight limitations, as the track lacks lights. The following day features only the Xfinity Series, raising obvious questions about why a combined event for both series isn’t the default approach.
Industry Voices and Data Highlight Urgency for Change
Echoes of frustration from columnists and fans began circling online after the ROVAL race, with comparisons to earlier logistical missteps at Talladega and other venues. NASCAR’s insistence on keeping the Truck Series as the third-tier event led to scheduling decisions that marginalized both its live and television audiences.
Data shared by Adam Stern revealed the extent of the disparity in motorsports television audiences during the same weekend. NASCAR Cup Series action on USA Network drew a substantial 1.544 million viewers, while the Truck Series race managed only 279,000.
“Motorsports viewership in the U.S. last weekend:1) NASCAR Cup (USA Network): 1.544 million viewers2) Formula 1 (ESPN): 931,0003) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 808,0004) NASCAR Trucks (FS1): 279,0005) IMSA season review (NBC): 168,0006) ARCA (FS2): 32,000 pic.twitter.com/4WAetW1xEq”
— Adam Stern, Journalist
This sharp drop-off underscores the significance of scheduling, as fans are clearly more likely to tune in for prime-time weekend events than races held in the middle of their workday. Even with compelling storylines and high stakes on the track, poorly timed races diminish both the in-person and at-home audience.
Calls for Future Rescheduling Intensify
Many within the racing community, from media figures like Anthony Damcott to drivers such as Josh Bilicki, are raising their voices in favor of later start times and more doubleheader events with the Xfinity Series. The feeling is one of urgency, as repeated instances of lackluster attendance and television ratings risk becoming entrenched norms for the Truck Series. Season schedules for NASCAR have already been released for 2026, but the all-important television schedules are still pending. This gives stakeholders a brief window to rally for change, before unfavorable patterns become routine.
As Damcott and others have suggested, options include moving other support series—like IMSA or ARCA—within the weekend to give NASCAR’s main events more favorable slots, or restoring doubleheaders that have previously proven to boost interest. Looking ahead, the hope persists that the series’ leadership and television partners will heed these calls and avoid more early-afternoon Friday races that leave fans disappointed.
The negative reaction to recent race times, marked by empty stands and sagging viewership, serves as a warning to NASCAR: adapting the Truck Series schedule is essential for maintaining the vibrancy and visibility of this foundation-level championship.
That escalated as quickly as possible. https://t.co/Y8KsauVLoq pic.twitter.com/ZICmocz2df
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 3, 2025
Motorsports viewership in the U.S. last weekend:
1) NASCAR Cup (USA Network): 1.544 million viewers
2) Formula 1 (ESPN): 931,000
3) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 808,000
4) NASCAR Trucks (FS1): 279,000
5) IMSA season review (NBC): 168,000
6) ARCA (FS2): 32,000 pic.twitter.com/4WAetW1xEq— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 7, 2025
