“I would have hoped he would have given me a lane on exit.” That was Alex Bowman’s immediate reaction after a dramatic overtime finish at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Phoenix. He had led for 70 laps, secured the pole position, and was in prime position to win in his home state. But in the final moments, Aric Almirola had other plans. The veteran driver made a bold, door-banging move on the last lap, shoving Bowman into the wall and snatching victory by just 0.045 seconds.

Notably, it was the second-closest finish ever at Phoenix Raceway. It was the kind of finish NASCAR fans live for. Heart-pounding, aggressive, unpredictable. But here’s the problem—many fans never saw it. As the white flag dropped and the leaders barrelled into the final lap, Peachtree TV, the CW affiliate in Atlanta, abruptly cut to a promo for an upcoming MLB game. Instead of watching Almirola’s daring move on Bowman, viewers stared at an ad for the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. Worse yet, the broadcast never returned to the race.

This shocking blunder wasn’t an isolated incident. In several regions, CW affiliates didn’t air the race at all, leaving fans completely in the dark. As frustration mounted, NASCAR fans directed their outrage at the CW, the network now responsible for Xfinity Series broadcasts. The backlash was swift and unforgiving, leading to an official apology from the network. But that only made things worse.

On Sunday, The CW issued a statement acknowledging the mistake. The network blamed the Atlanta affiliate for the error and promised that it ‘would not happen again.’ The statement read, “Our local affiliate in Atlanta has acknowledged the mistake in prematurely ending coverage of yesterday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and we have been assured this will not happen again. We will continue to work closely with our affiliates to ensure that the entire NASCAR Xfinity Series continues to receive the premium treatment racing fans deserve.”

That explanation didn’t sit well with fans. Many took to social media, calling out The CW for failing to ensure that all affiliates aired the race properly. One fan vented, “What I don’t get, beyond this ATL issue, is why certain affiliates aren’t carrying the races at all. As reruns of Full House and Buffy sandwiched in between infomercials is really that hot a draw?” Notably, the CW’s entry into NASCAR was meant to bring wider exposure to the Xfinity Series. Instead, fans are questioning whether the network is fit for the job due to inconsistent coverage.

For those who don’t know, the issue vents from the core of how CW works. The CW is different from networks like Fox or NBC. Instead of being a single nationwide channel, it operates through local affiliates. These affiliates have the power to make their own programming decisions, meaning some chose to air other content instead of the NASCAR race. For fans, this creates an inconsistent and frustrating experience. While some markets get full race coverage, others are left with nothing.

Even though The CW has brought strong graphics and solid commentary to its NASCAR broadcasts, the biggest issue remains accessibility. If certain regions can’t watch the race, what’s the point of a national TV deal? Additionally, the CW doesn’t have any live-streaming partnerships. Despite having a functional mobile application, they only show a replay a day after the event. However, NASCAR’s partnership with The CW has delivered strong ratings. The Xfinity Series has matched or even exceeded past viewership on NBC and FS1. However, if The CW can’t solve its affiliate issues, NASCAR may need to rethink its deal.

Fans tear apart CW and NASCAR!

NASCAR fans are passionate, and they didn’t hold back after Saturday’s debacle. They aren’t just upset about missing one thrilling finish—they’re frustrated that NASCAR isn’t treating its second-biggest series like a priority. Many took to social media to express their frustrations, highlighting issues beyond the Atlanta affiliate’s blunder.

A fan from Detroit, home to America’s auto industry, revealed that they couldn’t watch the race live. Calling it a shameful broadcasting. “Xfinity cable in Detroit, the Motor City, through the CW channel did NOT air the race live. They aired it tape-delayed at 9:30 PM. By then, the results were known all over social media. Shameful,” a fan wrote.

Meanwhile, some fans felt that moving Xfinity races to The CW was a mistake from the start. “NASCAR putting the Infinity races on the CW is a joke. Standard Def in many locations and inept personnel. Not a good move,” a user wrote. Another user echoed the sentiments and demanded that it be up on the app. “Please have it on the app; my local affiliate only broadcasts in 480p. Looks terrible,” a fan added.

Notably, unlike NBC or FS1, The CW does not have a strong history of covering live sports. The production quality and broadcast reach are not up to par with other major networks, making the viewing experience frustrating for fans. However, some fans took a sly dig at another broadcaster, Fox, for their mishaps. They were caught sleeping when Christopher Bell made a race-winning move on Kyle Busch at COTA. The camera cut into grandstands leaving everyone wondering what Bell did to get on par with the No. 8 car on the next corner. “At least they have come out and made a statement. Meanwhile, FOX just continues to troll us,” the user wrote.

This comment reflects the growing frustration of NASCAR fans who are venting it out on every other broadcaster. After all, this wasn’t the first time a NASCAR broadcast had left fans frustrated. From Fox missing the Air Force One flyover at the Daytona 500 to multiple caution flag blunders in Atlanta, the sport’s television coverage has been a growing point of contention. Despite strong ratings for NASCAR on The CW so far, these frustrations could hurt the network’s long-term relationship with racing fans.

NASCAR needs a broadcasting partner that treats every race like a marquee event, not an afterthought. For now, fans continue to voice their anger online, calling for NASCAR and The CW to fix this issue before it gets worse.