NASCAR‘s Southern 500 last weekend was a whirlwind of excitement, with position changes happening at every turn. The race was a roller coaster ride, with leaders swapping positions on a whim and front-runners tumbling down the grid in the blink of an eye. For bettors, it was a nail-biting affair as they struggled to decide which driver to support amidst the unpredictable action. In the end, it was a wrap at the playoff opener, with victory securely nestled in the books for Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports.

The hosts of the Door Bumper Clear podcast had a field trip, dissecting the Darlington spectacle in meticulous detail as they scrutinized each lap and every driver. The No. 22 Penske driver, Joey Logano took center stage as the podcast crew analyzed the reigning champion’s impact on an unexpected aspect of the race: race ratings.

Bubba Wallace’s insider roulette on how Joey Logano could have altered fan perceptions

During the podcast discussion between Brett Griffin, Casey Boat, and Freddie Kraft, the focus was on the high-pressure environment of the NASCAR playoffs, emphasizing the critical importance of execution in all aspects, both on and off the track. “We talk about it every time. You got into the playoffs; you have to execute, and that’s all facets, you know, on the track, off the track. To me, that’s another pressure situation.”

The conversation then turned to the length of races, advocating against shorter events, expressing a fondness for longer races, citing the boredom of a shorter race where a driver can dominate for most of the day. “We always talk about cutting the races, shortening the races, or making them 300 miles. Like, I love a race like this because that’s how it plays out.”

“Like, if this is a 400-mile race; Denny Hamlin just goes and dominates all day long, and it’s over. But, you know, you see he has his issues; then you have to execute the entire race. Denny dominated, has one mistake, and is never to be heard from again.”

The statistics from the Darlington event revealed that an impressive 83.8% of respondents deemed it a good race. This led to a humorous remark about the 16.2% who may have fallen asleep during the race, suggesting they might not deserve a phone if they cast such votes. “So the 500, 83.8% said it was a good race, so there are 16.2% out there who fell asleep, probably don’t deserve a phone if they voted those.” 

Highlighting the diverse appeal of NASCAR to different types of fans, “I think that this is more of a race. If you are a race fan who watches for the wrecks, then this was not that type of race. This was more strategy.”

Read more: “It’s a Ford Problem”: Joey Logano Unable to Bounce Back Unlike Brad Keselowski and Co

The conversation then continued as Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, took over the mic with speculation about how the race ratings might have been adversely influenced had Joey Logano emerged as the winner.

Suggesting that a considerably lower number of viewers might have enjoyed the race at that point. “I would like to see what those numbers would be had Joey Logano won that race because there’s probably going to be about 16% of good race at that point. 100% they sway like that. But I loved yesterday’s race.”

How and why did Hamlin’s high hopes dash after 177/367 laps?

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On the same track that Freddie Kraft expressed his love for, there’s another heart-wrenching tale that unfolded. A prominent frontrunner and fan favorite, Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver, appeared poised for victory. With two stage victories and leading an impressive 177 out of 367 laps, it seemed like he had a firm grasp on the win. However, this is NASCAR, where unpredictability reigns supreme.

In classic NASCAR fashion, just a few laps later, and due to some critical missteps, Denny Hamlin found himself mired in the midst of mid-field competitors, with no clear path back to the front. His hopes of victory were dashed as he ultimately finished in a disappointing 25th place.

Despite the disappointment, Hamlin acknowledged the outstanding efforts of his team and car. He commended his crew for delivering a race-winning vehicle that controlled the race until they encountered troubles. “I mean really good car just you know we worked hard Darlington here to get us a race-winning car, and Chris and while team just stood up and great job, you know giving me a race-winning car that’s obviously controlled the race-until we had some troubles so I mean it’s just part of it.”

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Safe to say, the No. 11 garage was not thriving, with the four-time Darlington victor counted among the losers from the Southern 500. The question now looms large: Will we witness a redemption arc on the battlefield in Kansas?