NASCAR News: Influential spotter Griffin rips NASCAR a new one

Brett Griffin, one of the sport’s most outspoken voices, recently ripped NASCAR a new one regarding the current state of the sport.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Griffin has always told it like he sees it, and his latest tirade is no exception. The NASCAR spotter took to Twitter to air his grievances, sparking a debate that resonated with fans.

“It’s a fuel savings race — imagine all these football games played today at 60-70% until 5 mins to go in the game,” Griffin tweeted. “We have a MAJOR problem. OEM alliances, team orders, daddy’s money creeping into Cup. Houston; we have a problem. And the tires are too hard. And we have no motor. Should I stop?”

Instead of the all-out battles that made superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega famous, many feel they have devolved into a calculated chess match dominated by fuel-saving tactics, manufacturer alliances and crashes that wipe out half the field.

As one fan explained, “The draft is so crucial you need strength in numbers. Even the big four-car teams wouldn’t be able to outrace all the Toyotas locked together.”

Griffin’s gripe about “OEM alliances” is rooted in the fact that these partnerships can overshadow the individuality of drivers and teams. Instead of every man for himself, the race often feels like a battle between conglomerates. This was seen in the Martinsville 2024 race where Chevrolet duo Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain ran a blockade for William Byron to prevent him from losing a spot and missing out on the Championship 4. The teams were fined $100,000 each and crew chiefs were suspended for Phoenix following an investigation.

But Griffin didn’t stop there. His critique extended to the tires and engines, areas where he believes NASCAR has sacrificed excitement for reliability. “The tires are too hard,” he wrote, referring to Goodyear’s hard tires that when made softer tend to explode sending cars into the wall.

One fan summed up the growing discontent perfectly: “Telling fans we NEED the Playoffs for the viewership when we have less than 20% that the sport had in the early 2000’s… Yes, some regression was going to occur with streaming services gaining ground, but lauding 1% increases yearly is laughable and offensive.”

Another echoed Griffin’s sentiments about fuel mileage, tweeting, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of stage racing, but do you think if we dropped the stages at Daytona and Talladega it would fix the problem with fuel saving anyway? I don’t think there’s any hope in the team orders department.

“Why are there alliances among manufacturers? I don’t understand why all the Chevys, Fords, and Toyotas would agree to pit together or draft together if they’re not on the same team?”