![\"Kenny](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-918812714-e1676999532280.jpg\")
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Kenny Wallace has added another race to his schedule. <\/p>\n
NASCAR television numbers have shown early signs of momentum in 2026, and veteran driver-turned-analyst Kenny Wallace<\/a> believes the explanation is fairly straightforward. The longtime NASCAR figure recently weighed in on the rise in NASCAR on FOX viewership during the opening stretch of the NASCAR Cup Series<\/a> season.<\/p>\n In a video posted on social media<\/a>, Wallace addressed the growing interest directly, responding to fans\u2019 questions about the recent ratings bump.<\/p>\n Kenny Wallace says better racing is helping NASCAR TV ratings<\/p>\n Wallace argued that the quality of racing during the early portion of the season has played a major role in drawing viewers back to the broadcast.<\/p>\n \u201cThe races are good. That\u2019s simple.\u201d<\/p>\n He also pointed to adjustments within the sport\u2019s competitive structure that have helped make the on-track product easier for fans to follow. Wallace mentioned longtime NASCAR veteran Mark Martin as someone who helped push for improvements to the points system.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Mark Martin helped get the points changed, which is good.\u201d<\/p>\n The veteran driver suggested that those tweaks have contributed to a clearer championship picture and more compelling weekly racing for fans watching at home.<\/p>\n Michael Jordan\u2019s presence continues to bring attention to NASCAR<\/p>\n Another factor Wallace highlighted was the growing visibility of 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by global sports icon Michael Jordan<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s involvement, Wallace said, continues to introduce the sport to audiences who may not have previously followed NASCAR.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019ve got some superstars, and I\u2019ve got to give a lot of credit to Michael Jordan. You\u2019ve got world-class athletes all over the world looking at NASCAR and saying, \u2018Wow, what\u2019s going on over there? I didn\u2019t know Michael Jordan owned a NASCAR team.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n According to Wallace, Jordan\u2019s presence alone creates added attention whenever he appears at a race weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was NASCAR, I\u2019d pay Michael Jordan just to keep showing up. When his plane lands and he gets off at the airport, there\u2019s NASCAR on FOX filming him. Then he\u2019s walking into the racetrack. That kind of visibility helps the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Younger Viewers Helping Boost NASCAR Broadcast Numbers<\/p>\n Fan reactions to Wallace\u2019s video echoed many of the same points. Several viewers mentioned the crossover impact of online personalities like Cleetus McFarland, who has helped attract younger audiences to NASCAR content.<\/p>\n Recent industry data also supports the trend.<\/p>\n FOX\u2019s NASCAR broadcasts have reportedly seen a 26 percent increase among viewers aged 18 to 34. That kind of growth is notable at a time when traditional television continues to compete with streaming and digital platforms for audience attention.<\/p>\n Other viewership indicators have also moved in a positive direction. Earlier this season, the Daytona 500<\/a> drew roughly 7.5 million viewers, representing an 11 percent increase compared with the previous year.<\/p>\n What It Could Mean for the Rest of the NASCAR Season<\/p>\n The early ratings bump offers an encouraging sign for NASCAR and its broadcast partners.<\/p>\n Wallace believes the combination of competitive racing, adjustments to the championship format, and high-profile figures like Jordan could continue driving interest throughout the season.<\/p>\n If those elements remain consistent, NASCAR could see sustained audience growth as the NASCAR Cup Series calendar moves deeper into the year.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Kenny Wallace has added another race to his schedule. NASCAR television numbers have shown early signs of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":305941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-536558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}