The Go Bowling at The Glen had fans yawning instead of cheering. Shane van Gisbergen was putting on a masterclass, slicing the gap to Brad Keselowski, who hadn’t pitted, down to 5.7 seconds while holding a tidy 1.2-second lead over William Byron with 18 laps left. SVG’s road-course dominance is no surprise; he’s won four of five road-course races this season, missing only COTA with a sixth-place finish.
His Watkins Glen performance, hot off a second-place qualifying run just 0.33 seconds behind Ryan Blaney’s pole, had him poised to tie Chase Elliott’s mark for consecutive road-course wins, trailing only Jeff Gordon’s record. But while SVG’s clinic was a thing of beauty for purists, fans on X were less than thrilled, slamming the race as a predictable bore and venting about the Gen-7 car’s role in flattening the excitement.
SVG is already back within 5.7 seconds of Keselowski, who hasn’t pitted yet. And SVG is now 1.2 seconds ahead of Byron. 18 laps to go. Looking like another SVG clinic.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 10, 2025
“Snooze fest need beer to watch this s— anymore.” This fan’s quip nails the growing gripe that the Gen-7 car kills the vibe on road courses. Critics argue its design, built for stability, cuts down on driver errors, leading to processional racing that feels like a slog. When SVG pulls away by over five seconds, it’s less a nail-biter and more a monotonous march, leaving fans reaching for a drink to stay engaged.
“I’m sleeping. Jeff. No vote from me this week.” This jaded remark captures fans checking out early. SVG’s unchallenged 1.2-second lead over Byron with 18 laps to go felt too predictable, draining the race of suspense. For viewers craving chaos, his expected dominance turned the broadcast into a snooze.
“It’s unwatchable I have been on TikTok.” When the race lacks spark, fans bail. The Gen-7’s stability, while technically impressive, leaves little room for drama, pushing bored viewers to scroll TikTok instead of watching SVG cruise.
“GEN 7 is a total shitbox on road courses.” This blunt jab hits at the car’s poor fit for tracks like Watkins Glen. Despite tweaks, the Gen-7’s handling on road courses draws flak for creating dull races, with SVG’s dominance highlighting the lack of competitive churn.
“This car and season sucks ass.” This sweeping vent ties the car’s issues to a broader frustration with 2025’s racing. Fans echo sentiments like Kenny Wallace’s critics, who blasted the Next Gen car for killing good racing, demanding fixes over excuses.
The post Fans Tune Out Mid Race as NASCAR’s Watkins Glen Turns Into “Snoozefest” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
