2,422,000 viewers jumped in to watch Denny Hamlin score his 55th NASCAR Cup win

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville - Source: Imagn — NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) sprays Coca-Cola after his win at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Source: Imagn

The Cook Out 400 saw 2,422,000 viewers tune in to watch Denny Hamlin's first win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series on 31 March. The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 driver's 55th Cup victory was also the most watched sports event on cable telecast for FOX Sports 1 (FS1) during the weekend.

However, the numbers dropped slightly for FOX from Homestead-Miami last week, which saw 2,464,000 viewers tune in. The Martinsville broadcast remains above the NASCAR average viewership of 2,389,000 over the seven racers so far. Hamlin's sixth win at the short track also saw a 11% jump in viewership as compared to the 2,191,000 viewers in 2024.

The Fox Sports Public Relations team took to X to announce the numbers from this year's race at the Martinsville Speedway with a caption:

"A strong showing for #NASCAR on @FS1 from @MartinsvilleSw💪"

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The stats also reveal that the audience tuned into watch the end of the race, with FS1 attaining peak viewership between 6:00 to 6:15 PM ET. Denny Hamlin led a race high 274 laps out of the 400 lap race to find his sixth win at the track after a decade-long wait.

FS1 has seen fluctuating viewership so far in the 2025 Cup series, with NASCAR also partnering Amazon Prime Video and TNT sports to share five races each. The Cook Out 400 had the lowest viewership compared to all the races in the season so far:

Daytona 500 (FOX) – 6.761M viewers
Ambetter Health 400, Atlanta (FOX) – 4.586M viewers
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, COTA (FOX) – 4.132M viewers
Shriners Children’s 500, Phoenix (FS1) – 2.820M viewers
Straight Talk Wireless 400, Homestead-Miami (FS1) - 2.464M viewers.

The race at Martinsville after six races takes the average NASCAR audience to 3,864,166 viewers. Fox will look to continue its domination of the TV ratings with NASCAR being the cornerstone of its broadcast, as they battle other streaming networks.

Denny Hamlin goes past Lee Petty, 11th on the all-time list

Beyond drawing fans, Denny Hamlin also hit a milestone in the Cook Out 400 on Sunday (March 31). His 55th victory in Martinsville saw him climb up a spot on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series race winners list going past Lee Petty at 13th. The #11 Toyota driver is currently tied with Rusty Wallace at 11th, five wins behind Kevin Harvick.

Denny Hamlin started in the third row behind early leader Chase Elliott but took the lead on Lap 116 and dominated for rest of the race. He lapped 15 drivers, maintaining a 4-second gap with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell, as the traffic between them worked to his advantage.

The veteran racer finished with a 4.628 lead over Bell, which pushed him two positions on the championship table at 6th with 218 points.

About the author

Anurup Chakraborty is a dedicated motorsport journalist specializing in NASCAR and F1. As a Sportskeeda analyst he provides in-depth race reports and driver insights, keeping fans up to speed on post-race reactions, team strategies, historical deep dives, and trending social media moments.
Whether breaking down crucial race decisions or revisiting iconic motorsport moments, Anurup blends an analyst’s expertise with a fan’s enthusiasm. So, pull up a seat, grab your favorite game-day snack, and dive into the conversation with him!

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Edited by Aatreyee Aich