Kenny Wallace drops 2-word reaction as Denny Hamlin’s back-to-back NASCAR win attracts huge numbers for FOX 

Denny Hamlin wheeled his way to his second straight win in the NASCAR Cup Series when he was victorious on Sunday at Darlington. The 297-lap race garnered over 2.5 million viewers on FS1, which was reportedly the most-watched cable telecast on Sunday, and the large audience caught the attention of former driver and NASCAR on FOX personality Kenny Wallace.

According to FOX Sports PR, the Goodyear 400 at the Darlington Raceway drew an average of 2,517,000 viewers. The viewership was up 15 percent from last year's "equivalent" race at Martinsville Speedway on FS1, which drew an average of 2,191,000 viewers. Sunday's race was up five percent from last year's FS1 average of 2,389,000 viewers and peaked at 3,099,000 viewers from 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST.

Most impressively, the race was the most-viewed telecast of the day. FOX Sports PR penned a message on X regarding the viewership stats, writing:

"NASCAR Cup Series race from Darlington on @FS1 scores most-watched Sunday cable telecast 👀"

Wallace, who recently praised NASCAR's high TV viewership, applauded the sport again on the heels of this week's viewership numbers being released. The brother of Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace penned a two-word message on X expressing his enthusiasm and signifying another solid week for NASCAR TV viewership. He wrote:

"And AGAIN 🏁"

Hamlin's victory came as a surprise to many who were watching as he ran in third place with four laps to go. However, a Kyle Larson spinout brought out the caution, which then set up one more pit stop and a late-race restart.

Hamlin's #11 crew got him off pit road first, passing leader Ryan Blaney and second-placed Tyler Reddick. Then, Hamlin drove away from the field on a restart with two laps remaining en route to victory. It was the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's second straight Cup win, fifth victory at Darlington, and 56th career win overall.

Denny Hamlin praises pit crew for late-race stop that gave him the lead

Denny Hamlin is a two-time winner in 2025 after a huge assist from his Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew. The #11 team helped the three-time Daytona 500 winner go from third to first prior to a two-lap dash to the finish.

Crew's efforts didn't go unnoticed by the JGR star. Following the win, Hamlin posted a selfie of himself alongside the #11 team. Hamlin might've been the one behind the wheel, but he knows he had a massive helping hand at the end of the race. Denny Hamlin wrote in his X post,

"This pit crew gets to hoist the trophy today."

Denny Hamlin is in his 20th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series and has spent his entire career at JGR. While he's come close many times, he is still seeking his first Cup Series championship. This year, Hamlin will aim to make a return to the Championship 4 race for the first time since 2021.