The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs hit another worrying milestone at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Bubba Wallace's spotter, Freddie Kraft, is concerned. Despite Ryan Blaney’s commanding victory in the Mobil 1 301, TV numbers told a different story.Loudon’s return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 had the ingredients of a strong Sunday: close racing, shifting pit cycles, and playoff pressure. But away from the track, the sport was grappling with a bigger storyline.Just 1.29 million viewers tuned in, marking the lowest audience of the season and the first time in history that four consecutive playoff races have failed to clear two million viewers. The race itself had plenty of intrigue. Blaney led Ford’s strongest collective showing of the year with a 1-2-5 finish, locking himself into the Round of 8. But the views caught the spotlight as The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck posted the Loudon numbers on X, noting:"New Hampshire got just 1.29 million viewers. Last year’s Round 2 playoff opener (Kansas) had 1.79 million."Kraft reshared the post with a blunt reply:"Yikes. And the scary part is last 2 races have been really good races, so what’s the problem? Is it because it’s on USA? Are people just fed up with this car? Is it really cause people dislike the playoffs? If you’re someone that has stopped watching I’d love to hear why?"Kraft’s questions cut into the heart of NASCAR’s 2025 television crisis. While the product on track has delivered strong races at Gateway, Bristol, and Loudon, audiences haven’t followed. Gateway pulled 1.53 million viewers, Bristol 1.54 million, and New Hampshire just 1.29 million, numbers that would have been unthinkable for playoff events only a few years ago.Part of the challenge for Bubba Wallace and co. lies in timing. NASCAR’s fall stretch is directly up against the NFL season, which has only widened the gulf in viewership. Another factor is Formula One’s continued surge in the U.S. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix averaged 1.1 million viewers despite airing at 7 a.m. ET. That left only a 190,000-view gap between the two series, the narrowest margin yet this season.Whether it’s frustration with the Next Gen car, dislike of the playoff format, or a shift in viewing habits, the trend is impossible to ignore. Kraft’s post gave voice to a question many inside the garage are quietly asking: Why aren’t people watching?Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing struggle on it at LoudonBubba Wallace (23) during the NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Source: GettyWhile NASCAR struggles off the track, for Bubba Wallace, Loudon brought a setback at the worst possible time. After advancing comfortably through the Round of 16 with two top tens, the 23XI Racing driver entered the Round of 12 in position to make a deep playoff run. But Sunday’s 26th-place finish left him last among playoff drivers and 27 points below the cutline.Freddie Kraft described the frustrating day on his podcast Door Bumper Clear:"We were tight and then we got one run. There was a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel… we went further in the same direction and it got worse and then if from that point on… we were a 15th place car. Put the wedge wrench in there you come out 20th. Now your balance is getting worse because you’re deeper in the field… just a snowball effect of a day where we weren’t very good and trying to make it better. We hurt our track position and then never could get it back." (10:23 onwards)The result left Bubba Wallace without stage points and a lap down after a tough pit cycle. His 23XI Racing teammates weren’t much better off. Tyler Reddick finished 21st and sits just above Wallace in the standings, 23 points below the cutline. Both now face uphill battles heading into Kansas and the Roval, where every stage point and track position call could decide their seasons.While there is room for a turnaround, the urgency is immediate for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.