Denny Hamlin is not happy. The veteran racer seems to be having some major issues with the NASCAR on FOX broadcast. However, he isn’t sure if the issue is with the media company or his equipment. The company has come under plenty of scrutiny recently, amidst allegations of prioritizing the 2025 IndyCar campaign, losing key personnel, and controversial appointments dominating the headlines. Could their latest blunder prove to be the final straw for NASCAR fans?
Hamlin couldn’t help but be infuriated by FOX’s coverage. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver revealed the latest issues plaguing their broadcast in a candid conversation on his Actions Detrimental Podcast, adding the blunder to a growing list of issues from the broadcaster.
FOX’s audio quality frustrates Denny Hamlin
It seems like FOX’s coverage of NASCAR is leaving much to be desired. It all started with The Clash, where either the frame was too tight or only a single driver was shown for a long time. Leading up to the Daytona 500, there was only one commercial for the crown-jewel event, and the broadcaster even skipped the Air Force Thunderbirds flyover before the race. That was quite a rookie mistake, as everyone knows the pre-race events ahead of ‘The Great American Race’ are sacred.
Now, it seems like FOX Sports has added another blunder to the list. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin said, “Is FOX‘s audio f—– up for anyone else? Like, I noticed [that] in my living room and in my bus, I have multiple speakers. I have a TV and then I have speakers, a left and a right. But the audio during our races only comes out of our right speaker. It’s like it’s on analog.”
Puzzled at the audio quality, Hamlin went on to say, “I’ve noticed it for a few weeks that they’ve got something going on with their audio that is just not like all other audio coming through FOX or any other station for that matter. I don’t know what’s going on.” Could this be just another blunder by the broadcaster, or is the 44-year-old facing some technical problems with his equipment? Well, recent history shows that FOX’s technical blunders are not a rarity.
Recently, the IndyCar race at Thermal brought its own set of complications. The race was held at the same time as the Homestead-Miami fixture! Naturally, the viewership numbers were affected because of the timing, but FOX clarified the matter on social media, saying that the clash between two of the biggest races on television was “unavoidable.” The scheduling conflict led to a 53% drop in viewership, with only 704,000 fans tuning in. However, the biggest story from that race was fans switching between channels due to FOX’s broadcast blunder!
During the Thermal Grand Prix, FOX experienced a blackout for their coverage. IndyCar fans were left confused and annoyed at how this could happen. IndyCar star Alex Palou even said after the race. “I heard that there were some issues with the broadcast. So sorry to the fans, and thank you for sticking with us.” FOX later posted on X, revealing the real issue, “Our INDYCAR production truck has an electrical issue. We are working to get it fixed as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we have NASCAR bonus coverage on FOX and FS1 until the INDYCAR truck is back online.” The suggestion to switch to NASCAR was the last straw for IndyCar fans, and it sent them up in arms.
With the race weekend at Bristol on the horizon, the IndyCar Long Beach race is also scheduled for 14th April. However, FOX Sports says that the open-wheel event will begin 90 minutes after the race at the ‘The Last Great Colosseum.’ Yet, that doesn’t change the fact that the American broadcaster has seen its share of goof-ups in its coverage so far, and Denny Hamlin’s audio woes are just a part of the many blunders we have seen so far.
Richard Petty criticizes NASCAR on FOX coverage
When ‘the King’ speaks, everybody listens. Kyle and Richard Petty joined the NASCAR on Fox broadcast during Stage 2 of the race at Darlington to discuss the 87-year-old’s legendary career. The seven-time Cup Series champion has won three races at the South Carolina track, a significant milestone in his long and illustrious motorsports journey. However, just before exiting the booth, Petty couldn’t help but take a subtle jab at the broadcaster’s coverage of races.
Speaking to play-by-play announcer Mike Joy, along with analysts Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, Petty said, “Thank you. It’s been interesting watching y’all try to operate up here.” The emphasis on the word “try” led to a chuckle from the rest of the booth. Mike Joy couldn’t help but say that those words can be taken as a compliment.
Not holding back, Richard Petty continued, “The big deal is, when I’m sitting here and see what I see on the TV and the race is really back about 15th or 20th. Them guys, they drive their fanny off every lap. I mean, they’re really racing back there, but you know, if you’re here, you can see that. You can’t see it on TV.” Joy politely responded by saying that they “Get back there as much as we can… but you’re right, if you wanna see it all, come buy a ticket.”
It’s not the first time FOX has been criticized for only focusing on the front of the pack. Even though many fans were pleased that an iconic figure such as Richard Petty spoke up against the broadcast quality, it seems like Mike Joy and the rest of the FOX Sports hierarchy are not willing to make the changes needed. In that case, at least the TV coverage shouldn’t have audio problems like the ones Denny Hamlin is experiencing, right? What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments!
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