Richmond’s controversial winner on the restart, Denny Hamlin, had a tumultuous week, to say the least. From frustrations flaring within Joe Gibbs Racing to a Twitter bust-up with SMI’s CEO, Denny was back at it again, rising through the ashes and solidifying his claims as NASCAR’s current most controversial driver. Although critics have largely marred the #11 Toyota driver’s 53rd career victory, his own crosshairs were aimed at another type of landscape: the FOX broadcast scenario.

“TV Didn’t Show It,” Denny Hamlin blames FOX amidst restart criticism

Heading into Martinsville this Sunday, Hamlin will be looking to claim his sixth Cup Series victory at Virginia’s half-mile of mayhem. A win at Martinsville would see #11 take the lead for JGR in the wins column, which has Coach Gibbs’s team tied with Hendrick Motorsports with three wins each out of the first seven races of 2024.

Denny Hamlin’s win at Richmond was the key factor that allowed JGR to tie Hendrick Motorsports in the wins column. However, Hamlin’s achievement was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that his teammate, Martin Truex Jr, had been considered the favorite to win the race for Joe Gibbs Racing in the final stages. Second, Hamlin’s jump-start poured water on MTJ’s potential debut victory of the season, and as Dustin Long brought the discussions to the #11 driver, Denny swiftly clarified his innocence in the “outcome.”

“The difference is where I went it played no difference in the outcome, I know people would like to think that it changed the result but it didn’t. We were side by side… so it didn’t change anything.” 

What Hamlin went on to say next was truly characteristic of his controversial persona. “But certainly, I can understand the heat of the moment. I think from my benefit. “I think the biggest positive I had was that the TV didn’t show it. That probable was the key is that the TV wasn’t even looking at the restart when it happened,” exclaimed Denny sarcastically. Moreover, week after week, FOX’s programming blunders provide evidence that the Chesterfield, VA, native may actually be right.

Is it an uncertain broadcast future?

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Last weekend at Richmond, three contact-related cautions hit pause on the excitement under the lights on an Easter night. The first yellow waved after SHR’s Josh Berry spun out Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez in Stage 1, the only incident fans saw in real-time on FS1. Both Kyle Busch’s phantom caution in Stage 2 and the late-race dust-up between Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson weren’t truly shown live; viewers only got real-time replays during the race, leaving a lot to be desired. To top it all off, Denny Hamlin’s controversial restart move wasn’t put under review until later that week.

Additionally, from faulty graphics to announcement howlers in the booth, FOX and NBC’s last year of total dedicated NASCAR coverage has seen some downright hideous mistakes on live TV. With futuristic approaches waiting in the wings for Amazon Prime and WB Discovery’s ten NASCAR race telecasts ready to hit the screens from 2025 onwards, the future seems quite uncertain.

However, the present is in turmoil, and the broadcast giants must find a balance between providing the best NASCAR viewership experience to the world and generating enough revenue between ads and blunders for the 2024 NASCAR season. But could the hike in viewership be a reason behind these blunders?

Another FOX Blunder – NASCAR Community Gives Up on the Broadcasting After Being Disappointed Yet Again