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FOX Fails to Learn From Last Season’s Mistakes as Missed Ricky Stenhouse Jr – John Hunter Nemechek Rivalry Leaves Fans Fuming

Published 02/04/2024, 7:29 PM EST

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Just a few days ago, NASCAR fans tuned into Fox Sports, all revved up for the 2024 Cup Season’s opening race. But instead of a front-row seat to all the action, viewers were left in the dark on a bunch of key moments that somehow slipped through the network’s coverage. With cameras stationed at every nook and cranny, it was a real head-scratcher that Fox Sports managed to overlook not just once but during the entire series.

For instance, the tussle between Ricky Stenhouse Jr and John Hunter Nemechek at the Busch Clash at the Coliseum was completely off Fox Sports’ radar, along with the fiery words they exchanged afterward. And when NASCAR shared a clip of Stenhouse Jr beelining for Nemechek’s window for a little chat, it was apparent that fans were shortchanged on the full story by the broadcast.

Fox Sports dropped the ball again, missing three key moments 

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With NASCAR having inked a fresh seven-year deal bringing FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video, and TNT Sports into the fold, expectations were high. Fox Sports and NBC are set to share the lion’s share of the NASCAR Cup Series, with 14 races each on their slate.

But, just like in recent years, Fox Sports fumbled the ball with the race coverage. They completely overlooked the showdown between Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs, barely touched on the last-lap drama between Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick, and ignored Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s pit road face-off with John Hunter Nemechek. While the race had its fair share of edge-of-your-seat moments, the real juicy stuff was left in the dust.

Last year, a similar thing hampered their coverage. The broadcast was riddled with ads and random cutaways, causing fans to miss out on crucial action. Fox’s so-called “Commercial 500” coverage was under fire from the get-go. Despite introducing a new race tracker feature to keep viewers in the loop, Fox still couldn’t seem to deliver the goods.

 

Flashback to 2019, and it was déjà vu all over again when Fox Sports 1 lost the feed with just 2 laps remaining, only to switch gears to college football right after the checkered flag. Needless to say, the NASCAR community was less than thrilled.

Watch This Story: Martin Truex Jr Leads The Way Again As Odds For The Clash At The Coliseum Are Out

This ongoing hiccup for the past few years with the broadcasts might just be one of the reasons NASCAR’s viewership is taking a hit. Capturing the action of NASCAR requires nimble camera work, as it’s impossible to catch the whole track in a single shot. Those camera angles are vital, and that’s precisely why fans are up in arms over Fox’s latest fumble, robbing them of some truly exhilarating race moments.

Fans are pulling no punches, calling out Fox Sports left and right for missing out on key NASCAR moments

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After NASCAR shared the clip of the Stenhouse Jr and Nemechek scuffle that never made it to TV, the fanbase didn’t hold back. Comments like “Sure would have been nice to see it on TV. #FoxSucks” started flooding in.

Another viewer laid down the hard truth: “Fox not showing heated moments at the clash 2 years in a row is criminal.” Meanwhile, another fan threw some shade while tipping their hat to NBC coverage: “Another example of NBC leaving FOX in the dust!”

The critiques kept coming, with one saying, “Fox needs to step up their coverage. This is the kinda thing they need to add to the story when covering the event,” and another lamenting, “Too bad we couldn’t see it during the broadcast. Fox was too worried about cutting to wrecked cars ten seconds after they had wrecked.”

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr Calls Out Michael McDowell’s “Pinball” Game at the Busch Light Clash

Some were left scratching their heads, “Why is there no tv coverage of this stuff, do they not want viewership,” while others dished out more zingers:  “Time for new personnel @NASCARONFOX, no excuse for this not being covered. Good job showing pan out shots of empty stands a dozen times though, only thing better were the throwaway shots of the crew chiefs in the stands.”

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Written by:

Neha Dwivedi

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Neha Dwivedi is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalist, she religiously believes in the power of research, which allows her readers to dive deep into her stories and experience the detailed nuances of the sport like never before. Being proficient with Core Sport and Live Event Coverage, she has written multiple copies on the top entities of Stock Car Racing, like Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Tony Stewart.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta