A big part of the NASCAR fan experience is watching the race on television and having the broadcasting team take over and take you through the proceedings of the day. However, when the broadcaster is FOX Sports, things can get a bit different. Over the years, the broadcaster has attracted a lot of criticism from fans for a variety of reasons, the most recent of which is against one figure in the booth.

NASCAR fans aren’t happy with Clint Bowyer in the FOX booth

One of the most loved and admired personalities within the garage and among his colleagues is Clint Bowyer. But on the NASCAR Reddit page, a fan wondered if they’re the only person who wants Clint Bowyer gone from the FOX booth. “Pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s tired of Clint’s shenanigans and bias in the booth,” the question read.

That question received a lot of responses, with one major common theme being fans being in agreement over the future of Clint Bowyer in the booth.

“⁠I didn’t think anyone actually wanted him in the booth,” one fan wrote, while another claimed, “Yes, it doesn’t feel like a serious motorsport with Clint in the booth. He’d be better on pit road rather than full-time in the booth.”

One big feature of Clint Bowyer’s personality is his candidness and his easy-to-be-around, fun-loving, and chaotic personality. However, one fan believed that isn’t exactly what NASCAR needs right now.

“He’s childish/immature and constantly interrupts. The entire Fox booth does not take this sport seriously, and it’s the last thing preventing our sport from really entering a new era,” the fan wrote.

But while some fans had an issue with Bowyer in particular, there were those who believed the former NASCAR driver was part of a bigger problem. “⁠Fox needs to completely overhaul its coverage or just get out,” one fan remarked, while another wrote, “⁠⁠Clint Bowyer is just one small part of a huge problem. FOX needs to reevaluate everything about its coverage.”

Clint Bowyer’s retirement seemed less daunting because of the FOX opportunity

The former SHR and RCR driver has remained a big part of the sport despite his retirement in 2020. Bowyer announced at the end of the 2020 season that he’d be joining the FOX Sports booth as an analyst. This came after a year of Bowyer appearing multiple times on the Xfinity Series races as an analyst.

During that time, he revealed how the opportunity of working with FOX made the prospect of his retiring from driving seem less daunting. Bowyer spoke about how he wanted ‘one more year’ out of his career. But then something changed.

“I love being a part of this sport. I mean, that was so important for me. I didn’t want to just retire,” Bowyer said, as per ESPN. “If this opportunity with Fox didn’t come to the table, I was going to be in a car somewhere somehow.”

In his very first year in the booth, Bowyer got to work alongside legends like Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon. But while Gordon quit his broadcasting duties, Joy remained as dependable as ever alongside Bowyer. A few years later, the FOX booth still consists of Clint Bowyer and Mike Joy.

For a few years in the middle, the concept of a rotating broadcasting team panel was explored until a permanent hiring was made in 2024. The new addition for the pair turned out to be Bowyer’s former teammate, Kevin Harvick, who joined the booth following his retirement in 2023.

But while the three have their roles cut out for them, along with them having pretty unique personalities, FOX Sports has still been the center of criticism from fans over the years. The broadcaster’s treatment of race coverage, the decisions to cut to the wrong shots during high-intensity moments, and their out-of-touch graphics at times are some of the few recurring complaints fans have against FOX.

With that said, it’ll be interesting to see if FOX Sports pays any attention to the demands of fans regarding their booth personalities and criticisms. Do you think Clint Bowyer will be dropped from the booth in the near future?