The Circuit of the Americas delivered heart-stopping action during Sunday’s NASCAR race, but viewers at home might have missed the best parts. As cars battled for position in the closing laps, FOX’s cameras failed to capture key moments, continuing a pattern that has frustrated fans throughout the early part of the 2025 season. The technical gaffes and production decisions left many questioning whether the network truly understands the sport it’s paid to showcase.

Among the most significant missed moments was the developing saga between Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain. After Chastain aggressively spun Elliott early in the race, tensions culminated in the final stage when Elliott nearly retaliated. Chastain wisely avoided contact by slowing down—a pivotal moment in their on-track rivalry that FOX’s broadcast completely missed.

Similarly, Elliott’s remarkable recovery drive from 22nd to 4th position went virtually uncovered, with not a single pass from this comeback shown to viewers. AJ Allmendinger’s dramatic fall from fifth to 30th position received equally minimal attention, leaving fans piecing together the race’s narrative through social media rather than the official broadcast.

“Best move of the race towards the end was blocked by a solid shot of the back of a grandstand. Nice awareness director,” one fan sarcastically noted after Sunday’s race. This comment exemplifies the growing sentiment that FOX’s coverage is failing to deliver the racing experience fans expect, with camera work missing crucial on-track action and commentary lacking the energy the sport demands.

“They all are dull as hell and I don’t understand it. Four cars under a blanket for the win and not one person has enthusiasm,” commented another viewer, highlighting the dual issues of missed action and lackluster commentary when Christopher Bell, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Kyle Busch were fighting for the win. This criticism comes despite the race itself receiving praise from fans who called it “entertaining” and “one of the best road course races of the NextGen era.” Unfortunately, FOX’s presentation seemingly failed to convey this excitement to the home audience.

“Too bad they still have a third of the season instead of absolutely nothing because this production has been absolutely unacceptable and it’s race f—— THREE,” wrote an exasperated fan, placing the COTA failures in the context of FOX’s early-season struggles. This sentiment was reinforced by numerous comments suggesting that the most exciting aspect of the 2025 season isn’t the racing itself but rather that ‘we took a good chunk of races out of FOX’s hands.’ After the $7.7 billion media rights deal NASCAR signed to involve the CW, Prime Video, and other networks, it continues to feel like FOX has taken a backseat with its duties.

The COTA complaints follow similar broadcasting failures at Atlanta and Daytona earlier this season. At Atlanta’s Ambetter Health 400, the network missed at least three caution periods by cutting to advertisements at crucial moments. “Every caution has been while on commercial. It never f—— fails!” lamented one fan.

When the broadcast returned, viewers were left confused, piecing together what happened from rushed replays. NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass tweeted about Todd Gilliland’s tire issue causing a caution, which many fans admitted was their first notification of the incident – a damning indictment of the live broadcast’s failure.

The Daytona 500 coverage a week earlier had committed what many fans considered the cardinal sin of missing the iconic Air Force Thunderbirds flyover—a traditional pre-race ceremony. “Fox once again drops the ball,” commented one viewer, while another sarcastically wrote, “Thanks, @NASCARONFOX went to commercial as usual,” highlighting fans’ growing reliance on journalists’ social media updates rather than the official broadcast. This pattern extended to race coverage, with FOX cutting to commercial breaks after just 7 laps before rain delayed the event.

Broadcast team under fire as production values falter

Beyond the missed racing moments, viewers are increasingly critical of FOX’s announcing team. “Mike Joy with all due respect needs to retire. Bowyer needs to be at the studio. He sounds like a hammered frat boy overtalking Harvick’s matter of fact style,” wrote one fan about the current commentary booth. Others compared today’s presenters to their predecessors: “Go back to some of Larry Mac and DW’s calls, it made the sport electric. Then they brought in Jeff Gordon, then Clint, then Kevin and it just has not been the same.”

The production issues are compounded by the perceived lack of enthusiasm from commentators. Even when races deliver edge-of-your-seat action – like multiple cars battling for victory in the closing laps – the broadcast team’s subdued reactions fail to capture the intensity. Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick, two previous COTA winners and the runner-up from last year, battled it out, and the bland broadcasting made it feel like it was an exhibition race. For a sport that thrives on adrenaline and excitement, this disconnect between the action and its presentation undermines NASCAR’s appeal to both die-hard fans and potential new viewers.

As NASCAR continues its 2025 season with shifting media rights on the horizon, the question remains whether FOX can address these mounting criticisms or if fans will increasingly turn to alternative sources like radio broadcasts and social media for their racing fix and just wait until FOX is out for the season. For now, the NASCAR world seems clear in its verdict: FOX needs to reconnect with what makes the sport special before it’s too late.