“I Try Not to Look in the Mirror”—NASCAR Legend Reflects on “Great Run” Ahead of Monumental Milestone in Sight

Just as Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon are synonymous with NASCAR. Whenever you think of them, you think of the sport, and vice versa. Mike Joy, too, can be put in this exclusive category of legends. The broadcaster who will be covering his 44th DAYTONA 500 in a few months is one of the most recognizable voices in the sport.

But what makes Joy’s legend so impressive is the fact that he achieved this status simply through the power of words and voice—by calling the races in the way he does, in the way only he can, and has for decades.

And the weight of this achievement isn’t lost on the man with the legendary voice either.

In a recent interview with Heavy, Mike Joy expressed his gratitude towards the networks he’s been with throughout his career. It’s worth mentioning that 2023 will be Joy’s 20th season Joy with FOX Sports.

“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity, first with Motor Racing Network, and then with CBS, and now with Fox,” Joy said. “And I try not to look in the mirror and look back over my shoulder very much, but yeah, it’s been a great run. Every one of those races has been unique and has been special.”

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Mike Joy on what makes NASCAR different from ball sports

For someone who has been calling a sport for decades, the thrill of it fading away wouldn’t be that absurd an idea. Particularly for a sport like NASCAR which many people still consider boring and “running in circles.” In other words, bland in comparison to, say, football or basketball.

But for Mike Joy, it’s different. The broadcaster claimed NASCAR is “such a fun sport to broadcast and cover.” He reflected on his college days when he used to cover “ball-type sport”, and his realization that they simply don’t compare with stock car racing.

“In racing, there’s 36 balls in play at once. All right, a racetrack is the world’s biggest pinball machine and the story and the action can come from any car in the field at any time,” he described.

For Joy, doing what he does remains “a tremendous challenge” despite all the experience under his belt simply because of the necessity of making a viewer care about who is winning instead of directing them to the facts.

This is something he’s been doing for generations, and as would be the sentiment in the entire NASCAR community, everyone would hope he continues doing so for as long as he can.

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