After a wait of 54 long years, NASCAR has finally returned to the Bowman Gray tracks. The return of the cars to the track immediately angered the fanbase because of the commentary team, but that wasn’t the end of the problem for NASCAR. Only a few minutes into the build-up to the Sunday race, fans lashed out at another part of the coverage, which turned out to be pathetic. 

A glitch erupted right in the middle of the coverage, leading to an outburst among fans who questioned FOX’s ability to provide a smooth experience. A post on Reddit sparked a discussion among fans about how FOX has failed to uphold the legacy of Bowman Gray and the majestic return with their coverage, zooming into cars instead of giving fans a wider view of the action.

Bowman Gray is known to be a track that is short and constricted. Consequently, it gives much space for drivers to get frustrated easily and end up wrecking each other. Focusing the entire angle on just one driver ruins the experience and there are high chances that one might miss out on the real thrill. It was what led to one fan posting on Reddit.

It read, “Someone needs to show the camera guys how to use the zoom-out function. Absolutely No reason on a super short oval with 10 cars, 2 and 3 wide beating and banging, that every camera angle is a super close shot of 1 car”. The Bowman Gray track as one already knows is a short track that makes it difficult to decipher the details when the camera is too zoomed in. However, it seemed as though this was the principle that FOX followed that brought down the clarity of visibility to a great extent.

That’s not all. Fans were waiting with bated breath to witness the splendid qualifier that would prepare the grounds for the final race on Sunday, after more than 50 long years. During the race broadcast, viewers were left frustrated when a critical leaderboard graphic failed to appear. This ended up making it difficult to follow the action. Without this essential display, fans were not able to track positions or even the key race developments. The complaints lead to widespread backlash across social media. Many expressed their disappointment with FOX’s coverage. There were questions about the network’s reliability. 

The incident also raised concerns about whether the network could keep up with the evolving standards of sports broadcasting and maintain its dominance in NASCAR coverage. The lack of clarity during the coverage attacked the sentiments of the fans as well who were looking forward to a unique experience in contrast to the flashy LA Clash. With the 200-lap main event ahead, one can only hope that the coverage gets better and gives fans the livid experience they were hoping for.

Fans react to the disrupted experience put forth by FOX

The world of NASCAR is back to the Bowman Tracks after five decades and this is one of the primary reasons why there was widespread excitement among fans. A fan took to the post and called out the sheer ambiguity of the camera angles. During the entire race, one could witness that the commentary did not match with the drivers on the track. While the commentators chose to be more rapid, covering each detail, the cameras did not do justice. Calling out the same, a fan commented, “The way that Fox is producing these races has to change. There’s no cohesion between the booth and the camera operators. It’s tough to watch”.

The collaboration between the two is a multi-million dollar deal. Hinting at the lack of quality and the commercial nature of the collaboration, a fan commented, “Number 1 fox hater here to agree! I’m glad they have less races this year but nothing will change. it took them 6 laps to miss an incident on a quarter-mile track with 10 cars on it. they don’t care and NASCAR doesn’t care. They’re both getting their bag so why should they? not like it’s actively hurting the sport or anything”. This is not the first time that FOX has not kept up with the quality measures and has hindered visual experience. Harping on the same, a fan commented, “First FOX complaint thread of the year. We are so back baby. 😎”.

Now, Bowman Gray might just be more about the spectacle, but watching all the action that unfolds is equally important. Given just how short Bowman Gray is, a zoomed-in version of a car didn’t make any sense. Pointing out the same, a fan said, “Watched a bit of practice earlier. It was hard to watch. I spent some time seeing an incredibly zoomed-in shot of only Kyle Busch‘s hood and nothing else. Like c’mon…” There are no doubts that NASCAR has been growing and there are attempts to reach out to more audience. However, if this lack of clarity continues, it will bring down the overall experience and make fans less interested.

Exhibiting frustration, a fan commented, “They all need fired. Fox is the biggest detriment to growing the sport right now. It’s sad and embarrassing.” In a way, this fan’s frustration may be reduced in 2025. This year, Fox’s share of the broadcast schedule has been reduced from 18 to 14 races due to the addition of Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports as new broadcasting partners. These 14 races include the Cook Out Clash exhibition race, the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May, and the first 12 points races of the season. However, if they do not live up to expectations, the TRP night fall down further.