Mike Joy Addresses the Elephant in the Room Head-On After Getting Slaughtered for Tony Stewart-Denny Hamlin Mistake

“He won in Spa, he wins in Monza” — these lines are music to the ears of every Formula 1 enthusiast. The story dates back to 2019 when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc went on to win the Italian Grand Prix. Yet, this subtle yet emphatic declaration by David Croft will find new meanings for years to come. In a nutshell, live commentary asserts to capture one thing — the essence of the sport. Besides the likes of Crofts and Brundles from the F1 world, Mike Joy, a revered voice of stock car racing, isn’t far behind.

Among the roster of famous sportscasters, Mike Joy from Fox Sports has always been an absolute fan favorite. However, Joy, who has been associated with NASCAR for more than half a century, is currently under fire for a blatant slip-up during the race coverage at Sonoma.

Mike Joy faces backlash after his apparent slip-up during the coverage of the Toyota/Save Mart 350

Mike Joy started his career as a professional sportscaster back in 1981. Soon, he rose to fame, owing to his ability to catapult fans through his rustic voice with a gifted timbre while weaving a unique storytelling process. Among the numerous feathers that adorn his name, he also holds the record for the most Daytona 500 coverages. Yet, the commentator recently lost his plot in his coverage of the Cup Series. 

The victor at the wine city was none other than Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr, his fourth Sonoma title. He just falls one short to equal up with the Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who has the highest number of Sonoma titles to his name. While the fans were excited to see the final outcomes of the race, it was Mike Joy who committed an embarrassing gaffe. 

Drawing the instance of 2016’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, Joy blatantly proclaimed that it was the then-winner Tony Stewart who had beaten Martin Truex Jr to secure his podium finish. This turned out to be erroneous in nature because it was not Truex Jr that Stewart had beaten, but Denny Hamlin. Although Hamlin had taken the lead in the Turn 7 of the final lap, coming to Turn 11, it was Tony Stewart who overtook Hamlin to clinch the title. Nevertheless, after realizing his mistake, the play-by-play announcer took to Twitter to clarify his mistake. 

Fans show their appreciation for the veteran announcer after rectifying his mistake

Of late, the veteran announcer has been facing the wrath of the fans at large for his faux pas remarks. One such instance was the Coca-Cola 600, where he had attributed Chase Elliott’s wrecking of Denny Hamlin, to RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski. Joy maintained that it was Keselowski who had made contact with Elliott that led to the wreckage.

This exclamation outraged the fans, as they believed Mike Joy was trying to protect the HMS ace. Even NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck reported on Twitter, “I can’t believe some of my replies. Well, actually I can. People claiming Keselowski hit Elliott and wrecked him into Hamlin.”

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Nevertheless, with the rectification of his mistake, netizens showed their appreciation for the announcer on Twitter. Among them was NASCAR reporter Toby Christie who wrote, “Mistakes happen, Mike. Anyone who says they don’t make mistakes is a flat-out liar. Owning up to the mistake is key, and I feel you did a great job addressing the misremember-ment on air.”

Others also wrote, “One of the best to ever do it. See you next February!”

“We all make mistakes Mike. Enjoy  the off season. See you in February.”

“Yeah, was worth a chuckle and move on. So much to remember up there for you guys.”

Sometimes, it does become tough for these announcers to carry the plethora of information across decades and generations, and to use it spontaneously. As for the recent slip-ups by Joy, his loyal fanbase seems to make peace with it. 

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