It’s no secret that NASCAR is entering a vital year for its growth, not only in the United States, but globally. From talks of an international race to the inclusion of a fourth manufacturer, the eyes on the sport are rapidly increasing. And with the Daytona 500 being the biggest event of the year for the Cup Series, the sport’s broadcasters had to be on their A-game to attract in a newer fanbase and make them stay. Unfortunately, it seems like the controversial end to the Daytona 500 and the abrupt end to the broadcast left fans questioning Fox’s ability to not just bring in new fans but keep the existing ones happy.

However, a new revelation by an insider may just undo all that damage.

Mike Joy tried to Fox’s save face after broadcasting blunder

From major wrecks in the Bluegreen Vacations duels to the unpredictable weather causing turmoil for broadcasters and fans alike, the 2024 Daytona 500 was an action-packed weekend unlike any other. And to top it all off, the final lap of the Great American Race delivered one of the most controversial photo finishes in recent memory. While NASCAR officially announced William Byron as the winner, keen-eyed fans watching the on-board of his teammate Alex Bowman were left wondering if that was truly the case.

But soon enough, the sport released an aerial image of the final moments before the caution fell on the last lap, putting the speculation to an end.

NASCAR shared on X, “After taking the white flag, @WilliamByron was the leader at the time of the final caution. This photo was used to determine the finishing order and Byron’s victory in the #DAYTONA500.”

This led to the fans shifting their focus toward Fox, blaming the broadcaster for not showcasing the deciding moment on air. With the anger of the fans increasing in volume by the minute, the Lead Voice of Fox, Mike Joy, tried to ease the tensions by providing context about their involvement with the deciding image. He shared on X, “This is a freeze of our @NASCARONFOX aerial coverage.”

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While Mike Joy felt the revelation would help put the fans at ease with Fox’s broadcasting direction, the community still couldn’t wrap their heads around one question: “Why didn’t Fox show this on the broadcast?”

The NASCAR community commends NASCAR’s revelation at the expense of Fox

In a Reddit post that covered NASCAR’s X post about the Daytona 500 finish, fans were split down the middle. While one-half were glad to finally see for themselves that Byron had deservedly won, the others were more concerned with why Fox had failed to show the same frame on the broadcast.

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Comments began pouring in support of NASCAR with, “Not sure why it took half an hour to show it but definitely removes any doubt I had.” However, others were rather harsh on the broadcaster, as this user stated; “In addition to proving conclusively that Byron won, this also adds even more proof that Fox has become grossly inept.”

Even Fox’s competitors were brought into the picture; “NBC’s NASCAR page literally showed a better angle and explanation.” But that wasn’t all. A majority of the comments continued to rain down on Fox’s direction team. Some even commended NASCAR at the expense of the broadcaster; “While a very delayed response, appreciate the transparency. Fox should take notes instead of rushing off the air.’

As the list went on, a user summed up the situation by sharing, “Glad they made the right call, just annoying they didn’t show this image on the broadcast.” While others also stated, “There’s the definitive angle Fox SHOULD have shown, but didn’t.”

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With that said, it seems like the community’s case against Fox’s failure to broadcast the deciding moment wasn’t helped by Mike Joy’s revelation, with fans still blaming the broadcaster for causing unnecessary confusion.