A lot of fans expected NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick to take a break from racing for some time before coming back to the sport in a different role. However, the 2014 Cup Series champion just could not stay away from his passion. Immediately after retiring from stock car racing, he joined FOX as one of the analysts. This has been the case with several drivers, both active and retired, and as per the network’s NASCAR producer, Pam Miller, it has always been hugely beneficial to have them on board.

NASCAR has one of the most passionate and largest fan bases in the country, so networks must provide the best presentation possible. FOX has had its share of hiccups, but it has been the home of stock car racing for several years now, and they’re always looking for ways to improve their product. People who have raced in the sport have insight unlike anyone else, so bringing them into the fold does just that, and there has usually been a positive response from fans.

FOX producer heaps praise on NASCAR stars for making the product better

According to Pam Miller, drivers have been crucial in teaching the media personnel about the technology they weren’t aware of and coming up with innovative ways of covering the sport that have persisted over the years. The FOX producer believes that it is a collective effort from the drivers and the media personnel that makes the viewing experience that much better for fans, and that’s exactly what Kevin Harvick is doing as well.

“The drivers have taught us so much. They taught us about technology that maybe we weren’t aware of. They taught us about ideas on coverage. They’ve made suggestions. They’ve been open-minded to trying things. Once they understood how TV was put on the air, and if we had an idea, we could go and talk to them about it and say hey, what do you think? Will this work? Will this not work for a driver? How can we present it so that the fans can understand it?”

And it became a team effort. So when we would have new things we’d want to try…they would be a great resource to work this up,” she said in a recent interview with veteran journalist Kelly Crandall.

But it’s not just the NASCAR drivers helping out the media houses. Several drivers choose to go into the same line after they’re done with racing, and these big networks have a lot to teach them as well. In an era when content is king, drivers need to adapt, and they will take all the help they can get in that aspect.

Drivers’ and networks’ collaborative approaches make it a two-way learning curve

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In today’s world, competition in every single field is at an unbelievably high level, perhaps even more so in the media industry. So networks need to have an edge over their competitors. The same can be said about drivers venturing into the world of media. Several other drivers are doing the same thing. They might not be on track anymore, but they are still competing. So having the latest knowledge about equipment is imperative. At the end of the day, it is a two-way street.

“And they would say, Hey, we’ve never used this camera. How does it work? Could you do this? And we’d say, sure let’s try it and that was kind of the brilliance of having them on Saturdays because we could try things that they threw at us and see if it works,” Miller explained.

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“It has been a great collaboration with those guys. Just a great collaboration. I am eternally grateful for every driver that’s worked with us because they’ve all had an idea or a concept, or something they wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that they took the leap and they’ve shared their ideas,” she added.

At the moment, it is Kevin Harvick’s turn to teach and learn with FOX Sports, and by the looks of it, the venture has been a fruitful one for both parties so far. It will be interesting to see how The Closer eventually settles into his new role in the media.