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Who thought this was a good idea?
FOX Sports is celebrating their 25th year of NASCAR coverage, with the network beginning their coverage of the sport back in 2001 with the Daytona 500.
But of course that’s not what anybody remembers about the 2001 Daytona 500…
The first race hosted by FOX Sports unfortunately turned out to be the race that killed Dale Earnhardt during a crash on the final lap. Not exactly how they wanted their entry into the sport to go, I’m sure.
And FOX has received a lot of criticism of their coverage of NASCAR over the years. Fans love to hate FOX, whether it’s for their excessive commercial breaks that always seem to come at the worst possible times during the race, to their broadcast booth, to their camera angles, it seems like NBC holds the clear advantage among fans when it comes to NASCAR’s television partners.
FOX isn’t going anywhere any time soon though: The network recently re-signed with NASCAR through 2031, though FOX decreased the number of races they’ll host in a season from 16 races to just 14 with the addition of new broadcast partners Amazon Prime and TNT taking over some of the races previously hosted by the network.
But ahead of the 2025 season, FOX dropped a hype video celebrating their 25 years in the sport and featuring some of the most iconic NASCAR moments they’ve covered on their network.
It's a wild ride that's still going strong. Here's to 25 years of #NASCAR on FOX. pic.twitter.com/asXwBdWb3x
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 16, 2025
The problem is, one of those moments that they included in the video was the fatal wreck that killed Dale Earnhardt.
What? Who decided that should go in a hype video?
I mean, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the sport’s most iconic moments, but not in a good way or one that should be celebrated. And it seems like most NASCAR fans agree with me, because the network was immediately criticized for including the tragic crash in their promo:
The Earnhardt crash? Seriously? Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.— Leslie Jackson Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.(@lejacksonjr3) February 16, 2025
What the fuck are you doing including the actual crash Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.— 𝙬𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 (@_wyans) February 16, 2025
Hey guys maybe we don’t show a driver dying in a promo. Just a suggestion
— Ryan (@rpstrimple) February 16, 2025
Using Earnhardt’s death?
I’m sure @DaleJr doesn’t appreciate that at all.
— Jason (@WheelImpressive) February 16, 2025
WTF you sick FUCKS! Using Dale’s death in a PROMO??! pic.twitter.com/7iFkY42kUa
— Dave (@Dr_Dray73) February 17, 2025
Should be ashamed… pic.twitter.com/Q9RwXqzRs0
— Austin (@afullerton1995) February 16, 2025
Including a fatal crash in your “25 Years” video is certainly a choice.
— Adam (@okspinner01) February 16, 2025
Why would you guys have a fatal accident in this montage?? That’s how bad your coverage has become.
— Nate Burrows (@HawkeyeAvGeek) February 16, 2025
Oh, that’s Dale Earnhardt dying in a NASCAR on FOX promo…. pic.twitter.com/pE6QVI9BWH
— The Universe Vs. John Fischer (@johnthemod1) February 16, 2025
I seriously can’t believe you used Dale’s fatal wreck in this.. just a little in bad taste.. right??
— Jon~San (@Jon_Sanguinaria) February 16, 2025
A bit insensitive to include a fatal accident when “celebrating” 25 years. Reguardless of who was involved and the driver who lost their life.
Big L from Fox.
— TX R4PTOR (@OutkastRacing) February 16, 2025
Yeah, definitely a bizarre choice. I mean of course you could argue that it’s a part of NASCAR and FOX Sports history, but with 25 years of covering the sport, surely there was something else they could have included in their hype video that didn’t include the death of the sport’s biggest legend.
The post NASCAR Fans Blast FOX For Using Dale Earnhardt’s Fatal Crash In 2025 Hype Video first appeared on Whiskey Riff.