NASCAR fans united in a wave of uproar recently as one of the sport’s most significant broadcasters, Fox Sports celebrated its 25th anniversary of covering stock car racing. The broadcast giant released a promotional video using footage from several years to commemorate the occasion, uploading it to social media platforms.
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However, the decision to include the actual footage of one of NASCAR’s biggest icons, Dale Earnhardt’s death in the video sparked uproar amongst the community. Although only present for a few seconds in the one minute and 16 second-long video, fans did not take kindly to seeing Earnhardt’s car being dragged while planted head-first into the outside wall at Daytona International Speedway.
The uproar from the fans also came due to the same footage being included amongst other clips from the sport that often had a positive outlook such as drivers winning races and celebrating in their style, or the many rivalries that have stemmed in the sport over the years.
“Why you! You’ll regret including Dale Sr.’s death. He and the Earnhardt family wouldn’t want this,” wrote one fan. Just recently Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt celebrated their entry into the Daytona 500 as team owners.
Horrible decision, come on fox. No need to see the crash
— Nascar13 (@TonyHPope) February 16, 2025
While the promo might not affect them directly, it is quite certain if given the choice, they would rather not include the clip in something that is meant to attract fans to NASCAR.
“WTF you sick F**KS! Using Dale’s death in a PROMO??!” exclaimed one fan, flabbergasted by the decision. “Hey guys maybe we don’t show a driver dying in a promo. Just a suggestion,” opined another follower, with a genuine concern and suggestion for the broadcasting giant.
“Idiots. How do you even consider putting a death in the highlights? Pathetic,” chimed in another, mincing no words as they let their feelings known. Fox Sports certainly has some introspection to do on their part, with how such a culturally significant happening, one that arguably triggered NASCAR’s downfall as a sport in terms of viewership could be publicized in such a manner.
While this might be a long shot, such an oversight could also work against Fox Sports’ pitch as a NASCAR broadcaster in the future, especially after the likes of Amazon Prime and HBO joined in to bring the racetrack to the fans watching at home.
Meanwhile, the drivers prepare to go racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday, kicking off the second points-paying event of the 2025 racing season. The event goes live at 3:00 pm ET.
