Join the Discussion "I have to admit i like their coverage.... not as many commercials and the commentary is good... however... Darrell needs to calm down... i think he's trying waaay to hard." OvalRocket39

Related Resources • NASCAR For The Masses

Elsewhere on the Web • Fox • Fox Sports • FX Network

Dateline: March 26, 2001

If there is one thing that makes me angry it is when someone shafts me and then tells me it is for my own good.

From the very beginning Fox has used NASCAR and it's fans as one big money grab. Fox apparently doesn't think that NASCAR fans are smart enough to realize that they are being used, and won't complain much if they do notice.

First it was the sponsor fiasco at Daytona where only advertisers who bought time during the broadcast were shown or mentioned during the race. NASCAR stepped in and got that corrected very quickly, however the broadcasters still refer to the drivers by name, car number or color but rarely by sponsor.

New Low

Later this season Michigan, Richmond and The Winston, not to mention the vast majority of Busch series races, will all be broadcast live on FX which many NASCAR fans are not able to receive.

This weekend during the pre-race show and again during the race Fox told race fans that they had heard our complaints about not being able to watch the races because they were on FX. Their solution? Instead of simply broadcasting the races on Fox where the majority of NASCAR fans can see the races they want you to call your cable company and demand that they purchase FX from Fox.

We are being used by Fox to sell their obscure FX network to cable providers and it's just not right. NASCAR fans are famous for being fiercely loyal to the sport and its sponsors and Fox is counting on us to make a financial winner out of FX.

What Should Be Done

NASCAR fans need to continue to voice their opinions to Fox. We represent a strong voice, and a critical demographic that they need to please in order to keep selling commercials to their advertisers.

In general I believe that Fox is doing a good job covering the races. I think the broadcast team is coming together nicely (with one annoying exception) and the shows are entertaining and informative. However, I deeply resent being held hostage by Fox, being denied the Busch races and three key Winston Cup races just so that the FX network can thrive.

If you have an opinion on this subject please feel free to send your comments directly to Fox at: feedback@foxsports.com and/or nascar@fxnetworks.com.

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