NASCAR Commentator Mike Joy Under Fire As FOX Broadcast Irks Longtime Fans

FOX networks have broadcasted NASCAR Cup Series races since 2001, and lead commentator Mike Joy has been with them the entire way.

But 23 years later, FOX and Joy have begun to draw the ire of fans who want to see more racing, fewer commercials, and fewer cutaways.

Joy found himself at the center of controversy during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Talladega as fans continued to grow tired with FOX’s overall production.

Joy is no stranger to controversy. The 75-year-old veteran broadcaster shook off calls for him to retire a year ago after a slip-up on the call.

He also called out fans who criticized the number of commercials during races.

“For all the keyboard warriors, I’m gonna do this in words of one syllable,” he said at the time. “The last green-flag, full-screen break of this race comes right now.”

He later came under fire when he issued a correction to a mix-up involving driver Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. But it appears that Joy is just the punching bag for fans who have (justifiably) have a larger issue with FOX broadcasts.

The network appears to continue to increase commercial loads despite complaints from fans. However, perhaps worse than the amount of commercials is the timing of the commercial breaks.

Even Jeff Gluck of The Athletic pointed out how poorly produced Sunday’s race was.

Joy appears to catch more heat than anybody else for FOX’s issue. Which makes sense since he’s been the face of the network’s coverage for nearly a quarter century.

But many fans also rushed to defend the future NASCAR Hall of Famer.

Joy did not respond to the criticism. At least not yet. But something tells us that he learned his lesson last time around and is more likely to let this one slide.