Friday’s Mission 176 delivered in every way… almost. Make no mistake, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was eventful, packed with chaos and drama. Corey Heim scored his sixth win of the season and equaled his personal best career mark in a race filled with fierce competitors.
But despite all the on-track action, for many watching at home, the real story wasn’t happening at the race. Instead, they were amused and furious at the FOX commentary booth. As the drama unfolded on the track, viewers lit up social media, blasting the presenters for missing a pivotal race incident and delivering what some called “horrible” coverage.
How Did FOX Sports Miss Such a Crucial Race Moment?
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell led from the inside on Lap 69 with Andres Perez De Lara on the outside when the first of three pivotal final restarts came into play. NASCAR threw the yellow after Ben Rhodes spun off Turn 6 when his left rear wheel came off.
The result was a hard crash that set the stage for more chaos. Just laps later, another crucial moment unfolded on Lap 73, with Connor Mosack spinning off at the exit of the bus stop. Behind him, De Lara and Dawson Sutton broke off and spun on the same turn, resulting in a hard wreck for No. 26, Sutton, who plowed into the barrier.
While the wreck was shown on TV, the fandom saw red when the commentary booth missed the “mega hit.” “Thanks, Fox,” wrote one viewer, expressing displeasure with the coverage through sarcasm. A second user noted, “The announcing is horrible. I just mute it and call the race my damn self.”
The booth’s lack of reaction to the distressed driver got others livid. “Booth is brainless,” posted a netizen after senior reporter Jeff Gluck asked, “Who was that who absolutely went straight into the barrier? They showed it live, but then haven’t gone back to it? Looked like a mega hit.”
Why Are Fans So Fed Up With FOX’s Truck Series Coverage?
Replying to Gluck, one user pointed out the oversight, “Dawson Sutton, booth provided no reaction whatsoever.” Meanwhile, another fan took offense to the commentary team’s interpretation of the incident, writing, “Crafton clearly ran him over, but the broadcast said he wrecked himself. Classic Fox trucks broadcast.”
Sutton was running 12th when the incident happened, but by the end of the 81-lap feature, he limped to 14th place. The 19-year-old is now ranked 20th, with just one top-10 finish from his 17 starts this season.
For a race overflowing with chaos, it wasn’t just the drivers who were under the microscope. Once again, the FOX booth found itself squarely in the crosshairs, as the fandom’s frustration over coverage shows no sign of easing. The missed call on Sutton’s crash became just the latest example of what fans see as declining broadcast quality in the Truck Series.