This year, we’ve seen NASCAR’s broadcasting landscape undergoing a major transformation, which has introduced multiple networks into the picture. Though the veteran broadcasters like FOX and NBC continue their longstanding coverage, new entries like USA Network, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports, and The CW have also taken the reins for select races, with NBC and USA Network covering the Round of 12 currently. This diversification, however, comes with its own challenges.
While this multiple broadcasting portfolio aims to broaden coverage, it has often led to a series of reporting misses, which surely haven’t gone unnoticed by the fans and, in fact, have faced their scrutiny. One such incident took place again in the Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which saw a key on-track moment go unshown, drawing immediate criticism and backlash from fans on social media.
The Round of 12 race at NHMS kicked off with Ryan Blaney drawing first blood to win his first at Loudon and also become the first one to lock his next round’s berth. The 301-lap race was full of action, and fans were led to believe they had seen it all.
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However, one key incident went largely unnoticed. A wreck involving Brad Keselowski and Shane van Gisbergen during a Stage 2 restart also collected drivers like Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch, Justin Haley, and several others. What the broadcast cameras failed to capture was the immediate aftermath. While most drivers were able to continue, many showed visible damage. But Justin Haley, in particular, continued driving the race, missing a full front bumper and hood.
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What’s actually amazing is that this was the first time a Next Gen car completed a race while missing its entire front. The last time this happened was at the 2017 Martinsville race, when Daniel Suárez completed a race without a front bumper. Despite the damage, Suárez continued and was classified in 32nd place at the time, still managing to reach the checkered flag.
While Haley, too, had a similar finish by ending 33rd, his ability to finish under such conditions was definitely noteworthy. But the main issue about which the fans on Reddit are now howling is how NBC and USA Network missed capturing that in their live broadcast.
Fan reactions to Justin Haley’s hoodless run
Many fans expressed disbelief that such a significant moment went unnoticed. One fan was completely aghast that something like this flew under the radar. They said, “YOU MEAN TO TELL ME A CAR DIDNT HAVE ITS FRONT END AND WE WERE NOT INFORMED????”
A lot of them felt that Haley’s hoodless car was a very basic and interesting newsworthy moment that broadcasters should have certainly captured on air, but they missed. A visually striking moment like that seemed like an obvious story to cover. They didn’t appreciate finding out about it only after the race.
However, some fans did spot the car, but were amazed that they were the only ones. They said, “I saw that on TV and was just waiting for Steve or Jeff to demand production to show it and talk about it.” They were surprised that the commentators did not address it. Many even waited for the inevitable discussion about the stripped-down car, but it never came.
Of course, some fans had to draw comparisons to NASCAR on Fox, joking about how that broadcast has often been criticized. One wrote, “And people complain about Fox lol.” But in this case, they pointed out that the NBC made an even bigger blunder by missing an entire visually shocking moment like this.
While Fox has had its share of slip-ups, this was a big mistake that left fans confused and showed just how much a broadcast can miss. Admittedly, the sight of the car also brought out the comedians. Some joked, “Getting into the Modified spirit at just the right track.”
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Finally, a few fans talked about the Damaged Vehicle Policy of NASCAR. They declared, “This is what dvp took from us.” This was a reference to a rule where significantly damaged cars could be fixed on pit road.
Fans say that the DVP took away the fun or chaos of seeing badly damaged cars just running around freely. The way the crew could spend more time fixing a car earlier, they can’t do the same today, as the current DVP rules have strict time limits and safety checks. Seeing Haley’s hoodless car reminded fans of the rule, and they joked about how the policy robbed them of a classic chaotic moment.