Veteran broadcaster delivers brutal reality check on NASCAR’s ‘giant dump in the relationship’ driving young fans away

FOX Sports commentator Mike Joy recently joined former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick on his 'Happy Hour' podcast to discuss how stock car racing drove younger fans away. The American commentator also highlighted his solution to gain the fan base back for the upcoming years.

During the podcast, Joy revealed that eventhough 18- and 20-year-old drivers are taking over the Cup Series with their exceptional performances, the fanbase of the sport is getting older. Reflecting upon the same, Joy pointed out that NASCAR is not attracting a younger fan base to move forward for the next couple of decades.

The NASCAR commentator Mike Joy compared the current situation to the time when Talladega Nights came out.

"That was when we hit our peak for fan engagement and crowds at the racetrack. I remember going into a Food City in Bristol, Tennessee, and you couldn't push your cart down any aisle without knocking over a cardboard cutout of some driver hawking something. You couldn't go in a supermarket without knowing about NASCAR. It was everywhere." [28:37]

Continuing further, Joy told Kevin Harvick that when NASCAR transitioned to B2B sponsors, things started to change. He added:

"Busch Beer and a couple of others stopped activating toward the general public and toward the race fans. The sport just took a giant dump in the relationship relativity relative to everyday life department. And we lost a lot of that young fan base that we really need to covet if we're going to grow this sport again." [29:29]

Mike Joy also gave a solution for the current situation and mentioned that he would ask the sponsors and PR team members of the drivers to go out there and promote the sport.

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Veteran NASCAR commentator Mike Joy reveals his pick for the Indy 500

During the same podcast, former stock car racing champion Kevin Harvick asked Mike Joy about which driver, other than Kyle Larson, he wanted to see compete in the Indy 500. Without wasting any time, Joy named Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell as his first choice.

The 75-year-old commentator claimed, "Bell will be a champion of this sport." He further added:

"I have, I have no doubt. I really wished he'd had the chance to run for it last year. Martinsville got in the way, and so did a couple of blocking Chevrolets. All right, we know what happened then, but you know the way he handled that and the way he made his point about whether things were fair or not without taking on NASCAR." [00:09 onwards]

Christopher Bell has been in incredible form this season with three back-to-back wins. He amassed 305 points this season and ranks third on the Cup Series points table. Additionally, he also secured a pole position at Martinsville Speedway and has led 139 laps in nine starts.