FOX Sports made a bold bet on IndyCar in 2025. After securing the exclusive broadcast rights, the network pushed a massive promotional campaign to revive the struggling series. From cinematic commercials to controversial claims, they did everything to promote the Roger Penske-owned series. FOX even promoted IndyCar as “the fastest motorsport on the planet,” a claim that enraged drag racing enthusiasts.
NASCAR legend turned NHRA driver Tony Stewart openly called them out. “I love FOX, but they’re doing some false advertising. IndyCar is not the fastest—by 100 miles an hour,” Stewart said. Notably, NHRA drivers regularly hit over 330 mph, while IndyCar’s all-time fastest lap is just 237.498 mph. But FOX didn’t step back and doubled down their claim with a new advertisement. The message was clear: IndyCar was FOX’s new golden child.
However, as everything looked good for IndyCar a disaster struck. During the highly anticipated Thermal Club Grand Prix, FOX’s IndyCar broadcast went dark due to an unwanted issue. This triggered another backlash for FOX and this time it was from none other IndyCar fans. But what exactly went wrong?
FOX’s big gamble on IndyCar backfires!
The Thermal Club Grand Prix was a crucial event for IndyCar’s new era under FOX. It was the second race of the season and the first points-paying event at the prestigious California track. IndyCar had promoted the race as a marquee event, and FOX had built up anticipation with non-stop advertising. Reigning champion Alex Palou and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward were leading the storylines, and fans were eager to see how the battle would unfold.
But a few minutes after the green flag the FOX broadcast suddenly cut out. In a scramble to fill airtime, FOX switched to its NASCAR broadcast at Homestead-Miami. The fans and experts alike were shocked as this mid-race incident caught them off-guard. However, FOX soon reported the issue and cited that they had an electrical failure in their production truck.
The network released a statement: “Our INDYCAR production truck has an electrical issue. We are working to get it fixed as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we have NASCAR bonus coverage on FOX and FS1 until the INDYCAR truck is back online.” However, fans were outraged. Many questioned how FOX could allow such a critical failure to happen during a major event. After months of trying to elevate IndyCar, FOX had fumbled in the worst possible way.
Our INDYCAR production truck has an electrical issue. We are working to get it fixed as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, we have NASCAR bonus coverage on FOX and FS1 until the INDYCAR truck is back online.
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) March 23, 2025
This is a developing story.
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