Last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Amazon Prime made its NASCAR broadcast debut. Safe to say, it was a massive hit with the fans and the general NASCAR community. The consensus was that the broadcast was much better than what Fox Sports has been providing for years. Not just the fancy camera angles or side-by-side commercials, Prime Video featured a star-studded talent line, right from the booth to the on-field desk. Dale Jr. and Steve Letarte are leading the calls in the booth, with Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie soaking up all the energy with the pre and post-race features.
Little did they know they were about to be treated to some of the best racing in the Gen 7 era at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. William Byron was the class of the field, sweeping stages and in command of the race, leading 283 laps. But, then came Ross Chastain, charging late in the race, despite starting on the tail-end with a backup car, he had the #24 Chevy in his sights.
On Lap 395, Chastain threaded the needle, sliding down between the #24 and #11 and placing himself in front of Byron. Both of them were tight and could’ve resulted in a wreck, but the HMS driver opted to pull out of the gas, and from here on, Chastain went on to win the race. Not just the fans in the packed grandstand, but Carl Edwards and LaJoie, who had the best seats in the house, couldn’t contain their excitement, seeing Chastain pull off that move for the race win.
Prime Sports shared the clip of Edwards and LaJoie going bonkers over the lead change, and they were jumping up and down like any passionate race fan. This wasn’t scripted, just pure passion for NASCAR racing, and they were like any other fan in that moment. “What will make #NASCARonPrime react like this today? Drop your predictions ” Prime Sports shared this clip on social media.
What will make #NASCARonPrime react like this today?
Drop your predictions pic.twitter.com/obDJerctNE
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) June 1, 2025
Now we all know that viewers can have a separate viewing experience with the driver’s cam, allowing them to see how their favorite driver reacts inside the car in real-time. However, seeing both Edwards and LaJoie express themselves in pure joy struck a chord with the race fans, who are now demanding a separate camera that catches their reactions during the race.
Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie are bringing in that NASCAR energy on Prime
“Forget the wive cam, give us a Corey/Carl cam,” a fan wrote on Reddit. During the peak moments of the race, we have seen Fox and NBC cameras zoom in on the pit box, showcasing the tense moments. Often, the wives and the girlfriends of the drivers are highlighted in these shots, but it looks like the fans have found an alternate solution. This is just as a raw like fan would wave their favorite drivers from the grandstands.
Some couldn’t help but highlight how Corey LaJoie is out of a full-time ride after his heartbreaking exit from Spire Motorsports last year. “Corey looks like he’s had more fun doing that last weekend compared to driving the last 5 to 8 years.” Given that LaJoie had already established his screen presence with the Stacking Pennies podcast, a switch to broadcast looked like the best option for him. Although he will run a partial schedule with Rick Ware Racing, he is likely to have more fun in this five-race stretch alongside Edwards and the team.
“With how very little Edwards interacted with NASCAR over the last years, I hope this reminds him of the passion,” another added. The year Jimmie Johnson etched his name in the NASCAR history book was the year when Edwards announced his surprise retirement. 2016 was the year when JJ bagged his 7th title, while Edwards would endure another heartbreak. He just took off, no contact with NASCAR, and spent a lot of time with his family and focused on his health. Now that he is back, fans are hoping that this stint will allow him to connect with the sport he was madly passionate about.
For fans who were served one-dimensional coverage of the race just from the perspective of the race, this was indeed a game changer. It is not always about the technology or the resources, but rather the efforts and the thought process to make the existing product stand out. And so far, Prime Video has been able to do that. Even those who disliked LaJoie are now rallying behind him, “Pleasantly surprised at Lajoie’s skills in the booth he’s good enough to be out there driving so we’re extremely fortunate to have guys like that for commentary. There’s nuances to the next gen car that guys like Carl just can’t speak to.”
What are your thoughts about the idea of the Carl/Joie cam, and how has the Prime Video coverage been so far?
The post “Give Us a Corey/Carl Cam” – NASCAR Fans Demand More After Viral Clip of Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie appeared first on EssentiallySports.