Dale Earnhardt Jr. Snubbed by FS1 During Xfinity Series Broadcast and Unhappy Business Partner Fires Shot at Network in Response
For two months, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has excitedly talked about driving his dad’s Chevrolet Nova and pacing the field before the Xfinity Series race on Throwback Weekend at Darlington. On Saturday, it finally happened.
Unfortunately, nobody watching at home saw it. That’s because FS1 failed to show it. After the race, Earnhardt’s business partner and podcast co-host Mike Davis didn’t hold back and called out the network for its complete failure in covering a moment that many NASCAR fans had waited to see for a long time.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. excited to showcase Dad’s Chevy Nova at Darlington Throwback Weekend
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is passionate about his father’s Chevrolet Nova racer. Look no further than his social media feed, where he’s documented the vehicle’s restoration in great detail since June 2019.
On March 5, Earnhardt’s excitement increased when he finally took the car for a spin around the JR Motorsports shop where it had been restored. That same day he made the big announcement that he would be pacing the field before the Xfinity Series race at Darlington on Throwback Weekend.
Since then, he’s frequently discussed the Nova on his podcast, providing updates, which have consisted of last-minute adjustments and triple-checking to ensure everything is in perfect working order. He’s consistently maintained he did not want to be a distraction and cause any problems before the start of the race, like leaking oil on the track.
FS1 barely shows Earnhardt in Nova and business partner responds
On Saturday, many Earnhardt fans around the country tuned in to FS1 to watch him drive the car and lead the Xfinity Series field around the track. It’s safe to say they were disappointed in what they saw.
The broadcast showed three different shots of Earnhardt and the Nova for a total around 10 seconds of coverage. Each time, Fox never mentioned Earnhardt or the Nova.
After the race, Earnhardt’s longtime business partner and podcast co-host Mike Davis called out FS1 in his reply to the NASCAR Xfinity Twitter account, which ironically enough posted: “You don’t want to miss this.”
“Well, one of em missed it,” Davis responded. He wasn’t done.
“Let’s give TV a break,” the managing director of brand and digital media at JR Motorsports sarcastically suggested. “Hard to see Dale Earnhardt’s big, black, shiny, silver-and-black, trimmed-out, bulky Chevrolet Nova leading the field on a beautiful, clear, sunny throwback-themed weekend.”
JR Motorsports shines on track with win and four top-10 finishes
While FS1 snubbed Earnhardt by barely showing the Nova and not talking about it, his JR Motorsports team earned plenty of airtime on the day. Justin Allgaier set the pace for the team winning the race, his second victory of the season.
Josh Berry battled with Allgaier at the end and settled for second. Noah Gragson finished in fourth, and more importantly for him, won his third consecutive Dash for Cash payout of $100,000. Michael Annett rounded out the JR Motorsports team with a seventh-place finish.
All in all, it was a very successful day for Earnhardt and his Xfinity Series team. It’s too bad that so many in the Earnhardt fan base won’t remember the Darlington Throwback Weekend for the success on the track but the blatant snub by FS1.
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