Tony Stewart Says Kevin Harvick Is Reason He Got ‘Fired’ From Fox’s NASCAR Coverage, but Reveals He’s Not Done in Broadcast Booth
Tony Stewart has been a regular guest analyst in the Fox NASCAR broadcast booth over the last couple of seasons. He’s done a solid job blending in with his former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer and veteran announcer, Mike Joy.
But this year is the NASCAR Hall of Famer’s last covering the Cup Series in the booth. The 51-year-old recently appeared on a radio show and said that the reason he won’t be returning in 2023 is because his current SHR driver Kevin Harvick got him fired.
Tony Stewart works in Fox broadcast booth
Tony Stewart was the first to join the Fox NASCAR booth in 2022 in the network’s rotational lineup of guest analysts throughout the year that included Danica Patrick, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Gordon. He worked multiple races, including the Clash at the Coliseum, the Daytona 500, and at Circuit of the Americas.
The three-time Cup Series champion accounted for himself well, offering a unique driver-owner’s perspective of the race while also playfully bantering with the always-jovial Bowyer. He was so good that the network invited him back for a second year, and he worked the first three races of the 2023 campaign at LA, Daytona, and Fontana.
Says Kevin Harvick got him fired from Fox
Stewart won’t be returning for a third year. Most assumed that would be the case when Kevin Harvick announced at the season-opening exhibition Clash that he would be joining Joy and Bowyer full-time in the booth next season after he retires from racing.
The 1997 IndyCar Series champ confirmed that recently during an appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show.
“Well, the sad part is, you know Kevin Harvick let the cat out of the bag at the LA Coliseum,” Stewart said. “Kevin’s going to be in the booth full-time next year for Fox. So I’m actually getting fired.”
Stewart’s plans include more broadcast work in 2023
While Stewart said Harvick is replacing him and the rest of the guest analysts, he plans to work with the network on more broadcasts in 2023, including several outside of NASCAR.
“I’ve got five more events this year with Fox, and I love doing it, but the great thing is I’m also getting the opportunity to do the broadcast for the NHRA side as well,” he said. “So I’m going to do a couple of races with Fox again at the NHRA. I know we’re doing Chicago.
“The Chicago event alcohol doesn’t run, so I’m going to do the full broadcast for the Chicago event, which is cool, because NHRA hasn’t been at Joliet for years. So bringing the series back there is going to be awesome. I’m excited about it. I like doing the TV stuff.”
He likes it, and more importantly, he’s good at it. Whenever he finally decides to hang up the helmet from racing, chances are there will be an opportunity for him to work in the broadcast booth. And who knows, maybe he’ll find himself four-wide working alongside Joy and both of his former SHR drivers.
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