What gets included or not included in an anniversary video can spark a lot of comment. The latest example of that came with a “25 years of NASCAR on Fox” video Fox Sports showed on Daytona 500 pre-race coverage Sunday, also putting that on X. Many were upset that the video included some footage from Dale Earnhardt’s fatal 2001 crash:
why does this video include Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash? https://t.co/BYEMprb1bV
— Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) February 16, 2025
They put Dale’s fatal crash in a season kickoff hype video. https://t.co/BSRu5xcB40 pic.twitter.com/l8EzZu0uGz
— Brennan Somers (@Brennan_Somers) February 16, 2025
Nah, we are not here for using Dale’s crash for promos https://t.co/8iVZl6YFuf
— Sarah Davis 🤫 Bubba fan // 23XI stan (@sarahdavisagain) February 16, 2025
Out of all the shots you could of used for this lap…
…this one probably wasn’t the smartest to use. https://t.co/fzBGIj6aNj pic.twitter.com/U2ECDrXJdj
— D O N D E R (@DonderLeNasHawk) February 16, 2025
Here’s a take. Earnhardt’s fatal 2001 crash and Newman’s near fatal 2020 crash should never be used for a positive ad. Ever. #NASCAR https://t.co/7T17qI7XAx
— Alex Peterson (@Xitmnt85) February 16, 2025
That 2001 crash absolutely deserves discussion around Fox’s 25th NASCAR anniversary, especially considering the test it posed for their new broadcast team. And it’s not off-limits to talk about that crash: indeed, Earnhardt’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., delivered a thoughtful discussion this week of his father’s death and what it’s meant to his relationship with Daytona. And if this had been a video more specifically looking at that crash and its effects on the sport, the discussion here would have been at least somewhat different (although there remain differing perspectives on if specific footage like this should ever be shown). But the way Fox worked this in as a brief shot in what felt like a promotional video overall sparked a lot of criticism.
This wasn’t the only issue some found with this video. While it was stated as looking at “25 years of NASCAR on Fox,” it included two prominent clips from other networks’ coverage: NBC footage of George W. Bush at the 2004 Daytona 500 and ESPN footage of Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer in a 2012 fight in Phoenix. But while those inclusions do seem odd as well, they sparked nowhere near the backlash that including the Earnhardt crash did.
