Fox TV lets drivers take wheel for broadcast

LONG POND, Pa. — Ryan Blaney was splashed with beer, accepted some handshakes and even gave a fist bump in a raucous celebration in victory lane.

But with his car number nowhere on the leaderboard, the blossoming NASCAR driver had to lift an ear on his headset to learn his result.

“How’d I do? It was fun. I tried not to mess up too bad,” Blaney said to his Fox TV crew.

The Fox team loved NASCAR’s pinch-hitter in the pits.

Looking for a new spin on the standard telecast, Fox used eight current NASCAR Cup Series drivers to provide insight — from the studio to the booth to the pits — during Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

“I’ve got my notes ready,” pit reporter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said. “Going to toss it up to Danica.”

That would be Danica Patrick — Stenhouse’s girlfriend and one of NASCAR’s more popular drivers.

They didn’t have to worry about learning any new names at the finish: Cup Series regular Brad Keselowski held off the field of mostly developmental drivers to win the Pocono Green 250.

Kevin Harvick, who had booth experience on Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series telecasts, handled play-by-play announcing. Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer were the color analysts. Erik Jones and Stenhouse served as pit reporters. Denny Hamlin and Patrick were the in-studio hosts. Blaney worked the pits and hosted in victory lane.

“Wow,” Harvick said late in the race. “We have a lot going on.”

Keselowski, who won for the first time in five Xfinity starts, hoped to watch the broadcast later.

“That ought to be hysterical,” he said.

Austin Dillon and Regan Smith have signed on for guest analyst roles in upcoming races, but otherwise it’s back to normal at the next race.

“This has been great job security,” Bowyer said, “for all the professional people.”