Getty Richard Petty (left) & Kyle Petty (right) will both join the FOX Sports booth.
NASCAR returns to Darlington Raceway on May 12-14 for Throwback Weekend, the annual celebration of racing history. FOX Sports will embrace the atmosphere with four special guests in the Cup Series booth.
According to an announcement made by play-by-play man Mike Joy, the Goodyear 400 will have guests for each stage. First up will be Hall of Famer Richard Petty and driver-turned-analyst Kyle Petty, who will join Joy and Bowyer for Stage 1.
We have a few friends joining us in the booth for Darlington next weekend. You may have heard of them. 😉🏁
Stage 1 – Richard & Kyle Petty
Stage 2 – Carl Edwards
Stage 3 – Bill Elliott
@TooToughToTame coverage begins Sunday at 1:30p ET on FS1!
This will mark the second consecutive season that the seven-time champion joins the booth at Darlington Raceway. This race will also feature a crossover as the younger Petty makes the leap from NBC Sports to FOX Sports for one event.
The final stage will see the return of Bill Elliott, who closed out the Goodyear 400 broadcast in 2022. Meanwhile, Stage 2 will have a special guest. Carl Edwards will make his return to NASCAR as he joins Joy and Bowyer in the booth.
Edwards Will Discuss a Great Many Topics
GettyCarl Edwards watches a test at Phoenix Raceway.
The Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway provides an interesting opportunity for Joy and Bowyer. They will be able to discuss several topics with Edwards while potentially learning about what he has been up to since his retirement.
The 28-time Cup Series winner has largely remained out of the spotlight since his sudden retirement in January 2017. He hasn’t made any one-off starts like other retired drivers, and he has quietly lived his life away from the hustle and bustle of the racing industry.
CARL EDWARDS IS BACK THIS IS NOT A DRILL
One topic that will inevitably come up during the broadcast is NASCAR recently revealing that Edwards had been named to the list of the 75 Greatest Drivers in history. He will already be at Darlington Raceway as he takes part in the special ceremony honoring all 75 drivers, but he will also have an opportunity to discuss it while helping call the race.
Having Edwards return from the proverbial wilderness to join the FOX Sports booth is news that created excitement throughout the industry. There were numerous fans, writers, and members of the industry that voiced their support for the decision to bring back the former championship contender.
The 2022 Goodyear 400 Also Featured a Packed Booth
GettyCarl Edwards celebrates a win at Darlington Raceway.
FOX Sports spent the 2021 season with Joy, Bowyer, and Jeff Gordon in the booth for the Cup Series races. However, the situation changed when the four-time champion announced that he would leave to put all of his focus on his role at Hendrick Motorsports.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Joy and Bowyer have been the main figures in the booth while a wide variety of guests have joined to provide analysis. Some examples are Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Larry McReynolds, and Matt Kenseth.
FOX Sports went a different route for the 2022 Goodyear 400. The broadcaster had Petty join the booth for the first stage and Elliott join for the final stage. Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte took over during the second stage as he made his debut in the Cup Series booth.
Labonte has already made his return to the booth once during the 2023 Cup Series season. He reunited with Joy and Bowyer at Martinsville Speedway, and he provided commentary as Kyle Larson won for the first time at the historic track.
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FOX Brings Out NASCAR Legends for Packed Darlington Booth