FOX Sports has made an announcement about the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series. The broadcast partner has named its first guest analyst that will join Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the booth.
FOX Sports issued a press release on January 26 and announced that Hall of Famer Tony Stewart will return to the booth. He will join Joy and Bowyer for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum on February 5. He will then return for the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 19.
Smoke is back! @NASCARonFOX kicks off @NASCAR’s 75th season with Hall of Famer @TonyStewart back in the @FOXSports booth with @MikeJoy500 & @ClintBowyer for the Feb. 5 Clash at the Coliseum & the Feb. 19 Daytona 500.
🗒️: t.co/Wr6A15ZTIF
The Busch Light Clash lineup will also include Larry McReynolds, who returns to his role as a technical analyst. Jamie Little and Regan Smith will provide updates from pit road throughout the exhibition event.
“I’m thrilled to be back in the FOX NASCAR booth for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and the Daytona 500 again this year,” Stewart said in the press release. “I was honored to call both last year and really enjoyed seeing the action from a different perspective and role, not to mention the sheer entertainment of sharing a booth with Clint and Mike. I’m looking forward to opening the new season with FOX and seeing what 2023 holds for the sport.”
Stewart Made Multiple Appearances in the FOX Sports Booth
FOX SportsTony Stewart (center) had multiple guest appearances in the booth.
The 2022 Cup Series season marked the first time that NASCAR on FOX used a rotating third spot in the booth. Joy and Bowyer were permanent fixtures while a variety of guests joined them for the first half of the season schedule.
Stewart originally had the Busch Light Clash and the Daytona 500 as his only scheduled appearances. However, he expanded with more guest spots Stewart returned to the booth at Circuit of the Americas and provided insight as Ross Chastain captured his first career win.
Stewart rounded out his schedule with another road course. He joined Joy and Bowyer for the final FOX Sports Cup Series race of the year, which took place at Sonoma Raceway. Stewart provided analysis as another Trackhouse Racing driver, Daniel Suarez, captured his own first career win.
One fascinating segment took place during Stewart’s appearance in the booth at the Busch Light Clash. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch also donned the headset and discussed the race weekend in Southern California. Fans were able to watch him interact with Joy, Bowyer, and Stewart in the middle of a NASCAR event, which added some uniqueness to the broadcast.
More Guests Will Join the FOX Sports Booth
GettyTony Stewart (center) joined FOX Sports for the Busch Light Clash.
The announcement that Stewart will return to the booth is only the first update provided by FOX Sports. The broadcast partner still has more news to announce about the other guests that will round out the lineup during the first portion of the Cup Series season.
These updates likely will not come until a later date. If FOX Sports follows its schedule from the 2022 season, it will make announcements about future guests in the middle of race broadcasts or during the pre-race show.
One fitting example is Danica Patrick. The former SHR driver joined the booth for multiple West Coast races in 2022, but FOX Sports announced her upcoming appearances during the Daytona 500 pre-race show.
Similarly, Joy and Bowyer took time during the Bluegreen Vacation Duels on February 17, 2022, to announce another guest analyst. They revealed during the FOX Sports broadcast that Matt Kenseth would join the booth for a trip to Auto Club Speedway.
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FOX Sports Names First Guest Analyst of 2023 NASCAR Season