In 2025, the motorsports media brass faces a significant trust deficit with its hardcore fanbase. The rising tensions and disagreements with fans are driven by perceived arrogance and disconnect in fan circles from key figures like Jenna Fryer, Dave Moody, Kenny Wallace and even Michael Waltrip.
Now, let’s take a journey through the lens of a diehard motorsports fan, turned sportswriter.
To start off, I want to state that I am a fan of all forms of motorsport and try to advocate for the betterment of the sport on a weekly basis.
I actively watch and support NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1, WEC, WRC, the World of Outlaws, CARS Tour, High Limit and so much more.
But I am at a boiling point of frustration with how motorsports are being covered right now, primarily in the press box.
The core issue lies in the interactions with the fans, particularly on platforms like X, where tone often alienates the very people who sustain the sport’s passion, attend races in person and buy merchandise for the sport, constantly floating this ‘I’m better than you’ mantra online from several members of the media.
NASCAR’s base is one of the most loyal in professional sports, backed by TV ratings and attendance data, year after year.
Sure, the sport may not be what it once was in its heyday, but put the races on just about any platform on the planet and the core base of over 1M+ fans will come flocking each week.
Now, this should not be taken for granted, but rather, appreciated.
The NASCAR fanbase, for all the stereotypes and disrespect it receives, is a primarily blue-collar, family-oriented demographic, which shows loyalty to those who give it hope.
NASCAR fans have proven time and time again that if you give them a small sliver of optimism and quality racing, they will support you and your product. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out this way and that’s a shame.
Never mind the fact Bristol Motor Speedway is lucky to fill half of its capacity for a spring race these days… Charlotte sells out because they took half the grandstands away, Dega and Daytona took away their backstretch stands… I could go on.
Sure, there are plenty of examples to show growth for NASCAR and even more showing stability, but to pretend like this is all some big joke, read the room…
Is it funny to the family of four that can only make it to Richmond raceway that lost an annual weekend of family bonding time? How about the folks in Kentucky traveling to Sparta from Louisville or Lexington that now must go to Nashville and cannot afford to do so?
What about the AutoClub season ticket holders that have no professional stock car racing in sight.
Is that all hunky dory?
On Tuesday, Jenna Fryer, an Associated Press writer, who primarily covers the NTT IndyCar Series, sparked outrage with comments on X that fans deemed egotistical and condescending, pertaining to the Mexico City races.
Responding to criticism about NASCAR’s Mexico City race coverage, Fryer dismissed fan complaints about logistics and broadcast quality as “whining,” implying fans lacked understanding of journalistic challenges and logistical concerns on the international event. This echoed her 2019 column urging Darrell Waltrip’s retirement, which drew backlash for its harsh tone, further cementing her image as aloof. Fans felt belittled, perceiving her as prioritizing her insider status over their valid concerns, eroding trust in her reporting. Fryer is prone to get into heated social media exchanges with the fans, both in NASCAR and IndyCar at times.
Now of course, there will always be the occasional instance where a fan may step out of line and need a friendly lecture, but at the end of the day, the fans are the ones keeping the sport afloat and buying the tickets and merchandise.
Dave Moody, a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio host, similarly fuels distrust with his high-handed demeanor. Fans on Reddit have criticized his “high horse” attitude, particularly when he defends controversial NASCAR decisions, like superspeedway racing formats, without acknowledging fan perspectives. His June 2025 X post, making light of travel issues during the Mexico City race, was seen as tone-deaf, prompting accusations of mocking fans’ genuine frustrations.
“If Charlotte Douglas Airport Terminal D exploded right now, NASCAR would be out of business. #MexicoBound,” Moody posted on X.
I mean, what are we doing here? How pompous…
Kenny Wallace and Michael Waltrip, both former drivers turned broadcasters, also contribute to the divide. Wallace’s jovial but sometimes dismissive social media presence, like blocking fans over disagreements, suggests a lack of respect for differing opinions, with many feeling “shunned” by the former driver’s viewpoints.
Constantly putting the fans down is a quick way to lose respect and goodwill, that’s for sure.
Waltrip’s quirky X posts, such as his 2020 odd tweets, often come off as self-absorbed, distancing him from fans who crave authenticity over theatrics. Never mind the fact he still puts on his hokey character persona each week on the Trucks broadcasts and along pit road for grid walk. Michael, let’s take it down a notch, or maybe three or four… I know you mean well, but it’s okay to take a breath here and there.
Jeff Gluck, despite his fan engagement through polls like the “Good Race Poll,” isn’t immune. His June 2025 X outburst defending the Mexico City race against “rigged” claims was seen as lashing out at fans, with some feeling he relished “riling up” the base rather than fostering dialogue on the race weekend.
To repair this rift, the motorsports media and their weekly traveling press corps, must prioritize humility and engagement. Acknowledging fan concerns, as Denny Hamlin urged in May 2025, rather than dismissing them, is critical.
Media personalities should use X to build bridges, not burn them, ensuring hardcore fans feel valued, not patronized, to restore trust and revitalize the sport’s community. The more trust the fans have in their favorite motorsports, the better. Rather than creating uncertainty and a feeling of shame, the fans deserve more appreciation for their loyalty to motorsport and a lot more credit.
I could go on for hours about all the decisions from NASCAR and IndyCar’s heydays that led us to this point, but that’s for another time, motorsports media.
The point being, fans should never feel like they are being put down by the weekly insiders covering the sport from track to track, but rather embraced and welcomed.
So often the motorsports media is caught up in chasing the next shiny thing, like new fans in Los Angeles or Mexico City.
Sure, I’m all for bringing the sport to new markets and creating a more widespread outreach. However, you can’t just leave your loyal and supportive base. You know, the fans who travel 10+ hours for races, camp at the track, would do anything for an extra hour of practice and even watch ARCA races…
We can’t forget those people. Not now, not ever, motorsports media.
Gluck does a great job connecting with the fanbase through weekly ‘Twitter meet ups’ outside the race track, which I have to give him a lot of credit for. It’s a kind gesture to make the fans feel important and appreciated, which many writers could use as a blueprint going forward.
Throw the fans a bone and they will support your work, in addition to the sport. Gluck’s ability to connect with the fanbase has shown its own rewards, as several in the dirt racing community banded together to support his personal website, JeffGluck.com, while he navigated the challenges of transitioning media companies. Fans even put Gluck’s Patreon on a race car at the Chili Bowl.
All in all, I think the media could learn a thing or two from Gluck’s kind and approachable character. Matt Weaver busts his butt each week to run around Cordele Motor Speedway, get a quick nap in the pickup truck and make it to Bristol to cover a Cup Race.
Fans love that kind of thing and respect writers like Gluck and Weaver for it. Then you have Bob Pockrass, who shows up to the media center before its own interns arrive and still manages to be the last one out of the race track. Talk about a pro’s pro.
In a world where so much negativity is abound, it really would be nice to see the motorsports media and its neighboring PR department appreciate the fanbase keeping their racing series afloat, rather than lashing out at them on a weekly basis.
Oh and trust me, the series itself is far from innocent here either. NASCAR, IndyCar and F1 can all learn a thing or two on showing gratitude to their fanbases.
Looking at you, Formula 1, scheduling Montreal during the Indy 500 and taking Monaco off the ‘Greatest Day in Racing.’
Yes you, NASCAR, refusing to up the horsepower on the NextGen car, constantly tinkering with your on-track practice schedules and doubling down on a one-race championship event.
And IndyCar, this whole hybrid thing, it’s not working. Why don’t you throw a couple more ovals on the schedule while we’re at it and visit the East coast once in a blue moon…
Alas … motorsports media
Pockrass, Gluck and Weaver do a nice job of balancing their reporting skills with fanbase interactions and it shows in their work how much they love what they do.
It’s time the rest of the media follows suit. The fans are the heart and soul of the sport, not the writers and the drivers are the storyline.
The fans are the sole reason NASCAR, IndyCar and yes, even F1 are relevant today, motorsports media.
Now, I leave you with this.
A wise man once said:
“The most beautiful people are those who are truly themselves, and that’s what I want to show my fans.”
Happy Pocono and Road America week, everybody. Here’s to a safe and successful week in racing.
The motorsports media ought to cover it properly.
Column: Motorsports Media Losing Fans’ Trust, How to Fix It