Breaking Tradition or Broadcast Blunder? Unusual Pre-Race Interview with “Winner” Raises Eyebrows

In a curious twist ahead of today’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, viewers were left scratching their heads when the FOX Sports broadcast featured an interview with a driver being referred to as the “winner”—before the green flag had even dropped.

While pre-race interviews are standard fare, they’re typically reserved for pole sitters, championship contenders, or drivers with a compelling story heading into the race—not the eventual winner, for obvious reasons. But today, that script was seemingly flipped, as fans watching NASCAR RaceDay on FS1 were caught off guard by what appeared to be a post-race-style interview conducted before the engines were even fired.

Social media was quick to light up with reactions, with some fans joking about spoilers and others speculating that it may have been a production mix-up or pre-recorded segment mislabeled or aired out of order. Regardless of the intent, it disrupted the usual flow of the pre-race broadcast and raised questions about timing, presentation, and just how much of the race day narrative is crafted before the action even begins.

It’s not unheard of for networks to prepare contingency content, especially when tight production windows and live variables are at play. But airing something that resembles a victory lane interview before the race has even started is highly unorthodox—and potentially confusing for both casual viewers and die-hard fans.

Whether it was a quirky editorial choice or a mistake behind the scenes, the segment stood out on a day where everything else—tech inspection, pit assignments, and pre-race prep—seemed unusually smooth.

With the green flag scheduled for 3:43 p.m. ET and all 36 cars set to start from their qualifying positions, NASCAR will soon let the on-track action speak for itself. But the broadcast team may have some explaining to do during the post-race wrap-up—especially if their early “winner” doesn’t end up in Victory Lane.

Would you like this repurposed as a reaction post for social media?