NASCAR Cup Series: Familiar face replacing Chad Knaus

Chad Knaus spent the last two NASCAR Cup Series races in the Fox booth. Who is set to replace him for the upcoming race at Bristol Motor Speedway?

Hendrick Motorsports Vice President of Competition Chad Knaus had the opportunity to join lead announcer Mike Joy and analyst Clint Bowyer in the Fox booth for the last two NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway.

The seven-time champion crew chief became the fifth different individual to fill the seat alongside Joy and Bowyer this season, a seat that was vacated by four-time champion Jeff Gordon when he stepped away from his full-time role after six seasons in 2021.

Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart was the first driver to do so, joining the duo for the preseason exhibition race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then the official season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

2003 Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth then joined them for the race at Auto Club Speedway before Danica Patrick joined them for the races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Gordon made a return to the booth for the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Stewart came back for the race at Circuit of the Americas.

So who will be the sixth different individual to join Joy and Bowyer this year for this Sunday’s dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway?

A familiar face is back in the Fox booth, to say the least: three-time Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip.

Waltrip was previously in the Fox booth full-time before retiring after the network’s portion of the 2019 schedule. His most recent appearance in the booth came at Sonoma Raceway in June 2019.

Waltrip’s departure after the 2019 season was the first of a number of changes in the booth in recent years. Instead of replacing him for the 2020 season, Fox opted to roll with a two-man booth with just Joy and Gordon. Bowyer joined the pair in 2021, but as mentioned above, Gordon left after last season.

Instead of replacing Bowyer with a single individual, Fox have opted to use multiple individuals in that seat this year, a popular move among fans.

Tune in to Fox at 7:00 p.m. ET this Easter Sunday, April 17 for the live broadcast of the Food City Dirt Race from Bristol Motor Speedway. Be sure to start your free trial of FuboTV today!