FOX Sports announces inaugural broadcast crew for IndyCar coverage
2025-01-15
Category: sports

FOX Sports has its team in place and ready to hit the track for the 2025 IndyCar season. Veteran broadcaster Will Buxton will handle play-by-play duties while James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell will serve as analysts for the first season of IndyCar on FOX, FOX Sports announced Tuesday.&nbsp; Buxton, who was previously a part of the FOX Sports family for his work as an F1 pitlane reporter for the SPEED channel, has become one of the most renowned media figures in motorsports. He served as a pitlane reporter for NBC Sports' coverage of IndyCar and F1. He most recently worked for F1 as a digital presenter, having a notable role in each season of the hit documentary series "Drive to Survive."&nbsp; Additionally, Buxton has written multiple books (My Greatest Defeat: Stories of Hardship and Hope from Motor Racing's Finest Heroes, Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1), becoming a New York Times best-selling author in the process. "I’m absolutely thrilled to be embarking on this new and incredibly exciting opportunity to return to FOX, exactly 15 years after SPEED Channel offered a young and very green reporter his first break on network TV," Buxton said in a statement. "I’ve been a fan of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for as long as I’ve been watching racing cars and have always marveled at the skill and bravery of its incredible drivers. To have the chance to tell their stories and call their races is a dream come true, and something I never imagined I’d have the honor of doing. It's a tremendous responsibility, and not one I take lightly." Hinchcliffe and Bell, meanwhile, have worked together for NBC Sports' IndyCar coverage in recent years. Hinchcliffe has been a full-time IndyCar analyst since his career ended in 2022, winning IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year in 2011 and six races over his career while racing for Andretti Autosport, Newman/Haas Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. "I’m super excited to be part of the FOX Sports team heading into the 2025 season," Hinchcliffe said. in a release "FOX Sports comes in with huge goals of growing the sport, something I’m incredibly passionate about. It’s fantastic to be reunited with Townsend, and it’s a massive win for the sport to bring in Will Buxton."  Bell will also be reuniting with FOX Sports, re-joining the company after working for the SPEED channel as part of its F1 coverage. In addition to his work with SPEED and NBC Sports, Bell has worked for SkySports in Europe.&nbsp; Bell's broadcasting career, which began over two decades ago, came after he won Indy Lights in 2001. He continued to race professionally during the start of his broadcasting career as well, driving in 10 Indianapolis 500s while winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012. "I got my start in television 21 years ago with the FOX Sports family of networks, working on SPEED Channel’s F1 coverage," Bell added in the statement. "It’s really cool to see things come full circle, especially with INDYCAR, which has been my home for so long. FOX Sports and INDYCAR will be a powerful combination." All 17 races of the 2025 IndyCar season will air on FOX along with two additional Indianapolis 500 qualification sessions. All 19 events will also be aired on the FOX Sports app.&nbsp; FOX Sports' coverage of IndyCar will begin with the first event of the 2025 season, broadcasting the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 2, at noon ET. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!