Even after signing with Amazon to be one of its NASCAR analysts, Carl Edwards admitted he still wondered if fans would know about the Cup Series shifting to streaming for five races on Prime Video or if they would know how to access the service.
That was, until he talked to one of his neighbors.
“We’re talking about other things and he said, ‘Hey, you’re doing some sort of TV thing.’ And I was thinking, you know, this guy’s 85 years old, and I’m going to have to explain this to him,” said Edwards, the retired driver who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year. “And I started, and he’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. I’ve got Prime. I’ll be watching.'”
Prime’s first race is Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Not only is it NASCAR’s longest race, it comes on motorsports’ biggest day with Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix and IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 taking place before the green flag drops that night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
Prime has a seven-year deal with NASCAR.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be starting with a crown jewel (race). It’s a huge responsibility, and we’re excited to bring it to fans,” said Alex Strand, Prime’s senior coordinating producer for live sports. “What we saw when we brought (the NFL’s) ‘Thursday Night Football’ to Prime is we spent a lot of time making sure that we’re delivering on expectations. There’s trust the viewers are putting in you to bring them the sport that they love.”
Prime hopes to do that by getting some production help from NBC Sports, which has had NASCAR media rights since 2015.
In the booth, Adam Alexander is the play-by-play announcer. He has handled the Xfinity Series on the CW, along with doing Cup Series races on TNT.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and fellow analyst Steve Letarte are being reunited. Earnhardt was with NBC for six seasons (2018-23) while Letarte has been with NBC since 2015.
Alexander said his approach to calling the races has been the same, no matter the network.
“Just be a setup guy for two analysts that obviously know it inside and out, and be able to relay the message to the fans of what’s happening on track,” he said. “I think it would be easy for someone when you look at new partners coming into the sport, that everything is going to be changed. It jumped off the board with me right away that Prime has the balance of new, but also the respect to traditions that we’re used to in the TV world and how that matches up with NASCAR.”
The only new faces are Edwards and part-time Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie, who will be on coverage before and after races.
Many thought Edwards would become an analyst after retiring in 2017, but he resisted overtures from various networks until Prime approached him earlier this year.
“The timing just feels right. I’m shocked at the way the sport has welcomed me back personally,” said Edwards, who won 28 Cup Series races and came up just short of the championship more than once. “I wasn’t sure about this, but Prime came to visit me in Missouri and we sat around at my kitchen table talking with my family. I’m glad they came out. It’s going to be an adventure.”
Prime will be bringing its own touches to the races. Green flag racing will include a double-box commercial format, ensuring viewers won’t miss any action. There will also be highlights of key moments, allowing viewers to catch up to action.
As far as in-race strategy innovations, Prime is still testing some things while trying continue what its team has done during NFL coverage, which is explain complex matters in a simple way.
“I believe people are going to find it. They’re going to enjoy it,” Edwards said. “And, you know, hopefully it just becomes something that all the fans feel good about, and (we) don’t have any hiccups.”
Byron’s deal extended
CONCORD, N.C. — William Byron, the winner of the past two editions of the Daytona 500, received a four-year contract extension from Hendrick Motorsports on Friday that will keep the 27-year-old driver with the team through the 2029 Cup Series season.
Financial terms of the contract were not released.
The Charlotte native has emerged as one of NASCAR’s most competitive drivers, with 14 career wins on the top circuit and six consecutive playoff appearances from 2019 to 2024. He has won 13 Cup Series races since being paired with crew chief Rudy Fugle in 2021, the second-highest total in the series over that span.
Now in his eighth season, Byron began it by becoming the youngest multitime winner of the Daytona 500 in the event’s storied history.
Byron currently ranks second in the Cup Series points standings with the regular season past its midpoint and is eager to continue to make team owner Rick Hendrick proud.
“We’ve built something special with the No. 24 team,” Byron said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick. We’ve accomplished some great things that we’re really proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I’m excited to go after them with this team and this organization.”
Byron, who famously taught himself to race using an online simulator, first signed with Hendrick Motorsports when he was 18.
He was the Cup Series rookie of the year in 2018, and he has been among the four drivers eligible for the championship in the season finale the past two years. Bryson is the only driver to win in the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet other than Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup Series champion during his career.
“William is the real deal,” Hendrick said. “What makes him so special is that he combines natural ability with an unrivaled work ethic. You see it in the great ones — the drivers who could get by on talent alone but choose to outwork everyone anyway. That’s William. On top of it all, he’s a person of high character and embraces his role as a leader. We’re proud to have him in our lineup and look forward to many more wins together.”
RFK Racing gains sponsor
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced a multiyear sponsor partnership with Trimble that begins later this season.
Trimble will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford and Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford, beginning with Preece’s entry at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1. In addition, it was announced that Trimble will increase its involvement across RFK Racing’s full fleet in upcoming seasons, including co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford.
Trimble is a global technology company that enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation.
“This is a high-profile opportunity to expand awareness of Trimble by supporting a leading NASCAR team with a technology vision closely aligned with our own,” Trimble president and CEO Rob Painter said. “Both organizations focus on cohesive technology ecosystems and data-driven precision as the formula for winning in dynamic and intensely competitive environments.”
Trimble employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and serves customers in more than 175 countries. The company reported $3.68 billion in revenue in 2024, according to a release.
“Partnering with a forward-thinking, technology-driven company like Trimble is a great fit for RFK Racing,” said Steve Newmark, president of RFK Racing. “Our team and Trimble operate in fast-paced, high-performance environments that demand precision and innovation. Their deep expertise and commitment to technology will bring valuable perspective and collaboration to our program.”
Trimble is also set to join the RFK TeK Alliance, a collaborative platform where technology-oriented sponsors work together to test and refine products in applied racing and operational environments.
“Every week in NASCAR feels like a science project, where we’re constantly testing, learning, and improving,” Keselowski said. “Partnering with Trimble allows us to do more of that work in the digital space, refining our performance virtually before we ever hit the track. That kind of innovation is not only smart, it’s essential in today’s competitive environment.”
