Southern California race fans geared up for a full weekend of NASCAR March 23-25 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Following the qualifying races on Friday, spectators filled the stands and the race teams prepared for the Royal Purple 300 that foggy Saturday morning. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to experience race day from the perspective of the media by shadowing Lee Spencer, the senior NASCAR writer for Fox Sports.
Spencer began her coverage of race day contributing to the SiriusXM radio broadcast for NASCAR in a room in the media center specified for broadcast use only. As I observed the broadcast, I was humbled at the amount of detail that goes into covering a sport like NASCAR. After the broadcast concluded, we headed over to the garage.
It should come to no surprise that Spencer is a familiar face in the garage considering the 15 years she has spent covering NASCAR. The casual nature of the conversations she held with the different driver’s personal representatives and other team members was admirable. To be a successful female sports reporter is an accomplishment all in itself, but to be respected that way is truly laudable.
Before the Nationwide Series race kicked off, Spencer settled in to the press box as she powered up her laptop and searched her radio for the frequency used by Danica Patrick’s team. The green flag signaled the beginning of the race as the cars zoomed quickly past the large skybox window. Everyone’s eyes shifted to the television monitors for coverage of the remainder of the lap until the drivers came around turn four again, and again.
Among the monitors mounted throughout the press box, there were a few designated specifically for the list of drivers, their positions, the amount of time or laps behind the leader, and so forth. I learned how the statistics displayed on the screens, updates that were issued with every caution, and the other tools were to be utilized in regards to covering the different aspects of the race.
Danica Patrick, the subject of Spencer’s coverage that day, ended her run in the Nationwide race on Lap 64 after a piece of flat bar steel punctured her radiator. Once news of the incident hit the frequency Spencer rushed down to the garage with a pen, notepad, and tape recorder in hand. After returning from the garage, she went right to work on her article as the race carried on. Working for such a well-known news source like Fox Sports seemed to bring about a need to be quick and efficient with the information.
Learning the ropes of sports reporting at a live event from such a respected female journalist of Lee Spencer’s caliber was an incredible experience that really inspired me to pursue my aspirations.