ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Will Buxton hasn’t been a regular on the INDYCAR circuit in recent years, but that doesn’t mean he needs advice on how to handle play-by-play duties for FOX this season.
“I don’t think you’re ever ready,” Buxton said. “You could always be more prepared. You could always know more. I’m very aware of that. But I’m as ready as I can be.”
So he might not need advice. But we’re here to give it to him.
We asked several of the drivers in the series to give advice to the new voice of the series as Buxton leaves a variety of Formula 1 broadcasting roles (many of you who don’t watch F1 regularly probably know him from “Drive to Survive”) as he will be the new voice, joined by seasoned series analysts and former drivers James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell in the FOX booth.
Some drivers played nice. They said Buxton doesn’t need advice.
“Please bring all of your energy and ideas to the table,” reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden said.
And some had at least a little advice for the English native. Here’s a sampling:
From six-time series champion Scott Dixon: “He’s got to get his southern twang on and start to embrace the American language a little bit more.
Veteran Graham Rahal: “Get ready for lots of pork tenderloins in Indy and all the other stuff that you’re going to get. It’s quite a bit different than Monaco.”
Supercars champion-turned-INDYCAR driver Scott McLaughlin: “Don’t get led astray by Hinch and Townsend. Those guys are bad.”
Felix Rosenqvist: “He has to come out to the Midwest and learn the roots of American racing. I feel like he’s been a big INDYCAR fan so he probably knows more than what anyone thinks.”
And from champion Alex Palou: “It’s going to be tough for him to keep up with Hinch. Good luck, man.”
We also asked NASCAR Cup Series analyst Kevin Harvick, who retired from Cup racing following the 2023 season, if he had any advice for Buxton:
“I like listening to Will Buxton. I love his opinions. I love everything that he does. Bringing a fresh face into the INDYCAR world and allowing him to talk about what’s going on will kind of bring a familiar face from more of an international standpoint than what we have here in the United States. I think that will be a great addition.”
So what does Buxton think about all this advice? We played several of these answers for him.
Here’s his reaction:
“I appreciate the comments,” Buxton said. “I appreciate the advice. And I really appreciate the welcome.
“I’ll do my best not to let you down.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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