Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads NASCAR on Prime Video broadcast for the Cracker Barrel 400, which airs Sunday night from Nashville Superspeedway, marking the second in a series of exclusive Cup races on Amazon’s streaming service. Building off enthusiastic reactions to the Coca Cola 600 debut, the main commentary team—composed of Adam Alexander handling play-by-play alongside analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte—continues to draw strong praise for their dynamic chemistry and deep knowledge.
Amazon Races Attract Attention and High Praise
This year’s five-race Cup Series arrangement on Prime Video builds on a promising start noted by fans and industry insiders alike, who applauded the broadcast’s debut last week. The unique team, which brings together Alexander, Earnhardt, and Letarte, aims to provide fresh perspectives and insight into the sport for both longtime enthusiasts and new viewers adjusting to the streaming platform.
Speaking on a conference call prior to the Coca Cola 600, Adam Alexander commented on the exceptional line-up, expressing strong confidence in his booth partners.
“We obviously know that there’s no better analysts than the guys that I’ll be working with. When it comes to NASCAR on Prime, Dale has tremendous passion and history in the sport, and Steve is someone who obviously understands strategy and the history side as well. For me, I think my job stays the same: just be a setup guy for two analysts that obviously know it inside and out, and we’ll be able to relay the message to the fans of what’s happening on track.”
—Adam Alexander, Play-by-Play Announcer
Alexander’s Experience Shaping the New Booth
Adam Alexander’s career has spanned many corners of motorsports coverage, including PA announcing, radio, pit reporting, television hosting, and leading play-by-play. Even as he steps into the current Prime Video opportunity, Alexander brings a mindset of authentic conversation and partnership to the role. He believes that great chemistry in the booth is built off air, whether in meetings, creative sessions, or everyday camaraderie over meals, which all contribute to a natural on-air rapport.
“I wouldn’t say the approach is any different. The one thing that I’ve learned over the years is the best way to present the product is in a conversational way. The time that Dale and Steve and I have been able to spend together in rehearsals, and not even when we have a headset on, just the time that we spend together in a meeting or just creating ideas or at lunch or dinner, we just talk racing, and we try to take that same philosophy to the booth. And that’s what I’ve always done.”
—Adam Alexander, Play-by-Play Announcer
Through years of collaborating with diverse analysts—regular and guest commentators alike—Alexander has gained valuable perspective on how to draw out each expert’s unique voice and insights without forcing the dynamics. This approach allows the analysts to take the lead in explaining the intricacies of racing strategy, history, and on-track action, while he facilitates the broader conversation.
“Over the years, I think I’ve grown in that area just because I’ve worked with so many different analysts. And some of those analysts in recent years are ones that weren’t part of our regular group, and so they weren’t in the meetings and maybe they didn’t have all the details that I had as far as preparation. And so the easiest thing to do was for me to just facilitate the conversation and set them up and let them be the experts that they are.”
—Adam Alexander, Play-by-Play Announcer
Building Booth Chemistry with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte
Transitioning to a new broadcast partnership can pose challenges, yet for Alexander, previous competitive and professional experiences with both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte eased the transition. Despite not having all worked together as a unit before this season, their shared background in live TV, deep knowledge of NASCAR’s nuances, and overlapping philosophies about what makes a successful broadcast have created an immediate sense of alignment and trust.
“We have hit it off great. One benefit for me is is having worked with both Dale and Steve as competitors, so those relationships were there. Even though we haven’t worked together, we all have tremendous experience working in the business and doing a live TV broadcast. I think each of us have a feel for what we want it to be. And I would say that our ideas and thought process for a successful broadcast are very much aligned, and that we pick up where the other leaves off.”
—Adam Alexander, Play-by-Play Announcer
Alexander emphasized how quickly the trio found their rhythm, thanks to mutual respect and a commitment to honing their teamwork during extensive rehearsals. Their rapid bonding is notable by industry standards and has become an asset to the live coverage, allowing them to respond fluidly to the unpredictabilities of each race.
“It’s been very interesting to get together, how quickly we picked it up,”
Alexander said.
“It doesn’t always work that way. But there’s a ton of mutual respect in the booth amongst the three of us, and the time that we’ve spent together in our rehearsals. That respect factor is huge when you go to put on a successful broadcast. So I feel like that we’re in a really good place and have a great foundation.”
—Adam Alexander, Play-by-Play Announcer
Fan Reaction and Ratings Perspective
The new booth’s chemistry has already made an impression with NASCAR audiences, as demonstrated by the outpouring of positive feedback after Prime Video’s first exclusive broadcast at the Coca Cola 600. While the television ratings dropped by 16 percent from the prior year when FOX partnered to carry the event, this decline was largely anticipated considering the move from traditional broadcast to paid streaming and a noteworthy decrease in the median viewer age by six years. Observers will be watching to see if numbers rebound as fans get more accustomed to finding NASCAR on Prime Video, or if viewership wanes as the novelty passes.
What This Means for NASCAR and Amazon
The promising dynamic between Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte has set a positive tone for Amazon’s ongoing Cup Series coverage, drawing favorable comparisons to other long-standing sports broadcast teams. As the group continues to refine their approach and as fans adapt to racing on a new platform, their conversational, expertise-driven style could reshape expectations for future motorsports telecasts. With the next race approaching and continued fan interest, this partnership may help NASCAR reach new audiences and maintain excitement through the remainder of the Prime Video slate.
