The 2026 ESPYS, held Wednesday night in New York City and hosted by Saturday Night Live star Marcello Hernandez, may have celebrated the New York Knicks’ championship run, but it left NASCAR fans fuming over what they see as a blatant disregard for their sport.
While Hernandez’s opening monologue took playful jabs at Tiger Woods, Bill Belichick, and others, and Jalen Brunson walked away with multiple trophies, the absence of any meaningful nod to NASCAR—especially the late Kyle Busch—sparked outrage across social media. Fans accused ESPN of “disrespecting” the racing community by omitting a tribute segment for Busch, who died earlier this summer at age 41, and by failing to broadcast the Best NASCAR Driver award during the main event.
“Can someone tell me when Best Driver at the ESPYs is announced so I can be mad about it,” one fan posted. Another added, “Not only was Best Driver not announced during the actual Awards Show but I’m pretty sure they didn’t do an In Memoriam segment either (was looking out for any mention of Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle etc.) At least the Knicks won everything under the sun I guess.”
The snub didn’t come as a shock to many longtime followers of the sport. “At this point if you’re watching ESPN for anything auto racing, you’re really wasting your time,” one commenter noted. Another echoed, “ESPN isn’t interested in acknowledging sports they don’t air themselves.”
This isn’t the first time the ESPYS have drawn criticism for their handling of sensitive topics. Earlier in the night, Hernandez’s Tiger Woods joke fell flat with viewers, adding to the evening’s missteps.
The decision to spotlight the Knicks’ 2026 championship—complete with Brunner, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby in attendance—only fueled the frustration. For a show that bills itself as a celebration of all sports, the omission of a proper tribute to a former ESPY winner like Kyle Busch struck many as a glaring oversight.
“Not cool. Then again, didn’t expect them to dedicate even a tiny segment on Kyle (who was an ESPY winner!),” one fan lamented. The backlash underscores a growing rift between ESPN and motorsports fans, who feel their discipline is consistently sidelined at major award ceremonies.
As the dust settles on the 2026 ESPYS, one question lingers: Will the network address the outcry, or will this be another chapter in the ongoing tension between traditional stick-and-ball sports and the high-octane world of NASCAR?
