Fox Sports, NASCAR and racing fans were saddened by the death of Steve Byrnes, the 56-year-old motor-sports broadcaster and cohost of Fox Sports 1's daily NASCAR Race Hub program, on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.
On Sunday, Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee had renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup event the Food City 500 In Support Of Steve Byrnes And Stand Up To Cancer. Fans, race teams, NASCAR and track officials, friends, family and coworkers paid tribute to the much-admired Byrnes, who spent more than 30 years in the TV business after starting as a weekend sports producer for WJLA in Washington, D.C. The Maryland native had led his high school team to the state championship as quarterback and he graduated from the University of Maryland in 1981. For more about the tributes flowing in for Byrnes, including a video that aired during the Fox Sports pre-race intro, featuring the #ByrnesStrong hashtag, see this USA Today article. It said President Obama offered his condolences and called Byrnes "a legendary reporter and broadcaster."
"A shining example of husband, father, friend and consummate professional, Steve Byrnes will forever be remembered as one of the good guys — his time with us cherished and appreciated," Fox Sports said, in part, in a statement.
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