R.I.P.: FOX Sports Anchor Steve Byrnes

Steve Byrnes

Longtime NASCAR on FOX anchor Steve Byrnes died Tuesday at the age of 56, his family said.
Byrnes had battled head and neck cancer after being diagnosed in September 2014.

A fixture on FOX's NASCAR broadcasts, Byrnes enjoyed a successful and highly respected television broadcasting career for 30 years. He joined the FOX Sports family in 2001, hosting and reporting for multiple NASCAR programs and serving as a pit road reporter for NASCAR on FOX's broadcast of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 2001-2014. Most recently, he was the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports 1 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and was co-host of NASCAR Race Hub for the network.

"From the very beginning of NASCAR on FOX, Steve Byrnes was one of the linchpins of the broadcast team. His passion for the sport — his passion for everyone involved with the sport — shone through week in and week out," David Hill, 21st Century FOX senior executive vice president, said in a statement.

So sad to hear that @SteveByrnes12 passed away. His last tweet-"I went the distance",You did my friend. Heaven gained a real fighter today!
— Danica Patrick (@DanicaPatrick) April 21, 2015