Steve Byrnes: A tribute to the man who didn't know how to do it wrong
The NASCAR and FOX communities lost a dear friend Tuesday when Steve Byrnes died at 56 after a long bout with head and neck cancer.
Tributes poured in throughout the day, from NASCAR drivers to FOX Sports executives and personalities to none other than President Obama for the man who spent 30 years in the broadcasting business and was an original member of the NASCAR on FOX team in 2001.
Perhaps none of those tributes was more poignant than the one that aired Tuesday on FOX Sports 1's NASCAR RaceHub show. In the video above, famed NASCAR broadcaster Ken Squier narrates the retrospective on Byrnes' life, showing how Byrnes always got it right, both on camera and off.
NASCAR drivers, teams and more took to Twitter in droves to share their thoughts and memories of Byrnes. Here's just a sampling:
My hope is Steve was able to see how much he was loved & appreciated by so many. Rest easy friend. Prayers to his family. #ByrnesStrong
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 21, 2015
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
Flags at half-staff in memory of Steve Byrnes. #ByrnesStrong pic.twitter.com/cGVEUB0v5j
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) April 21, 2015
The RaceHub crew also provided their own memories of Byrnes. Analyst Jeff Hammond told a story of Byrnes helping out another person suffering from cancer.
"When he had his first bout with cancer, another gentleman in the sport -- and I'm going to leave him anonymous at this time -- had some of the same problems Steve did," Hammond said. "He reached out to me to see if Steve would talk to him. I said, 'Sure, he will. He cares about people.' And, sure enough, in true Steve Byrnes form, he was able to calm this individual's worries, gave him insight on what to expect from the treatments and everything the doctors were doing with him. (Tuesday), that gentleman called me to tell me thank you and tell me how sorry he was for our loss. And he reminded me what a great person Steve was. Because even though Steve was fighting cancer, still, in his own way, he was able to help somebody else get through it."
If you knew Byrnes, that story wouldn't surprise you. If you didn't know Byrnes, you probably felt like you did if you were a fan of NASCAR. His genuine air and passion for the sport endeared him to thousands of fans and colleagues.
As for Obama, he used the occasion of Kevin Harvick -- 2014 Sprint Cup champion -- visiting the White House to offer his condolences on the death of Byrnes:
Byrnes was honored at Sunday's Sprint Cup race, which was renamed the "Food City 500 in support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up To Cancer" after his latest health turn. Byrnes was able to take in the race, and his final tweet came Sunday night, thanking everyone involved:
Thanks to all for a remarkable day, my teammates @NASCARONFOX. Miss you all. Thanks for your love. @SU2C @nascar and @BMSupdates. #1Fans!
— Steve Byrnes (@SteveByrnes12) April 20, 2015
Farewell to Steve Byrnes and condolences to his family from all of us at FOX Sports.
