Shannon Spake

Shannon Spake is an American sports television presenter and pit reporter known for her work in motorsport and college sports broadcasting. Born on July 23, 1976, she grew up in Sunrise, Florida, and attended Piper High School. She later graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. In 1999, she began her media career as an intern for Miami-based radio talk show host Neil Rogers.

Spake initially worked behind the scenes as a production assistant for MTV, Nickelodeon, and CBS on The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel. Moving into on-air broadcasting, she held roles at WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Carolina Sports and Entertainment Television. She subsequently joined the Speed Channel, working as a reporter and co-host for NASCAR Nation in 2005, and co-hosting the talk show Back Seat Drivers alongside columnist Marty Smith.

In 2007, Spake joined ESPN as a NASCAR pit reporter and a contributor to NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now. By 2008, she served as a full-time pit reporter for Nationwide and Sprint Cup race broadcasts, continuing until ESPN lost its broadcast rights after 2014. During her tenure at ESPN, which included a multi-year contract extension signed in August 2013, she also contributed pre- and post-game reports to SportsCenter and served as a sideline reporter for college football and SEC college basketball games.

In July 2016, Fox hired Spake as a contributor to NASCAR Race Hub, as well as a sideline reporter for Fox College Football, Fox College Hoops, and select NFL on Fox broadcasts. In February 2017, she was named co-host of NASCAR Race Hub alongside Adam Alexander, and she hosted the NASCAR RaceDay pre-race broadcasts on weekends. Outside of journalism, she voiced the character Shannon Spokes in the 2017 Pixar animated film Cars 3.

Fox and Spake parted ways in July 2024, after which she joined NASCAR Digital Media and TNT Sports to host NASCAR Inside The Playoffs. Her role expanded as she became the pre- and post-race host for NASCAR on TNT starting in 2025, later transitioning to a NASCAR pit reporter for TNT in 2026. Beyond her TNT duties, she hosts the Sons & Daughters Podcast, launched the SPAKE UP Podcast in June 2025, and serves as a host for the Charlotte Hornets on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.

In her personal life, Spake gave birth to twin sons, Brady and Liam, on January 1, 2010. Having undergone corrective scoliosis surgery at age 12, she remains active in endurance sports, competing in short-distance triathlons, seven 70.3 Ironman events, and four full marathons.