The network was formed out of a partnership between Cox Cable and Times Mirror, later joined by Comcast and Continental Cablevision. Planned by Roger L. Werner, E. Roger Williams and Robert Scanlon, Speedvision’s initial lineup included programs like Victory by Design, Legends of Motorsport, Dream Car Garage, My Classic Car, AutoWeek, MotorWeek, and Autoline Detroit. It also carried coverage of the Sports Car Club of America’s World Challenge series, the American Le Mans Series, NASCAR Winston West Series, ARCA Racing Series, Formula One, and the Pep Boys Indy Racing League.
In 1998, the Fox Entertainment Group purchased a 30% ownership interest in Speedvision, acquiring full control in 2001. Following the acquisition, Speedvision was relaunched as Speed Channel on February 11, 2002, coinciding with a relocation of operations to Charlotte, North Carolina. This change reflected Fox’s recent acquisition of NASCAR broadcast rights and a strategic shift towards increased NASCAR programming.
Over the following years, Speed Channel added programs like Totally NASCAR, Trackside, NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane, and WindTunnel with Dave Despain. In 2003, the network began broadcasting NASCAR’s Truck Series after acquiring the remaining contract from ESPN2. Coverage of NASCAR practices, qualifying races, and the Sprint All-Star Race were also added. In 2006, coverage of Daytona 500 qualifying was moved to Speed due to NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Winter Games.
Despite the increasing focus on NASCAR, Speed continued to air other racing series, including the Rolex Sports Car Series, the American Le Mans Series, and Formula One. The network also expanded its programming to include automotive-themed reality shows such as Pinks, Unique Whips, Chop Cut Rebuild, and Pass Time. By 2008, Speed was carried in over 73 million households.
On March 5, 2013, Fox Sports announced that Speed would be replaced by Fox Sports 1, with the intention of creating a broader sports network. Mike Joy announced the end of Speed’s operations in the United States, stating, “For 18 years, it's been our honor and privilege to present motorsports and automotive-related programming…But now, it's time to switch off the ignition and turn in the keys. This is the end of Speed in America.” While the U.S. channel ceased operations, an international feed continued to operate, and was later rebranded as Fox Sports Racing.
The Speed brand experienced a revival in 2022 with the relaunch of Speedvision as a FAST channel and the acquisition of the Speed intellectual property by Boss One Media, LLC, who launched a YouTube channel. In February 2026, the Speed brand was again revived as a motorsports podcast hosted by Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton.