ESPN has just announced that Allen Bestwick will be replacing Brent Musburger as the host of NASCAR Countdown this week on Friday night in Daytona. NASCAR Countdown is the infield studio pre-race show for the Busch Series. Instead of Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree on the set, Bestwick will once again be joined by "the voice of the fans" Brad Daugherty. Dr. Jerry Punch will handle the play-by-play.
Hopefully, Bestwick will ask Petree to join him for the show, or invite another great guest. In Daugherty, Bestwick does not have the type of experienced analyst he needs to follow-up on the stories being reported. In the past Bestwick has brought Richard Childress and other high-profile NASCAR personalities on as guest analysts. His personal relationships with them really added to the content of the program.
With only weeks until ESPN and ABC Sports begin their critical coverage of both the Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series run to their championships, Suzy Kolber is again nowhere to be found. She will debut as host of both Series pre-race shows when ESPN begins Cup coverage at The Brickyard 400.
With Alan Bestwick back (?) maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel? If ESPN has really bounced Bent Musberger, maybe they will also bounce the Butcher of NASCAR NOW, Erik K. Hope springs eternal!
ReplyDeleteThis is great news. I have never been a fan of Musberger and felt that he was totally out of place covering NASCAR. I will be watching, Bud Light in hand, this Friday!
ReplyDelete