Saturday is a big day for SPEED and the Craftsman Truck Series coverage.
The network begins at 9AM Eastern Time with a thirty minute version of NASCAR Live, and then covers the qualifying for the Trucks live. That session is followed by another thirty minute NASCAR Live.
At noon SPEED returns to update events at the track once again from the NASCAR Live set, and then the Truck Series coverage begins at 12:30PM
Krista Voda hosts the Craftstman Truck Series pre-race show called The Set-Up first, and then at 1PM the race coverage begins. Rick Allen and Phil Parsons will call the action, there is no official word on whether Michael Waltrip will join them. On pit road will be Adam Alexander and Bob Dillner covering for the suspended Ray Dunlap. UPDATE: SPEED informed us Friday Dillner will not be working the Truck race this weekend. No replacement has been named yet.
This page will host the Saturday comments about SPEED's coverage of the Trucks. Please restrict your comments to the TV issues associated with the broadcasts, and read the rules on the right side of the main page prior to posting.
To add your comment, simply click on the COMMENTS button below and then follow the instructions. Thank you for taking the time to stop-by and leave your opinion at The Daly Planet.
46 comments:
Who's the new guy in the garage during happy hour?
I know its semantics, but the Truck pre-race is called NTCS Setup, not The Setup. That's important for those of us who TiVo the show.
Ok, my mistake.
Its called NCTS Setup.
*blush*
Ummm...just thought I'd mention that the past few posts/columns have been dated "Tuesday October 23rd" and it's Friday October 26th! :-)
Good to start off our race day with SPEED. I like to know what's going on in the garage area. Nice to see John Roberts hosting Nascar Live this morning.
Just before the truck qualifying show came on, Speed was showing cup practice and that awful Jeff Gordon commercial was on. Please give us a break!!!!
I think one of the Pemberton boys will be a pit reporter...
I decided to watch qualifying with the critical eye I use when watching ESPN. Right now the only negative so far is that they did not show every run but.... they told you who they missed and where they qualified. I like Michael so that's not an issue and many of the complaints I had with cup qualifying are not here. I can read the ticker at the top (I have trouble with them when alot of colors are used). When the booth is talking and yes they talk alot, they just show the trucks on the truck on the track. Alot of interviews but can see the truck on a split screen. (wish they would put a grapic up sooner telling me who it is during a split screen I don't know these guys as well). When not a split screen it's s full screen view and the stats don't stay up forever. There was some miss communication as Michael was talking over driver radio transmission, I think Michael oops in the beginning but not sure that they didn't play more of the radio transmission they intended. Showed oild footage but only few seconds and during a warm up lap not actual run. Overall I'm less agitated and do not need foxtrax to figure out how everyine is doing.
Broke from a commercial to show lead change did not go right back to commercial and caught the lead change back. Quite a difference from the cup races.
Look for a new face on pit road this afternoon on SPEED. Bettendorf, Iowa native Tony Rizzuti will cover the action on pit road with Adam Alexander. This is Rizzuti's first time covering the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on SPEED, but he's no stranger to the NCTS. Rizzuti covered the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for MRN from 1995 through 1999.
30 laps in and no complaints....
Hopefully the ESPN guys in Atlanta are taking this time off to observe Speed's broadcast and are taking notes.
Simple things like the alert from pit road during the pace lap that Todd Bodine was having radio problems and that there would be a competition caution at lap 30, things that commonly get overlooked by the ESPN guys. Plus Michael Waltrip and the Speed guys did a great job documenting the lucky dog situation at that first yellow. David Starr caught a break because he was about to get lapped before that yellow and Josh Wise will be the lucky dog because the caution came out seconds before Kyle Busch was about to lap Justin Marks. Great job guys!
Speed is just showing us THE RACE and keeping us informed about THE RACE. I feel informed about what it going on ON THE TRACK, which is a departure from the ESPN broadcasts where fans need MRN radio, Trackpass, and Hotpass if they want to know anything that's going on.
Newracefan said...
Broke from a commercial to show lead change did not go right back to commercial and caught the lead change back. Quite a difference from the cup races.
October 27, 2007 1:38 PM
I don't think they broke from the middle of a commercial. they waited for the commercial to finish.
Rizzuti has also been a pit reporter for NASCAR Hotpass for most of this year, so he's had plenty of experience working in the pits on TV this year.
it does not seem like the comments here are critiquing this race on SPEED, as critically as qualifying on ESPN.
Big crash...and SPEED does not break from commercial to show it.
Missed a wreck but when came back from commercial immediately said who was involved, showed the wreck and explained why it happened in a way I actually understoob
A bunch of trucks in the back crash and Speed has tons of replays of the incident. Not only did they document who was in the wreck but they also pointed out the trucks that made great moves to move the wreck.
On ESPN there have been multi-car crashes in Cup races where ESPN has been completely oblivious to cars that got destroyed in the crashes (Jamie McMurray at Watkins Glen, the most obvious example I can think of) and never showed or mentioned them after the incident.
Willie Allen is the lucky dog. Boy it feels nice to be informed!
TJ made several pit stops to fix damage during caution. Yes well informed
I meant to say they document the drivers that made great moves to MISS the wreck, LOL.
Anonymous, if you find some things to complain about please feel free to share them.
I think we have done a great job citing specific examples of what we like about Speed and dislike about ESPN. Did you watch qualifying last night? Were you excited about ESPN showing us Bobby Labonte's face for 2 straight minutes while completely missing the last go-or-go-homer, Joe Nemechek's, ENTIRE RUN? I was consistent when Speed Channel completely botched the Talladega qualifying coverage. I am consistent and cite specific examples of what I like/dislike. I'm not picking on one network or another. I am an equal opportunity "critiquer".
Yes they missed a crash during a commercial but I don't bash ESPN for that either. You have to take commercials and sometimes you miss incidents. This isn't scripted, no one can predict when caution flags will occur.
But it does seem like ESPN misses crashes even when they are not in commercial breaks more than anyone else.
That is because they are not following the race.
SPEED is doing an admirable job so far. Mikey even seems to have toned it down some.
There are also times that the network cannot break out of a commercial ... This is a big issue when it comes to the Cup races on ABC / Fox ... Because the Network computer in NYC is controlling the "hard breaks" ...
stricklinfan82 said...
Yes they missed a crash during a commercial but I don't bash ESPN for that either. You have to take commercials and sometimes you miss incidents. This isn't scripted, no one can predict when caution flags will occur.
October 27, 2007 2:00 PM
You may not bash them for missing a crash during commercial, but I have seen others on here bash ESPN for doing that and say nothing when SPEED does that.
I just want to make sure we are all equal opportunity critiquers.
Anonymous said...
There are also times that the network cannot break out of a commercial ... This is a big issue when it comes to the Cup races on ABC / Fox ... Because the Network computer in NYC is controlling the "hard breaks" ...
October 27, 2007 2:08 PM
We could solve that problem easy. Just put all the races on cable. But I don't want that because there are times when I cant get to a cable TV. I would rather have races on local broadcast TV and deal with that small problem, then have all the races on cable.
Yes we bash ESPN about missing cautions or lead changes. There are times when they are unexpected but there are times when they are not. I can remember several times when they are showing the race and even I can see it's not going to end well for someone and there they go off to commercial. That's when I bash someone should have said wait a few minutes.
Shane Seig is the lucky dog at this caution.
One complaint about ESPN's coverage: they never tell us who the lucky dog is at every caution flag
Speed Channel today: 3-3 in doing so.
Bad ESPN, good Speed!
You can't blame that on the Aaron's sponsorship of the Lucky Dog Award on Speed Channel either. There was no fancy graphic showing "Aaron's Lucky Dog - #15 Shane Seig". Michael just pointed out to Phil, it looks like Shane Seig will be the Lucky Dog, right Phil? That was then confirmed. Another good job of keeping the viewers informed.
They still have to do commercial breaks on cable ...
I wish we could get rid of the local election commercials ... especially for that idiot that killed the racetrack ...
Anonymous said...
They still have to do commercial breaks on cable ...
October 27, 2007 2:23 PM
I know that, but it is more complicated to break in when a broadcast in a over-the-air TV.
Showing video clips of old races and Head and Neck cancer checks but during caution and after pit stops where they belong. Granted this is easier on a bigger track so don't plan them for short tracks or use as back up for a potential red flag. Except the cancer one it's important for everyone.
The only major complaints I have seen of ESPN missing crashes or lead changes are the obvious examples:
- when they happen on restarts that ESPN misses
- when the lead change is happening off camera while the network is just starting the transition to commercial. That happened at Lowe's for instance, Johnson was passing Kenseth for the lead while the "top 5 running order head shot" graphic was on the screen. ESPN just followed through with the break and ignored the lead change
- when the caution happens ridiculously late in the race during a commercial. At Michigan, Jeff Gordon was spun out by Matt Kenseth with ELEVEN laps to go and ESPN was in commercial. At Martinsville last week, ESPN missed a caution flag and the race-winning lead change with FORTY-SIX laps to go on a short-track because they were in commercial.
If Speed misses a crash or lead change with 15 or less laps to go today I'm sure will be destory them for that decision. I know I will.
Can't decide if I like hearing the radios during pits stops when the pit reporters are talking about the stop.
ok they missed that lead change showing a dumb goodyear shot -1. Showed completely afterward and explained how +1/2
Back-to-back commercial breaks with about 90 seconds of coverage in between....
I'm not a big fan of that decision. The only way I will give them a break is if this is their last green flag commercial break. If that's the case and they only did it to show the last 25 laps uninterrupted then I applaud the decision. Front-loading the commercial breaks is the right thing to do.
Well, Speed was doing well until now.
Three lead changes in the last 5 laps and we missed all of them, with only one of them happening during commercial.
How the hell did Benson get back by Hornaday, does anyone at Speed know??????
anonymous @ 2:11pm said... I just want to make sure we are all equal opportunity critiquers.
When the televised coverage is generally good, as it is today on SPEED, I give them the benefit of the doubt when they make a mistake. As far as I'm concerned, they've earned my goodwill. Unless, of course, they make a catastrophic mistake or error in judgment.
However, when a network makes mistake after mistake during coverage, as ESPN did last night during qualifying (and as they seem to do during most Cup races), then I'm going to become more and more critical as the broadcast goes on. If this leads to nitpicking, then so be it.
This seems to be true for most of us here, at least based on the comments I'm reading.
I start out watching every race, even those on ESPN on ABC, hoping for the best. If I watch tomorrow's race, and that's a big if, I'll be hoping for great coverage. I know ESPN has the ability to televise a good Cup broadcast - I'm still waiting and hoping!
Speed has totally dropped the ball. It feels like an ESPN race now. Missing lead changes while showing other things on the screen and not resetting the pit strategies after that last caution... Ugh.
Admitted they were confused as to why JB in front and tried to find out while showing us the same thing they were looking at. Yes did miss several lead changes should have split screen car hitting wall since it was already over and were waiting to see if caution came out, lead change unless it only happened because was after caution and JB slowed down/ We'll have to wait and see about that front loading of commercials
All in all, good coverage by SPEED of the Truck race. They blinked a couple of times.
Good coverage of showing racing and not just showing the leader.
During excitement on the track, there was excitement in the booth. I have to keep in mind that the ESPN booth guys are rookies. It takes years to build that "chemistry" where there is a smooth flow between the announcers.
I liked the excitement from the booth. Expect for some mistakes at the end it was decent coverage.
SPEED can't win ... IF they don't show other trucks, people will complain that they only focused on the leaders ... IF they don't show a lead change, people complain about that ...
Compared to the Disney coverage, News Corp consistently does a much better job at it ... even when they don't completely satisfy the viewers ...
I felt bad for SPEED during that whole Benson/Hornaday lead change swap. That was going on just as Kyle's window net fell down and Jack Sprague crashed on the backstretch. Sometimes, even between 3 announcers, they can't see EVERYTHING, especially when they all happen on the same lap.
Brenden Gaughen has a great shirt on after the race:
"If you dont stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them."
Thumbs up, Brenden!
people, this is not a political blog.
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