Saturday afternoon at 5:30PM SPEED presents NASCAR RaceDay live from the RaceDay set at Lowe's Motor Speedway. This show runs for two hours, and the final hour is head-to-head with the ABC pre-race program called NASCAR Countdown.
RaceDay will be anchored by John Roberts, with Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace alongside. Wendy Venturini will reporter from pit road, and also add her Real Deal feature that will focus on speedway owner Bruton Smith and his desire to build a national caliber drag strip on the speedway property.
This week, guests on RaceDay will include Jimmie Johnson and his team owner Rick Hendrick. This program is one of SPEED's most popular, and this season moved into direct pre-race competition with the networks carrying the actual race.
Please Note: SPEED's Victory Lane will not air late Saturday night, but will air in its normal timeslot of 8PM on Sunday.
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Why wont SPEED air Victory lane right after the race? You would think that show would only be current right after the race, not the next day.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing its just too late, especially if it winds-up being after midnight.
ReplyDeleteSunday night is a primetime airing, and SPEED has struggled this season with this issue.
JD
JOHN, MANY thanks for all your really SUPER coverage of NASCAR TV coverage. You have compensated admirably for the failings of TNT & ESPN. Since the Charlotte race will end after 11:00, what would be the donside of SPEED's showing Victory Lane live after the race and again at its now scheduled time on Sunday? It would seem to me that airing right after the race would pick up some viewers who might not bother to tune in Sunday and V. Lane after the race I bet would have more viewers than what is now scheduled to air on SPEED right after the race. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat's been a big discussion this year, Richard. I will ask them about it again on Monday, but last time they said it was logistics.
ReplyDeleteMy feeling is that if the race had a big red flag or was paused by weather it would be well after midnight until VL aired.
It could simply be sales related, or perhaps the SPEED guys wanted to keep the SPEED Report, VL, and then Wind Tunnel intact on Sunday as a block.
I certainly hope SPEED considers trying to put VL on-the-air right after the TV networks end their broadcast. If you watched the Talladega race, I think it would be a great move.
JD
I wonder about the wisdom of putting VL on Sunday night too considering it's going up against Sunday Night Football on NBC.
ReplyDeleteLast time they said that the Sunday night three hour block was important to them, and it got very good ratings for SPEED.
ReplyDeleteMy only thought is that NASCAR fans who already got their fill from a VL on Saturday night would not return for Ken and Bar...oh...sorry....Drew and Nicole and then hand around for Wind Tunnel.
Since they already switch RaceDay, I am sure something will be different next year.
What's strange is SPEED's inconsistency on the Victory Lane. Last year and in 2005 they did sometimes air Victory Lane after a late night race like tonight's and then repeat it on Sunday. They're taping it then anyway, so what's the harm in airing it?
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes they would break into programming right after a Sunday afternoon race was completed and do Victory Lane, repeating it less than 2 hours later at 8 PM. Sometimes we'd find VL by (happy) accident while changing channels after the race. That may have been before Speed Report came along.
They also no longer repeat VL at 11 PM on Sundays, waiting until the middle of the night for the first repeat. More Pinks, I guess.
That is not a bash of Victory Lane, I think it's one of the best programs out there. The only complaint I have is since The Speed Report came along, they seem to allocate some of the postrace interviews that normally would have been on Victory Lane to Speed Report. I guess to get more people to tune in, but it doesn't work that way with me that often. :-)
Last week's Victory Lane was especially good -they are a great team.
Raceday:
ReplyDeleteWendy tried to help me out. She said "starting grid" and pointed. Alas, she was pointing at pit road. I think she should have pointed toward an open wheel series track. :)
Did anyonw hear about the RaceDay golf tournament before this show?
ReplyDeleteIf we had known about it, we probably could have helped out a bit.
Is it just me, or is Jimmy Spencer looking a bit...younger?
Nope, I don't recall hearing about the golf tourney before today, but they could have said something about it and I just don't remember.
ReplyDeleteAnd Spencer looking younger? Maybe he's gaining weight and filling out the wrinkles!!!
(just kidding Jimmy, don't come after me)
What do you think this Ricky Rachtman thing does for this show? Anyone like this deal?
ReplyDeleteoh joy, oh joy
ReplyDeleteRikki Tikki Tacky is on
He gets the gag worthy award.
As usual, great job on the Real Deal, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteI also found it MOST CURIOUS Wendy used the word "grid" ?!?!
ReplyDeleteI gotta go with Lisa on Riki and the gag-o-meter. Sorry he does not do it for me and the tattooes....well, honestly, they scare me
Nothing against those here with them but Riki has so many he looks like a circus side show guy. Thank God he has never taken his shirt off.
Haven't noticed Spencer looking younger and when he frowns, I see lines, so no botox. HOWEVER, don't his bangs seem shorter and farther above his eyebrows? Getting your bangs cut too short can give you that younger look.
Or geekier look...I have over cut mine before and suffered from the latter. ;-o
I also miss VL being LIVE and REPEATED the next night. Not to go off track but it stinks PINKS and NOPI shows are run late at night when repeats of WT and other shows would be better for those on West Coast time.
Also the late day sun is rich and gold in color before it got shady...that can be FLATTERING to the faces as well.
Didn't they do Victory lane LIVE at almost 2AM when Tony won at Daytona track a few years ago???
ReplyDeleteI have no clue what Rachtman contributes. I find him creepy. I now surf while he is on. Otherwise, I love RaceDay-great program.
ReplyDeleteThis is the strength of Wendy Venturini. Talking on the fly and being able to deal with anything.
ReplyDeleteI just had to second your comment on Wendy, John. She really is UNFLAPPABLE and likeable.
ReplyDeleteI have seen her ask questions that seemed to annoy the interviewee and she just moved on without missing a beat.
I have seen some other tv women cringe and or drool over drivers when things did not go smoothly or you could see a crush factor going on.
It's nice to see a young but mature woman who knows how to enjoy the men she is surrounded by without making it a big deal she happens to be a woman.
And I hope that sounded better than it reads. I mean that as a HIGH COMPLIMENT coming from a middle aged dame, old enough to be Wendy's mom.
In other words, NEVER do I feel Wendy is there strictly to diversify things or to be 'strict' eye candy like one "Barbie" in particular.
Notice, no names. ANd there could be one. One even reversed her hair color recently.
I checked out ABC and Mushroom Burger told me I was looking live...
ReplyDeleteI raced back to SPEED.
LOL Lisa. That's just funny.
ReplyDeleteDoes Spencer trim the wig or just have different ones to wear?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until SPEED goes HD. I'll never turn the channel til the green flag! Mushroom Burger is freakin' hilarious! I agree 100%
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how many people on here comment on the looks of the hosts of some of the Nacar shows. I tune in for information and results of racing, why the comments "Ken & Barbie..Spencer bigger or smaller"
ReplyDeleteI just want to say how impressed I am (and always have been) with Wendy. The real deal about the track was great. I live in NC and get all my news from the Charlotte stations so this has been ongoing here and I haven't seen anything as good as Wendy's interview. I don't even bother going over to the ESPN show anymore
ReplyDeleteWendy and John Roberts are the only reason I watch this show. I don't care for Spencer or Kenny. You can tell Wendy grew up at the track with her Dad racing. She already knows everybody and interacts well with all the drivers and crews.
ReplyDeleteI think Jimmy has multiple rugs. And he's dyed his 'burns so the gray doesn't show.
And don't get me started on Riki, what a creep! He brings nothing to the show.
Well, over to ABC/ESPN to watch the race. Hope Doc, Crusty and Andy are on their game tonight.
I guess I'm the only Riki fan...well not the only one as he has quite a few friends on Myspace :)
ReplyDeleteJohn - SPEED actually aired NVL LIVE following the super rain delayed 2005 Pepsi 400 ... The race ended at almost 2am estern, but Speed did the right thing and did NOT disappoint the fans ...
ReplyDeleteIt was great to actually get to see all of those interviews live right after the race instead of having to wait 12-24hrs later to see them ... Especially since Tony Stewart was amped up with his self-depricating humor of being fat & having just climbed the fence to the flag stand ...
This was a race that was shown on TNT as opposed to Fox ...
It has seemed that JR, Spencer & Herman don't have the same level of energy for the taped shows as they do for the "live" shows ...
SPEED really does need to air NVL right after all of the races ... Two yrs ago, they had the problem of having NVL scheduled for the 7pm eastern slot & sometimes the races weren't over by that time ...
John - Point of clarification ... It's 'Riki Rachtman ...
ReplyDeleteI like Riki ... He's a really nice guy & a lot of the fans like him, because of his time on SoCal radio & MTv's "Headbangers Ball" ...
Some of us DID know about the NRD golf tourney ... They either mentioned something about it on last week's shows or it was on Jayski ...
Count me as another person who likes Riki Ratchman.
ReplyDeleteKevin in SoCal
John
ReplyDeleteA couple of things about SPEEDS SUNDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE. I wish VL would be shown live after all races when possible and then shown before Wind TUnnel.
Also, the Ken and Barbie SPEED REPORT should REALLY be shown LATER AT NIGHT imo so they don't spoil so many races for people who TIVO stuff. Like show VL, then WT then SPEED REPORT. I wish they could repeat all those shows instead of the PUTRID "primetime" T&A shows but I digress.
I DO enjoy the SPEED report for the racing world stuff I personally may not watch but like to keep enlightened about.
SPEED REPORT would be a better late night show IMO. VL should be the high energy, fresh news racing show.
Now I see interviews on SR I NEVER see on VL or on INC clips...just too many irons in the fire for SPEED?
Just my two cents.
Oh, and they REALLY need to make a good MONDAY NIGHT BLOCK of NASCAR before or after or around INC. That would be good for INC and for folks who may miss VL on Sunday nights while watching Football.
This may have been suggested already so sorry if I am repeating a good idea.
whats a shizbit?
ReplyDeleteI know what a shiznit is..but not the spelling with a B.
ReplyDeleteGoogle SHIZNIT...I think I saw a sign on TV on Raceday...methinks they misspelled what they were trying to say unless there is a story behind the "B" version.
:-)
What do you think this Ricky Rachtman thing does for this show? Anyone like this deal?
ReplyDeleteUseless. He's the only weak spot this show has. But he's a big weak spot.