It certainly is a strange Friday for SPEED, as they have a wide variety of NASCAR programming on that is going to be fascinating to watch.
Noon Eastern Time has the Busch Series practice, scheduled for one hour. We can assume that Steve Byrnes, Jeff Hammond, and Larry McReynolds will be upstairs in the booth, and usually Wendy Venturini and Bob Dillner are on pit road.
The network returns with NASCAR Live at 2:30PM before presenting the Survival of the Fastest episode from Atlanta at 3:30PM and the strange little Go or Go Home show at 4PM.
After a break, the network comes back for Busch Series qualifying at 6:30PM and leads directly into the one hour live version of Trackside at 7:30PM. This block of programming could be tricky to do, depending on what has transpired on the track during the day. But, it needs to get done on time for one reason.
The Craftsman Trucks take to the TMS high banks at 9PM. SPEED has told me that during the 8:30PM live edition of The Set-Up pre-race show, Kevin and DeLana Harvick are going to have a major announcement about their Truck Series plans for 2008. Krista Voda hosts the pre-race, with Rick Allen and Phil Parsons calling the action for the Trucks. Ray Dunlap returns to SPEED to cover pit road along with Adam Alexander. I have no word on whether Michael Waltrip is also on the TV crew.
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52 comments:
I like Speed's coverage. Much better than ESPN.
How can ESPN compete with Riki Rachtman in a Winnie the Pooh costume?
Blog of Tomorrow
I see your point about Go or Go Home being a little strange. It's not bad at all, it just doesn't seem like a separate show - it's more an extension of NASCAR Live with not much to make it seem different.
"and the strange little Go or Go Home show at 4PM."
JD, I don't get it. Why would you call it strange?
Because it has never materialized into any kind of stand-alone show. As the earlier poster said, it is just a NASCAR Live extension.
Don't get me wrong, it has good info and interviews, but sometimes it seems to be existing just to get another thirty minutes of NASCAR Live from the track.
JD
I thought the Go or Go Home show, as the title indicates, was going to be just about the cars and drivers that had to qualify on time to make the race. It isn't, but wouldn't it have been nice to give them a little tv time?
Speed just dumped Busch Series practice to provide live coverage of the Bruton Smith press conference. I'm sorry but I don't think live on-track NASCAR action should be pre-empted for a press conference of any kind. Thumbs down to Speed on this one.
And as I correctly predicted on the Texas ESPN2 thread, no coverage of this event anywhere on the ESPN Family of Networks. ESPNNEWS is still re-running the half hour highlight show that's been running since 2 AM, while ESPN is still re-running Sportscenter and ESPN2 is still airing First Take uninterrupted.
I'm going to ammend my previous statment and give Speed a pass on this one. They stayed just long enough to hear the announcement and stuck around for just one question from the media, so the coverage was as quick and concise as possible. I'm sure if there was no live on-track action going on they would have stuck around much longer to show more questions but I think they handled this as well as it could have been expected. I don't mind missing like 2 minutes of Busch practice to hear the announcement live. There was actually just cause for this BRIEF pre-emption, unlike other networks that skip 5 minute chunks of Cup practice to show a behind the scenes look at their own Pit Studio.
Who is this new guy named Elliott SaLDer that's driving the #9 Busch car this weekend? The poor guy can't even get any respect from the graphics department at the network he works for, LOL.
@stricklanfan82--I was wondering how they would handle it as well. When Dill Pickle came and stated that they were waiting for other media, it sounded like they were making a big deal, which I thought was weird considering there wasn't anything on the NA$CAR site (at least when I looked just a bit before it started). But yes it was nice that it was an in/out type dealio.
I missed that about the SALDER, I had to rewatch the recording to see it!
How weird that they had on the ticker that Smoke was a rookie there? He's raced Texas before
Does anyone else think it's wishful thinking to only allow a 60 minute window to broadcast Busch Series qualiyfing? I'm afraid we won't be able to see Trackside in its entirety since the Truck Race comes on at 8:30.
Good to see cars on the track without most of the screen covered by other things.
Awww, Rick Allen fell off the wagon and we have a "provisional pole"
Nope not Trackside in progress skip the last 16 cars. Not sure I like this choice esp since they air Trackside several more times
Um did SPEED just leave qualifying for TRACKSIDE? This is why we need SPEED2.
well there's your answer stricklanfan82--off to Trackside on SPEED and go to NA$CAR.com for rest of qualifying
What the hell???? Dumping out of live Busch qualifying to show Trackside???? What a horrible day of coverage all around on every network.
This is just a joke..a sick joke
Whay's with these guys with all "this is great for the fans in the NE, they will do all these improvements" Everyone knows they will lose at least one date in 2009.
Didn't I say this part of the day was going to be tricky?
7:30PM was the "hard window" for SPEED to have qualifying done.
The network does not carry the Busch Series and Trackside is a one hour "hard" show that must precede The Craftsman Trucks at 8:30PM.
Tried to tell ya!
And of course, what's on at midnight after the Truck Race?... Trackside again!
What would have been so hard about sticking with Busch Qualifying (which has no re-airs) and joining Trackside in-progress afterwards? Isn't that what they've done for years? I know I've seen Trackside joined-in-progress several times due to live racing, so I just watched one of the multiple re-airs to catch the part of the show I missed originally.
Pre-empting live NASCAR Racing in progress to show a NASCAR talk show! Brilliant!
I wonder if CBS is planning on pre-empting the end of Colts/Pats to join the Subway post-race show at 7:00? I'm sure football fans would rather see people talk about football instead of watching actual football, don't you? If the program director at Speed was running CBS I'm sure that's what would happen on Sunday based on the precedent he/she has set with tonight's debacle.
What a ridiculous day of NASCAR TV coverage. I'm sure JD will have a field day with all of this junk we've been forced to sit through all day.
So is ABC working with "hard windows" on the East Coast on Sunday evenings?
They only join it in progress when it's their own network FOX showing the qualifying.
Too funny. I tried to tip you off.
The key point is that the Busch Series is on ESPN and Trackside is already sold by SPEED for the hour.
The Busch coverage was a NASCAR TV contract deal, and had nothing to do with ESPN.
I think if SPEED had it to do over again, they might have changed their coverage a bit. Now that qualifying is over, we can see that the overlap was almost thirty minutes.
SPEED knows that NASCAR has a set start time for the Trucks, so everything backs up from there.
Fun huh?
Well we might have missed the end of qualifing but Trackside was great and funny tonight. A good lighthearted show and everyone really seemed to have fun doing it.
I enjoyed it.
Here are two easy solutions that could have prevented this:
1.) Air Trackside sometime between 2:30 and 4:30, in-between Cup practice and Cup qualifying
2.) Air Trackside AFTER the truck race to fit in all the LIVE on-track action
Someone's going to have to help me with this because I can't remember, but what did Speed to at Bristol and Richmond with Trackside when Cup qualifying was from 5:00-7:00, followed immediately by Busch Racing? Did they air it earlier in the day or did they tape it and air it after the Busch Race at like 11PM or midnight?
I can't remember which races but there was one if not two races where trackside was late 10p or later.
Poor David Reutimann. Every time he does something great the TV cameras aren't there to document his accomplishment. He wins at Memphis... "David Reutimann takes the checkered flag... time to switch to football 6 minutes early, goodbye everyone!" He wins the pole for the Busch race tonight but didn't run until after Speed's cameras had been shut off to switch the network to a NASCAR talk show.
I'm sure Aaron's, Toyota, and Michael Waltrip Racing must be thrilled with this. Everyone else that wins a race or pole and is all over TV, showcasing their sponsor logos to their world and thanking them with numerous sponsor mentions during their post-event interviews. When David Reutimann wins something, cameras aren't there to document his accomplishment so his sponsors go unnoticed and unthanked on TV.
He is getting more exposure now then he would of on any qualifying show.
I guess I'm in the minority. I was glad to see at least some of qualifying. ESPN would have shown us zero.
Decent update of qualifying results showed the pole winning car, David laughing with Stewart and good interview by Dillner. Now back to "howdy dudy McReynolds" gotta love it
Excuse me? He's getting more exposure now after the cameras are turned off and no longer covering qualifying than he would have gotten if qualifying had remained on the air? You want to explain that one to me?
Does qualifying or trackside have more viewers. Plus will they put it in on the reairs? If so he'll have tons of coverage but not sure that will happen. I have to watch again just to see.
Well, I was kind of irked SPEED pulled an ESPN and yanked QUALIFYING for TRACKSIDE...but it was nice they gave an update and showed David.
I guess considering how crowded today was and the warning JD gave us, something was bound to happen.
I am glad I was busy on the phone or doing other things when ESPN was on...not worth one's full attention.
I hope SPEED does not make a habit of doing this though...dropping QUALIFYING since we NEVER get it or REAL PRACTICE on ESPN as they are too busy yapping about themselves and being on camera, the boys in the booth.
More people saw his interview on Trackside after 8pm on eastcoast than would have on an earlier qualifying show!
I agree, I hope you don't think more people watch Busch Qualifying than Trackside??!!
Stricklinfan82......You need it explained that he gets more exposure being interviewed during "Trackside" rather than during a qualifying show? You must just be on drugs!
I never thought about the primetime hour that Reut got on tv...guess you have a good point there...and at least they did update us which would be a FOREIGN concept to some stations.
;-)
I admit that I was miffed when Busch qualifying was abruptly switched to Trackside. However, I did enjoy tonight's show, especially the Davis - Skinner segment.
SPEED redeemed itself somewhat with the pole winner interview and setting the lineup.
JD do you think they will keep the interview and update of qualifying for the reairs. Isn't there on sunday
John, was Busch Qualifying a last-minute addition to the SPEED schedule? That's the only reason I can think of for this debacle. SPEED is usually better than this.
stricklinfan82 said...
Excuse me? He's getting more exposure now after the cameras are turned off and no longer covering qualifying than he would have gotten if qualifying had remained on the air? You want to explain that one to me?
November 2, 2007 8:17 PM
UM....pretty simple....I would say much more than double the people watch Trackside vs Busch Qualifying.
@Stricklanfan--IIRC, Trackside has never been aired earlier than 5 pm eastern since it's been on. If there's a scheduling conflict (as your example of Qualifying until 7 eastern and then Busch scheduled to start on another network at 7) they've either taped Trackside earlier in the day *or* taped it at that time and then air it after the Busch race was scheduled to end. There was one (at least) that I seem to remember where they taped it while the race was going on. But also for early taping of Trackside, you have to also work around driver activity at the track. IF they're all practicing who are your guests going to be?
Sophia--it's a very *rare* thing, they usually schedule enough time, but as stated by JD it was a VERY tight day.
@newracefan--not JD but the reair will have the same coverage. Things have been thrown in to the mix mid-show before and it stayed the same.
Most of these issues were decided well in advance...like months.
SPEED was obligated for the Truck race, the Truck pre-race, and Trackside. All those start times were hard.
NASCAR put together the qualifying coverage in the TV contract.
I didn't think SPEED would fit all that qualifying into that short time slot. Makes you wonder what NASCAR told them...
These truck races are so much fun...Mikey and I think Ric both went "OH" at the same time when Kyle Busch got a little loose.
;-)
We do NOT get genuine excitement like this in the ESPN booth.
Wild and Crazy truck race!!!!
Wild ending and poor Chad, hard hit...so close..:(
But Skinner ended up 3rd! LOL.
A red flag and they didn't even make it a lap around for the ending.
SPEED left a little bit on the table there with Rick Allen getting overwhelmed by Michael Waltrip at crucial moments.
SPEED needs to establish Waltrip's role and keep him in it, simply for the sake of order on-the-air.
No doubt Waltrip lends enthusiasm to a very laid-back Phil Parsons, but there have to be some boundaries or there will continue to be lots of fractured commentary as we saw this evening.
JD
Overall, I really do enjoy the SPEED presentation of the NCTS, although I agree with JD that Mr Waltrip needs to turn down the volume a bit. As the season has progressed, I have grown to appreciate Rick Allen.
I am reluctant to join in on the "piling on" frenzy regarding ESPN miscues, but the ESPN producers could learn something by watching a truck race. What SPEED does NOT leave on the table is fully informing viewers of the finishing order before the end of the program.
I missed some of the action doing a late night laundry load, and was out of the room of the digital tv.
When they went off the air, they clearly said that NASCAR would be reviewing the video tape to find the finishing order. It was a very wild last few laps and then got crazy after the red flag.
I hope it's not a sign of things to come for the rest of the weekend. This has been some of the craziest finial laps in racing I have ever seen. In all the series!
I must have missed Waltrips steamrolling over the show. I was doing some work on the computer and just keeping an eye on the screen...so NICE to see so much of the racing on SPEED as opposed to a bunch of GRAPHICS, taped footage and yapping heads in the booth interviewing folks during green flag racing.
I didn't see anything specific about Waltrip mentioned on another board so will be curious to see what I missed.
We were at the track last night for the truck race. Sometimes it's better watching on tv because you can keep track of the drivers, etc they only show the scoring pylon but no one knows who is a lap down, etc. Lots of action too especially the last crash but it was confusing for us they turned the pylon off so no one was really sure who won the race.
Busch Series Fan!
That's why I use a scanner at the live races. Without one, I'd be lost too.
IF ESPN would use SPEED's coverage of the truck races as a template for their coverage of Busch and Cup, they'd have a lot mroe happy fans and, most likely, more viewers overall.
Steve yes the scanners keep track of places hubby was using ours and keeping me up somewhat but before the race was even over they turned the scoring pylon off and even the drivers/crew chiefs & spotters were confused about that so you can imagine us folks in the stands went away shaking our heads!
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