Since we have received so many great comments during the year about a wide variety of NASCAR TV topics, we have decided to add a new feature.
The Daly Planet will post a column talking about one NASCAR TV personality, and then allow you to ask them the one question that has been on your mind all season long. The key word in that sentence is...one.
Any post with multiple questions will be deleted, so make your one question count. Our guest will read the column, send me the answers they feel comfortable providing, and we will review what they say together. Considering the level of NASCAR TV knowledge shown in the thousands of comments on this blog, it should be interesting.
Our inaugural guest is Steve Byrnes from Fox Sports and SPEED. Currently living in the Carolinas, Steve is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Radio, TV, and Film. He hails from LaGrange, Illinois and his full bio from SPEEDtv.com can be seen by clicking here.
NASCAR fans like Steve because of his on-air style. He makes the transition between hosting a studio or talk show and working in the announce booth for on-track action very smoothly.
Using that versatility, Steve hosts the popular Trackside show on SPEED that has grown into a featured primetime live program for the network. On racing weekends, he also hosts NASCAR Live, and during the final ten race stretch he hosts The Chase is On from the SPEED studios in Charlotte.
The Daly Planet received many comments and emails about Steve's hosting of the practice and qualifying sessions for both the NASCAR Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series. He and his SPEED crew often stepped-in right between the other networks telecasting the actual races. In fact, when Byrnes ended practice for one series, another network might immediately go on-the-air with Happy Hour or a live race. NASCAR fans appreciated the good humor and solid knowledge that he brought to these telecasts.
Working for Fox Sports, Steve is a pit reporter for the NASCAR on Fox telecasts, and has also managed to quietly slip-in some work doing play-by-play for selected NFL Football games. That assignment is a big statement about his sports TV abilities.
Veteran NASCAR fans remember Steve from a long list of shows, including the Totally NASCAR series that aired on both SPEED and FoxSportsNet.
In summary, Steve has been a fixture on the NASCAR scene for some time now, and his ability to relate to the audience, show guests and his fellow on-air announcers has been well documented. We certainly appreciate his help with this "experiment."
This post will remain up through Thursday, to allow folks to think of the one good question that they have always wanted to ask. Steve will be reviewing the questions on Friday, and I will publish a column with his answers over the weekend.
UPDATE: Thanks for your great questions, Steve's answers will be up soon.
If this first effort goes well, we have Krista Voda, Wendy Venturini, Randy Pemberton, Matt Yocum and several other folks who would also like to participate. Thanks again for stopping by.