Sunday's NASCAR TV activities should be very interesting. With the on-going public dispute between Roush Fenway Racing and some of the other NASCAR teams now front-and-center, it should be interesting to see how the NASCAR TV partners handle the topic.
Friday was a struggle for both SPEED and ESPN where the 99 team penalties were concerned. As the programs flew-by on SPEED, there were all kinds of opinions being offered, and all kinds of reactions coming back at the on-air announcers from the fans. As the panel found out on Trackside, fans were not buying the excuses.
By the time NASCAR Now hit the air on ESPN2, the network had decided to jump into the fray with a lopsided report that detailed only one side of the issue. It was an interesting program, to say the least.
Saturday's weather pushed the Carl Edwards team story to the back burner for a while, but when live TV coverage resumed there was a new emphasis on reality as opposed to opinion. Finally, Jeff Hammond did a factual demonstration showing exactly the piece in question and answered a lot of questions in the manner SPEED should have done originally.
For the rest of the live day on SPEED, there was a lot of back-peddling from a lot of on-air personalities now willing to admit there might have been a real problem with Mr. Edwards car. The fact that a rash of exactly the same type of violations had been found recently by NASCAR might have helped.
What also might have helped was several high-profile NASCAR personalities, including drivers, openly mocking the very words reported as factual by several NASCAR TV outlets. Print and Internet media spreading the "opposing viewpoint" to Roush may have caused some TV types to change their tune very quickly.
Give Allen Bestwick and the ESPN Nationwide Series TV crew credit, they focused on the race at-hand and gave this series the priority. Bestwick promised TV viewers that the 99 penalty story would be fully detailed on both the Sunday morning and the Monday evening editions of NASCAR Now.
With ESPN on the air first at 10AM Sunday morning, it should be even more important for SPEED to get their facts right and their stories straight for RaceDay. This week, before RaceDay hits the air, there will be a new show on SPEED.
NASCAR in a Hurry will basically review through video the events and stories of the previous 48 hours. Since this is the first episode, it will probably just serve to review and not expand on the topics in question. This new show begins at 11AM.
Then, the big SPEED franchise show RaceDay begins at 11:30AM. This TV series has never been one to avoid issues, so it should be interesting to see what Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace have to say about the oil cooler lids.
Following RaceDay, the Sprint Cup race coverage begins with the NASCAR on Fox gang at 1:30PM. This crew must be tired of dealing with the oil cooler lid issue, but for casual viewers who only watch the races they must explain it one last time.
By now, the information has been flushed-out in detail and this experienced crew should be able to put it to rest and get the attention back to the action on the track. Hopefully, good weather will result in good racing and the sport can get fans focused once again on the on-track activity.
Do not forget that you were supposed to lose one hour of sleep last night, so things are going to be a little off-kilter early in the day. There will be posts up for comments immediately after both NASCAR Now and RaceDay.
There will also be a post up for in-progress comments on the Sprint Cup race on Fox. If you have an opinion on the coverage you have seen so far, please feel free to leave it on this post. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
11 comments:
Green flag is scheduled for approx 2 pm according to Jayski (that's for those folks who suffered through the 1 hour and 20 minute FOX prerace last week that wasn't listed as prerace).
In addition to the Edwards story, I'd also like to see some followup on RaceDay,NASCAR Now, and FOX on Gordon's comments about the safety barrier and what changes have been put in motion because of that. Atlanta is a Bruton track, so we viewers should see - on TV - what that area of the inside wall looks like there and get an explanation of it.
New Poole story at thatsracin.com has Gordon saying he's "going to come down hard" on tracks that don't react to the safety issues that might need fixing after that wreck. Other than Dale Jr, I think the last driver NASCAR wants being critical in the media on a regular basis is the mild mannered Jeff Gordon. Or maybe it's even worse than Jr since Gordon isn't normally too critical. Either way, look out! Might make for some interesting TV clips this season.
Hopefully Blogger doesn't get all blogged up today :)
Good to see Nicole take time from her Sunday School job to make a quick apperance on Nascar Now this morning.
Amazing, Roush is outraged at criticism even though he says he's been too busy to hear any of it.
I may be bias but I think the Toyota rep came off better than Jack. All his past comments about Toyota and other teams have made him and his teams fair game. I don't remember it being this ugly last year when Chad/Steve got in trouble and Mikey definately handled it better.
OBTW Rusty needs to get over "they wouldn't do it cause it would hurt the driver", he's the only one on that soapbox and it's not working for me.
I was kind of surprised when I watched Nascar Preformance this AM and Chad's explination from the cut away car showed four bolts holding the theing on, but Hammond said it was one bolt and the Lid was held up under something else at the back. I know there are lots of differences in how cars are put together, but it seems odd that SPEED wouldn't attemtp to be more consistant. Chad and Booty both came right out and said yes it was an advantage, and no they didn't believe Rouch.
I don't think ANYONE thought the 99didn't cheat, the question was how much of an advantage was it? The NASCAR TV gang for years has goes along with the white lie knowing full well that the fan doesn't buy whatever it is, and we go on. This time that guy from Toyota with a personal grudge against Jack Rouch seems intent on making everyone do back flips no pun intended. I am not a fan of the tv partners trying to become FOX news at 6, Saying things on air with your finger at the side of your nose has worked for years in this sport, and I don't think we should force a bunch of journalistic and ethical restraints on ex-crew chiefs and ex-drivers and the guys in the booth. I for one have never expected it from them and I think too much dirt digging will hamstring the sport somemore.
Bout 10 mins in, this Nascar in a Hurry seems to be pretty well done.
BillWebz
I have to disagree. I thought the show was going to be live, not taped.
Anon 11:13 - I dont think speed could do it in a 1/2 hour if it was live - the panelists get easily distracted and go off on tangets.
BillWebz
There is a new post up about the Sunday morning NASCAR Now on ESPN2.
I also found it interesting that there were differing stories about the bolt and cover. First we hear one bolt but then see on t.v. that there are actualy four. (?)
One thing I didn't care for is D.W.'s attempt at spin control on Trackside Live. (or whichever show it was-there were so many this weekend I can't keep track!) Especially after White came out and said what he did.
So sometimes teams get caught and other times they don't. What this fan could do without is the constant 'beating of the dead horse'. Get all of the correct facts first, talk about the issues, present all sides and put it to rest. Go on to the next item of interest, okay?
One last comment about the coverage this weekend....I was really glad to see some coverage on some of the younger, new drivers. What'd be really cool is if SPEED had a show where they focused on, say, two or three of these young guys, and provided information on their background. Where they're from, how they got started in racing, what their family is like, etc., etc. One driver I really want to know more about is Josh Wise who is a developmental driver for MWR. Last year there was an article about him and how he still goes from small track to small track trying to make enough money for the next weekend's race. He's doing it the old-fashioned way and I like this! I want to know that there are drivers who are earning their rides through hard earned experience and not because they were born with rich parents and a silver spoon in their mouth.
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