A lot of good ingredients are in place for SPEED and the new This Week In NASCAR program. After several weeks, viewers finally got the pairing of Michael Waltrip and Chad Knaus on the "expert panel" along with host Steve Byrnes.
This new program is driven by edited features, and consists primarily of the panelists reacting to the video that has just been shown. The format is different from the open discussions of the original Inside Winston Cup Racing, and also different from the script-driven controlled environment of the recent Inside NEXTEL Cup. The bottom line is, most of this hour is new.
Steve Byrnes is an enthusiastic and fast-paced host, who has a pro-active animated style that Waltrip is still getting accustomed to dealing with. As the show went along, Waltrip began to step-in quickly and his answers began to provide the type of interesting content that made him a fan favorite on TV.
Waltrip is once again happily driving in the Sprint Cup races this season, and his upbeat mood is a welcome change. The "moody Michael" was gone, and his personality that provided so many memorable moments on INC was again on display.
Knaus was still getting his bearings on this program. His NASCAR technical knowledge is outstanding, and it was nice to see his sense of humor on display. Hopefully, Knaus will become a regular member of this panel and provide the crew chief perspective that the program had been lacking.
With only two panel members, the show is much less effective than having a "three man crew" to grab a topic and offer comments. The dynamic of three just works better to promote fun and allow for the style of informal conversation viewers enjoy.
The Goodyear tire issue was a hot topic, and Michael Waltrip made his views clear. Following the Tony Stewart soundbite that most fans have heard, Waltrip made it clear that Goodyear was dealing with a new problem and that their long-term commitment to the sport is what should be remembered. His statement that Goodyear tires would remain on his Toyota truck was an interesting answer to Stewart.
Knaus seemed to often be trying to deal with the animated Byrnes and the unpredictable Waltrip through his most effective weapon. That would be silence. Byrnes did a good job of eventually pointing questions directly at Knaus and then letting Waltrip chime-in as "the closer."
The NASCAR Media Group that produces this program for SPEED has integrated a lot of video elements into the series that are not seen elsewhere. The profile of the Harvicks and their involvement in the Truck Series was a nice touch. This is not the kind of content that was seen in the old INC shows, and and the debate about this new wrinkle will rage-on for a while.
The lure of this TV series used to be that conversations not heard anywhere else could be heard on SPEED Monday night. The idea that those who participated would be along to relax and kid and offer behind-the-scenes information was a good one. Now, the dynamic has changed. The panel is driven by the video segments and not afforded the opportunity to take some time to chat on a a topic informally.
Since all three of the personalities on this Monday show are NASCAR veterans, they easily negotiated their way through the issues. Unfortunately, the lack of a third voice hindered the conversation when a political or team agenda was clearly on display. This tension was usually relieved in the past by one person. That person was Kenny Schrader.
Whether it was crew chief suspensions, a struggling Jimmie Johnson or the biting comments of Toyota's Lee White, Schrader would have been the one to put things in perspective and relieve the tension on the set. Even when one of the panelists was involved in a questionable accident, it was Schrader who kept things on an even keel with his keen sense of humor and extensive racing knowledge.
That element is missing in this show. Nothing is wrong, it is just missing. There is no "veteran voice" to give a broader perspective and provide a "bigger picture" view. Waltrip and Knaus were fine in dealing with racing topics. Byrnes was solid in his hosting skills. But, this TV cake needed one more key ingredient.
Next week, after Bristol, would certainly be a good time to have a full stage of three panelists and the host. In my mind, one of those panelists needs to be Kenny Schrader.
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65 comments:
TWIN still starts with next week's race. This approach makes no sense at all. By all means, tease next week's race, but finish your discussion of Sunday's race first!
And yes, J. D., I, too, miss Kenny Schrader. Is budget the reason why he's not on the program? If it's not, and the reason is his schedule, they can have Schrader go into the nearest Fox affiliate and Chyron the background.
A repeat is scheduled for Tuesday morning, 9 AM EDT.
I enjoyed the show tonight but will agree with one of the comments in other articles about the show, that being that the show is run backwards. The first part should be about yesterdays race and any discussions that came from it which, in my opinion, would get the panel involved from the get go. The second part should discuss the Truck and Nationwide races and any special stories, like the Harvicks. The third part should concentrate on the stories pertaining to next weeks race.
I agree that I absolutely miss Kenny. That said the show is getting better. I had some laughs during this show. I wish they would take down the stats graphic sooner and show the person talking or better yet a little wider shot so we can see all 3 in the same shot. Chad laughing at Mikey is funnier when we can see them both and I would have paid money to see them when they started singing. I couldn't tell if Chad joined in but Steve definately did. I am not ready to write this show off yet but please do the past week first. There can be a perfect segway with what issues were seen this past weekend will occur/ not occur next weekend and maybe even a way to prevent the not so good ones from happening.
The first 20 minutes useless imo. Premature Bristol talk, buzzkill.
Last year's Bristol talk? Snoozefest.
Had to wait until 22 minutes or so into the show for Mikey and chad conversation (though they did let waltrip say a few words out of the shoot and I got all hopeful).. Then it was done by 45 after the hour. but the part on Harvicks/trucks was good.
with commercials, little talking time there were what. 9 minutes of the show that was FUN.
When they showed SPEED RaceDay highlights, somebody was asleep at the switch and there were duplicate logos super imposed on each other that cluttered up the rt hand corner of the screen with layers of NASCARonSPEED Logos!
I said it before and again, this show is poorly produced!! Bass ackwards. Talk of the next race at the end (last 5 minutes) and go back to real talking the first 35 minutes (rest is commercials)
The show potential is brief, but only in the center.Not worth sitting thru an hour. a real tape or dvr show IF one bothers. And of course, Shrader is SORELY MISSED but so is more talking LIVE in studio.
I am tired of SB saying it's a HYBRID of INC. not even close. wonder if he is forced to say that by the producers?
P.s. NewRaceFan is CORRECT. To show the talking we need MORE WIDE ANGLES. Not split screen, wide shots. Like we need in the races!;-)
The only part of the show where it did get to where we thought we'd see a open intelligent discussion, MW cut off Chad with his stupidity by singing. Chad was saying NASCAR should have worked with the car they had and not pushed the COT on teams so quickly.
It's that 'get over it' attitude that has made me dislike MW to the point of turning off my television when he speaks anymore.
It's a shame he can't stop the childlike actions and hold an intelligent conversation but when he hears things he doesn't want to hear, he acts like a fool.
Steve Byrnes is an excellent host. Chad Knauss, especially in time, could be an excellent contributor under the old format. Michael Waltrip? Well, you either love him or hate him...and I lean towards the former.
All of that being said, Byrnes should stop saying that little blurb at the beginning about how TWIN takes from the old show to form this new one. The only thing that resembles the old show is Waltrip's presence on the set.
They have killed the whole point of the old show by forcing the panelists into being just like every other NASCAR show...cram everything into one, quick sound-bite. Worse yet, that is done in the name of putting in all of these pre-produced pieces that are mostly nothing but pap. And, I can't wait until the weather forecast for Sunday made on the preceding Monday blows up in their face.
I am now sorry that I was such a strong advocate last year here and on other NASCAR forums to keep the show alive. I don't really learn anything from TWIN and I don't want to have to sit through a whole hour of this misery to get to the one time something amusing happens. Having seen the "new and improved" version of the show, in retrospect, I wish now that Speed had just let it die.
It may be silly to be sentimental over a TV show. But, I will fondly remember those great early years almost as much as other groundbreaking programs that I have seen in my 42 years on this Earth. TWIN isn't even close to what the old show was and, even under the on-screen leadership of Byrnes, is a bore.
I've spent a lot of great Mondays on Speed, but no more unless I read about big changes on Mr. Daly's fine blog. TWIN is out of my DVR's "record all new episodes" list, and I'll go back to watching the local news again in its place.
Rest in peace Inside Winston Cup and Inside Nextel Cup...it was a great ride. As for TWIN...I treid, I really tried. But, I just can't take it anymore...you just lost a viewer.
I agree with the other posters. Starting with the next week race is silly. It is such a distraction for me, that I probably wont watch the show again. It has so much potential, liked the segment on KHI trucks. Was wondering what was on the roof of Hendrick cars myself that I had not noticed on other cars.
The advert segments were distracting, but I understand they have bills to pay. But during the Kyle Bush crossing the finish line, the sponsor name covered up the finish line. Think someone would have checked that before air.
Speed, PLEASE drop the fluff, thats what ESPN is for. Your market is the real race fans. We want to hear Chad and Mikey talk. Not for just a segment.
When new episodes of Top Gear air at the same time slot, Ill go with Top Gear. Tivo TWINS and watch the 10 minutes of the show that are worth it.
We agree with sophiaz123. The old show was so much fun. Now it's too many film clips. We don't want sound bites of drivers who aren't there. We want chatter and conversation among the guys in the studio. Guess I'll starting taping it and watching whatever little bit looks good. It's no longer worth cutting our day short to watch it live. (5 PM in the west.)
JD, is it possible for you to ask anyone in production the reason why, when they cut to a taped segment on a "talk" show, whether it's ESPN or Speed, they have to always use very loud music, to the point that you cannot hear what the person is saying about the taped piece? On TWIN, Chad Knauss was talking about something, they cut to some taped stuff, and there goes the music, and you couldn't hear what Chad was saying. Then, once they're finished with the tape, off goes the music and you could hear Chad just fine. TWIN didn't do it all the time, but at times, they have that darned music so loud, it drowns out what anyone is saying. ESPN is the worst for this, on every show from First Take to Sports Center. Heck, it's the same for shows like Today. You've got Matt Lauer talking, and they have that music so loud, you can't hear what he's saying. What's the thought process behind this?
Chad is going to have to get over the old car, and we are going to have to get over the old show. I agree that the cast is one player short. Kenny Schrader was good at keeping Michael under control, and would help the chemistry. I don't think Chad is going to be able to play that role. They don't have the same history.
Putting last week first and next week last would make sense. The problem in the last couple of years if INC was that they left so little time at the end Busch and Truck races. There isn't enough time in an hour to do the old show and the new show. I liked the features of the old show more than the format of the new show enough that today's NASCAR Now was much more to my taste than TWIN. The added collegiality of Schrader, or even Biffle or Vickers would help.
As for TWIN itself, it's just not good. I was a fan of the old show, and enjoyed the repartee between Kenny S, Mikey and Biffle. I don't think this show works with just Steve, Mikey and a guest. Perhaps this show would work if it were only a 1/2 hour. They show too many film clips, and show repeats of fluff pieces they used on RaceDay or other Speed shows.
One thing about Mikey and the tire issue. Sure, you don't have to worry about the tires when you're basically out for a Sunday drive, like Mikey and his 55 car have been. But if Mikey were driving hard, trying to win the race, going up against other drivers who are also trying to win, I bet he'd have a different view of the tire issue. When you're someone like Kyle, or Jr or Tony, guys who were standing on it, driving the car hard, that's when you're upset with the tires. But Mikey was just driving along in the bottom 10, so he had no worries.
This show has nothing in common with IWC. It has become just another rehash of old news with a few minutes of pre produced 'interest' stories. We can count on Michael to defend Nascar, Goodyear, nd any other big money sponsor of Nascar, and to step on anyone else who may have comments that aren't 'Nascar approved. There is no joy or fun in this show, which was what used to make IWC unique. I don't think even Kenny Schrader could save this dud.
I'm sorry, I generally try to keep the emotion to a minimum, but the past attempts to sell this show as something more than it is has finally reached a tipping point for me. I believe this is the fourth show? No continuity, more commercials than I ever believed could be packed into a show, and for what? So I can sit and listen to Waltrip rudely "sing" down someone else's opinion? Hey Waltrip, how many championships have you won?
The key to the show must be Ken. It definitely isn't Waltrip who is an obnoxious man-child. It isn't Steve Byrnes who is little more than a NASCAR/SPEED schill, and it isn't Chad Knaus who is completely uncomfortable sitting between a NASCAR spokesman on one side and a spoiled brat on the other.
By the way, where was Dave Despain?
This show certainly missed Kenny and to a lesser extent, Greg Biffle. Chad is letting his hair down especially when Mikey says something really crazy. And I don't like them spending all that time talking about next week's race. We need the old format back, I believe. \
I'd love to hear from SPEED regarding why they preview next week's race first. I don't think anyone on this blog has said that's a great idea, but evidently somebody thinks it is.
I know alot of people don't like him, but I liked Despain as the host simply because he wasn't somebody I had already seen alot of over the weekend. Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about catching the show or DVR'ing it. If I see it, fine, if not, nothing lost.
Knaus is cleraly a little uncomfortable with MW's style--he seems stiff and somewhat concerned about saying what he thinks. TAke a look at his recation to Mikey's question about whether suspended crew chiefs go to the track--it was almost as if Knaus was afraid to admit something.
This show is NOT the INC of old; it is something different, and while it is useful, I miss INC, which was a lot more loose and freewheeling.
In other words, it was more fun.
I do miss Kenny Schrader, thank goodness for Mikey, Chad is soooooooooo serious at times, it was amusing, it was like Chad thinks he is the star quarterback and he was forced to sit next to a backup player,and listen to Mikey talk and realizing that the guy maybe does know a few things and its tough for the GOGH, Mikey was not intimidated at all by Chad, by piping into that song, the COT is here to stay Chad, gotta go forward with it. I have heard crew chiefs on the scanners making fun of the slower cars, during a race, Nascar needs these new teams to make it for the health of the organization. Bring back Kenny, or the Biff to go along with Mikey and Chad and you have a winning team. I will continue to watch.
We can count on Michael to defend Nascar, Goodyear, and any other big money sponsor of Nascar,
Yeah! What we need is a show where all they do is bash NASCAR, which we all dislike so much! After all, no one could possibly support anything NASCAR does, right?
In fact, Tony Stewart could even host it.
Hey Waltrip, how many championships have you won?
As many as Schrader has.
Or you, for that matter, but you sure don't mind spouting your opinions for all to read.
How many Cup teams do you own, by the way?
I think that fans are showing a "rose-colored glasses" effect about the old Inside Winston Cup. I remember plenty of message board threads just SCREAMING about the need to stop the comedy act and bring in the information. ;-)
This week's show was better than last. Mikey is needed, but he is definitely better when someone, preferably Schrader, is there to yank the chain on the choke collar when he's out of line.
I agree with everyone else. The show is upside down. They need to lead with the #1 issue from this week's race and then move into how that will affect Nascar going forward.
I enjoy the taped segments to a limited extent. I can see one taped interview or presentation, like that with the Harvicks, filling a slot like Wendy's Real Deal on Race Day. But the focus should be the INSIDER'S take on thing.
The show should have gone like this:
Fast highlight presentation from the weekend's races. Congrats to the winners.
Fast run-through of driver's quotes about the tires. Tire-related discussion. How did they affect the race Sunday? How will they affect upcoming races? News from tire test (preferably including something from a testing driver and a Goodyear representative). Yes, this may have to be inserted retroactively later in the day.
Other race issues -- Toyota's first win, Kyle Busch's hot streak, anything the panelists might have INSIDE INFO on.
Behind the scenes taped segment -- Harvick interview. Studio discussion about KHI.
On to Bristol with a fast highlight feature reminding people what went on in both spring and fall races last year. Studio discussion of upcoming race progressing through carryover issues -- Tires, change in racing style, etc. -- and new, upcoming issues -- DJ's last points race, weather? effect of weathering on pavement? -- again focused on INSIDE INFO.
Mailbag.
Those 30 seconds of personal "what's up?" and good-bye.
To Anon, 8:06AM,
Thanks for agreeing with me. No I haven't won any championships, therefore I have about as much of a right to interrupt a championship crew chief as Michael Waltrip does. Which, if you are not getting the message, is code for I don't have a right to. Especially when it comes to the design of a race car.
The point is, if the technical nuances of race car construction are going to be a topic for discussion, Waltrip needs to step back and let the expert talk. That expert is Chad, not Mikey.
Thanks again for agreeing with me.
Thanks again for agreeing with me.
Cute.
Again, how many Cup teams do you own? How about Chad, how many does HE own?
How many Daytona 500 wins do you have? Did Chad ever drive to a win in a Daytona 500?
They should have stuck with the format of Inside Nextel Cup, this new format is not good.
I used to like to watch the entire show, I bet I only watch about 10 minutes of each TWIN show (when panelists are talking).
I think that fans are showing a "rose-colored glasses" effect about the old Inside Winston Cup. I remember plenty of message board threads just SCREAMING about the need to stop the comedy act and bring in the information. ;-)
I, for one, liked that about the "old" IWC. I have been watching Cup racing for 25 years and when that show came on, it was like a breath of fresh air. The strange thing is that when IWC first ran, there really were not nearly the number of news and highlight shows there are today. Yet, as goofy as the show was, it usually fed our need for "inside" info in an entertaining manner. Today, by the time TWIN rolls around, we have had at least 4 opportunities for highlights. I don't need another rehash of the race, I want something different-but I don't need half the show devoted to next weeks race and last years version of it. Now is the time for the irreverent hijinks we knew and loved. This show just isn't working. SB is a solid TV presence, but the chemistry just isn't there. And chemistry was what made the original IWC what it was.
This show is off the DVR.
Tom
Inverness, FL
To: Anon 8:42
Sigh, this is getting old.
First of all, get a screen name. Quit hiding behind anonymous.
Second of all, we are talking about Knaus and Waltrip, not me. On a TV show about racing where the issue of the moment is race car design, Waltrip should have backed away and let Chad make his point without interruption. It was rude and childish to start singing in order to interrupt Chad at that moment. If the discussion is about car ownnership, then Waltrip should lead the discussion.
This has been an issue with this show forever. It's selfish of Waltrip to rob the viewers of the show of valuable information from an expert just because he doesn't agree with what he is saying.
This has been an issue with this show forever.
Yet you keep watching.
This weeks episode was better but we need Schrader on the show.
I might point out that half of the IWC/INC expert panel was on ESPN yesterday. Add Schrader to Evernham, JB and Massaro with Bestwick as host and you'd see the ratings go up for the Monday show.
I wrote SPEED last year and said as long as "Mikey" Waltrip was on the show I would not be watching. Well I gave it a try last night, and I still feel the same. He is still too damn full of himself. He shows up everywhere - truck race broadcasts, pre-race interviews, NASCAR shows. But the one place he can't seem to get to is contending for race wins and victory circle.
I wrote SPEED last year and said as long as "Mikey" Waltrip was on the show I would not be watching.
I wrote SPEED last year and said that, if they cut Mikey, I would stop watching.
After 20 minutes of Bristol preview to start the show, a long range forecast for this weekend's race and highlights from the weekend's Speed programing (?!?!) I've decided I'm done with this show.
I don't think anyone is complaining about a next race preview segment, but it seems that most everyone feels that it should be shorter and AT THE END.
I could even live with the pre-produced segments on KHI or Jeff Gordon. They kinda fill the role of the Hot Seat segment.
However, the reason I watched the "Inside" franchise for years is the first person commentary about the previous race and the entertaining way that commentary was presented. This new show, regardless of what SB says in the opener, does not provide either the commentary or the entertainment that made the old show unique. In so many ways, it feels just like every other Nascar show on Speed. As a result, TWIN has come off my DVR.
It's a darn shame it's come to this. INC/IWC was the only Nascar program, outside of the race itself, that I made the time to watch each week.
Maybe it's the cynic in me, but I'm starting to wonder if the overly long next race preview that TWIN starts with isn't just a cheap attempt to increase the ratings for Fox. Since Fox and Speed are corporate siblings, are they just slipping an infomercial into an existing Speed program and getting 20 minutes of "free" advertising to a captive audience?
I agree with the chorus of complaints that a 20 minute preview of Bristol at the beginning of the show is excessive. I'm not even sure what Speed's goal is with that segment - the majority of fans who are watching TWIN are going to watch the next week's race already and there's no need to promote it so heavily at the top of the show.
Maybe I missed it in the first few minutes of the show when they briefly touched on how Atlanta went for Michael and Chad but I didn't hear anyone bring up that history was made when Kyle Busch got Toyota their first Cup win. It seems to me on a show called "This Week in Nascar" that should have been one of the first things that was mentioned since it was one of the biggest pieces of news from the weekend at Atlanta.
As a fan of Michael's I'm always happy when he's on the show, and I also like Chad, but I wish there ha been a third person, whether it was Ken S. or another driver on the panel for another perspective and better flow of conversation.
As always with Michael, I think he has the right to his opinions, even if he happens to support Goodyear, agree with Nascar, etc... It's troubling that it sometimes seems as if some fans aren't open to hearing opinions other than the ones that they agree with.
I DVRed the show and it was still impossible to watch, there's no way I could have made it through live. By the time some intelligent discussion finally wandered into the program, it was too late.
There's not a whole lot of positives here to build on. Too bad, I'm done.
BTW, this show goes head-to-head with Tony Stewart Live on Sirius. Last night, Mike Helton and Jeff Hammond were the guests. It was interesting, fun and entertaining. Gil Martin's 12 year old son, Ford, is hilarious as a reporter from the track. TSL captures much more of the fun and informal discussions of the old INC than TWIN. Even though it's a radio show, it's more fun to watch than Monday night on SPEED.
Yeah, I have to agree with the majority of the posters on here. I hate the show starting with next weekend's race, Waltrip is such a pain with his constant idiocy and shilling for NASCAR that I just can't watch an entire hour with him involved any more, especially when Kenny isn't there to balance that nonsense out. I, too, am tired of Mikey being able to just la la la his way through stuff especially if it doesn't agree with his own highly valued opinion. I will probably start recording this show just in case they have something to offer, but watching it live, well, naw, I don't think so.
Amy in FL said...
I too think that starting off with next week's race is not the smartest thing to do. But I thought that Mikey and Chad did seem to develop some chemistry and they enjoyed learning from each other. Chad got a taste of what it was like to be a GOGHer and Mikey got a taste of what it was like to be a championship crew chief.
I did love the mistake that Mikey made about who made some material that is on all the cars. Mikey thought that it was made by DuPont and when in reality it was made by Dow Chemical. DuPont is a HMS sponsor and Dow Chemical is one of Mikey's organizations' sponsor. That injected some humor into the show.
I really hope that Speed is reading this blog and listening to the fans about what we like and want. It does seem that little by little they are trying to give more time to the panelists to talk and discuss things.
I like what one of the other commentors here suggested about the show's format. Start off with the racing action that just ended and then transition into the next weekend's racing action and how what transpired last week will affect the next race. But please keep the INSIDE information aspect of the show.
By the way, I would get a screenname and tried but I don't want a blog and that is what I assumed that it meant when I tried to sign up. If it is different, please someone let me know and I will get a screenname.
Have a great and Blessed day.
Amy
Winter Haven, FL
I agree with JD, Ken Schrader is the missing element. That said, the Harvick clip has been used before - I've seen it a couple of times, at least. Old stuff once more.
When I first got interested in Nascar, INC show taught me a lot about last week's race that I didn't know before. Personalities behind the numbers, fun stuff that made the racing very human, race moves I hadn't understood. TWIN is just plain boring. As someone else said, how many commercials can you squeeze in? A phenomenal number, evidently.
Sadly, this is the end for one fan.
Amy in FL adds...
By the way, as a disclaimer, I am a HUGE Mikey fan and supports him fully. I just wanted to add that. Mikey can and does learn but I think the comment about what Chad was saying about the COT was that he needs to figure this car out and that it is here to stay. Chad can start lobbying Nascar for what he wants to change just like Mikey and that GOGH drivers did about the qualifying procedure. I think that is what Mikey was trying to get across.
JMHO.
Have a great and Blessed day.
Amy
Winter Haven, FL
I Tivo'd through much of the show until I got towards the end with the Atlanta discussion. I will leave Tivo'd and read comments here to decide if I watch or not. Simply: 1) Need 3rd player with Mike and Chad, 2) wide shots to include everyone 3) Leave next race to end 4) More discussion, less canned clips 5) Can the music over talking 6)More "inside" stuff.
Diane
Miss Kenny? He was what made old show watchable. Now all we have is another NASCAR fluff piece.
Well i am angry to read the Harvick clip was SEEN BEFORE BY OTHERS!! Sigh.
I think it was Dan who said it....SPEEDS AGENDA with this show is to PROMOTE themselves...for the FOX race.
Thus the 20 minute informercial of the 'next race' then highlights or the 'next race from LAST YEAR' then talking to the barber who gave the hair cut to the winning driver last year. . ...ZZzzz
I am SO HAPPY to hear others annoyed, as I feel like Elliott Sadler: My intelligence is insulted to be TOLD this is a mix of the OLD INC with new.
It is not. I also am with the sentimental person though I only watched this show 4 years, but I am going to miss it TERRIBLY.
Even some message boards that griped about DD taking over for AB was NOTHING compared to this depressing mess of a show.
SPEED KILLED the show with the canned, rehashed FILMED BITS.
Somebody suggested getting Scrader on NN. KS is so busy I do NOT see him flying to Bristol each week. :(
I think they need to play a rerun of INC from last year. Take the tape, and bury it in the ground and play Taps. Because for those of us who LOVED THE OLD FORMAT, Monday nights are dead.
And SPEED, STOP telling us INC is still here because it is not.
Amy, I don't know if it is the most efficient way to do it, but I just hit Name/URL at the bottom and enter my name each time I post. For all the anon, I don't care if you change your name from thread to thread but it is easier to respond to you and know if you are responding if you have a name for each thread.
About 10 years ago one of my co-workers turned me on to the "Monday night guys". Three or four drivers who actually participated in the previous day's race explained all of the key incidents/issues from their point of view. In the vast majority of cases, they provided significantly more insight into these situations than Darrell, Jimmy, Kenny, etc. put together. I frequently recorded the program and played it back several times in an attempt to understand more about each situation. (Yes, I am an engineer) Next to watching the actual races, the Monday night program was responsible for converting me into a true NASCAR fan.
Several years ago Speed made the decision to insert Dave Despain (#2 on the list of motorsports broadcasters hoping NASCAR will disappear) into the group, and the show started heading downhill. Frequently only one of the drivers present actually participated in the race, and that severely limited the real insight.
I have no idea what SPEED is attempting to accomplish with the TWIN program. The first 24 minutes are a high level preview of the upcoming race. Great for first time viewers but absolutely useless for anyone who has been watching NASCAR for more than a year. The addition of a crew chief like Chad to the previous driver mix might have been a great idea. As it is, Chad only has about 60 seconds out of the hour to add something useful.
I hope SPEED is happy. My new "Monday night guys" are on NASCAR NOW!
When I look at a calender, Sunday is the first day of the week. TWIN, please start with Sunday of this week and end with Sunday of NEXT week!
I hate Pulp Fiction because it must have been put together by this crew. I like nice and orderly from beginning to end; not end, middle, then beginning.
I hope they have Schrader back on soon, or this is dropping off my radar.
I gave this show one final chance but after 20 minutes of Bristol preview I had enough and turned it off.
I loved tuning in on Monday/Tuesday mornings for years to hear 3 or 4 new perspectives on the race I had just watched the day before and I really wish the format didn't change.
I have been a NASCAR fan for a long time and this show seems to cater to new fans. I could see where the history lessons on past races at Bristol and a bunch of drivers describing the track could be great information for fans that have never seen a race at Bristol before. Unfortunately for me I have seen at least one Bristol Cup race before (actually about 46 to be exact) so I've been down this road before. I know what the track looks like, I know how much banking it has, and the CoT has raced there already so I know what to expect there too. I can't stand sitting in front of a TV for 20 minutes or more listening to an explanation of "What is Bristol Motor Speedway?" because I already know that answer.
I think Speed made a major mistake with this new program format. It's not the fault of Steve, Michael, Chad, or anyone else that sits behind the mic. To me it's the fault of a program format that has a "NASCAR 101 - Today's lesson is the race track named _____" feel to it that turns off this NASCAR fan.
I hate to have to give up on the Monday Night Speedvision / Speed Channel franchise but unfortunately I have to now.
This is not the old show. (Really, by that I mean IWC, not even INC.)
The old show was interesting, for starters.
It also didn't cater to newbies.
I was also a faithful viewer of IWC/INC. I looked forward to Monday nights as a time to sit with friends and talk about the race weekend. That was the feeling that I had about this show. I learned something and laughed a lot on Monday nights. After the cast started changing, it lost something and when Bestwick left and Despain came into the mix, it lost a lot. Not being a fan of Despain, I had to suffer through him to see the guys.
I’m not sure what TWIN is supposed to be. I think starting the show saying that this is a blend of INC and new stuff is just to appease all of the fans that loved IWC/INC. Not working! Sticking Despain into this show is a big negative for me. This show is just a jumble.
If I know that Schrader is going to be on the show, I will watch, just to see Schrader. Otherwise, I think that I will skip TWIN.
I had to tape the show, and will be watching it later tonight. I did manage a glimpse, and it does not appear to have much of a lineage with the old IWC show. What made that program unique and popular is the fact the fans got a chance to basically join three drivers in their living room for a delightful bull session. Along the way, we also got informed as well as entertained. If they want to produce a really good show, I would advise they get three guys who would be a joy to hear them talk, with a host who could try to keep it all together, and then let 'em go. Mind you, they once had a show like that, but they screwed it in to the ground. Give me back that show (no Brian Vickers or Dave Despain, please!). Just three good ole boys and a host who can go with the flow, who can make me laugh, provide me some background and insight, and let me feel I could be sitting on the end of the couch with them. In other words, what we need is a resurrection of Inside Sprint Cup.
Where is Kenny, anyway? Maybe he's running a lot more dirt races than he did last season? He is sorely missed. I'd like to see Chad, Mikey, Steve and Kenny do the show. It'd probably be a blast with all four of them.
I really thought the show was pretty good. It takes me a while to get used to new personalities with Chad obviously being the 'new one' but I thought he did a really nice job. It was nice to see him laugh at Mikey, too, and hear him discuss the struggles of the 48 car.
One thing I was quite relieved about is that they did not spend a lot of time on the 99 car penalty from last week. I think that 'dead horse' has now turned into dust.
You are right , they need Ken Schrader back. When it was INC or even back when it was IWC I would never miss it if Kenny was there, and if he wasn't , a lot of times I just didn't watch it. He has the knowledge, quick witt and great sense of humor. So If he's not going to be on, I don't know how much of it i'll watch. BRING KENNY BACK
They broke Monday nite NASCAR show! INC was a great mix of humor, race information and commentary. TWIN is boring, long winded and pomus.
I will not be watching
It's actually quite rude of SPEED to invite guests (who are certainly very busy) to their soundstage and make them watch a bunch of videos.
Please let them talk more!!!!
Count me as another who thought it was strange to start off with next week's race instead of covering the previous day's race. There was too much video fluff and not enough talking about the race. I hope next week's show is better.
Getting better. Still need Schrader and more talk about the past race AND do it first.
It's upside down or backwards to do the next race first -- duh!
Hello,
I agree with your comments about Kenny Schrader!!! He is missed. Maybe Nascar Now will pick him up, with JB. : )
I liked the Nascar Now clip of Elliot Sadler asking to not have his intelligence insulted, with a picture to back it up. For me it cut through the fog that was kept around it all weekend. Mike Massaro said he had called Roush Motors on Monday to ask what happened to the #99 engine this week and they said that they would not be able to say until Jack got there Tuesday to give them the words...? Probably some more of those nasty little "vibration harmonics". Like a tuning fork...? Maybe the charitable in Nascar could contribute to have these nasty little mites exterminated. That might get rid of the "ankle-biting chihuahas" also. :)
And now we have to rewrite the history books, Beauchamp not Petty won the first "500" by today's rules.
Marybeth
Amy said
"By the way, I would get a screenname and tried but I don't want a blog and that is what I assumed that it meant when I tried to sign up. If it is different, please someone let me know and I will get a screenname."
Amy, just sign up for a google account and pick a screenname. Then use that info to sign in here.
I think Schrader is definitely needed not only because of his levity, but because he also keeps the corporate shill under control.
I don't mind hearing all the tech stuff being something of a motorhead. They need to let Chad say his bit without him being drowned out by silly singing or a plug for some sponsor.
They had a show which actually asked tough questions and blasted NASCAR on their bad decisions. It was called Pit Bulls. Unfortunately, because they did ask too many embarrassing questions and got too many embarrassing answers, the powers to be in Daytona got the show cancelled. Can't be having the brass being shown in a bad light now can we?
I hate to bag on the show without any constructive comments on how to make it better, so I won't. Seriously though, what on earth have we done to deserve the media overload machine that is Michael Waltrip. Commercials at every break, broadcasting truck races, and commentating. It's just too much. Isn't there someone, anyone else out there that wants to do any of this stuff?
Spend more time at home Mikey.
KENNY come back MIKEY needs you,speed had to take a perfectly good show and SCREW it up with this crap!!At least they were real!This SUCKS
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yours......WWN
Great.
We need more "Motor Mouths" announcers too. "What the Hell did Rusty Wallace just spill out his mouth for 65 secounds"? (nothing).
I tend to agree with KoHoSO. I'm not at all sure I'll watch the show any more. Certainly not as religiously as in the past. There is no chemistry among the participants, too much of it is an "ad" for SPEED's Friday shows, too much talk about the next week's race before covering the past race. And, I learned NOTHING new in the piece on Kevin Harvick Racing. Hopefully, bringing back Schrader will help But I'm not even sure that will save this "new and improved" format.
Well Fat Sandy evidently you are in the minority about Mikeee.
It must a fluke that evey year he is in the top 5 or 10 when the most popular driver votes are counted.
I too miss INC & hopefully the producers of TWIN will get their act together. It certainly isn't the "expert panels" fault.
Absolutely miss Kenny, and Biff, and even Vickers. Most of all, I miss INC!
It took a while to get over loosing Bestwick, but I finally became a fan of Despain, particularly when he lost control to Schrader and Mikey - great interplay. Sorry, but Steve Byrnes is just not right for this show.
All things considered, TWIN is not making the grade, and whereas I HAD to catch INC, I really don't care if I miss TWIN. Agreeing with many comments, let them talk about the past race before trying to build an audience for the next race, and yes, capitalize on the drivers talking to each other, not to Byrnes.
Yes keep the dynamic duo. the way Kenny looks at Waltrip is great. Two down to earth guys you would love to be with. Guys that came from dirt tracks, and towing the race cars to the track. Also having some old drivers on and behind the scenes guys truck drivers, pit men, wifes, owners. Keep up the good work.
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