It will be big brother ESPN that hosts the Nationwide Series from Chicagoland on Saturday night. It will be NASCAR Countdown at 7:30 and race coverage at 8PM Eastern Time.
Allen Bestwick will be hosting the pre-race coverage from the Infield Pit Studio. He will be joined by Brad Daugherty and Rusty Wallace. This week there should be plenty to talk about between the three NASCAR series.
Wallace is going upstairs this Friday to call the action after finishing his pre-race duties. Dale Jarrett has the weekend off. Wallace will be joined by Dr. Jerry Punch calling the action and Andy Petree as the second analyst. This is the final race before ESPN adds the Sprint Cup Series to its coverage for the rest of the season.
On pit road will be Dave Burns, Shannon Spake and Jamie Little. Mike Massaro has the weekend off, however he will be joining Ray Evernham and Boris Said for the one hour edition of NASCAR Now on Monday. Also in Chicagoland, Tim Brewer will be reporting from the Tech Center.
The race should be exciting with a good group of cross-over drivers from the Cup series going against the Nationwide regulars. Viewers should watch the interaction between Jerry Punch and Allen Bestwick throughout the telecast. Punch has been having a tough time calling the action and this telecast without Dale Jarrett should be a tough test.
This post will serve to host your comments about NASCAR Countdown and the Nationwide Series race on ESPN. To add your TV-related question, just click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy directions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for taking the time to drop by.
134 comments:
Oh dear. What an embarrassing introduction. Why do the networks waste so much time and money putting stuff like that together? Especially the stereotypical ones like the idiotic one ESPN put together for Chicago...
Oh well, I'm sure it's just a nice little preview of what is awaiting us when they start covering the Sprint Cup races at Indy. I keep hoping ESPN will grow up but I should know better by now.
Anon,
Could you help us with what you thought was embarrassing?
JD
I'm having a little trouble accepting the opinions of RW and BD about the Toyota engines. AB tried to balance it bit it wasn't working for me. Rusty was sounding like a sore loser; how about instead of punishing Toyota push for improvements from their own manufaturer. Toyota was forced to recreate their engine for NW and Cup and not use the truck engine so their engine design in newer and now everyone is complaining.
JD I think anon was talking about the "Chicago" fan piece but I am only guesssing
Anon 7:34...
I thought the portrayal of stereotypical Chicago people was demeaning and has absolutely no bearing on the race tonight - especially the voiceover in a stereotypical Chicago accent.
I also see no reason for ESPN to shove baseball down the throat of race fans.
I know all networks do this stuff and I just don't see the reason for them to take the time and spend the money to basically waste three minutes of my life.
hey nrf,
How are ya? I just wanted to know what part of it he or she did not like?
JD
See? There ya go! Now when the ESPN boys read this they can get an understanding of what you meant.
Thanks for taking the time to follow-up.
JD
Sorry I missed the embarrassing opening so I could comment. Guess I picked a good time to water a few flowers!!
Nice to see the jets on the tv even if for a brief moment.
Wish the cameras could capture those great military aircraft for just a bit more.
Nice to see the sun out!!
and the "fans" yelling during the National Anthem I thought was uncalled for, but other than that it was a much better rendition than previous races. Even though I like Kenseth I still think they should have a regular Nationwide driver doing that.
Does Rusty seem a little hyped up tonight or is it the margarita. I was really hoping to listen to DJ this week.
have we mentioned how a lot of us don't like this in car driver question?
He already didn't know how to answer the light question, so Rusty asks another one.
I miss TNT already..I will have to wear BLACK for tomorrow's race to say goodbye to TNT. :)
Hope we get to hear about some NATIONWIDE only guys tonight. I have not seen a flat top hair cut like that cc in a long time.
ouch...Harvick hitting Tony again.
Should've used a split screen to show that re-start again.
ugh
nrf,
DJ will be in the booth for the rest of the season, but ESPN is still deciding who will call the Nationwide races. I think Rusty is going all out tonight to keep the Play-by-Play gig.
JD
I'm really liking bringing one of the crew guys into the broadcast every week. Outstanding audio and video of DJ doing a tire change earlier this year, and having them do a little talk before the green is neat as well.
Adds another dimension to the overall presentation. One of the things I think all fans at the track like to watch the crew guys get ready, so we get to see a bit of it on TV now. Hope this is something that they carry over to the CUP package.
I agree with Kyle about the crew member cam. I like the brief intro before the race, and the video and audio is great under a live pit stop. Hope they carry it through to the Cup side as well.
Hey. That commercial for the Nationwide races where they use RC cars and Rusty and JErry are calling the action. Jerry must be a good actor cause the excitement in his voice during the commercial is something ive never seen in a broadcast.
Hopefully someone will give Rusty a lineup with the drivers and car numbers during the break. He seems to be confused about who is in the 33.
I still despise the in race reporter!
Thanks JD. I also very much enjoy the DJ Cobb pieces. He's very down to earth, explains things well but doesn't dumb them down.
Whats with ESPN using the bottomline 24/7. It used to be ESPN2 used the bottomline all the time. ESPN used to take it off for sporting events. Evidentally they don't do that anymore :(.
I don't recall ESPN EVER removing that annoying bottom ticker.
But if they USED to wish they would for the car races. That would be lots less clutter on the screen and add to the viewing.
They did last season when the CUP and Nationwide races were on ESPN. But they only did it when it was on ESPN.
And I would have liked to hear RW's thoughts on what happened last week between Mike & Stephen.
Anybody else get creeped out by those X Games ads?
Vicky I think Rusty wanted to stay out of that one and I can't say I blame him. I bet he is really glad he wasn't calling that race. (It would have been interesting to see)
Daly Planet Editor said...
Anybody else get creeped out by those X Games ads?
that's putting it mildly, and we've seen it what 3 or 4 times already. I think I rather see Bill Engvall
Xgame adds? What are they like? I went and got a Reese cup out of the fridge and missed it..certainly I have seen these things before. Are they animated or regular stuff?
any ideas why so many drivers, about 7, are OUT already or are they the so called start and parks?
I strongly disagree the decision to replace the real-time intervals on the scoring crawl with a completely useless "Fastest MPH" for that several minute stretch. Please keep exclusively intervals on the crawl.
stricklinfan,
Guess that was for the casual fans.
JD
JD,
Haha yea, the ads creep me out too. I'm just glad I'm not Brian Deegan...
I actually like to see more information on the running order than just intervals. I got to see who was actually fast.
Oh dear. SC RIGHT NOW!
Awesome. We get a Nationwide race on ESPN1 and get a SportsCenter update during green flag racing!
I can't wait until Indy!
That actually wasnt a bad SportsCenter update. Less than 30 seconds. I just think of it as another commercial.
Soph yes strat and park. X games, did you see it this time. Oh my.
I've having some camera shot issues tonight. BV slowly leaving the oits (not to mention no comment on the right front lug nut problem) and now looking at the pit box for CE at least show us the car. Oh my a sports center and we're missing green flag stops.
Shannon Spake had more excitement in her voice about this yellow than Jerry did. "oh.........spin........."
Sure is different without DJ in the booth and Massaro on pit road.
Oh my! I didnt even realize Mike Massaro wasnt there this weekend. Wow.
Also typo issues sorry, I'll stop with the margaritas
I LOVE THE CREW CAM AND COMMENTARY!
hehehe...got to love Brewer.
Did he just say ASS end or back end
With a constant crawl with the latest news and scores running on the bottom of the screen I don't see the need to break into green flag racing with a Sportscenter anchor reading us the same information we've been reading on the bottom line.
Great audio from DJ Cobb right there.
Did he say "Ass"? lol
My hubby thought he said the "a" word too.
Yes, Brewer did say ass. I thought it was funny. I'm sure the prude squad will chime in. Andy didn't quite know how to react.
Hahaha I thought I was hearing things, but I guess he did say ass.
Ahhh another X Games ad
Ass end...very funny. I bet they are rolling in the booth! :)
that would be the ass end...you better believe the guys are howling about that one during this commercial break. Too funny.
JD
OK...who is going to count the X games promos? Not nrf, she is drinking!
Is A.. one of those words that you can't say on TV but this is cable so I guess it doesn't matter. We got an incar of S... during practice on Speed it must be the trend.
yep, if they are forcing us to take viewing space on lower tv with scores, why do the SC UPDATES.
ESPN, sadly, is not improving like we thought.
'
Ok, is that the extreme sports adds y'all are speaking of? That's just weird but I did not know what it was for...
I miss Massaro...shannon Spake might be a nice girl but I always feel like somebody is sticking a pin in her aspirations and making her talk fast to get her comments out. Thus, she sounds revved up and almost to the point of being breathless.
I miss the guys voices in the pits.
(female chauvinistic as that may sound)
ZZZzzz to the guys in the booth.
P.S. if you use ass in the biblical sense, there is no problem with it. Like Joseph rode into Bethlehem on his , , ,'
Kenseth spins.
NRF
Quick Margarita question.
Frozen/slushy kind or on the rocks?
Salt or no salt?
:)
the most REPETITVE ads are the xm ones during IRL and the stupid song that goes with it. We break records for hitting the mute button with that commercial...
among many others of course.
That duct tape matches the old spice car. Handy.
I wonder if AB is already writing down "tail end of the lead lap rule on restarts" as a topic for the Monday Night roundtable.
Does it ever fail that there's always a wreck when half the field is restarting in front of the leader and racing like crazy to get their laps back?
That could have been BIG. I think it's about time to treat the "tail-enders" as lapped cars and move them all to the inside on restarts (I hate the wave-around rule).
Pomegranate already cold right out of the box no ice required, slushy gives me brain freeze. (newest find from the local liquor store). Not salt etc.
He gets Ray E, Boris and Mike Massaro on Monday.
Stanton Barrett was chatting in the booth yesterday when practice was rained out saying it was his best car yet now out of the race. Do we know why, he's not a atart and park?
Boris again, please no
boris said again??????
oy vey. he annoyed me with some of his Stewart leaving JGR comments...sigh.
I would rather have Brad D on there than Boris Dread Head.
Odd he is popping up so much on ESPN. what happened to marty smith? Brad D? But thanks for the heads up so we can plan accordingly.
No MRN in Seattle this weekend ... again ...
KRKO-AM has decided to air minor league baseball ... The Everett Aquasox ... co-owned by former Mariner Jay Buehner ...
nrf,
When you go to a race, its pretty easy to see who is a start and park.......no pit crew.
JD
I passed along the Seattle info last time to the MRN guys.
JD
Are you serious about the S & Park? NO pit crew??
Wow, I learn a lot reading here.
Great camera shot of the sunset in the clouds!
Do you get the feeling that both Rusty and Andy are trying to take the play-by-play when things are happening because Jerry just refuses to do it?
Did the 88 take 2 tires to get the lead? He is backing up pretty quick
I am enjoying AP and Dave Burns in the pits tonight. I wish they would show more Nationwide-only drivers though.
JP that was getting the spring rubber out because the handle broke.
Isn't this the SAME SC we saw an hour ago???????
ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Anonymous said...
No MRN in Seattle this weekend ... again ...
KRKO-AM has decided to air minor league baseball ... The Everett Aquasox ... co-owned by former Mariner Jay Buehner ...
It's time for Sirius Satellite radio. Truck, Nationwide, and Cup races. They even broadcast Cup Qualifing.
Another SC. Booooo!!
Is this the first Nationwide race that there have been SC updates this year?
I'm rather good a tuning out commercial breaks, but don't recall seeing any till now on ESPN instead of the duce.
Shannon- what?
when MRN was on smaller AM stations around here a couple years ago, it got deep sixed for high school games!!!
Now it's on FM but only for CUP races and since Summer, we can barely get the signal in the house. You have to be in the car. But it's always there for CUP races. I even stumbled on it for a couple NW races.
But on AM, you had to play radio dial roulette. At least if the power goes out I can go out to the car and listen to the CUP race. :)
But Seattle seems to diss NASCAR in much of their media.
kyle,
Its the network, not the program. Even more will change when they migrate the Cup races over to ABC.
Let's see if Doc can inject some excitement and actually call the action on the track continuously for the rest of the race.
JD
Shannon needs to do something else instead of pit reporting she's very weak there.
JP does seem to be stumbling a lot tonight. Then again so does Shannon.
I guess I understand the people who don't care for FOX, I do not care for ESPN.
Now how did they get fuel gauges in those cars?
JD said Let's see if Doc can inject some excitement and actually call the action on the track continuously for the rest of the race.
It looks like I'm not the only one drinking.
fuel gages! C'mon!
Funny, I thought the cars had no gas gauges nor speedometers.
HOnestly do you think JP is having health problems? I do not understand this booth group at all.
More video over GREEN FLAG RACING?? So much for the compliments we have been giving ESPN this year. SHEESH.
I dread the Brickyard and the rest of the year :(
Nice, a video package on JGR/Toyota when live racing is going on.
How many times is JP going to ask Rusty the same question over and over. Seriously it gets old
Wow..it's getting closer to FULL TIME ESPN take over and they are dropping the boom on us with this race.
If they are just speculating, why did they show us FAKE graphics of fuel gauge at commercial?
Tell 'em Andy. JP and RW keep on and on about the advantage Toyota has. It's time to get over it and the teams get better. Good job AP.
and how many times are they going to show Brett Favre's name on the ESPN bottom line?
Now that DJ has been on for a while, isn't the on-air dynamic so different without him?
Remember how he would do so much more in the booth other than just comment?
JD
The brass at the Everett Herald decided they want racing coverage (esp NASCAR) all of the sudden since the story broke that Obama's gonna sponsor the BAM car at Pocono ...
The Seattle media needs to embrace racing ... since the Sonics are going to OKC ... the Mariners are in the toilet ...
The NHRA is in Seattle (err, Kent) next weekend ... The local tv coverage will be horrific too ...
The only racing that gets any kind of real coverage is when the hydroplanes are on Lake Washington in August for SeaFair ...
be nice to have a different driver win tonight.
Like a NW driver.
I like Boris & Dr Punch ... Don't like the girls & Brad ...
But, it seems like the director is trying to make Rusty & Petree shove Dr Punch out of the booth ...
If it wasn't for Andy I would be throwing things at the TV. Rusty's ok but JP- it's a nightmare I feel like he is doing mini reports and not play by play (not sure I'm explaining it right but...) I will say that Jamie has greatly improved as a pit reported but Shannon has to go.
Soph while a NW driver would be nice I was really hoping for Reut, I kinf of think of him as a NW driver since he's not with one of the big 4 (HMS, RCR, JGR, RF)
What happened to Harvick's pitstop ?? They started to show it and then dumped him for Vickers & Kyle ... Ugh!!!
nrf
I agree with you on Reut. Really like him.
I know what you mean about the HUGE named teams.
WOW...near miss with Green and Reut on pit road. Glad that went as well as it did.
Man, seems like excess commercials tonight...but shorter breaks so maybe it's even.
And NRF Kevin Harvick has his own equipment and not racing with one of the cup teams either, although ever since the start of the race, he's just running so-so (and Wally isn't even here either!)
My cat just woke up at the doorbell on the Castrol commercial, lol.
Makes me think of Bevo last week with his dog running to the door. I swear sometimes the doorbell on those Castrol commercials is turned up louder than other times. Ok, this break seems longer.
ok..this season is starting to be like Ground Hog day the movie...sigh.
Nice to hear AB's pleasant voice.
Bevo isn't the only one a friends dog runs to the door and barks so much we can't hear the race, we have to open the door and show him there is no one there.
Did anyone else hear that Kyle was penalized for speeding leaving pit road when the caution came out? That's what I heard from the booth before the comml. We come back to racing and Kyle is in the top 10? Did I miss something? Wouldn't he be further back? The guys never said another word about it. Now he's leading. Ugh.
LOL at the dog comment!
Ok..earlier this bottom scroll on this tv was partially off the lower screen in this room...not I can CLEARLY see the wording...did they make the font bigger? I know they added the white line for UPS but cripes that's distracting.
Dot
I agree with your ugh but i did not hear KB was penalized?
The lower scroll gets bigger when someone sponsers it right now it's UPS. Between the bottom ticker and the stuff on the top I feel like the race is the meat in a sandwich and someone is sitting on the lunch bag
nrf
lol, good description.
Thanks for letting me know it was not my imagination. I gotta remember to get a piece of paper to tape over the bottom of the screen for the rest of the season. VERY irriatating. The kitchen tv stretches to get rid of the bottom ticker but the top one goes off 4/5 and can't see it.
where's a thumb tack on the track when you need one for a tire.
;)
I am confused. Sounds like Rusty and Andy are doing PBP and JP is doing color.
Another subpar performance for ESPN. Things aren't looking good for Indy in a couple weeks
Lou, that's the problem and I like DJ and AP PBP better then RW and AP
RW is beside himself because the Toyota won again! Good finish line shot.
cheering my rump. Unless in Punchdunks head BOOOOOOOO is a cheer.
!!!! That OVERSIZED bottom ticker is really ANNOYING.
It needs to be bigger...maybe cover up the winner.
Meow.
Did we not see the finish live across the line or were they that far behind? seems like the latter.
Yes, I have to get a piece of tape for the bottom ticker.
Hmmm...I thought I heard some boos but thankfully in that burn out smoke were no full beer cans. That's a horrible habit even if you don't like a driver.
14 of 20 wins by JGR drivers ...
Something is definitely NOT right in the Nationwide series ...
That kind of domination is NOT good for the series or the sport ...
Thanks for showing the finish ESPN. Now if you can clear out the other clutter for the Brickyard, we might get over our anxiety for that coverage.
and no Race buddy for that one. That video was cool for back up and commercials.
JP got more excited over the burn out than the entire race?
Rest of the race it sounds like he's reading a road map out loud. I hope to God his health is ok..something is off there.
If Dr Punch was bored by the race, I don't blame him ...
My heart's not in the races either ... Domination by one team's drivers just doesn't make me want to be a fan anymore ...
Back in the old days, Richard Petty dominated the daylights out of the series...so i don't know what to make of this modern age domination....It happens I guess but goodness.
There were so few cautions I wanted to watch this race and now I wished I would've touched up my roots.
and how is it, at the END of the night, JP wakes up and comes to life.
Curioser and curioser, ain't it?
switch AB and JP ESPN.
I think part of the problem is that it's NW and KB in cup too. At least when HMS was winning everything in cup last year they were not domination the Busch series too.
OK to be fair I watched the entire race before commenting.
I hope Jerry is having some type of health issues, if not, He Has Got To Go Now.
Someone take the Amp away from Rusty, or send him and Darkmane Xgamer off somewhere together.
Wheres DJ????
Well, its real close to ESPN taking over - my hopes have been dashed. I thought they might improve, nope not a chance.
The in race harrassment (reporter) is insipid at best. Leave the drivers alone.
Ticker going full tilt on the bottom, that may have been cutting edge 20 years ago - hasn't been in a longggg time. Which re enforces the point that TV is going the way of newspapers. With a crawl or 2 on top and one on the bottom its too cluttered and busy.
Why is it so difficult to show wide shots, no tickers, green flag racing? WHY? Do we not deserve better play by play than what we got?
Doesn't Espn know we fans have many other sources to get our race fix? And they ain't it when they fail to listen to the fans?
In Richard Petty's racing days ... They also used to run about 48 races a year ... And the cars were harder to drive ...
Hey did you know Sports Center is next, if I hear JP say that one more time I'm going to scream.
Jo
Though I yapped througout the race i second your comments.
And that bottom crawl is SO OLD, lame and IRRITATING.
NASCAR should make ESPN TURN THAT OFF for the races. methinks I need to just stop watching the races and get an antennae for the old stereo radio in the house and listen. ESPN is just too bloody irritating.
TNT raised the bar SO HIGH with Mike Wells EXCELLENT DIRECTION of camera work and NO BOTTOM ticker that I feel I need a dramamine for viewing races on ESPN.
what do they mean dyno the 9 engines? They think they are cheating??
Look at the smirk on RW face he really wants Toyota to get the Nascar hammer.
I hope they do some serious follow up next week about the engine dyno results. If nothing else would shut Rusty up.
nrf
I feel like the guy in that old movie NETWORk.."everybody go to your windows, open them up and scream out "I am as mad as he** and I'm not gonna take it anymore!!!"
Apropos....sigh...what a let down after Daytona.
great comments tonight, there will be a new column up later.
Thanks!
JD
SophiaZ123
Nascar is going to take 9 engines from different teams and compare how much horse power each engine is getting. That way they can see if any one particular engine package is getting a advantage over the rest of the field.
Anyone know if its going to be a mixed bag, or if its all Toyota that they are taking today, and relying on previous data from pasts test from the other manufactures?
No its because owners like Roush & Wallace are mad because there are differences in horsepower between Toyos & all the others. Engines are built to NASCAR specs. NASCAR has done 4 at a time to check it ( & shut Jack up) so now they are doing more. Its because using NASCAR specs Toyos produce 3% more power than Ford or Dodge or Chevy.
Toyo has gone thru this every series they have entered.
What would be nice is if they billed Rusty, Roush & Jeff Burton the 3 biggest whiners if nothing is found
OH how freakin lovely leave post race and go to Sportcenter for farve!! Bad choice espn
Soph not cheating better engine. I just don't see how they can do something to the Toyota engines how is that fair. They did their homework and have a better product or perhaps it's not that much better and the JGR chassies are the difference. I really feel RW is too bias on this topic to speak about it (I guess Toyota is this years Jeff Gordon), DJ never seemed to allow his bias to show if he actually had one. ESPN please bring back DJ and while your at it put AB in the booth.
OK I'm done off to sleep for me, it's DVR for Trackside me
Newracefan said...
Soph not cheating better engine. I just don't see how they can do something to the Toyota engines how is that fair. They did their homework and have a better product or perhaps it's not that much better and the JGR chassies are the difference. I really feel RW is too bias on this topic to speak about it (I guess Toyota is this years Jeff Gordon), DJ never seemed to allow his bias to show if he actually had one. ESPN please bring back DJ and while your at it put AB in the booth.
July 11, 2008 10:48 PM
Amen & Amen!!!!
Thanks to ALL for the dyno explanations.
Wow..I know many old time fans HATE "foreign" Manufacturers coming into the sport but this reeks. Besides, so many Toyota's, Honda's and the like been made in his country for decades. Should be interesting to see what happens. Like a soap opera, NASCAR is...I have The Young and the Restless and....As the Gears Turn (ala As The World Turns lol)
What a wild ending. I am going to sneak a peak at Trackside and depending on the crowds and nonsense, HOPE to see the King interviewed. But I am making no commitments.
Thanks JD for the great blog as always.
It's funny to see people complain about Rusty being biased against Toyota ... But, don't say anything when Johnny Benson's being biased toward Toyota ...
IF the broadcast networks wanted to be "fair" ... Then they'd have to hire people who have no financial interest in any manufacturer ...
ESPN should've interviewed Bowyer ... Since they were playing up his "Monkey could drive that car" during the race ... Get him post-race to see if he still thinks there are monkeys in the JGR cars ... esp since he's the points leader ...
Anon 11:25PM,
It seems that it might be time for the NASCAR TV partners to think twice about using so many current drivers and team owners.
Once these allegations begin, how do you stop them? It is a tough call for the TV networks.
JD
Indeed. With so many strong opinions,and claims and bias', it's like Pandora's Box.
There is a new column up about Jerry Punch and ESPN's NASCAR coverage for your comments.
Thanks,
JD
JD - WIll ESPN have a talk with Brewer about his "ass end" comment or will that slide by ok?
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