This is a big weekend for SPEED as the network has chosen to emphasize "grass roots" racing with some special programming. In terms of live events, the ARCA race from Kentucky Speedway will kick things off on Friday night at 8PM Eastern Time.
The jewel of the weekend for SPEED is the Craftsman Truck Series race from the same track on Saturday at 7PM. This series has been great for SPEED and has quietly and consistently delivered a great TV telecast for the fans.
After seeing the pre-race TV shows this season, one fact remains clear. The Set-Up show for the NCTS is the only one that still puts the emphasis on the racers. The reason why is a combination of solid TV producing and the consistency of program host Krista Voda.
No other TV program truly steps aside and lets the spotlight fall on the teams and storylines of the sport itself. There are no goofy antics, no on-air games to play and no egos to feed. Voda hosts a program that offers a topic and then lets the drivers, crew chiefs and owners actually tell the story with minimal interruption.
This week, SPEED will expand The Set-Up to one hour so that it will start at 6PM. The big news of the week is that Randy Moss has followed-up on his earlier promise and joined the ranks of the NCTS owners club. Moss will join Voda on the set for an interview and stay for an entire segment. He seems like an enthusiastic fan who wants to take part in the sport and his story about meeting Dale Earnhardt Jr. is fantastic.
Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip will also join Voda on the set to look back at the first half of the NCTS season. Parsons is the authority on this series and Waltrip is his enthusiastic cheerleader. Together, they bring a veteran perspective and a rather unique television experience to viewers.
In terms of features, the show will follow rookie Brian Scott heli-skiing in Idaho and fellow rookie Mark Mitchell sky diving. A recent outing to Flat Rock Speedway also caught Ray Dunlap driving in the school bus race and Rick Allen trying his hand at a street stock.
Voda will also have a look back at Mike Skinner's 2007 season and a recap of how things are going for Skinner's team this year. That will transition into discussing Skinner's nemesis Ron Hornaday Jr. and a talk with the current points leader.
The good news for fans is that once The Set-Up is done, Voda will stick around and become the third pit reporter for the remainder of the telecast. This has been something long requested by fans and it was nice of SPEED to finally allocate the budget to allow that to happen. Saturday from Kentucky should be fun.
There will be Friday coverage of NCTS practice at 6:30PM ET on SPEED and ESPN2 will host coverage of the Nationwide Series practice from Gateway at 7PM. NASCAR Now will be at 6PM also on ESPN2 Friday night. There will be a post up for Friday in-progress comments on practice coverage at 5PM.
If you have comments on Krista Voda and the NCTS coverage of SPEED so far this season, please feel free to add them. To voice your opinion, just click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
This is good news JD. Always have had a soft spot in my heart for Krista.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see more use of Krista. I'm a fan of hers too.
ReplyDeleteI also like how they do stories on the unknown drivers. They may pick up some fans.
I love Truck racing. Beatin' and bangin' and close points.
Couldn't wait for Krista's show until I read mikie was going to be on.I'll watch somethig else.
ReplyDeleteTks. J.D. Ron Il.
Krista's a nice person. I've listened to her since the days of Nascar Nation. I don't consider her anywhere near as knowledgeable as Wendy,Czarnicki or Jamie Little. It'll be interesting to hear her on pit road. I wish her luck!
ReplyDeleteanon 843 What? Krista has been doing the trucks since at least last year and I am not even sure how long doing pit reporting for Fox. Jamie and Lindsey have come a long way but trust me they haven't surpassed Krista.
ReplyDeletenewracefan - I agree completely. Jamie and Lindsey don't even come close to having the experience and knowledge that Krista has about NASCAR. Wendy is a little better than Krista because she comes from a racing fan and is more of an insider. But Krista is a star.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see that The Set Up is getting some recognition. This is a great pre-race show. The folks at NASCAR Raceday AND NASCAR Now should look carefully at how this show works. Kudos to Krista Voda. She is a smart reporter and knows what she's talking about.
ReplyDeleteI really do enjoy Krista. A nightly SPEED show on racing with Krista and Wendy V. sharing the hosting duties would seem to be a good idea to me.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:43 .....Jamie and Lindsey couldn't hold the door open for Krista. Been a fan since Totaly Nascar on FSN. Krista & Wendy hands down.
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ReplyDeleteOne of the most fascinating things I have experienced since starting this blog is the incredible sexism on the Internet where female TV announcers and anchors are concerned. It is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThings like make-up and physical appearance and marital status are suddenly put into play as if because the reporter or anchor is female those things are suddenly fair game. Well, here they are not.
If you would like to offer a comment that agrees or disagrees with the on-air presence or a specific show or topic that is fine.
We will never tolerate one word that speaks of the women in sports television in a sexist way. There are plenty of websites where that is a central theme, and I would invite you to go there and express your views.
Thanks,
JD
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ReplyDeletePlease do not return and post again. Take your comments to another site. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJD