Noon brings another one of the recently-added Sprint Cup practice sessions being shown on SPEED. Originally, this action was not scheduled to be on TV and only "Happy Hour" was going to be covered. ESPN2 will follow with that coverage.
It will be Steve Byrnes, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds calling the action on SPEED. Joining them as reporters from the garage will be Bob Dillner and Wendy Venturini.
ESPN2 will handle the final practice session after SPEED is done at 1:30PM ET. Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will be joined by the four ESPN pit reporters.
One interesting note is that ESPN commentator Boris Said has been added to the Sprint Cup field. Despite missing the race in his own car because qualifying was rained out, Said is going to step into the #45 car and replace Kyle Petty. More details of this switch will be coming during the SPEED and ESPN coverage.
"Happy Hour" coverage will run ESPN right into their ABC coverage of the Nationwide Series race. That will be reflected as a new post.
Feel free to add your comments about these two practice sessions on SPEED and ESPN2. Just click on the COMMENTS button below. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thanks for stopping by.
22 comments:
I'm glad Boris got a ride. Now we get to see his feet on camera LOL.
I did like the fact that he "cleared" it w/Ford, and mentioned all his car sponsors so they got pub even tho they won't be on the track.
JD why are these guys not in the booth for all these practices? Does it mean they have to watch all of practice from the monitors and then comment? It sort of makes it difficult for them to pick up on things.
The Cup cars were supposed to start practicing at noon Eastern...not sure what the delay is in getting cars on the track.
Also, I see the final practice starts at 1:20p.m.....so I'm not sure when ESPN2 comes on at 1:30p.m. if they'll be joining practice in progress, or if they'll have it on a 10-minute tape delay.
According to FoxTrax, the cars have been practicing since 12:00 - not sure what this TV delay is all about.
nrf,
The SPEED sessions were added so late that they will be done from the SPEED Stage.
JD
Ahhhh, SPEED.
Thank you.
I'm in a nice comfy place now and can enjoy the coverage.
ESPN makes me tense. :)
Lisa Hogan said...
Ahhhh, SPEED.
Thank you.
I'm in a nice comfy place now and can enjoy the coverage.
ESPN makes me tense. :)
August 9, 2008 12:37 PM
Lisa you are a genius! Thats what the biggest non screen difference is. epsn makes me tense up & speed doesn't.
Lisa
ditto to your post. ESPN makes me tense. I turned the tv on earlier and all that CRAP ON THE SCREEN so I turned it off...heard SPEED was on tv and turned on those guys.
I have decided to forego ESPN quals and practice...it's just too irritating and the guys in the booth don't have a CLUE what we are interested in.
Cars on track...not car in box. :( Glad the weather has improved.
Sophia I just figured it out
Every
Promo
Save
NA$CAR
Thats what it really stands for!
Thanks Jo and Sophia, glad that my feelings were understood.
Jo, I could really use a framed genius certificate. My work performance review is coming up soon and more $$$ in the paycheck would be lovely. :)
Not quite following scheduling strategy with this. The first practice session today was from 12:00 to 12:45p.m., which would've fit nicely into a 12:00 to 1:00p.m. window for television. Yet, Speed is going with a 12:00 to 1:30 window. All I can think of is they didn't want a gap in the coverage today.
I agree Mike. HH just started up on FoxTrax - looks like that will be delayed on ESPN2 too.
Jerry Punch back again.
Again with the video clips on ESPN when cars are on the track, just go to the commercials and come back enough with this video stuff, save it for a rain delay. Please let Speed do all the practices
Glad that Ambrose and the Wood Brothers #21 have been getting TV time.
I like Ambrose. I have enjoyed his attitude since he entered NASCAR.
Am hoping for a good race for Ambrose in the #21. :)
Good reporting by Jamie and Tim on having to decide if to replace the engine or not on the 18.
Six minutes into the joined-in-progress broadcast of Happy Hour and ESPN is already covering up the on-track action with a video package of last year's race and shoving full-screen stat display after full-screen stat display down our throats.
The Fox Cup production truck, the TNT Cup production truck, the Speed Truck production truck, and whatever group of people handled today's Speed Cup practice coverage all understand how to televise qualifying and practice sessions. Quite simply they keep the cameras and talk focused on what is going on live ON THE TRACK.
This ESPN production truck is the only one that struggles to accomplish the simple task of covering the session they are paid to cover on that day. These individuals are wasting the money ESPN paid for the rights to these sessions and they are wasting the time of every NASCAR fan that is watching because they actually care about practice and qualifying (very few casual sports fans are watching these shows I would assume).
NASCAR, please step in and get rid of ESPN when it comes to their "coverage" of practice and qualifying sessions.
Jerry seems to be a bit upset that an driver would dare to upset his plans by crashing on the track. What a weird reaction.
Thank goodness for DJ and Andy.
JD
I thought I was off for thinking the exact thing. He did seem upset about it. Yikes.
stricklinfan82 said...
Six minutes into the joined-in-progress broadcast of Happy Hour and ESPN is already covering up the on-track action with a video package of last year's race and shoving full-screen stat display after full-screen stat display down our throats
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Yes the production truck has failed us & ESPN miserably
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These individuals are wasting the money ESPN paid for the rights to these sessions and they are wasting the time of every NASCAR fan that is watching because they actually care about practice and qualifying (very few casual sports fans are watching these shows I would assume).
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Great points! Casual fans do not watch quals & barely "watch" the race, I had some watching with me a few races ago. They don't care about it like we do.
I never gave the wasting money angle much thought till you brought it up. If lousy production of practice & quals drive away fans ratings will drop, ad sales prices fall & they really lose money. This would under normal circumstances cause a change.
Hopefully it will here too
It won't let me edit what I meant to say was I hope it causes a change before that. Sheesh I really got to pay more "click-attention"
Lisa @12:59, ditto.
There is a new post up for the Nationwide Series race on ABC.
JD
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