Saturday, August 16, 2008

ESPN at MIS: Sunday TV Schedule


It will be NASCAR Now that opens the Sunday NASCAR coverage for the ESPN family of networks from Michigan International Speedway. Nicole Manske or Ryan Burr will be hosting this hour on ESPN2 at 10AM ET that will include live reports from MIS and updates on the news stories of the week.

Things shift over to ESPN at 1PM when Allen Bestwick hosts a one hour edition of NASCAR Countdown. This pre-race show has been working very well for the network as Bestwick is joined by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Included in this program will be ESPN's Lead NASCAR Analyst Dale Jarrett and his announcing partner Andy Petree.

At 2PM Bestwick will hand-off to Jerry Punch for coverage of the race itself. Down on pit road will be the network's regular corp of reporters. Jamie Little, Shannon Spake, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro have been working pit road all season-long for the Nationwide races and now handle the Sprint Cup duties as well.

This race has often come down to fuel mileage and placed a premium on good pit stops and strategy from the crew chiefs. ESPN should have some good storylines as the COT cars work long green flag periods and try to avoid trouble.

Due to some programming commitments, the outstanding wrap-up version of NASCAR Now will not be on the air until 1AM ET Monday morning. Normally seen Sunday at 10PM, this show was a very nice way to get all the late stories and updates after the live race coverage was off the air. Since the NHRA precedes this show, fans who are going to record it should set some extra time in case the NHRA runs long.

ESPN was not involved in the practice or qualifying coverage for either the Nationwide or Sprint Cup Series at MIS. The network team is strictly there for the pre-race show and the race. Perhaps, this will allow for a greater focus on the actual stories of the entire field and let Punch keep the energy level high for the race itself.

With college football and the NFL right around the corner, it should be interesting to see how many promos sneak into the coverage. Bestwick and company were used very sparingly during the Saturday Nationwide Series race, keep an eye on how this trio is used on Sunday during the longer event. Transitions usually occur after a commercial when Bestwick handles either a recap or just gives the guys in the booth a bit of a break.

ESPN has been making great pictures and the in-car cameras from MIS are often spectacular when combined with the fixed "speed shots" that convey to the viewer the incredible speeds on this big superspeedway. With drivers touching 200mph going into the corners, keeping this "speed perspective" is going to be important.

When the race coverage is done, ESPNEWS will be covering the press conference from the Infield Media Center with the top three drivers, the winning crew chief and owner. This is either done live or on a short delay.

This post will serve to host your comments on the Sunday TV coverage from MIS on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS. To add your TV-related 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 drop by The Daly Planet.

294 comments:

1 – 200 of 294   Newer›   Newest»
Rockin Rich said...

Controversy Alert:

According to a post on the That's Racin site this AM, both of Gibbs' Nationwide teams were accused of attempting to rig the chassis dyno tests following the Michigan NW race.

Should be some interesting back & forth on both Speed,and ESPN pre-race shows today.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nice touch to have Ricky Craven on the set. Perhaps, we will see him on the post-race report on ESPNEWS.

JD

bevo said...

How about Craven replacing Rusty for the infield studio?

Daly Planet Editor said...

Clint Bowyer to Nicole Manske: "I was in a good mood before I talked to you." (NASCAR Now 10AM)

bevo said...

John Kernan is back with the NHRA coverage on ESPN2.

Sure do wish they would bring back RPM2Nite.

Matt said...

What a great idea.. take Ricky and replace Rusty. JD can you make it happen? haha

I wish they would have utilized Ricky more in the show though.. at times I forgot he was there.

Anonymous said...

This was a pretty good Nascar Now show. Nicole has been doing a great job from the beginning. Sure would like Craven instead of Wallace. And a very nice job on reporting the breaking news of the alleged JGR cheating business. And the comment by Bowyer having a good day until talking to Nicole was priceless.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Jo said...
RE: controversy
magnets under gas pedals on JGR N'wide cars

Tim Brewer on NN said (paraphasing here)it could have been the drivers & then named Tony & Joey. Thats a low shot because not 5 mins later, NN showed a crew man wiping down the side of some car AND he crawled in from the back!
I mean really Tim low blow if you don't know for sure don't do that!
If you know - then report it!
Don't insinuate...

Tony & Tim took shots at each other last year, and now Tim is at it again and adding Joey to the mix.

I don't understand why NA$CAR simply didn't tell the other automakers to step up their game & not penalized Toyotas. Then it wouldve been fair (er). Well that was my 2 cents glad I had stuff to do this morning & can't watch the other "pre race" stuff.

I wish Blogs had spell check ;)

August 17, 2008 12:01 PM

bevo said...

jo-

Firefox has a spell check built in. Just add a US dictionary add-on and voila!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nicole is making ESPN look rather ridiculous for not hosting the Sunday AM and PM editions of "NASCAR Now" from the Infield Pit Studio at the track.

The fact that there is an full TV crew in Bristol, CT for this show which takes place entirely using content from the track is now getting just plain weird.

Manske or Burr could handle this and the reporters could come to the Infield Pit Studio rather than all stand in the same spot passing the one ESPN microphone to each other for the entire hour.

ESPN would probably save a ton of money from not needing to staff an entire studio, control room and all the support staff. NASCAR Now from the track on Sunday...hmmm...

JD

Matt said...

I think Tim's theory is logical.. the teams aren't gonna run the race with these magnets because that defeats the whole purpose.

Since there's only a small window of time between the end of the race and the dyno test, and crew members aren't "allowed" to touch the cars, that leaves only the driver with direct contact with the car in this period of time..

bevo said...

JD,

The other added benefit would be reporters not looking into the sun during their segments.

Anonymous said...

Matt said...
I think Tim's theory is logical.. the teams aren't gonna run the race with these magnets because that defeats the whole purpose.

Since there's only a small window of time between the end of the race and the dyno test, and crew members aren't "allowed" to touch the cars, that leaves only the driver with direct contact with the car in this period of time..

August 17, 2008 12:11 PM

----
OK with that part - its the whole last year snipe fest ( & yes Tony did start it) coming back.
And they definately would not run the race with those in place.

Off to download Firefox & see if it works for me!

bevo said...

jo-

After you install go to Tools > Options > Advanced > General and check "Check my spelling as I type" box

Anonymous said...

One thing I ask for todays ESPN Coverage is pretty simple. TAKE DOWN THE BOTTOMLINE TICKER DURING THE RACE! Unlike last week when it was kept up the whole time. I just have a feeling with all this olympic news going on ESPN is going to keep the ticker up. It just looks so much wider without it.

Matt said...

Yeah I understand your point Jo.. guess I missed that last year. What happened?

Daly Planet Editor said...

That is apparently what is going on right now. How did they magnets get there?

As you know, I am not a fan of the ticker. One click of the mouse or the remote can get the same info, so I just think it should not be forced on me.

Hopefully, that may be a viewer controlled option down the road.

JD

Anonymous said...

West Coast Diane said:

Yes ESPN....keep bottom ticker off the screen for two reasons. 1) It is annoying and detracts from the race and 2) I don't want to know the results from the Olympics. Yesterday during the NW race they showed who one the 100 meter gold medal in T&F. I was ticked to say the least. Why do they feel the need to spoil major event results. Maybe I should stop watching anything ESPN when events are going on that I want to watch delayed.

Anonymous said...

I enjoy NASCAR Now. Having Nicole Manske and Ricky Craven this morning was a real treat.

I'll be avoiding the pre-race show. I don't have an hour to spare to pre-race news.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Robin Miller tonight on both SPEED Report and Wind Tunnel!

Sophia said...

I LOVE Robin Miller...hope he gets to talk a lot tonight...time is so limited on WT.

Thanks for the reminder JD.

:)

Anonymous said...

Bestwick getting a lot of mileage out of "bubble boys" slogan - ok I watched last Mondays NN this morning and he used it there too.

Matt said...

You just made my day JD.. I forgot Robin was on tonight.

I really wish Ricky could be on the pre-race. Just because he's not some big name like Wallace or Jarrett doesn't mean anything to me.

Newracefan said...

I wish they would turn down Rusty's and Brad's mike so they wouldn't be so loud, I always feeel like I'm being yelled at and now AB is starting to see loud too. I know it's not the TV because I have to turn it back up for everything else (except maybe the commercials)

Anonymous said...

Blogger bevo said...

jo-

After you install go to Tools > Options > Advanced > General and check "Check my spelling as I type" box

August 17, 2008 12:24 PM
---
ThankYou!!!! You are awesome. I'm now using Firefox, tested NA$CAR.com & it works fine TYTYTY

Daly Planet Editor said...

Once this race settles down into long green flag runs, it is going to be a test for Jerry Punch. There is going to be a lot of time to be filled where little passing is going-on.

After the earlier issues, it should be interesting to see how Bestwick is used during the actual race.

Anonymous said...

Blogger Matt said...

Yeah I understand your point Jo.. guess I missed that last year. What happened?

August 17, 2008 12:52 PM
---
Tim said something about Tony's driving style - I don't remember what
& Tony shot back with a comment about washed up, has been & never were crew chiefs, and then Tony had the beer & bs remark & it went all season! & it seems to be on again...

Newracefan said...

A little behind here really like the AP tire piece. ESPN seems to be mentioning Reut a lot, I noticed it yesterday too I wonder if they have figured out that he is well liked (a least by most on this blog anyway).

bevo said...

jo-

Happy to be helpful. I use the US dictionary
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3497

As you type a red line will be under the word, just right click and the list will pop up

Sophia said...

nice of ESPN to keep the crawl up to spoil things for those DVRing the Olympics.

bad call!

bevo said...

JD,

Is this going to be the race coverage post?

Sophia said...

Mozilla is the BEST!!

hey bevo, my computer crashed a couple weeks ago and when I re-added Adblocker, I STILL have adds appearing in sites that previous did not have them? KNow the secret to that one? (weather.com, yahoo (got rid of adds on some mail pages) and newspaper sites)

Some sites are easier to block adds than others with banner/ads* or gif. filters.

Others, you must need a degree in Algebra or computer geek to figure ?

The filters get more complicated I guess...but somehow my laptop with the bad mother board has hiccups.
sorry to go off topic JD but Bevo seems Firefox savvy.:)

Anonymous said...

One of the Anons posted only E2 keeps the crawl on screen all the time. Yet its still on & its spoiled Olympics on DVR for me too! So I have quit DVR-ing them. Problems solved. When they drop the crawl I will DVR again & watch. Otherwise not only do I not watch I won't see a hint of adverts!

Anonymous said...

Blogger Sophia said...

Mozilla is the BEST!!
sorry to go off topic JD but Bevo seems Firefox savvy.:)

August 17, 2008 1:57 PM
---
Amen he is!

Anonymous said...

Ouch, can't anyone at MIS (ESPN?) figure out how to adjust the levels on that singer's mic?

bevo said...

sophia-

AdBlock Plus 0.7.5.5
and
AdBlock Plus Filter Uploader 1.5+

Hope that helps!

Sophia said...

jo

Yep

the crawl was on ALL last week's race and ESPN does not care.

It's a nice day..if I get annoyed, will go sit out in the yard and take squirrel and hummingbird pics rather than scream at the tele!

:)

Dmo said...

The mic level was distorting a bit - but the real problem was another wireless mic on that channel interfering with it. That creates a very distinct chattering noise. Big event with lotsa media present; someone didn't check on their wireless mic frequency before attempting to use it.
-D

bevo said...

HotPass Drivers and Announcers


HARVICK

Doug Rice
Matt Yocum


EARNHARDT JR

Rick Allen
Phil Parsons


JOHNSON

Randy Pemberton
Hermie Sadler


BURTON

Tony Rizzuiti
Wendy Venturini

Anonymous said...

Not to get off topic, but website ad revenue puts a roof over my family's head and food on the table.

Keep in mind that nothing on the internet is free to create. Writers, editors, server space, bandwidth, network techs, etc all cost money.

Support the sites that you use by supporting what pays their bills.

Daly Planet Editor said...

bevo,

That could be a good side biz. TDP computer support.

Daly Planet Editor said...

I kind of thought Tony and Ryan would be the lead after all the ESPN.com and NASCAR Now focus on that. Interesting that it was fuel mileage.

Sophia said...

photojoash

I don't mind some adds and many are still there. But many are so flashy and distracting as to cause vertigo...it's a visual thing for some of us...not a dissing of income.

Bevo

Thanks for the tips! Will try when I revive my laptop later!!

Merci beaucoup!

Rats, I missed the little kid starting the race. Off to the tv room.

Anonymous said...

how did we get from the ESPN crawl to putting food on plate? a weird game of telephone.

bevo said...

JD,

No thanks! :)

BTW our little issue last week was in effect at the start. Hopefully it will happen some more.

Anonymous said...

Back on topic...

It's always nice when the in-race reporter/crew-chief bit doesn't include 4-5 renditions of "This is XXXXX in the booth, you got a copy?".

I realize that (just like the wireless singer mic) there are a number of ways that it can go wrong. But somehow it annoys me when they can't get that together. So nice to see it work today.

Anonymous said...

sophia your ad problem is most likely a spyware type problem. Run spybot or adaware. The ads are likely from a spyware program and those programs should delete them

Anonymous said...

Waitaminute ... I thought Jack taken Bob away from Carl for awhile ... Why's Jamie makin' stuff up again ??

Anonymous said...

matt said...
"I think Tim's theory is logical.. the teams aren't gonna run the race with these magnets because that defeats the whole purpose.

Since there's only a small window of time between the end of the race and the dyno test, and crew members aren't "allowed" to touch the cars, that leaves only the driver with direct contact with the car in this period of time.."

disclaimer: i did not watch pre-race so did not hear exactly what brewer said in context. but here's my problem with the brewer theory: are we to assume that the jgr cars had magnets somewhere inside the cockpit during the race? and that tony and logano somehow managed to install said magnets beneath the pedal without anyone asking what was going on? let me see if i can figure out brewer's logic: the race is over, the drivers climb out, the teams are told their cars are being pulled for dyno testing and then both stewart and logano reach into their cars and both install magnets without anyone saying "whoa, there, buddy! no can do!"?

or is he assuming that they somehow managed to install the magnets immediately after the race and before they climbed out? yeah, tony's got PLENTY of space inside the car to somehow reach down and attach a magnet to the underside of his accelerator pedal.

i'm just not understanding how brewer's placing this on the drivers. sounds as if he's still a bit . . . miffed at stewart or something given that it was 2 jgr cars, i'm thinking institutional decision made and executed.

Anonymous said...

"Michael Phelps of motor racing" !?!?!?

"Young phenom" ?!?!?

Anonymous said...

@bevo--A-FREAKIN'-MEN! That was the first phrases out of our mouths last year with the NN fiasco! Where is John Kernan? and Where is RPM2Nite!

@jo--up what bevo said...I LOVE Firefox! One day I'll go through all the add ons...but they have some great ones!

Anonymous said...

KRKO-AM is once again pre-empting the MRN coverage ... today for minor league baseball ...

Anonymous said...

whether you believe the magnet story or Tim Brewer believes the magnet story makes no difference cause NASCAR believes it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Michael Phelps of motor racing" !?!?!?

"Young phenom" ?!?!?

August 17, 2008 2:23 PM
--
Do we start the drinkin contest now?

The bottom ticker is gone for now!

Anonymous said...

photojosh - Danielle Peck had the mic to close to her mouth ... Plus, it doesn't help the sound when she sings it the way she does ... It might also be nice IF she would actually learn the words to the song & stop trying to warble it ...

Sophia said...

thanks anon

ran a scan...it's me not spyware..if I take 15 minutes I can block and add but some dont stay away the next time back.

I wonder how much Busch is gonna be compared to Olympic champ....Kyle got lots of boos on RD...man...even I was surprised by that

Sophia said...

yay,

BOTTOM TICKER IS GONE.

Matt said...

red -

I see your point, but I don't know of any other way the magnets could've gotten there. It was rumored before the race that this dyno test was going to occur, so it's very likely that they could have raced with them somewhere in the car.

As for there being enough room for them to do that before exiting the car.. that's another question.

Anonymous said...

just an aside: anyone know why young mr busch was alone in the truck on the parade lap prior to the rcae?

Anonymous said...

Poor Marcos blown motor & so early

bevo said...

HotPass ticker isn't working

Anonymous said...

Anonymous red said...

just an aside: anyone know why young mr busch was alone in the truck on the parade lap prior to the rcae?

August 17, 2008 2:32 PM
------
I've been at tracks and seen JR go by himself & other drivers too. Does anyone know who decides that?

Matt said...

I hate to see that for Marcos.. nothin like a blown engine to kill a team's momentum.

bevo said...

At Texas the drivers are always alone unless they're being interviewed by a reporter

Anonymous said...

The Las Vegas Sun had a cartoon the other day of Michael reading a paper with a headline of Kylie winning everything and Michael saying something along the lines of "I hope this guy doesn't swim"

Anonymous said...

red - Maybe no one wanted to be out in the truck with Kyle ... In case a fan got over-excited or something ... LOL

Anonymous said...

aflac trivia = algebra question -

Daly Planet Editor said...

See if we get the Marcos Ambrose interview....

Newracefan said...

OK who did what on pit road. the 70 is now 9th?

Anonymous said...

matt @ 2:32: i didn't realize there was a rumor about the dyno test being done after that race. that's an interesting wrinkle. also, i just read that, even if not rumored ahead of time that the dyno test hauler is conscipuous in its presence.

anon 2:35: i was told years ago that drivers were placed in the parade lap vehicles according to points standing and that the #1 and 2 drivers always shared the truck. of course, w/43 drivers, it could be that the #1 driver gets the truck to himself. i just hadn't noticed it before, either on tv or at the track.

and here's an example of the lack of accuracy that makes me crazy-nuts w/this crew. when the 88 passed the 48 for the lead, the booth speculated that it was a "gimme" between teammates. of course, the 88 never gave the lead back but that wasn't commented upon by the guys. if you're going to "state" that something happened and then you discover that you're statement was inaccurate, you might want to correct yourself. those of us watching DO notice that sort of mistake.

Anonymous said...

Daly Planet Editor said...

See if we get the Marcos Ambrose interview....

August 17, 2008 2:41 PM
---
We can only dream this isn't real race coverage, its TV espn style

Daly Planet Editor said...

Is it just me or is Shannon having a tough time fitting in these days? She was doing great, but these Cup races have been tough for her.

Matt said...

I just did the Aflac question.. it really is 6.28 ft. Haha wow I'm such a nerd.

Anonymous said...

bevo said...
At Texas the drivers are always alone unless they're being interviewed by a reporter

thanks, bevo. that makes more sense than what i was thinking . . .

Daly Planet Editor said...

Be nice to get an Ambrose interview out of the commercial.

Anonymous said...

JD - Shannon's never fit in on any of the broadcasts/shows ...

Same with Jamie ... Except Jamie's making stuff up ...

IF Jamie, et al are going to talk about tires ... Will someone PLEASE take them to the Goodyear facility so that they can see the tires are made individually by human hands ???? That's why Goodyear can't rush a new load of tires to the track when they have problems like they did at Indy ... It takes a lot of time to make the tires ...

bevo said...

red-

I imagine it has to do with how many courtesy vehicles the promoter gets too

bevo said...

Jr saying they have a big problem. Temp hitting 300

Jessica said...

junior might blow. oil at 300...

Sophia said...

I am sorry but i was happier when Rusty was not talking during the races...but this is ESPN..

Wonder if we will get that Ambrose interview at all...HATED to see that for he and the W brothers.

Newracefan said...

Good Lord it's lap 40 of 200 and we're doing a bubble boys where are they for the chase. Come on

Dmo said...

Dang, Michigan is boring.
-D

Sophia said...

I hate hearing that about Jr's car...have they mentioned this oN ESPN?

Jessica said...

heh. they always run so well before they go.

bevo said...

HotPass camera getting a close up on the front of Jr's car. Looks like some paper or something is on the right side of the splitter

PammH said...

they interviewed Marcos about 10 mins ago on MRN.

Anonymous said...

They just put up a graphics package that somehow (I'm still not sure how) linked Kyle Busch, Richard Petty, Michael Phelps, and Mark Spitz.

Enough Michael Phelps already, geez! The Olympics aren't even on your network. Lame.

bevo said...

Now they're doing a freeze frame for the crew

Anonymous said...

jessica said...
heh. they always run so well before they go.

oh, so very true! do you remember which driver said that? i'm not certain who it was i i know who i THINK it was . . .

bevo said...

Water 260
Oil 300

Vicky D said...

Did anyone just notice what JP said - for you folks watching at home. If we weren't watching tv we wouldn't care what was going on at the track. Also, haven't heard an interview with Ambrose yet either.

Dmo said...

bevo said...
Water 260
Oil 300

Cook for 20 minutes, shake well, and serve on a hot pavement platter...

Newracefan said...

They keep talking baout JR catching the 96 how about backing up and letting the 83 pass him, at least he's closer. 20 more laps til pit stops that's a long way at 300

bevo said...

Vickers takes the lead, Jr tucking under him to clear the grill

Anonymous said...

This is not good for Jr.
And while theres racin going on we get several mins of just the 88 on the screen!

Thank the heavens for MRN who also have interviewed Marcos awhile back & gone thru the field!

bevo said...

nrf-

Done and done :)

Sophia said...

Thanks BEvo!!

hope that helps Jr

bevo said...

Back down to 230

bevo said...

Oh No! DraftTrac!!!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Think Rusty is laughing in the infield because he had to do that last year?

bevo said...

Jr will take 4 tires, no adjustments.

And with that I'll change the channel, I'm not even an 88 fan :)

Anonymous said...

Nice explanation from AP about lights w/gages inside the cars.
Good job & no cut to Tech Center

Anonymous said...

ok, so that may be the ONLY time that the draft tracker nonsense is of any use to help casual fans (if such can be said to exist!) understand what the #88 and the #83 just pulled off.

and how about an "attaboy!" for that #83 team, doncha think? they have looked racy all weekend.

Newracefan said...

I actually think that was a good use of draft track showing how small of a window there is for the car to be in to have the trash come off. Otherwise a total waste of time. it's now 1/4 of the way thru the race, no thru the field, no interview of Marcos :(

Anonymous said...

Anyone hear a peep about Newman? or Stewart? I thought with the "secret" being announced we'd be overloaded but, since neither is in the top 5 we pretend they are not there.

bevo said...

Skinner has dropped from 22 to 36

Anonymous said...

no, no no! punch or director or whoever, this is NOT the time to talk about the newman announcement! when you start with "cars are strung out in single file," THAT'S the time to do a thru the field report!

bevo said...

Pemberton on Johnson channel-

48 very loose and has brushed the wall a few times. Look for him to charge once they pit.

Newracefan said...

Any speculation the Ryan is now the Penske R and D team?

Again with the full screen pit stops during green flags. Argggg

Anonymous said...

Ignorant question: why did Carl Edwards just throw debris out his window onto the racetrack????

Anonymous said...

red said...

no, no no! punch or director or whoever, this is NOT the time to talk about the newman announcement! when you start with "cars are strung out in single file," THAT'S the time to do a thru the field report!

August 17, 2008 3:10 PM
---
LOL In their world it is! Don't you know green flag racin' is boring to them?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ignorant question: why did Carl Edwards just throw debris out his window onto the racetrack????

August 17, 2008 3:12 PM

He needs a caution?

Newracefan said...

RESET THE FIELD

Anonymous said...

newracefan said...
RESET THE FIELD

lord, i hope so, nrf, and deeper than the top 10! i'm getting tired of opening and closing the foxtrax window on my laptop just so i can find out who's where in the field! isn't that espn's job?

Newracefan said...

Red Foxtrax open all the time but I want to know why they are there

Daly Planet Editor said...

Things are starting to get a bit off-base. Andy is great, but Doc is not talking about what is happening.

Wonder how much AB we will be seeing during the middle of the race?

Newracefan said...

Wonder how much AB we will be seeing during the middle of the race?

Hopefully a lot I can't take much more

Anonymous said...

FoxTrax,MRN,Raceview, & the TV just to follow a race because the TV "partner" is to dang lazy to give good race coverage!
REST the entire field
Update cars off the track (hint)
Shut cRusty up!!!

Newracefan said...

OK we know JR is loose so anyone else on the track?

Newracefan said...

Now the TECH CENTER.... what..... RESET THE FIELD and tell us how everyine else is doing. OMG

Sophia said...

I have been in and out of the room...glad I missed the draft tracker. :)

sigh...ESPN still doesn't get it for info.

I would've loved to ahve heard from Marcos. :( guess since it's the Wood brothers, ESPN does not care.

Newracefan said...

Off to make popcorn, I can't take it anymore and I don't want to start drinking. This is awful

Sophia said...

Ok..I am a Jr fan but ENOUGH...leave him alone and talk about the other 42 cars on the track..time to look for a blank tape and go outside maybe?

This is bloody aggravating.
The lack of info is astounding ain't it?

bevo said...

I'm getting much more information from the announcers on HotPass than the ESPN crew, even the drivers the HotPass guys aren't covering.

Vicky D said...

Did the guys in the booth tell us that Jr. was loose??? What about the rest of the field? You wouldn't know that there are 41 other cars out there would you?

bevo said...

Caution

Daly Planet Editor said...

Jerry is lost...and that happened during commercial break.

Sophia said...

what happened to blaney. WOW...bummer...he and newman. Blaney is a mess!!

WOW..that looked scary and a HARD hit. Hope he is ok.

Matt said...

Are you kidding me?? Will Blaney ever get a break?

Anonymous said...

Well so much for the CoT being "un flippable" the wall kept it from flipping

Sophia said...

Blaney does have a tough time... :(

bevo said...

Rick Allen and Randy Pemberton are doing great jobs on HotPass today

kang said...

The time interval has been out since about lap 40. I guess this is what passes for race coverage on Espn.

Anonymous said...

jd, do you know if anyone from espn production truck puts eyes on this blog during the race? if not, i'm just going to start keeping more than mental notes about how eff'ed up this broadcast is so far so i can be accurate in the post-race column! no sense in making myself crazy if no one is listening today . . .

and if they are--

espn: listen carefully. there is still time to fix some of this. start by giving us a "thru the field" and then let's talk about some of the rest of the cars, maybe mid-pack and back. when even #88 fans are complaining that he's being covered too much, you KNOW you have a problem! and how about talking with ambros or telling us he refused an interview? please give us information about WTF is happening so we can watch the broadcast instead of our computer screens.

(and isn't it a bit early for a good hands call? or is it done at a particular lap by contract with allstate?)

Matt said...

I don't mean to whine, but what bothers me most about Menard is that he's in the car only because daddy is the sponsor.

Newracefan said...

How did Reut go from 15th to 26th on a pit stop, Jimmie 10th to 14th. Who took what.....

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Ignorant question: why did Carl Edwards just throw debris out his window onto the racetrack????
August 17, 2008 3:12 PM

The t.v. peeps said he got low on the track and threw an empty water bottle out so as not to interfere with anyone on the track.

Vicky D said...

Are we going to hear from Blaney?

Anonymous said...

vicky d said...
Are we going to hear from Blaney?

yep . . . after we hear from ambros!

Sophia said...

Did we ever hear why Skinner is struggling so? guess it's not just McDowell...

boy...JJ was a sandwich there and got squished.

Vicky D said...

Good one Red! Thanks. I work for CAT so am curious what Blaney thought of it.

Anonymous said...

red said...

vicky d said...
Are we going to hear from Blaney?

yep . . . after we hear from ambros!

August 17, 2008 3:36 PM
---
Which will be after Satan builds an ice rink in hello

Sophia said...

follow up today STINKS ESPN.

Man oh man.

yet just enough changes to keep me watching...for the next few minutes anyhoo.

But Red, you are correct with your details...pitiful, pitiful

Anonymous said...

WHY do they attempt to update Chase points DURING the race!?! Its not important till after the race!!!!!
Now they interview Jeff not Marcos or Blaney!!!!! Espn is really awful!

Vicky D said...

Where oh where are Ambrose's and Blaney's interviews ESPN?

Anonymous said...

ESPN stoops to new low
The manufacturers ticker

Sophia said...

Amzing how quick they got to Jeff.

Do we know if Blaney is ok? he is gonna be sore tomorrow...looked like an awkward hit.

I am getting so I really hate the CHASE. such a LACK OF FOCUS on the other drivers..thus no tv coverage, no camera time, unhappy sponsors....thanks NASCAR.

Newracefan said...

I didn't realize this was a 13 car race.

Anonymous said...

how about we focus on THE RACE. not "the bubble"?!? the chase status is a POST-race point of information, not something we want to know about 1/2 way thru a race!

i'm very close to turning this whole hot mess off and that is something i can't stand!

Anonymous said...

Matt & Elliot are having decent day. Why no mention?

Sophia said...

Ok. following up on Skinners comments on Trackside he admits to not whining but just complaining and letting it all out. I shall do the same:

Are the guys in the booth aware that there have been ACCIDENTS and NO interviews with said drivers?

Do they care?

Are we just yapping in the wind

Anonymous said...

red said...

how about we focus on THE RACE. not "the bubble"?!? the chase status is a POST-race point of information, not something we want to know about 1/2 way thru a race!

i'm very close to turning this whole hot mess off and that is something i can't stand!

August 17, 2008 3:50 PM
--
I'm there with ya'. The lack of informed info is frustrating, I have muted TV its making me crazy & only listening to it on MRN.
I think earlier when Doc said if it wasn't for viewers watching they wouldn't care is really being shown on screen today.

Anonymous said...

I honestly don't think Doc understands the premis of PxP, eg: Hornish gets loose and everyone stops talking, even us here at home and waits for Doc to start talking!!!!!!!!!! geesh

Anonymous said...

(and isn't it a bit early for a good hands call? or is it done at a particular lap by contract with allstate?)

No one is ever happy. Would you rather they cram it in with 10 laps to go? Then you would complain that it is too important race coverage to do it. You should be glad they are getting it out of the way!

Vicky D said...

If Blaney's car is out of the race, I bet Ambrose & him are already on their way home so we won't hear from them today. And why no through the field??? That's what I don't like about the Chase, ESPN is focusing too much on those 12 or 13 cars and not mentioning anyone else. Lots of shots of Jr's car today too.

bevo said...

Doug Rice-

Jr is driving an unorthodox line out there :)

Harvick is trying to figure out what he's doing

Anonymous said...

anonymous said...
(and isn't it a bit early for a good hands call? or is it done at a particular lap by contract with allstate?)

"No one is ever happy. Would you rather they cram it in with 10 laps to go? Then you would complain that it is too important race coverage to do it. You should be glad they are getting it out of the way"

i'm pretty sure there's a compromise between putting it in prior to the 1/2 way point and waiting until "10 laps to go." if it's a contract moment with allstate, that's understandable. but if not: isn't it likely we'll see more "aggressive" driving later in the race and thereby maybe better "good hands" moments?

Newracefan said...

CLINT BOWYER? He's 26th how about all the guy in front of him? For crying out loud Reut is 14th and Mikey is 23rd great runs for them but still no thru the field. I am so sick of this chase bubble, when we finally get into the chase it really will be a 12 car race.

bevo said...

red and jo-

If I wasn't watching HotPass I'd be right there with you

Sophia said...

think these guys are playing cards in the booth?

Ok...let's put the focus on Jr some more..I love the boy but the media focus/pressure makes me wanna scream. The boy is having a bad day MUST we report every tidbit??

Leave him alone.

Ok...I feel better.

I think it's time for that very rare glass of wine.

Cripes it's not even 5pm...

Also going to look for a blank vcr tape.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but 23rd is not a "great run"

Erik said...

I liked Sky Sports coverage of NASCAR in the UK. They show ESPN's race feed, though have their own studio team that takes over when ESPN goes to commercial. Its amazing the difference in the number of commercials. Usually the camera continues to follow the leader while US TV is in a break, and the announcers openly comment on stuff later on that never gets replayed to the Americans.

Newracefan said...

Kite11 take it in context. 23 for Mikey is a great run. 23 for Jimmie not so much

Vicky D said...

Thanks, Brad, for mentioning Elliott Sadler - that'll probably be the only time today though.

Dmo said...

I question the amount of communication between the truck and the booth. Several times today and last week, the car featured on-screen with stats was not the person the booth folks were talking about.
-D

Sophia said...

Why even have the rest of the season?

A non NASCAR friend to mine said why don't they just have the chasers race the last 10 races...good question.

We never hear about the non chase guys.

If I hear bubble one more time I AM GONNA SCREAM!!!

so get ready for a caps lock post!?!

Just kidding...off to get a rare glass of adult beverage.

Chocolate didn't help my mood a couple hours ago. :)

If it weren't for you multi taskers on this blog, I would be in the dark.

Oh, love these google earth shots. Was really impressed when they used it for a restart earlier.

NOT.

Wide shots please, not shots from the Space Shuttle!!

Anonymous said...

I have to say, I think some ESPN bigwig has put a muzzle on the infield these last few races. We keep expecting AB to ride in and resuce us but he is MIA for the most part. Why so?

I have no choice, I will have to invest in Hot Pass next season

Newracefan said...

I MISS FOX

Daly Planet Editor said...

You know like sometimes when a football team is playing a lesser team but they have a big game in two weeks?

They sometimes "look ahead" past the game that is right in front of them and get caught short.

That is the feeling of this race. They have talked about the upcoming Bristol race and the cut-off for The Chase endlessly.

The drivers being shown are the ones in or on-the-bubble for The Chase. It almost seems like last season....sorry to have to say that.

JD

Vicky D said...

Have any of the pit reporters checked with the crews to see when the guys will have to make pit stops? And they haven't mentioned fuel strategy in awhile. . . . .

J.J. said...

Typical ESPN.

They just did their "Race Summary," and their #1 story was that "Junior led this race at some point." No mention of any other leaders (or even the current leader) in the storylines.

I don't care how popular he is. Just because it's Junior doesn't mean that it's more important. That's a slap in the face to Carl Edwards.

Anonymous said...

vicky d said...
Have any of the pit reporters checked with the crews to see when the guys will have to make pit stops? And they haven't mentioned fuel strategy in awhile. . . . .

maybe they're waiting until after the next set of stops? at this point, i can't even begin to fathom what's going on here today. and here we are w/full screen pit stops under green flag racing . . .

Anonymous said...

why is the 9 in the garage?

Anonymous said...

Hey Jamie & Shannon - Tell us what happened to send Kasey Kahne to the garage ...

Newracefan said...

RESET THE FIELD

Daly Planet Editor said...

Think Kasey is in line behind Marcos and Dave Blaney....

Anonymous said...

j.j.@ 4:12: i would agree except that this team is making such a hot mess of this broadcast that i think they're just going for the easy way and not even looking at the race as a whole. i don't think it has anything to do with dale's popularity: it's just "low-hanging fruit" for the truck . . .

(and now we hear yet again from young mr busch and how he's going to race these last pre-chase races. that's three times this broadcast. and what happened to the guy they had at the beginning of the race in the pits? now they have the camera with a guy on the #18 team? and what happened to dj copp anyway? i'm perplexed . . . and pissed!)

Newracefan said...

Blaney back on track will they ever tell us. Bet if JG comes back we'll get that update

Anonymous said...

daly planet editor said...
Think Kasey is in line behind Marcos and Dave Blaney....

in all seriousness, do we even know if marcos and dave are even still at the track? are they coming back anytime soon?

Anonymous said...

I tell y'll now, Jr will change spotters by the end of the season

did you guys catch that comming out of commercial?

Vicky D said...

Finally, Kasey is interviewed, but only because he is on the bubble.

Newracefan said...

Race to the chase I don't care>>>>>> That is for the post race show you know what ESPN doesn't have right after the race

Anonymous said...

Mikey's up to 18th

Sophia said...

well,, JD you are correct...they are completely ABSENT from today's race.

Note the quick interviews with Jeff and Kasey (and Massaro said ******* bubble word again!)

Ambrose and Blaney, two popular drivers for many of us and nary a peep.

NASCAR's OWN bias and bigotry is showing to the 'lesser drivers'.

Anonymous said...

ri88girl said...
I tell y'll now, Jr will change spotters by the end of the season

nah, tj and dale are best buds. it's just racin', is all. they'll be fine on the plane on the way home, not to worry.

(ya' know, i am ambivalent at best about fans having the ability to listen in to drivers, crew chiefs and spotters.)

Anonymous said...

NBC / TNT did the SAME thing with focusing on Bubble Boys for like the 4-5 races before the start of the Chase ...

It's not just Disney ...

bevo said...

JD,

Has ESPN used the same Director and Producer for these races or are they changing them week to week?

They need to get one of these HotPass Producers to take over. I'm getting way more info on the other cars out there besides their drivers than ESPN is giving me.

Sophia said...

newracefan
THANKS for the blaney info.

Sorry he is not worthy of tv mention.

And again, isn't this an example of how bad coverage can be hurting the sponsorships if you are never on the tv....?

Daly Planet Editor said...

And once again Rusty reminds us of why he was removed from the booth.

Vicky D said...

Mikey is up to 18th and Kvapil is up to 13th but NOT ONE WORD about these popular drivers.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Bevo,

Same Director, but on the production side there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen today.

Sophia said...

r88

what was said after commercial about Jr's spotter?

Tv will NEVER tell us..amazingly since they tell us everytime jr blows his nose....

Anonymous said...

As I write this here is where some of the cars started and where they are now -
Waltrip started 42, now 20
Gilliland start 40, now 18
Havick start 38, now 12
Burton start 28, now 9
Hamlin start 37, now 11

Charlie

Anonymous said...

@j.j.--last year a few posters renamed ESPN Earnhardt
Sells
Promote
Now
for that reason...it was all Jr. all the time. I'm a Jr. fan but I'm also a fan of other guys that I'd like to hear about as well.

@kiteman11--what they said. 23rd is a good run depending on who you're speaking of. Folks like Mikey it's a great run...for folks like Kylie, Jeff, Jimmie not so much. w

Sophia said...

thanks for the info on Mikey.

Heck I had no idea he was in the race today!!;-0

Anonymous said...

red,

I've spent seven years listening to Jr on the radio, all the way back to Ty Norris. The best spotter he ever had was Steve Hmeil. Tj is not a particularly good spotter to begin with but what I was refering to was his continuing the same type of chatter in the corner that Jr was discussing with him earlier.

Newracefan said...

The prefect ending for this mess will by KB wins again, I think I may go vacumn

Daly Planet Editor said...

Charlie,

If that info does not tell the sad tale of the ESPN coverage of this race, nothing does.

Newracefan said...

JG back lets see how long it taks. Finally thru the field lap 165 pathetic

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