Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sprint Cup Series on ABC From Martinsville


There is a new post up for comments on the Martinsville race, click on the TDP logo at the top of the page.

Any way you cut it, this is going to be a long day. Allen Bestwick is going to start the ABC coverage with a thirty minute version of NASCAR Countdown. Bestwick will have Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty alongside in the Infield Pit Center.

The shortened preview show should focus on the random nature of luck at Martinsville, where cautions can switch the entire back of the field to the front when pit stops are done. Several of The Chasers have good records at this track and it should be interesting to see if one superteam has figured things out this weekend.

Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will be upstairs in the announce booth after spending practice and qualifying in the Infield Pit Center. They will be joined by Mike Massaro, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake on pit road. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Center.

This track is called the paperclip for a good reason. It consists of two short drag races and two hard left turns with yellow curbs on the inside. Patience and payback are usually the two themes of the event.

Controversial Scott Speed is in the field, as is Kenny Schrader in the Hall of Fame Toyota. Chad McCumbee is in the #45 and veteran Mike Bliss is in the #00. Ultimately, the lap-down cars begin to play a critical role as the race progresses.

Look for Bestwick to be on-the-air coming out of commercial breaks. He will be supplying updates on the race and also lead the field rundowns. With the short track, Tim Brewer should be appearing in a split-screen under green flag conditions so fans can continue to see the race. Martinsville is loud and small, so we should be hearing rather than seeing the pit reporters on a regular basis.

This track makes it tough to insert replays under green. One good aspect is that the track level cameras provide great speed shots, even at these lower speeds. It is tough to get the in-car cameras in use when the racing is tight, but fun to see them when things are spread out.

The way to tell when the production team gets tired is when they allow one high camera to follow the field around-and-around for several laps. Fans want cameras to be cut each lap high and low to get the sound and feel of this unique racetrack.

The challenge today for Punch is to continually update the field and leave the commentary to Jarrett and Petree. It is easy to get viewers lost as to what happened on the track, even with the scoring ticker crawling on the top of the screen. As we have said many times, the ticker on says where a car is, not how it got there.

Tempers get tight at this track. Last week the ESPN on ABC pit reporters were aggressive and got up on the pit stands to talk with the crew chiefs. It is going to be important for the pit reporters to keep up that intensity and get the real stories of who is where and why.

This post will serve to host your TV-related comments about the NASCAR Countdown show and the Sprint Cup Series race on ABC. To add 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. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

258 comments:

1 – 200 of 258   Newer›   Newest»
bevo said...

HotPass announcers

HARVICK
Adam Alexander
Wendy Venturini
Producer: Tony Marshall

EARNHARDT JR
Rick Allen
Phil Parsons
Producer: Ted Laukaitis

EDWARDS
Randy Pemberton
Hermie Sadler
Producer: John Walsh

BURTON
Larry McReynolds
Matt Yocum
Producer: John Morris

Daly Planet Editor said...

That is a pretty darn good line-up.

Newracefan said...

We almost had another parade issue here in the Phila area but thankfully the Colombus Day Parade is on NBC.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update Bevo

PammH said...

I have noticed on EVERY replay shown this morn on both Speed & the four letter network, the calls we here are MRN/PRN...very telling, imo.

Daly Planet Editor said...

nrf,

I think that is an issue to address before next season. Maybe by then the station will have an HD channel for secondary distribution.

JD

Daly Planet Editor said...

pammmmmh,

That is the truth ever since The Brickyard. Even NASCAR Now is struggling to use his calls.

JD

Anonymous said...

OK I'm a little slow - I just had a eureka moment. Why I don't like Brad!

He jumps on the flavor of the week ( Jeff Burton this week) like he has been that drivers fan forever. On & on like we finally discovered someone he has been a long suffering fan of forever & he is gonna show us what we have missed.
It drives me nuts.

BobinNev said...

I wonder if the drivers audibly groan when they see Shannon walking toward them and sigh with relief when she passes by?

Lou said...

BobinNev.....to funny , thanks, we "FEEL" their pain.

rich said...

bevo, many thanks again for the hotpass lineup

Daly Planet Editor said...

Wendy to Shannon might be one of the roughest transitions in NASCAR TV.

Newracefan said...

Anyone been able to load raceview yet. Had it up on program guide and then it started to load and it got to 96% took a shower got dressed still at 96% closed and restarted it 4 times before it gave me the free one and stopped asking for my password and now it's back to the program guide. Pit command (I pay) has been up and running no problem.

Newracefan said...

Wendy to Shannon too funny (or painful) JD. After her interview I decided I needed a shower and could watch the prerace some other time so I could FF through half of it

Lou said...

bevo, thanks for the info. Will watch the 29 and 88 channel on Hotpass w/an eye on the abc feed in the upper right.

JD, as much as I like Andy and Dale, it is really tough to watch when I get more info on the track from Hotpass. But I will check the abc feed on occasion.

The Loose Wheel said...

Thank you Jesus for M-ville not hiring a "professional" to sing the anthem

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog from Bob Pockrass on scenedaily.com. Here's a portion:

"Scoreboard is cool, but a TV headache

I am not in Martinsville, stuck at home watching the action on television.

Which at least goes along with a story I’ve been chasing all week.

Martinsville’s new 80-foot-high scoreboard I hear is pretty cool. It has video screens for fans to watch the action and everything.

But the scoreboard apparently block some of the angles that the TV cameras have had in the past when shooting across the track, prompting the networks to adjust. It has been an issue known, and one of private concern, for at least a couple of weeks.

(snip)

"The official comment from ESPN? “Facility enhancements for the fans are something we as broadcast partners totally understand, and we work closely with NASCAR and tracks to insure we will present the best telecast possible.”

Speed? Nothing on the record."

http://www.scenedaily.com/opinions/blogs/bobpockrass/Scoreboard_is_cool_but_a_TV_headache.html

Newracefan said...

Maybe the screen blocks the shot of the flagman and the winners wife/moother/crewchief etc. We can only hope

bevo said...

Your welcome folks.
I'll be watching the Cowboys game with the race.

Anonymous said...

Who's sharing the 42nd pit stall today?

Newracefan said...

I thought it was only Dover that had 42

The Loose Wheel said...

There is no stall sharing at Martinsville. That occurs at Dover.

I've never been made aware of there being stalls shared here. They redid the pit road about 8 years ago to put 43 stalls on the frontstretch

Anonymous said...

Anyone else having audio issues? My ABC is out of Traverse City, MI and the audio keeps cutting in and out quite a bit - annoying to say the least.

Anonymous said...

I gotta say that was one of the best commands to fire em up I've heard in a long time.

BobinNev said...

@ brotherflounder...jayski.com has a pit selection map.

Anonymous said...

Whoops. My bad about the sharing. (Dover, I knew that, right.) I obviously need more caffeine.

So, will we see anyone other than the Chasers today?

rich said...

got my raceview running now and its pretty neat.

The Loose Wheel said...

Sleeper watch:

McMurray

bevo said...

Wonder if the Spanish call is more exciting than JP's? :)

Anonymous said...

JD--yup! If he'd CALL the race they might have something to work with...they can't work with *crickets* :(.

@jojoyce--YUP! Brad does that and he's talked to *everyone* in the garage like they're all BFFs!

@bnobinnev--LOL! It's like they're doing the "keep walking...keep walking...whew!"

@nrf--LOL! I know...yes we know what their mother/wife/gf etc. looks like! We don't need 'em in split screen those last laps--or any for that matter. Well unless one is going to the others War Wagon to have a "chat" like Nicole did a few years ago with whatever Kurt's wife's name is...then it might be entertaining :). We NEED to see the action on the track!

Anonymous said...

Thought the anthem was done well as it should be. More tracks should take notice and follow Martinvilles lead.

Frank in Sebring

Newracefan said...

Was that floating ABC ball there last week or is it just in the way on this track so I noticed

bevo said...

nrf-

I think it was watermarked before

BobinNev said...

Bumper cam already!

stricklinfan82 said...

Not NASCAR but related to what happened to TBS last night in the baseball game, there is no power in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo so the NFL is allowing the Bills-Chargers game to be played with no TV coverage right now. I just can't believe the NFL would allow this to happen.

Let's pray this never happens in NASCAR, and if it did I would hope NASCAR would step in and delay the event for TV like baseball and football did not.

Potential big break for ABC because Bills-Chargers was the marquee game for CBS today.

Anonymous said...

newracefan - it's been there all year; it's on all the non-HD broadcasts. It's higher than normal for ABC programming because of the 18/58 update ticker.

Newracefan said...

Please stop the bumper cam for passes it does not really show us what is happening

Jessica said...

DJ seems genuinely excited about this race...its nice to hear.

Anonymous said...

@nrf--the little abc logo has been there all the time. I think the second race in I was scratching my head because I was sure last year they did the "ESPN on ABC" thingie.

Jessica said...

Junior speeding...

bevo said...

Awfully early to bring Rusty in

Anonymous said...

so, i just got here and the very first thing i hear is mick jagger singing "hey, you! get offa my cloud!" as the bumper music into the break.

don't get me wrong: i'm a stones fan from wayyyy back but that has exactly what to do with racing?

just askin' . . .

Anonymous said...

RaceView is working now. Me? I don't get it. The audio trails the animation (and also trails the TV feed.) It crashes when I try to switch to in-car audio. The telemetry is neat, but the novelty wears off after about five seconds. The live timing and scoring is nice and works better than the standard version on the NASCAR website. The animation is a neat piece of technology, but it's no substitute for actual video.

Verdict? It's a toy. It's a nice toy, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing, but I wouldn't pay for it.

Anonymous said...

theodore: i agree completely!
now racebuddy is a far different story! i certainly miss that immensely.

bevo said...

I tried the RaceView too, can't change drivers or views. Seems pretty buggy

bevo said...

Much prefer RaceBuddy and the NBC Sunday Night football version

Dot said...

@ Theodore, I'm with you. I turned it off. I didn't know it was animated. I like Race Buddy better.

Newracefan said...

Once it finally loaded RV working OK the cars seem to jump at times which can be a little hard to get use too. It's nt RB but then I can't tell RB whcih car I want to watch. I'm use to the audio not matching the TV so that doesn't bother me. Yes it's a toy but in a pinch.

BobinNev said...

TB gave a good explanation of a related issue, but did not address the problem with the 2.

Anonymous said...

they actually found a shot of battling for position to show us :)

Anonymous said...

Newracefan said...
Anyone been able to load raceview yet. Had it up on program guide and then it started to load and it got to 96% took a shower got dressed still at 96% closed and restarted it 4 times before it gave me the free one and stopped asking for my password and now it's back to the program guide. Pit command (I pay) has been up and running no problem.

October 19, 2008 1:30 PM


I've never been able to successfully utilize RaceView and I've tried it with Firefox and Explorer more than a couple of times. I just use PitCommand so I can listen to my favorite driver and his crew while watching lap times at another website, the one that carries the races earlier in the year and their name rhymes with box. :-)

Anonymous said...

there goes Jamie :(

BobinNev said...

How appropriate for Dr. P. to read a promo about a guy dreaming in a coma!

Anonymous said...

@bobinnev yeah ironically with some excitement in his voice to boot, back to HotPass.

Anonymous said...

boy, raceview audio is way behind, more than i remembered. they're just now getting to the restart after the mcmurray spin caution! (they're just now calling lap 87 and the race is on lap 104.)

could this serious delay be b/c of the additional traffic on a free weekend?

Anonymous said...

I liked RaceBuddy too. But really, I wouldn't be interested in any of these things (except maybe live timing and scoring) if the TV coverage was better. I don't need or want gimmicks, on-line or on-air - I just want the race.

Anonymous said...

I tried Raceview and it is useless to me. It's more like a video game I can't control and it is several seconds behind reality. I don't know why anyone would want to pay for it.

Daly Planet Editor said...

So this is when the reality sets in for Punch. A LONG way to go....

Jessica said...

dr p has gotten two names wrong now..."harry" keitel and now calling gordon jeff burton...tired already?

Anonymous said...

I love the new NAPA commercials...poor Ron. Having to work for more than 5 seconds *giggle*

Anonymous said...

I am amazed at this network & its ability to completely destroy a race at Martinville- altho they trashed Dega so why am I surprised.

There is side by side racing going on - we don't get to see most of it. We get bumper cams, we get replay under green flag earlier, we get junk "coverage"

I'm listening online to MRN its a completely different race.
Passing, more than 12-15 cars on the track, and thru the fields.

And a missed caution - Kenseth

lovely

jo - now jojaye

bevo said...

gymmie-

Best one is Capps "funny" car telling corny jokes

Anonymous said...

well, that was a neat -- if disconcerting -- shot of the #17 on the rack and on that gigantic screen just then.

and why, exactly, was the #99 bumping the #17 on pit road? was he trying to help keep the 17's back panel from falling off . . . or something?

Anonymous said...

@red - that wasn't a bump -- it was a luv pat LOL

Anonymous said...

JD--can you get a message to Rusty to bring over some 5 hour energy for Dr. P.

@bevo--I haven't seen that one!

bevo said...

Been watching the ABC feed instead of HotPass and I've got to say they're damn near putting me to sleep

Daly Planet Editor said...

Time to go ahead and reset the field and follow the stories mid-pack and beyond.

Anonymous said...

hey jo/jojaye! i was trying to believe it had something to do with those two being teammates but i have my doubts (probably b/c of matt getting a close look at carl's clenched fist a while back!)

Anonymous said...

@Bevo - why watch the abc feed???? You lucky son ofagun, you get Hotpass & the Boys game!

Anonymous said...

I watch the "race" on ABC and still don'tknow what is going on.

Anonymous said...

@red - thats why its a luvpat LOL Carl is toooo nice to be mean, just ask him LOL

bevo said...

gymmie-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy6XemnjnLk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3pPiJpwkTM&feature=related

Daly Planet Editor said...

I hope they do not make us wait until lap 250 to reset the field and do the rundown.

At least the Director is still working hard and cutting a lot of cameras.

JD

The Loose Wheel said...

my sleeper pick lookin good right now

Anonymous said...

Anon - try adding MRN & FoxTrax it help. Trying to just watch tv to follow races on abc/espn is like trying to put 10 ponds of manure in a 5 pound sack. You might be able to do it, itain't easy or pretty & will leave you exhausted

Anonymous said...

to quote frank barone from "everybody loves raymond" : HOLY CRAP! MRN is so much better than espn in calling this race. these guys get excited just calling off the car numbers and use adjectives like "diving" and "working hard" and "aggressive pass." just got a thru the field from 1st thru 43th!! and i know there's only nemechek out of the race right now.

raceview stinks for me but i'm really enjoying mrn and so will be keeping the mute on espn (and reading the closed captioning to know if/when i want to un-mute. of course, it just told me that some of the "carps" will need extreme adjustments . . . )

bevo said...

jojaye-

HotPass is SD on one tv (Tivo not HD yet for satellite) but the other tv is HD so I have the Cowboys picture-in-picture with the race.

And now that I've totally confused you.. :)

alex said...

ESPN : Nascar Racing :: MTV : Music Videos.

MTV showed a few music videos about 15 years ago.


Why does every camera shot have to zoom way in one one or two cars? Yes the cars are shiny and pretty but we don't have the see the bugs on the windshield to tell that. ESPN fails to understand that if they zoom it out a bit it gives a much better perspective to how the cars are racing on the track.

Maybe that will be another one of the off-season changes...

The Loose Wheel said...

race view is only about a half lap off for me which is typical for an online feed. listening to my sirius in-car in the headset, shrubby's radio on raceview and flipping between cbs, fox and abc lmao

Jessica said...

Fox Racetrax plus two scanner channels helps with the lack of information from espn but the lack of excitement is sad...

Daly Planet Editor said...

Wow, not even to lap 200 and this is just deadly to watch.

Anonymous said...

@bevo I'm jealous. Best of both!

@alex espn, mtv too true & funny

bevo said...

JD-

Got to agree with you, and to top it off the Cowboys are getting whipped

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bevo! <3 I hadn't seen those before. Too funny! Nacho cheese! :p

Daly Planet Editor said...

There ya go, it makes all the difference to hear the stories of the cars.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Wow! That is a story that has to get covered.

Anonymous said...

ok, so that was weird: 3 cars losing the right front at almost the same time. brake heat or run over something?

Jessica said...

ok, what's the PAM for?

Anonymous said...

daly planet editor said...
Wow! That is a story that has to get covered.

sorry, jd, my multitasking has me confused: which story is it that has to get covered?

bevo said...

They could get further through the field in the rundowns if they would cut all the extraneous info. No need to add in how last week went, if the crew chief thinks they can win, etc...

Newracefan said...

Bevo amen, if I hear one more I talked to crew chief (insert name here)this morning I will scream

rich said...

raceview crashed and when it came back up they were trying to sign me up for 14 day free trial so I bailed and went back to foxtrax

alex said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as4ChV-tveI

This is what I'm talking about with camera angles. Commentary aside, this type of presentation would make the race so much better to watch.

Anonymous said...

bevo said...
"They could get further through the field in the rundowns if they would cut all the extraneous info. No need to add in how last week went, if the crew chief thinks they can win, etc..."

yep. as i noted: mrn managed to get all 43 cars run down in under 2 laps at martinsville by just calling car #, driver and position (and laps down, as applicable.)

PammH said...

Why are we hearing so much from Rusty, instead of AB?? Is it because he's a multi-winner here?? It stinks.

Anonymous said...

side by side racing & tech center is in big box. Doc sounds tired, Rusty won here 7 times, bumper cams sheesh, next draft trackrr.
Did I mention lots of single car/tight shots.
yup its the worldwide leader in ...?

Anonymous said...

I can SEE that Robby's off he track and behind the wall--how about you tell me why?

Daly Planet Editor said...

daggone it, I am lost again. I hope they try a quick rundown again. This picking and choosing what we are shown is just not working.

Where is everyone right now and why?

Anonymous said...

did ya know Jeff Burton was raised 30 miles from the track in S Boston?
And pretaped during green flag!!

Anonymous said...

and there's the big head driver package with racing over burton's shoulder: sigh
(but did the racing screen look bigger behind him than it ususally is?)

Newracefan said...

Oh goody video clips during green flag just what I wanted to see. How about resetting the field. 77 must also be behind the wall or something and he just had a flat (evidently more than that) Foxtrax now prominent on my laptop so I can atleast see who's where

Anonymous said...

I know Doc has a better vocabulary, why so many cliches ?

Young guns, does he get a check from Gillette? Like chug points?

bevo said...

Did they just push shuffle on someone's iPod for the bumper music?

Anonymous said...

Alex said "Why does every camera shot have to zoom way in one one or two cars? Yes the cars are shiny and pretty but we don't have the see the bugs on the windshield to tell that."

They have to zoom in to exclude the non-chasers from the shot.

Kenn Fong said...

J.D.,

RaceView works very well with Safari. I was able to switch driver view and I had my choice between MRN or driver radio. The driver radio seems to be 20 seconds or so behind so they can bleep the stuff which hurts some precious ears.

It's weird because it looks very much like the main shot on Hot Pass.

Red State Kenny
Stuck in a Blue State

Anonymous said...

crud Elliott :(

Anonymous said...

Part of the booth crew's job is to know what a "Young Gun" is by sponsor definition, i.e., part of Gillette's program.

Doc clearly doesn't.

Lou said...

JD, maybe I am missing the point. I am watching the race on Hotpass and checking in on the abc feed and watching the New York Giants lead 24 to 10 against the 49's.

Not to mention that I am watching my fav drivers on Foxtrax. I may be the few who enjoy the multi task deal as I have mentioned on other posts. But, I do not think fans should have to do what I enjoy if they do not want to.

Anonymous said...

bevo said...
"Did they just push shuffle on someone's iPod for the bumper music?"

yeppers: they're all over the place with it this week. yet another aspect that's gone to hell.

Anonymous said...

The driver radio seems to be 20 seconds or so behind so they can bleep the stuff which hurts some precious ears.

Nope, they don't bleep or censor anything.

The delay is caused by feeding the signal through all the tubes of the Intrawebs.

Anonymous said...

lou, that's exactly the problem! i, too, enjoy having a variety of screens open but i used to do it to ADD to the coverage. with espn's coverage, i am FORCED to do it if i want to know what's going on.

and that, espn folks, is THE problem in the proverbial nutshell.

stricklinfan82 said...

The 83 and 29 run side-by-side for several laps. The production truck decides to use that opportunity to show nothing but Harvick's bumper cam and run a Jeff Burton pre-taped piece. I just don't understand the logic.

It would also be nice to hear from even one non-Chaser that's behind the wall.

Anonymous said...

finally an update on the #7 car and the mention thathe was holding strong at 34th in owner's points.
took 'em long enough.

Anonymous said...

JP just said that 7 behind wall with rear end gear problem.

Anonymous said...

hey! mrn keeps noticing that mcmurray is in 3rd place. funny i'm not hearing/seeing that from espn.

Anonymous said...

so, are we watching montoya b/c we're thinking his brakes may give out and espn wants to actually show it as it happens? hmmmm

Newracefan said...

Ok I've started drinking this is a nightmare. Stop with the bumper cams and vidoe clips during green flags

Anonymous said...

and after JPM we get Clint and racing in a box!

Anonymous said...

mrn now doing an extended discussion with their pit reporters about the varied tire strategies and how that may play out as the race progresses. sweet.

Anonymous said...

ESPN does read this blog.

And then, apparently, they do exactly the opposite of what we, the viewers, want to see done.

Anonymous said...

sadler, r. gordon and nemechek are now OUT of the race.

Jessica said...

shorty get low? seriously?! Does ABC own the rights to this music already and we get whatever is random and cheap for a bumper?

Dot said...

Cream rises to the crop? Did AB just say that?

Newracefan said...

Perhaps since the music is so old and not necessarily a "classic" it's cheap. Sadler's out, I didn't think he hit that hard, how about some interviews.

alex said...

Jessica,

It seems they're just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

BobinNev said...

Red.. R. Gordon is on the track per Pitcommand.

Karen said...

Dot said...

Cream rises to the crop? Did AB just say that?

Unfortunately, yes.

The Loose Wheel said...

sadler said they destroyed the car. the wheel was off "a turn"

steering components were bent.

thats just the little i gathered from their radio on raceview

Anonymous said...

#19 broke the trackbar (according to mrn) and sadler's gone back to the hauler, "dejected." crew still working on the #19.

Anonymous said...

I've been switching from HotPass to ABC/ESPN why not just let DJ & AP run the booth they seem to handle alot of PxP anyway, it can't just be when I happen to switch over to ABC that this is happening then comes Allen Bestwick back on boy he should be upstairs, The PTB can not be watching their product. Oh yeah they are probally busy enjoying HotPas or MRN or what ever.

Newracefan said...

Red 7 on the track so not out of the race

bevo said...

In all of the talk about brakes has anyone mentioned the brake bias and that maybe the problem is too much front brake?

Anonymous said...

nrf: copy that. the "out" report came from mrn and i was also surprised -- but glad! -- to see the #7 back. not like the mrn guys to get that wrong. sorry i passed along erroneous info.

Newracefan said...

RV having seizures, keeps flipping between the cartoon cars and gray loading car data screen. I'd be PO'd if I was paying. Pit command still fine

alex said...

Funny he should mention it, I've been here a few hours and I may as well have just joined their coverage.

Anonymous said...

RV having seizures, keeps flipping between the cartoon cars and gray loading car data screen. I'd be PO'd if I was paying

This happens every time they give it away. Obviously, they can't handle the load.

Anonymous said...

dear producer at espn: what, exactly, was the purpose behind showing us the #24 running all by itself at the front for several laps just now? wouldn't a wider shot, perhaps showing the second and third cars behind the #24, have been a more exciting visual shot?

is it really that hard?

bevo said...

Don't know about y'all but it's about time for a nap here :)

Daly Planet Editor said...

This is a rudderless ship.

alex said...

Red,

It is that hard, and they're still struggling with it.

rich said...

the lap by lap summary on Live leaderboard on nascar.com is way better that pxp on espn

Anonymous said...

closed captioning just stated that "tum stars are starting to flare." it is to laugh.

BobinNev said...

Rusty talking "clean air"...At 95 mph there are no aero factors!

Anonymous said...

Having toured a couple of production trucks, I understand that directing any sporting event is an extremely demanding job, and a long event like a NASCAR race being especially demanding. I've seen reference to the production crews getting tired - does anyone use a relief director who can step in to give the main guy a break, even for a few minutes? Just switching between cameras is a full-time job, never mind the other things the director has to do.

Phathead said...

What's sad is that I am watching the race at work from a feed out of Germany (near as I can figure) and their lead guy is still more energetic than Punch is.

Karen said...

bevo,

Just thinking the same thing. Never, ever thought I'd do that during a race.

Daly Planet Editor said...

300 laps, time for a full field recap. I am so lost.

Newracefan said...

Poor David he was doing so well

bevo said...

Finally AP and Rusty talk about too much front brake bias

Daly Planet Editor said...

theodore,

It's not something that is done on a regular basis. I did it at Sebring for SPEED a while back when they had relief crews, but that was for a 12 hour race.

This NASCAR issue is more a cumulative thing of one crew handling a very long year.

In my opinion, most of these guys are toast right now.

JD

Anonymous said...

daly planet editor said...
300 laps, time for a full field recap. I am so lost.

please tell us, jd, that you're not actually trying to just watch espn and expect to know what's going on?!? i'd rather have closed captioning tell me that the brakes are "over hearted" than listen to espn.

(it is actually an amusing way to "read" a race!)

Anonymous said...

Just switching between cameras is a full-time job, never mind the other things the director has to do.


Having been a live sportscast director, I can tell you good directors don't need a "break" during a game or race, nor do they want one!

P.S.--The TD "swicthes between the cameras,' not the director.

Anonymous said...

here's a great stat from mrn: jeff gordon only has to lead 177 more laps and he will have led 20,000 laps in his career and pass rusty wallace for #7 in all-time lap leaders.

Anonymous said...

Well, the guys in the booth do egt credit for looking out the window, which they didn't used to do, and seeing crashes before they show up on camera.

Anonymous said...

And NASCAR gets credit for not throwing the yellow if it isn't needed.

Newracefan said...

What kind of through the field was that? SAD

Anonymous said...

Haven't posted yet today, but TV has been awful. I can follow on MRN and FoxTrax without the TV at all. That is really sad.

I'll watch the highlights later and go with the radio and what I see on the timed scoring online instead of the crap shown on TV.

PammH said...

And according to MRN, we are missing some fantastic racing between Jr & Cuz Carl. Also, Newman has a flat tire.

Anonymous said...

Y'know, I can take over for Punch if ESPN thinks saying, "There's the 17 car" is good PBP.

I can even say the drivers' names when I point out what car is on the screen.

Anonymous said...

agreed, pammh!

and raceview just showed the #88 going THRU the inside safer barrier: that was seriously odd and a bit breathtaking. wonder how that transponder got soooo outta whack there.

Anonymous said...

has espn noticed that four non-chasers are in the top 10 right now? and that jamie mac has been up there most of the day?

Anonymous said...

Yes, they have, but they're hoping YOU haven't!

Anonymous said...

Now Smoke's tire is dead :(

Anonymous said...

race fans are jumping ship from ESPN and ABC. other ways to watch than this sad presentation.

Anonymous said...

the booth knows nothing of what's going on. send it to the pit reporters who aren't good anyways most of the time.

stricklinfan82 said...

Did the play-by-play announcer really ask out loud if teams would consider short-pitting under green... at a short track... with a flat tire epidemic going on? To me that was the equivalent of an NFL play-by-play man asking their analyst "Would you consider punting on this third down?"

Daly Planet Editor said...

The lack of going back and just watching some racing in a long race like this is confusing.

No one wants to watch Jeff and Jimmie just lap around the track.

This is really bad and the field rundown was a pathetic issue.

BobinNev said...

I wonder why no mention was made of Tony's splitter touching the ground when sitting still? Could that be causing him to use more brakes?

Anonymous said...

hey! there's the #83 car and all the booth can say is "we haven't talked about him all day." no? really?

'casue WE NOTICED!

Anonymous said...

hey! there's the #83 car and all the booth can say is "we haven't talked about him all day."

Well, DJ, you're calling the race, so who's fault is THAT?

Jessica said...

the dinger gets the free pass according to the huge screen;)

Sophia said...

Well glad to see I am missing nothing..just turned the race on...new hobby editing music video for some band I listen to...nothing like some Dixieland to get you happy (Fidgety Feet) i would put my blog or youtube link but wouldn't work here.

sad how little I do NOT miss watching todays' race.

will read the comments later and catch up on the after race stuff.

ESPN has KILLED my love affair with NASCAR.

end of story.

Anonymous said...

I have started about 6 posts - & deleted them all. Its the same old song & dance every last frickin week. If they ain't in the chase they don't count & will not be mentioned, since espn *knows* they have no fans.

The PxP is nonexistant unless AB jumps in. & PxP guy knows how to read car numbers...

And TPTB wonder why we use alt means to view races.

Anonymous said...

JD, they could plant a static cam on the racetrack and have no announcers and that would make this race an improvement.

MRN, FoxTrax, and RaceBuddy = my ideal way of watching a race at this point.

Anonymous said...

wow! ton 'o brake dust from the right front of the #48 right there.

and it looked as if the #99 almost clipped one of the pit guys from the #48 team as well.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

JD,

Great site with good info and insight. For the second time in three weeks my ABC HD goes to LD in the middle of the race. Who is at fault here? The broadcast from the track, my ABC station, or my cable provider? Any insight would be appreciated.Anybody else experiencing this? BTW, Too many in car shots once again for the ESPN crew.

Thanks,
Ben in N.C.

alex said...

I'm curious to see what the ratings are for these races in 15 minute increments. I would tend to think that ratings increase as the race goes on, for those who just want to tune in and see the end of the race and the finish. But with this coverage, it wouldn't surprise me if the ratings have been dropping all afternoon.

Anonymous said...

sorry man, dont blame sophia for realizing how bad ESPN is. honestly, after 4 laps they went to a pit reporter for her comments, they werent good, and they have absolutely NO play by play of whats happening.

i mean, laps of the 88 bumper on the 99...not showing the track or the racing...

everyone has an excuse for why they dont like nascar after ESPN has gotten involved

The Loose Wheel said...

I have a comment.

What ever happened to the suspension/chassis cams? I used to LOVE watching how the tire would load in the turns, and the rotors would turn red and you could see everything move around under the car.

Something like that would be quite useful. Also shocked there aren't any cameras on a driver and their brake method since its such a "story" to ESPN.

Disappointed the networks have done away with those shots.

Bummer for j mac. there went my sleeper. didnt disappoint =)

stricklinfan82 said...

If NASCAR got rid of exclusive TV rights and let multiple networks produce their own coverage of these races simultaneously, do you think anyone would be watching ABC right now?

Somehow I couldn't picture anyone thinking to themselves "Let's see, Mike Wells is on TNT right now, Mike Joy & Larry Mac are on FX, and Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, and the Truck Series gang are on Speed Channel right now... but I'm going to watch this coverage on ABC instead."

Anonymous said...

hey david! jamie mac did you proud! mrn reporting a broken rear axle on the #26. so sad b/c he really had it happening there!

bevo said...

Ben in NC-

No problem with over-the-air HD here.

The Loose Wheel said...

Jamie has always, ALWAYS gotten around Martinsville really well so it wasn't much of a stretch choice for me. Glad to see Roush is giving him one more chance next year, just hope they can start the year good because they have never started well and its hurt them badly.

Yeah, ESPN reported the broken axle as well via them actually being ontop of something. =0

Anonymous said...

whoever blamed sophia for bad ESPN coverage must have been an idiot.

sorry, when Jr is about to pass edwards, they go to the pit reporter to talk about it instead of calling the pass.

meanwhile, MRN is calling the pass and it's a big deal.

ESPN is hurting nascar.

Anonymous said...

ESPN killed your fanhood?!?

You weren't much of one to begin with then. I've wanted to kill espn, or the producer from espn or some one ( I go play video games & kill em there fantasy not felony) But I have never thought of NOT being a fan of NA$CAR. Sorry thats not an option, I will not give them that much power.

I have been a fan since it was a sport you had to drive south out of Cleveland to see, in person, or on WW of Sports ( maybe). I let no one kill my love of a sport.

The Loose Wheel said...

Dinger doing fairly well in that #10 car. I really hope he is in a good car next year and isn't struggling to find something. Glad Speed EARNED his Cup ride... =/(Toledo...stupid.)

Unknown said...

This has to be a record on commercials today, I swear there have been at least 10 in the last hour.

Bill H

Anonymous said...

But I have never thought of NOT being a fan of NA$CAR. Sorry thats not an option, I will not give them that much power.

Exactly. The way a network shows my favorite sport doesn't affect how I feel about the sport.

She must be one of those "casual" fans we keep hearing about.

stricklinfan82 said...

Side-by-side racing for second place with 86 laps to go, and they throw to a pit report about a crew chief quote she "read" earlier in the week. Wow.

The Loose Wheel said...

This coverage isnt killing my fanhood!

I mean heck, the coverage sucks and my Lions are getting stomped by....THE TEXANS! But hey, keep on chugging along =)

Thank god I can listen to any scanner I want for free today!

Karen said...

Surprised we haven't heard a peep about Scott Speed today.

The Loose Wheel said...

What the hell?!

-monotone voice- "Less than 80 laps to go here in Martinsville..."

JP HAS GOT TO GO!!!! This is NOT cutting it. Hell, bring Weber over here instead. He may have gotten annoying but at least he was genuinely excited at the close of a race.

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:27

You gotta stop sniping at others that post here. Some anons just come here to be punks.
Hopefully JD will delete the trolls.
sophia isn't the first to make such comments and others mention weddings and parties and what not. whats your problem?

NASCAR just isn't worth it on espn for many longtime fans. stop being a creep. there are not great reviews of espn telecasts.

Anonymous said...

@ Karen - TPTB /Producers aren't fans of his? Only reason I can think of, or he's not in the chase?

The Loose Wheel said...

Speed has been junk all day. Thats why he hasn't got any mentions

Anonymous said...

Here's a thought, ESPN. Find out why Goodyear thinks the tires are blowing. Ugh.

Anonymous said...

jerry punch is a joke. every word out of his mouth is a joke.

Newracefan said...

They keep showing the flagman anyone know what that flag is. I think it's blue

stricklinfan82 said...

Beating and banging for position with 66 laps to go and it's being completely ignored by the announcers for another very lengthy discussion on measures to prevent break heat. Now a Tech Center piece on it. Is anyone at ESPN paying attention to THE RACE???

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