It does not seem all that long ago that we were talking about the new ESPN team for the Nationwide Series race in Daytona. Now, eight months removed from February, we are putting together the next-to-last post for the 2008 season.
Allen Bestwick leads the way with NASCAR Countdown at 4PM. He will be joined by Brad Daugherty and Rusty Wallace in the Infield Pit Center. This trio will offer a thirty minute preview of the Phoenix Nationwide Series race.
Next-up will be Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree with the call of the race. Down on pit road will be Shannon Spake, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Center.
Phoenix is a fast and tight track with lots of action. Punch will be leading a TV telecast on the day after an exciting Truck Series race seen on SPEED. ESPN's Nationwide effort has been hit or miss, with a mix of fun racing coverage and disjointed and off-balance telecasts.
This race should offer the network an opportunity to get back on track in more ways than one. There is a nice full field with a lot fewer start-and-parkers. Punch and his crew will have just finished coverage of Happy Hour for the Sprint Cup when the Nationwide Series race rolls around. Hopefully, that will be a nice warm-up.
Look for the low angle cameras coming off the corner and the use of the in-car cameras on the backstretch when cars are in traffic. This track provides great aerial shots and also the NASCAR Media Group has a nice jib camera on Rattlesnake Hill at one end of the speedway.
Tough to get triple-splits on the pit stops at this smaller track and the run off pit road here sometimes gets tight and should be crucial for the win. The pit reporters will be busy, as tires and handling are a big story at PIR.
This post will serve to host your comments about the Nationwide Series race on ESPN2 from Phoenix. To add your TV-related comment, 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 stopping by The Daly Planet.
104 comments:
As a TV related comment, I only hope that ESPN can provide us with the excitement and story of the race wo/the script. As we have seen before with the CTS on SPEED as usual last night and many races before a great production. If not, after a few laps, I will take my nap, grill dinner and work my usual night shift.
Ray Evernham added to the Infield Pit Studio staff after once again not being on the official ESPN press release.
Keep that in mind friends....
JD
so, jd: do you think they'll go to 4 in the booth next season? or (maybe more likely?) is someone moving/leaving in your opinion?!?
seems to be that the "silly" of "silly season" is happening in the broadcast booth as well!
I will JD,
What goes around comes around. Thanks.
I'm hearing Ray is selling the remainder of GEM and is engaged to Erin. Want's to race he new spec type cars (not sure exactly what they are) and work with ESPN. I'm good with the work for ESPN I would much prefer him than Brad in the booth.
Should have said Pit studio, Don't get any ideas ESPN we love AP in the booth
Not many fans there.
Good piece by the tech center. Id love to see the inside of that thing sometime.
Has anyone else noticed there seems to be a concerted effort to get people who can actually sing, and know the words to the anthem? Good for whom ever finally got a clue what an embarressment it was for the sport.
88 I noticed But I thought it was luck not actually on purpose.
I don't see it ri88girl, I thought that was a horrible rendition of the anthem.
Sing it straight, with no added inflections and sing it at the correct speed. She was horribly slow.
bummer NRF what if you're right?
well Rick, by comparison...I'm just saying. How about we just don't have anyone SING the thing. The best one so far was the band; although who ever it was last night was very good indeed.
@ri88girl
I'd agree with that, keep the singers out of it and let a small brass band play it.
I agree on the band but the singer last night did quite well.
LAP 4 and we have to hear from a pit reporter already ??
come on.... IT'S LAP FRIGGIN FOUR !!
Why is it when JP is talking about a car on the screen, they change it to someone else while he is in mid sentence? Maybe he's not always to blame after all.
Just what we needed Danica
@ nrf, notice she said for ESPN to start the rumors of her racing in NASCAR?
Also, the stands look pretty barren.
The in-car cameras sound great on my new Bose speakers
Why the replay of the pitstop in the large box?
Why an in-car camera shot instead of the racing during the replay?
SHOW ME THE RACE!!
Rats... David into the wall guess I'll finish that glass of wine, my driver won't be in victory lane today so falling asleep during the race won't be a problem. A run down after pit stops would have been nice but I guess that is asking too much.
it seems NASCAR watchs the race the way ESPN does the way they took to throw that caution, some guy needs abreak or bunch up the field debris caution, parts and tires flying snooze awhile then throw it.
Oh no! Mr. Alligator :(
Seems to be tough to pump some excitement into this one. Maybe it will come down to tires and be a good battle to the end.
I don't normally watch the Countdown Show, but after watching a bit of it tonight... I have a suggestion to the ESPN / ABC crew....
During the countdown show they used a "3 box" set up while Bestwick was talking with Petree and Evernham.
This would be a great element to utilize during the race to show multiple battles on the track.
Makes even MORE sense to use it during the Chase on the Cup side.
We (the viewers) miss alot of action back in the pack, and we rarely see our favorite drivers, due to the production crew focusing on one or maybe two drivers on full screen.
This "3-video box" tool would be welcomed by many of us I think.
With a little creativity, it could become a great way to do a full field recap without losing sight of the leaders.
There ESPN..... we'll do all the thinkin' for ya !!! haha
Oh good Carl in a box can Jack in a box be far behind. How about a thru the field or show the battle for the lead, SHOW THE RACING
too much chit chat in booth and not enough of showing the regular nationwide drivers even though they aren't up in front.
OK can someone explain that Hamlin mess to me, they just changed front tires. Wow talk about miss communication on the previous stop.
Diva (Hamlin) is going to be a good interview after the race. Watch out crew, under the bus throwing alert.
Dot under and then back up a few times for this one. It might actually be deserved for this one
Seeing what looks to be lots of aluminum in the stands
Punch doesn't know driver names for this race. Ickler hit the wall and drew a caution and Punch never even mentioned him by name as they were talking about it. Just the "55 car into the wall" and "he" and never an actual name until he was able to look at his program and read the name.
Try coming prepared and acting like you care Doc.
Reut should be the lucky dog he'll get 1 of his 4 laps back, maybe there's hope after all.
Anyone know how anyone besides Hamlin, Harvick, Carl, Clint and Kyle are doing or where they are on the track. Yesterday during the truck race I didn't have racetrax but I got the flow of the race, here it's the only reason I know what's going on.
You either have to go to the race or have a radio to follow the action. If you want a Top 5 update regarding Edwards, Hamlin, etc then watch ESPN.
Trucks? Wow.ESPN.
Anon at 5:41. I have attended lots of races and the only thing wrong with the scoring pylons is that the spectators don't know if any or how many cars/trucks are down a lap or how many laps they are down.
I must be blind, I swear that's the second time the 88 break checked.
Jerry, there hasn't been a points change. He hasn't lost the points lead. The race is still in progress. A lot can happen in this race with Bowyer still on the lead lap and yet Jerry Punch misleads viewers by telling them the points have changed somehow magically DURING a race.
nrf, I did not catch that, they only changed front tires on Hamlin? I thought i saw him come back in but missed the audio.
I know we say it week in and week out, but if there are 2 races left in a battle for the championship and the point leader has major damage to his car, I expect some excitement in the announcers voices.
The comparison between todays race and last nights truck race is miles apart.
I've announced a bride and groom entering a reception hall with more excitement than these ESPN clowns in the booth.
3bud, evidently the crew in the front and the crew in the back were working off different sets of tires, he had to come back in so the front guys could match up the set. OOPS
oh look...theres Kenny! unreal
ESPN is actually showing Kenny Wallace! I'm shocked.
nrf thanks that mistake was a big OOPS!
Kenny mention, he was being passed by Denny.
Ray Evernham mentioned yesterday on Speedway that he was going to be on the pre-race.
It hasn't been an overly painful broadcast to watch, they have had their moments both good and bad but all-in-all its par for the course.
Points race, much like the CTS one, will be interesting next week.
Shocked ESPN showed a truck highlight
Got my DSL back, someone cut the phone line up the street :)
Been a rough race so far for ESPN, not a good omen for tomorrow. Also doesn't look like much of a crowd showed up today at the track again.
TB in Vegas :)
You are F.... kidding me, how about resetting the field not how a tear off or tape works during green flag.
Why would they schedule the time of the race so the sun is in the drivers' eyes? I thought NASCAR was big on safety.
The sun being in their eyes is only a temp. thing. TV probably dictates start time as much as anything unforutnately.
PIR built a new grandstand in turns 1-2 which actually helps block the sun, the glare occurs in about a 20-30 minute period before it can set behind the new suites. So it shouldnt affect the end the race, but glare in racing is nothing new. You'd figure the drivers would adjust to it by now.
Bevo, did you post anywhere about the Texas races? I was curious.
vicky d-
I didn't go to the NW race but did get to the Truck and Cup races, ran out to Lubbock Saturday for the Texas game.
Truck race wasn't the best one they've had there but it was still a good show, probably 75,000 or so in the stands.
Cup race was a blast. Lots of passing and tempers were getting short. I was in the dog leg going into turn 1 so I had a good view of the Montoya incident.
BTW the TCU band did the best version of the anthem this year.
Is JGR realizing before you have sliced bread the dough must first rise? I know pretty lame, couldn't resist
I wonder if they will tell us why the 88 has gone from 5th to 9th rather quickly
Bevo, we were mentioning you in the blog last week, to see if the track announcer was talking about JJ as much as the ESPN crew did on the live broadcast!
Good one 3bud. Btw, someone tell JP we're at Phx, not Homestead.
Back with the final 20 laps says JP with no excitement at all. I am really worried about tomorrow.
I really like the sounds for the track. I feel like I'm right there beside the track.
Kind of winding down to a mellow finish.
That Tech Center is crap. I hope ESPN gets rid of it.
BTW, who does pick the singers for the anthem? Sometimes it seems it is just a commercial for some new country singer.
vicky d-
Most of the time they just pipe in the PRN call on the PA. I was listening to the scanner so I couldn't really say.
I think it is going to be a shoot out
That is one expensive deal to travel. Should be an interesting discussion during the off-season.
We thought they might put it on the shelf until the final seventeen Cup races when ESPN takes over.
11 cars on the lead lap, and absolutely no excitement from the booth.
DJ thanks for the update on the 88.
I wondered if JP's passing comment about Joey and the 20 would result is something since all it was only a rumor, guess JD Gibbs is watching and not happy. OOPS
2fast4u you sound kind of cute. Are you new here?
I like the tech center, it gives us non-insiders a great look inside how they get these cars together.
Brewers hair doesn't look real though.
Did someone put Valium in the water for them or something?
Well, things might get interesting now.
2fast for you is my man. Hands Off!
Dot it does usually seems JP wants to be somewhere else, maybe next season they will put him where he works well, infield, even pits where he did his best work years ago.
Jayski also has an interesting paragraph on the Joey Logana #20 situation. Kurt Busch's and Martin Truex's names are tossed into the mix. Along with Bass Pro Shops.
The story is getting deeper and deeper.
I just rewound to the tech center piece. I think brewer had some good insight, but his hair is definitely fake, and does he paint his nails? they are pretty shiney. His microphone looked weird too.
They made a lot of changes last year, no doubt they will be making some again.
Maybe they put all the rattlesnakes from the hill in the stands :)
I always think TB is showing off his rings!
Yea the mic on Brewer does look bad.
well good finish.
Why does everyone pick on ESPN. I think they o a great job.
Did anyone in the booth know what was going on there? That's what happens when you don't have a strong play-by-play guy to call the action.
Mike Mulhern is the guest on Tradin Paint on SPEED at 8PM.
Always interesting....
Only one Nationwide race left, sure has been a long season.
At least they woke up at the end but the camera on Carl with the mess going on behind him needed work, so do we know why Lagono spun, wasn't he third
I don't think they do a bad job. I like the inside stuff they seem to get that I don't see on fox.
I even sent them an email to remind Punch it was a backflip....
Oh well!
The microphones near the track sounded really good in my new surround. Those sound guys are doing a great job.
Happy to hear all opinions, just check the rules on the right side of the front page before posting please. Thanks!
JD
PIR being in that valley really helps. The area is a blast. Just outside of town enough to be fun.
They also have that dragboat racing strip there, I had never seen that before. Crazy!
Thanks everyone, there will be a new column up around 9PM and of course all the live action right here tomorrow.
Have a great night!
JD
@ Bevo, too funny.
What lazy race coverage. I fell asleep for most of the race. Doc was awful.
Firebird is on the other side of town though JD. I havent been to PIR in years even though its just down the street. Im considering just dropping by there to goof off since i cant afford tickets.
As for the Logano deal, there is alot of hype and pressure as well as expectations for that #20 car. They are a championship caliber team and no one is expecting that group to have a down year next year, that being said they have pushed Joey incredibly fast and I believe the folks at JGR don't want to hinder him long term by hurrying his progress.
This is a situation where if JGR feels holding him back is for the best, they need to put their foot down instead of letting the sponsors have final say.
Yep, we went over there one year. First and last time for drag boats for me.
Should be interesting to see how things are handled tomorrow.
The economy is now becoming as big or bigger a story than Johnson vs. Edwards.
JD
We will have that info posted on the race page tomorrow.
DirecTV is still a mess where Internet and media information about Hot Pass is concerned.
I am going to talk to them about changing things for 2009 next week.
JD
Just got home from a 6 hour motorcycle ride with a friend. Went to watch my recording of the race and saw that Evernham was part of the coverage. Deleted the race without watching it.
I watched a little of the race but found myself flipping between Clemson and Florida State and the Alabama-LSU games. It was horribly boring and somethng needs to be done witht he ESPN cres. I guess I expect too much after watching the truck races and seeing how well and exciting the Speed crew makes things so exciting with a much smaller crew and budget to work with.
Late coming to this, but I have been waiting since Friday until I had an appropriate thread to post this on.
Racing isn't the sport that ESPN gets slammed for their broadcast quality. Check out this quote from Fan Comments on CNN/SI's blog for Thursday evening's University of Maryland at Virginia Tech game:
"11:02 | Did anyone watch the ESPN coverage? They talked about TX Tech more than the game they were calling. Terrible job by ESPN tonight."
Misery loves company I guess. And, I think many of us are pretty miserable by now after being force fed ESPN's scripted race presentations.
JD, delete if you must. But you brought a big smile to me when I read even you were:
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
November 9, 2008 12:52 AM.
I love it, thanks. Even you have joined the elite club. You may think your site is small. But it has the biggest heart. Thank you.
Lou
Kingston,NY
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