Sunday, November 9, 2008

In-Progress From Phoenix: Sprint Cup Series on ABC


After hundreds of posts, thousands of comments and millions of page views, this is the next-to-last Sprint Cup Series in-progress race post of 2008 on The Daly Planet.

In terms of NASCAR TV, this has been a very long haul for the ESPN team. While they have gotten most of the publicity from the Sprint Cup Series coverage, the entire ESPN gang has been working the NASCAR circuit since February in Daytona.

Unlike the Fox or TNT production teams who stop by and then leave, ESPN "double-dips" by using Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree on the Nationwide Series for the entire season. Likewise, the ESPN pit reporting team of Shannon Spake, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro have been prowling the pits for the past nine months.

It will be 3PM Eastern Time when the new leader of the ESPN team, Allen Bestwick, kicks-off the coverage from the Infield Pit Studio. He will be joined by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. This week, Ray Evernham will also be a member of the infield TV team.

Bestwick has been a workhorse for ESPN this year handling the Nationwide and Sprint Cup infield duties while also developing the brand new one hour NASCAR Now program on Mondays. His frequent flier miles by the end of this season will hopefully earn him a very nice winter vacation.

This weekend the clash in storylines between the racers and The Chasers continues. Mark Martin and Kyle Petty will not be racing in Homestead. Rumors of Joey Logano losing the #20 ride continue. Economic factors are eating at the sport from all sides. Somehow, the Jimmie Johnson vs. Carl Edwards scenario has lost a little luster. The selection of topics for the pre-race show should be a challenge.

Having four voices in the infield studio on a fast track like Phoenix is tough to do, especially when mixed with four pit reporters, three folks in the announce booth and Tim Brewer in the Tech Center. How things sort-out after the green flag falls will be interesting to watch. Any way you slice it, twelve announcers on a NASCAR race is a lot.

Dr. Jerry Punch is two races away from the end of what has seemed to be a very long season. Having Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree in the booth this season has helped, but it is still tough to watch a veteran reporter and nice guy like Punch struggle in the play-by-play role. It certainly has been a learning year for Jarrett, who has contributed quite a bit of the event coverage this season.

NASCAR Now ran a story Sunday morning on the fact that Spake and Little were on the top ten list of the most beautiful people in NASCAR. The challenge for both these young women is to close-out the season without asking any driver, crew chief or owner "how they feel" about any racing topic. Maybe asking some hardcore racing questions might move them up a notch or two for next year. By the way, Kasey Kahne was number one.

PIR offers the ESPN TV Director a wonderful choice of cameras to transfer the experience of the race to viewers at home. The aerial shots and the jib camera on Rattlesnake Hill will serve to set the tone and provide transition shots for everything from commercial breaks to in-race promos.

There are several low angle cameras on this track, including a robo-cam between turns three and four that moves with the field as they race by. PIR is the perfect track to bring TV viewers down low and get the feel of this short-track style racing at track level.

The audio from PIR on both Friday and Saturday was fantastic. Look for the continuation of an outstanding season from the NASCAR Media Group technical staff where the sounds of racing are concerned. Restarts should be exciting as the cars come up to speed.

Unless an extended caution flag comes out, Bestwick and his infield team will probably be heard and not seen once the race begins. It is tough to insert four announcers on-camera and get their comments on even one topic if the race is continuing in the background under green.

Keep an eye out for non-Chasers who fall out of the race to see if they are interviewed. Look for the pit road reporters being more aggressive and climbing pit boxes to talk to crew chiefs. If a big accident happens, watch for interviews with all drivers as they leave the Infield Medical Center.

No doubt Johnson and Edwards will dominate the telecast, but the stories of the race are there and it is up to ABC to tell them to the viewer. This track needs frequent resets of the field along with information about how drivers moved either forward or backwards in the line-up. With passing at a premium, the race off pit road will be crucial all day long. It should be a fun race to watch and the weather is great.

This post will serve to host your TV-related comments on the Sprint Cup Series race from PIR 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.

608 comments:

1 – 200 of 608   Newer›   Newest»
bevo said...

Hotpass lineup

EDWARDS
Tony Rizzuti
Wendy Venturini
Producer:Tony Marshall

EARNHARDT JR
Rick Allen
Phil Parsons
Producer:Ted Laukaitis

J GORDON
Randy Pemberton
Hermie Sadler
Producer:John Walsh

HARVICK
Larry McReynolds
Matt Yocum
Producer:John Morris

Daly Planet Editor said...

Thanks Bevo!

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

JD I missed what Jr said to Shannon. He is usually very diplomatic, has he changed his stance?

rich said...

Thanks again Bevo

Anonymous said...

Rusty needs anatomy lessons. Usually it's "driving his guts/brains out" Today they feel with their eyes!

bevo said...

Oh no! Jamie's going to talk to Jr...

Bruce E Simmons said...

Something to ponder: Networks like to lead in with certain shows to help ratings of the following show, or boost show ratings of another show by setting them up in front of a telecast.

Prior to the pre-show, ABC had a Wacky Videos show that, with every time I tuned in, had some form of animal abuse clips on it.

Bareback horse races through a city; It looked like running of the bulls, but with horses and guys hanging on for dear life;

crab wrangling, where the wrangler steps on the crab and ties it up with floss: The winner is one who does it in less time;

Bull fighting... OK, this was OK, the bull won this time.

But what is ABC trying to say, if anything. I couldn't leave the network on while waiting for the pre-show. I settled on sci-fi channel with Star Trek: Enterprise until show time.

Just sayin'.

bevo said...

You're welcome folks!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Keep an eye on the story selection...

Newracefan said...

Interesting, I saw the same JJ Tonight Show piece on NN and they bleeped "balls" but not on ABC. I'm confused.

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

I have a feeling this is going to be ESPN best race of the year.

soundsgood2me said...

Can Carl Edwards catch Jimmy in points today?

soundsgood2me said...

I don't know how he can race that long and still do a round off from his car. It must be nice to be young.

Anonymous said...

How much is the Directv Hotpass. Can i order it for today only? Or do I have to pay for the rest of season? I'm not going to be home next Sunday. I'm going to watch the race at my favorite watering hole.

Anonymous said...

what's up guys...

Newracefan said...

JD looks like your going to have your eraser out a lot today it's already started and the green hasn't even dropped yet

Anonymous said...

How was the pre race show, I missed most of it?

Anonymous said...

I really hope Edwards wins today and jimmie come in 21st. Next week will be a great race

soundsgood2me said...

why does Rusty keep saying "these cats"? does he think he's at the zoo?

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

Why do people always pick on you JD. I think you are very smart and have a lot of insite. Thanks for you blog.

Newracefan said...

Hey JD did you know Brian talked to the media today? Evidently there were no camera's there all ESPN has is quotes???

soundsgood2me said...

oops, my wife says that it's brad that keep saying cats, my bad. And I guess it is like working in a zoo down there in the pit studio.....

Anonymous said...

A minor correction if I may. The "sounds of NASCAR" are a result of the host network. In fact the "effects mix" used by SPEED for all their on track shows at these multi-network weekends, Trucks/Nationwide/Sprint are done in the host network truck and provided to the broadcast partner that is on the air. Both the ESPN and FOX audio teams have multiple Emmys for their efforts in this arena. And yes I too think they are the best in all of television.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Great pre-race so far, balanced and lots of stories. Fantastic that ESPN took the time to show the Truck Series highlights.

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

nrf,

I was hoping Brian would appear on this show. Maybe there will be footage on the NASCAR Now wrap-up show tonight at 10PM.

soundsgood2me said...

looks a little windy out there today.

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

what's with the bikes? I was on the phone.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nice show. Should be interesting to see how Punch takes this momentum and runs with it for the race.

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

Sorry folks, it is the price of doing business on the Internet.

Word Veri will stay until the trolls move on, just like last week.

Sorry for the interruption, but as we say it takes all kinds to make a world.

JD

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

That's OK JD it was getting a little crazy

Anonymous said...

hey gang. well, at least the stands look fuller than earlier in the weekend. still not looking like a sellout from where i sit, tho'.

Anonymous said...

Its OK JD we understand. Thanks for you Blog!!

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

You think this is tough, you should see my email!

Used to get a couple of hundred folks a day reading the site and now I am around ten thousand pageviews a day.

The last three months have been over 250 thousand a month.

So, you have to expect this. I think the forum thing in 2009 will probably be the way to go.

JD

Newracefan said...

AB's trying to tell us they don't pick the stories ahead of time. For some reason I don't believe him. I'm thinking it's all JJ and Carl and who ever's around them

Daly Planet Editor said...

12 voices on today's race, that is going to take some big effort directing TV traffic.

Anonymous said...

daly planet editor said... (in part):

"I think the forum thing in 2009 will probably be the way to go."

hey jd? can you explain what might be different next year?

bevo said...

They really need to cut back on all of the voices next year. More isn't better.

Daly Planet Editor said...

red,

I just hung with the Google blogspot format because it was easy. Lots of Anons are TV folks who like to come and go without a trace.

Unfortunately, it also opens the door to kids and trolls who are just playing on the net.

By changing over to a website format and adding a forum, readers would just register and then be a free member. Just like SPEED or ESPN.com does.

I almost did it last year, but did not have the time.

JD

Dot said...

@ red, ditto your question to JD.

Anonymous said...

JD are you making any money? Sounds like a lot of work. Thanks for your hard work!! I just found this a few weeks ago. My friends are impressed with my NASCAR knowledge. Hopefully they don’t start reading you blog.

Dot said...

A beer says Carl wins today.

Newracefan said...

Oh Dot not you too I can't take much more

Anonymous said...

They just fired the engines and Jerry already sounds lost. He had to think anout the state Phoenix is in and who Carl's crew chief is. This is going to be a long day.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I have the Fox Leaderboard running, I have the Sunday news paper to read and I have this site. The TV will be on in the background in case something interesting happens.

JD - we appreciated you policing the discussion, its nice to have a civil place to come to.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Not here for money, it's just a hobby that I have time to do.

This is our second season and it has been a blast.

Just tried to create a forum for fans to be able to give feedback on TV issues.

Anonymous said...

@JD Make the change....I'll be there. I really appreciate your efforts.

bevo said...

dot-

If your beer is talking you might want to see about cutting back on them :)

Anonymous said...

thanks for the answer, jd. just some input as a user? i like the fact that media types can wander in and out and give us information that we're not getting in other ways. i'd hate to lose that if they had to register (would they even be "allowed" to register?)

i know the trolls are a fact of life and a pain but i'd hate to lose one of the pieces of the package that i've come to enjoy so much.

Dot said...

@ JD, I like that idea.

@ Diane, I have it up too. They seem to be on the same lap as the race, unlike N.com

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

I wonder if DirecTV will have the Vacation commercial running in this race? It is apparently driving TV viewers on SPEED and ESPN2 completely nuts.

I am getting a ton of email about it.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else seeing the screen cut to black for 30sec to a minute at a time during commericals? I'm wondering if this is in effect because ABC wasn't able to sell the commercial space? especially considering I'm in a weak market (central PA)

Anonymous said...

What kind of TV people? Are the announcers reading this? Can they be doing this durring the broadcast?

Nan S said...

I would love to know who is calling the race for ESPN Deportes. Their tennis coverage is very good.

Anonymous said...

@brusimm--where do you live? I looked at an online TV guide and it says my area here in DFW had infomercials. I had Raceday on and then the DVR flips over to the countdown show. Usually when the races start earlier, Race Week precedes it (it's a local show that shows highlights from all the racing series and various interviews of drivers. There's also an "Ask Eddie" segment where you can send an email to Mr. Gossage and he'll answer it :)).

No problem JD! We love you and thank you for allowing us to gather here each week :). One day we'll have to have a IRL TDP par-tay!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Your local station might be having a problem inserting commercials.

The ABC coverage is sold out.

We enjoy out TV friends stopping by and helping us with topics and answers.

JD

Dot said...

Hey guys, I don't want Carl to win. It just seems that if he wins on Sat he wins on Sun.

Newracefan said...

I watched a Busch race a few years back in Mexico, I speak NO spanish it was great, I always knew when to pay attention

Anonymous said...

Ok Jamie, but what about the fact that the leader starts the race?

soundsgood2me said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Good stuff about pit stall selection. Too bad it was almost ALL about Johnson and Edwards. If Edwards would falter today and Biffle came out and won and Johnson had a so-so day, all of a sudden Biffle would be the one within 100 of Johnson and ESPN would look like fools that they haven't been hyping Biffle all along. Well, they did that for 2-3 races.

Anonymous said...

and another thought while we're waiting for the green flag: one of the features that i value the most about TDP is the one that (i suspect) may take a chunk of time: the moderation. i visit quite a few forums and i dislike when the site is just a "throw a column out there and then let the comments run wild" sort of place. it seems it does take someone to aggressively monitor the blog and keep comments on target and in line. i know when i join a discussion at TDP that i'll be able to give my opinion without being belittled and i can respond to the ideas of others.

it's a great site, jd, and you're my hero on race weekends! thanks!!

Daly Planet Editor said...

I talk to the Yahoo and AOL guys and that is a big problem for them.

We will solve it during the off-season.

Anyone got the weather update? What were those guys talking about?

JD

Anonymous said...

I hope we don't get that DirecTV Vacation overkill today! I'm glad they seem to have finally dropped the Poltergeist one!

Daly Planet Editor said...

sounds,

Drop me an email at editor@thedalyplanet.tv when you have a moment. Thanks.

JD

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

Looks like pop-up showers. Moving to the NE. Heavy ones are to the NW of the track

Nan S said...

From Weather.com for Phoenix:

A wind advisory
" COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RESULT STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH... WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH. GUSTY WINDS WILL BEGIN INCREASING BY LATE MORNING... BECOMING STRONGEST BY LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLOWLY THIS EVENING..BUT REMAIN BREEZY IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE OVERNIGHT.

ALSO... AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WILL LIKELY REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO UNDER 2 MILES AT TIMES

Jessica said...

10 laps?! Can't even settle in before a break....

Anonymous said...

@dot--I like Cousin Carl so I like when he wins...but I'd love to see Jimmie have to sweat next week :).

Daly Planet Editor said...

Thank you. I am an East Coaster, but the weather out there is wild.

Did anyone see Nicole Manske this AM on NASCAR Now? She was at PIR and freezing. She said to Ryan Burr, "I thought you said it was going to be hot out here?"

When the rain comes out there, it can stop the race cold for a long time. That is why I was asking.

JD

Anonymous said...

It's not that McMurray is actually leading and has a great car. It's all about Carl Edwards who is currently back in 13th place.

Call the damn race as it is and forget the storylines.

In understand it from Punch and ESPN, but not Petree and Jarrett. Don't they know better than that?

Anonymous said...

Sammy & Elliott :(

Anonymous said...

Hm Sam again...is he sure he wants to stay in NASCAR?

Newracefan said...

The 77 strikes again. No rain please that would just finish off a great day.

Sean said...

Didn't know Sadler was in the #99, thanks Doc

Jessica said...

as Stewart passes Ambrose his spotter says "he's from Australia, you have to pass him down under" in a horrid accent...heh;)

Anonymous said...

No kidding about the moderation of this site. JD does such an unbelievable job that I almost look forward to this place more than the actual race.

Daly Planet Editor said...

As Rusty would say, I'll tell ya what...the pit reporters are having a great race and working hard. Nice job.

3bud said...

Forum sounds like the way to go JD I would be there.It seems ABC was having audio problems lost the national anthem and the surround sound was off, don't know if it was Directv or ABC but seems ok now.

Anonymous said...

what did I just see with the 2 and a yellow car? Not a word? wasn't that Harvik?

Anonymous said...

If Jerry's not gonna say names and just read numbers, at least read them right. Sadler's been in the 19 all year boss.

Dot said...

We had surprise rain here (LV) overnight. Don't know if/when it will hit the Phx area.

Daly Planet Editor said...

There it is!! Someone volunteer to start counting how many times we see it.

Anonymous said...

:sigh: first Vacation race sighting

Dot said...

There's the vacay comml.

Newracefan said...

Chad worried about rain, this is not good, and they are in the middle of the desert. Does PIR even have jet dryers?

Dot said...

Is it too early for the vacay sighting drinking game?

Haus14 said...

Harvick's spotter, "40mph winds in next 15 min."

Anonymous said...

Wow, they are just going to show the 48 and 99 and that's it, aren't they?

Newracefan said...

Dot I started in Prerace but I'm on hold at the moment . Depends on if it starts raining in the desert

bevo said...

J Gordon's crew saying wind will pick up in a few minutes

Anonymous said...

Truex, a potential challenger for this race, barely gets a mention for mechanical trouble before the Vickers caution.

Anonymous said...

Red Bull in the wall :(

Daly Planet Editor said...

40mph winds do not mix with the TV equipment.

Helicopters, microwave towers and uplink dishes.

Hope everyone stays safe.

Kenn Fong said...

J.D.,

To answer some questions asked earlier:

Anon: 3:22, Hot Pass is only available for a season at a time. If you life in the San Francisco Bay Area, you're welcome to watch the rest of the race with me. But you have to watch the Jr. channel.

Sounds: When Rusty says "cats," it's hipster slang for "brother," "homeboy," something like that. It was originally "hep (hip)-cats."

Pacific Time Zone Kenny
Alameda, California

Vicky D said...

showing JJ & Cousin Carl. I wonder if they'll show any others behind the leaders.

Anonymous said...

a developing story TV is not mentioning, radio reporting the wind really picking up and now this from the NWS:
.NOW...
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL
ARIZONA...INCLUDING THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA...FROM NOW THROUGH AT
LEAST 4 PM AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. ANY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS
OVER 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL.

Newracefan said...

Interesting choice of commercial for a cup race, shades of Amazing Grace

stricklinfan82 said...

I can't imagine how we can possibly get that much silence from the play-by-play position while a car is smoking heavily and about to slam the wall on live TV.

Anonymous said...

@anon 4:17--yup...if you're not the 48 or 99 you have to wreck to get mentioned :(

bevo said...

JD, don't the in-car cameras need the helicopter to transmit?

Kenn Fong said...

J.D.,

Jerry Bonkowski on Yahoo sports is reporting that the clouds behind the front stretch are getting very dark.

Pacific Time Zone Kenny
Alameda, California

Anonymous said...

OOOh in car reporter is....Carl Edwards. More and more about him.

The Loose Wheel said...

JD as a PHX local, i was shocked to see overcast clouds this morning, the weather here changes in a hurry when weather shows though.

Also, this time of the year without humidity...once the sun disappears it gets cold in a hurry. Early in the AM this morning it was in the 50's with low humidity...colddddd stuff.

Bummer for Truex, good job staying ontop if that by AP again.

bevo said...

Gordon Channel comes back with Stevie Ray "Couldn't Stand The Weather" :)

Big thumbs up!

Anonymous said...

Poor Racer X...he looks like he needs a hug

Anonymous said...

Suprised that ESPN hasn't stressed Johnson ahead by 158 now as they race. Usually and yesterday, they did that 9 laps into the race talking about Edwards and Bowyer.

Daly Planet Editor said...

bevo,

The in-car cameras transmit directly to the helicopter. It then is transmitted down into the BST truck in the TV compound.

Broadcast Sports Technology runs all the in-car cameras and shared the content with the TV, online and home satellite networks.

The RP (radio frequency) poles for the pit reporters transmit to a receiver on top of the tower that is then send down to the TV compound.

The RF crew are the guys with the pit reporters who look like they are carrying a big street sign.

Vicky D said...

Gymmie - I really liked your comment. Maybe Shannon will go over there and give him a hug.

bevo said...

Good Lord! Restart and blowers still on the backstretch.

3bud said...

Give ABC credit interview with Truex.Caution RAIN!

Nan S said...

If races started 1pm east coast time then this race would have been run, or be legal by now.

bevo said...

Thanks JD.

Hermie says they're starting to get sprinkles on pit row

Vicky D said...

JP I hate to tell you this but right before Hurricane Ike hit Houston - it was a hot, sunny and gorgeous day too!

The Loose Wheel said...

Funny thing is that it hasn't really rained here in months...at least not since I've moved back. I was thinking it earlier in the week...if we want weather, it'll happen once NASCAR comes to town.

Looking outside, the clouds are moving in a northeasterly fashion...there shouldn't be any major showers at the track

Newracefan said...

Rain, great this is just what we need. Again I ask are there jet dryers in the desert. Evidently the caution was partly because of safety trucks back on the track, sounds like an oops to me. Coupled with Mother Nature of course.

3bud said...

Eury Jr. reporting just a small rain cell

Daly Planet Editor said...

Remember the magic ABC words:

Extreme Home Makeover - 8PM
Desperate Housewives - 9PM

The Loose Wheel said...

PIR does have jet dryers. When ISC bought the track in the late 90's they did not. They do have them now.

Anonymous said...

I hope so too vicky!

rain drops keep falling on my race car...let's see how that vortex theory goes...

stricklinfan82 said...

Rain interrupting an ABC race..... not good news for those without cable/satellite and those depending on DVR'ing ABC to watch the race later.

Sophia said...

Dang I got here late and took forever to get caught up

LOVE THIS BLOG JD!!! can't believe it's raining...it is very dark and cold in Ohio, too...lights all over the house.

Remember if you get a forum, you will need mods to help. Just let us know if you need volunteers. :)

Poor Vickers. :(

PammH said...

2 for 2 coverage of guys out of the race, good job 4 letter network!

Anonymous said...

@ Nan s - If it starts that early every week, those of us on the left coast would have racing with our breakfast. And beer is not my beverage of choice that early! :)

Dot said...

Would we have heard from Vickers if it wasn't raining?

Newracefan said...

Thanks David. JD are you calling for a finish on ESPNClassic. I won't scream because my HUGH cable bill now includes Classic but still it would suck for many others.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Allen Bestwick time out of commercial break.

bevo said...

Bringing them in.

The Loose Wheel said...

As a west coaster, i miss the 10AM starts.

it gave me the rest of the day to do other stuff.

3bud said...

Wow, now Vickers during a Cup race, although caution maybe their starting to get it.

Daly Planet Editor said...

nrf,

It's a Cup race, they must carry it to conclusion.

Anonymous said...

red flag and raining heavier per the 24's channel, says they're losing the track

Newracefan said...

Red flag I think they are all on pit road.

stricklinfan82 said...

Daly Planet Editor said...
nrf,

It's a Cup race, they must carry it to conclusion.

November 9, 2008 4:33 PM


JD, did you miss the Kansas Cup race last year?

Anonymous said...

guess they lost the track there...

Anonymous said...

Not sure if the wind is the culprit, but on trackpass raceview, Kenseth's car is driving backwards every few minutes! haha! (well, before they parked them)

Daly Planet Editor said...

stricklinfan,

LOL! That will not happen again. Remember SPEED just carried a Nationwide race because NASCAR would not permit ESPN Classic.

This should be very interesting to see how prepared the crew is for this.

It might be Brian France time!

JD

Newracefan said...

Oh cripes it's pouring. Run Jamie Run. Too funny

Anonymous said...

Haha, a 10am race was always a reason to start drinking early. Now I do it while watching Premiere League soccer on the weekends...Nascar would make it even better.

Dot said...

@ David, I'm with you. I liked the earlier starts also.

OK, now that the race is stopped, what are we going to talk about?

Anonymous said...

ABC Family

bevo said...

Wonder how many viewers will flip over to the Colts-Steelers game and not come back?

Anonymous said...

Poor MattMatt :(...that tires dead

Anonymous said...

now I can watch Steelers without flipping!!

Anonymous said...

Actually John, BST doesnt use the helicopter here, only big tracks like Talladega. And if this doesnt get deleted, Id like to mention, this is the chase for the cup, like a super bowl or world series. Who are the contenders, JJ and Carl. I disagree with alot of people here naysaying. This IS the story. I understand they arent mentioning alot about everyone else so far, but they are 43 laps in. Give it some time, there hasnt been alot of movement. I obviously havent been here long, but there are alot of crabby people on this site.....cheer up, it'll all be over in a week. Cheers.

Sophia said...

Is schrader in this race? I did not see the ticker....ok...now they start it...

the ticker looks smaller on my tv suddenly...anybody else?? Need binoculars !?

Anonymous said...

I'm an east-coaster and I miss the early starts as well! Now I feel like I can't get anything done during the day so I have started watching fewer and fewer races.... (Not that the espn coverage would give me a reason to watch either! Here's wishing AB back to the booth for next year!)

Anonymous said...

I wonder if we get past halfway and those point standings show Johnson up by more than 161 points, if ABC will point out that all Johnson has to do is start the race at Homestead next week to win the championship.

inkthatpaints said...

David and Dot - Make that a third Westcoaster that would wish the early start times were brought back.

Anonymous said...

I watched the pre race & first 35 laps at a friends who doesn't have internet or Hot Pass. Ummm I was at a complete loss trying to follow the race w/o help.

Now I'm home, at least the rain let me get home w/o missing too much of the race. Got Fox Trax up & Pit Command & MRN - to supplement tv "coverage"

alex said...

I like the red flag clock, I don't think I've seen that on any of the other networks.

Normally I'm one to complain about the late start times, but today I got to see the Falcons game before the race started.

They might as well rename it "Good Hands move of the first 25 laps". I know it's nothing more than a sponsor plug, be at least keep a "race award" for the post-race show.

Dot said...

@ pookis, ESPN brings it out in us.

Anonymous said...

interesting comment from massaro in re: edwards having to talk to him instead of dj b/c of the car cover over the #99. is the car cover blocking the in-car camera somehow?

The Loose Wheel said...

Schrader is in the race

TexasRaceLady said...

Boy, this is what I get when I roll in late.

JD, when you go to forum mode, remember my name. I'll be happy to help patrol.

Did anyone else have creepy, funeral thoughts when the 3 booth guys were all in black? Dang, how depressing.

The Loose Wheel said...

The in car camera works on a direct line of sight, the cover being on the car covers the antena and cannot transmit the signal

Newracefan said...

Red maybe with the red flag they turn off the radios to to save battery power I know Jimmie does. Don't know if the cameras work when the car is off

Anonymous said...

@sophia--yes Schrader is in the race but TV doesn't think he's worthy of mentioning :(

Daly Planet Editor said...

pookis,

What are you talking about? We have been enjoying the aerial shots all weekend long. I have pics of the BST truck from the track.

In addition, what we have been talking about since the new TV contract started was how to strike a balance between the race and The Chase.

Unlike the other sports, all the players continue to play during the Chase. It makes it tough to figure out what stories to follow.

This is the first race in the Chase where ESPN has gone and interviewed non-Chasers that have fallen out of this race.

Some of the coverage has been so one-sided toward the 12 Chasers that the other teams were not seen for four hours, even if they were in the top ten.

It is an on-going discussion, but no one is crabby about it.

JD

Sophia said...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXf7ZzJNODA

Cool dixieland tune to amuse you during the break...band playing it for first time at the end of the evening on a Flip video...sorry JD...just thought we all needed cheering up...But nice guys...one sat too close to me but end of the night and tired.

All the drivers have to be so frustrated with this break..

Think we will hear from a NON CHASER???? Ha

Anonymous said...

red said...
interesting comment from massaro in re: edwards having to talk to him instead of dj b/c of the car cover over the #99. is the car cover blocking the in-car camera somehow?

November 9, 2008 4:44 PM

Helmet off>>No Radio!

Newracefan said...

Ok what's the tape on, nevermind thanks Mike

SonicAD said...

John, considering what happened with that Kansas race, I wouldn't be surprised if they bumped this one off if there's a long delay (and I mean that it's still raining at 8PM Eastern). Both ESPN and ESPN2 are open tonight, no live events, so the race could easily move to one of those.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anybody hear what France said at his press conference earlier today?

Have they talked about it on Hot Pass or the radio?

Sophia said...

I don't remember seeing Jeff with breathe rite...wonder if he has a cold or just helping with dry air in Vegas...this is a drag......ZZZZzzzz...sun is back out there

YAY!

The Loose Wheel said...

jeff said he's been using it for awhile

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

Talking to Stewart! :)

Anonymous said...

Pookis you are definitely wrong. Since the first lap of the race, Johnson has been in 2nd and Edwards in 15th and that's where they still are. They don't need to cover every single second of their race, just the important things that happen.

If things go three-wide with them or someone like Kyle Busch, a rival of Edwards, is racing him hard on lap 17, then cover it. Pit stops, they should probably mention it.

But they should NOT focus on Johnson leading a lap for five laps, showing him in the same position the whole time, then jump right to Edwards sitting in 15th and not doing much moving at all.

Biffle started at the back and it was barely mentioned and he is in THIRD PLACE! He moved up to 24th at one point and is now 33rd. Might want to showcase his race. Truex was mentioned this week as a challenger and they barely mentioned his troubles until 15-20 laps after they happened.

How about Penske Dodge with Busch and Newman in 1st and 3rd? Not mentioned yet. How about only talking about McMurray because he didn't let Johnson lead a lap ALL BECAUSE OF HELPING EDWARDS. Not that he's trying to win or keep his ride for next year or anything. This isn't roller derby with how these teams work.

How about talking strategy a bit more. Let the race play out.

Daly Planet Editor said...

ESPN gets a lot of credit today, a Tony Stewart interview and Truck Series highlights.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"red said...
interesting comment from massaro in re: edwards having to talk to him instead of dj b/c of the car cover over the #99. is the car cover blocking the in-car camera somehow?

November 9, 2008 4:44 PM

Helmet off>>No Radio!"

i am now offically a nitwit! here i was, looking for a complicated explanation and the most obvious one is . . . well, obvious! i plead too many doses of nyquil/dayquil/anytime-quil!

Daly Planet Editor said...

I just looked at the radar, those boys just missed a big boomer. Wow, that was close.

Sophia said...

I was just gonna comment about a TONY STEWART siting on ESPN!! lol

I have his jacket on (house is COLD and I am chilled, lol) sending him vibes.

I missed the Brian france conference??

Newracefan said...

Should be starting soon they are cleaning off the cars. Good thing this is a 500 kilometer race. I have to work tomorrow.

OK I have to ask this does anyone else think the guy drinking at the counter looks like Zippy in the JR&gorilla Amp commercial.

bevo said...

No comment yet on Gordon channel about France yet

Bruce E Simmons said...

GYMMIE: I'm in Northern CA in the Bay Area. The Peninsula. Menlo Park to be specific. (Comcast served)

Anonymous said...

In the Tony inteview he was talking about his "on-season" - has anyone heard how the current state of the economy might effect his new team? JD- I think you were too optimistic that we would have a Brian France update during the delay! But, of course, nothing wrong with being hopeful!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nice rain fill, good interviews. This telecast is shaping up a bit.

Sophia said...

I hope the race gets back going.....sounds like rain in the desert can be like florida...sunny one moment, rain the next, then sunny...:)

even with the time change it is so DARK here ...wow....6 more months of this....I wish some other racing series would run in the winter. :)

I liked DW's idea of starting in January.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon 4:45PM,

You are probably quite right. It sure would have been nice to see and hear from the boss, even if he just said nice things and then moved on.

Newracefan said...

Csrs restarted

Bruce E Simmons said...

KENN FONG: NEIGHBOR!!!!
Menlo Park here! Wow... someone sort of near me who's a fan! Cool.

bevo said...

Bowyer's team watching the Carolina game

Anonymous said...

JD, The arial shots are from the Goodyear blimp. The in-cars are being received at an antenna above the booth, then sent down to the TV compound between turn 4 and the start-finish line. Again, the only time a heli is used for in-cars is on really big tracks.

Anonymous said...

We all did sophia there were no cameras just quotes apparently? That's why we're all confuzzled here...

Anonymous said...

Poor Corey..I hope he feels better. Go Greg Go :)

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nice job Mike! Interview with a crew member during a race with a story attached.

Sophia said...

thanks, Gymmie for 'splaining....BF is one odd CEO....sigh...
Just watching his demeanor and attitude depresses me anyway....

nice to see moving cars...and it was good to see some interviews...Reut bad luck again!!! Wah!!!! this guy can NOT get a break lately

Daly Planet Editor said...

pook,

In-cars transmit up, not out. How can they get a signal from the backstretch to the tower?

«Oldest ‹Older   1 – 200 of 608   Newer› Newest»