Saturday, April 4, 2009

Live Blogging The Nationwide Series Race From Texas on ESPN2


The TV coverage from Texas for the Nationwide Series begins at 2:30ET with the NASCAR Countdown pre-race show on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will be hosting, but this weekend Rusty Wallace has Saturday off. Dale Jarrett will be joining Bestwick on the panel with Brad Daugherty and Kevin Harvick sitting-in as a guest for the race.

The Nationwide Series did not get any TV coverage on Thursday for either practice or qualifying. Hopefully, the pre-race show will take some time to review what the series has done on the Texas track up to this point.

It will be Dr. Jerry Punch, Jarrett and Andy Petree calling the action once the racing begins shortly after 3PM. Shannon Spake, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Vince Welch will be reporting from pit road. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Center.

This is a wild race due to the fact that many of the Cup drivers participating are just going for the win. In the meantime, there are Nationwide regulars trying to make sure and finish as they are running the season on limited budgets. Also in the field are some rather inexperienced drivers on this type of high-speed track.

The combination of these factors should make for some early lapping, some backmarkers trying to stay on the lead lap and some pit road strategy. This is a 200 lap race that is normally run flat-out for the Cup guys who always seem to be fastest in Texas.

The weather is great and the pictures should be outstanding. With no TV coverage this week, hopefully the racing action will more than make-up for this problem which needs to be addressed by NASCAR and ESPN for 2010.

This post will serve to host your comments about the live coverage of the Nationwide Series race from Texas on ESPN2. To add your TV-related opinion, just click on the comments button below. TDP is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.

Thanks for taking some time out of your Saturday to stop by The Daly Planet.

103 comments:

Anonymous said...

looks like NASCAR is going to be delayed for a high school basketball game.

Anonymous said...

*sigh* Nascar sure can't win, now high school basketball is threatening the pre race, unfortunately 2 mins in bball is more like 20 real time, should make it for green though

Anonymous said...

hey anyone know what happened to streaming broadcasts on nascar.com? Is that only for second half of season during Sprint Cup Weekeneds?

Dot said...

I knew it. I mentioned this yesterday. HS Bball? Really? This is acceptable to NASCAR?

What a worse analogy for red headed step child? That's how fans are feeling right now.

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

Should be " 's". Anyway, thank goodness there wasn't a tie and then overtime.

Is the GF going to be delayed? Countdown is starting at the beginning instead of in progress.

Anonymous said...

Unlike Fox, ESPN clearly shows how long it is until the green flag, rather than beating people down with pre-race fluff, while claiming the race is just going start right after the break.

The Track Girl said...

I have work to do today (stupid thesis) but I'm posting here in spirit!!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Looks like a nice day in TX!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon,

No streaming this season. :(

JD

Anonymous said...

Yes it is JD...74 in my part of DFW :)

red said...

if anyone is interested, fox has the n'wide live leaderboard up.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Nice of Jerry to mention the start and park set, now if only he would say the real reason why they stopped.

Dot said...

Note to JP. There's always good racing behind the leader. Sometimes we're lucky to see it.

red said...

agreed, jd, and i suspect lepage may be the next to go behind the wall.
lots of non-cup drivers today -- would be nice to focus on them instead of the cup interlopers, especially if the front of the pack gets away . . .

Sophia said...

ugh...that enhanced commercial

been multi tasking, editing photos, and promoting stuff on Twitter. GORGEOUS day here in Ohio. :)

Hope Tony wins or a full time NW driver for once

Anonymous said...

where is that live leaderboard???

Sophia said...

Kyle busch for some of us is really making this season a snoozefest.

Though I said i was rooting for Tony, I HONESTLY think the NW full time guys should have their OWN SCORING and the Cup guys just get "extra credit for racing in lower series"

:)

red said...

Anonymous said...
where is that live leaderboard???

here ya' go:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/busch/foxTrax

Anonymous said...

thanks red

bevo said...

Beautiful day out here yall! See if I can add anything from the stands :)

Dot said...

@ dear Sophia 3:28, I agree.

The J said...

looks like another top 10 full of cup guys today

Newracefan said...

Thanks with the changes on Racetrax I haven't been able to find anything live for NW and I like theirs better

bevo said...

Wow Kyle stinking up the joint - time for another Shiner :)

Dot said...

Wow, a through the field. How far will it go?

red said...

The J said...
looks like another top 10 full of cup guys today

so here's my question: nascar says that they won't stop cup drivers from running in n'wide and we assume it's partly (if not entirely) b/c they won't get attendance at n'wide races if the cup guys don't compete. so, as a nascar fan, would you pay to watch a n'wide race if there were no cup regulars racing?

Newracefan said...

Red I can only afford to go for the day so I stick with the cup race. If I could go for the weekend I wouldn't care. If I couldn't afford cup but could afford NW my cup drivers being in the race would make me more likely to go.

The J said...

red,

yes i still would go to nationwide races without the cup guys. alot more very good young drivers would move up and do good, and i would want to see the future of the cup series racing together.

bevo said...

Re attrndence : I've seen a handful of people with NW drivers stuff on. 99% wearing Cup stuff. Lots of Kyle fans too

Daly Planet Editor said...

Can you believe that Bestwick did not promote the Cup race tomorrow on Fox?

Wonder who is the new guy in charge of the ESPN promo dept?

red said...

nrf: like you, i can only afford one day of racing but i've switched from cup over to trucks. usually, that means i get to watch n'wide qualifying, cup practice (or vice versa) and then close with a dynamite truck race. i highly recommend it.

i just want the n'wide teams to be able to run in their own series and not have the cup regulars continue to win everything in sight. it's just so wrong to me that these guys who are trying to race their way into a big-time seat have to race against guys who already race at that level every week.

Dot said...

I hope this race isn't a preview of the CUP race showing on FOX. 14 cars on the lead lap. Whoopee.

The J said...

usually the nationwide texas races arent the most exciting, so im not surprised the race is like this

red said...

ok, too freakin' funny from dale: "the jackman's supposed to watch and make sure the tires are on the car before dropping the jack." all said in a surprisingly calm voice.

and i'm liking hearing harvick in the booth!!

bevo said...

JD

AB was on Speedway yesterday and he wasn't his usual upbeat style. Repeatedly said he was just happy to have a job. Moody even talked about it after the interview

Anonymous said...

@red- I've started going to either truck or NW races. You get to see everyone on the track at some point and some racing. Plus it's less expensive, less people, and less traffic. I'm paying less than $40 for my Friday Dover tickets and get a full day at the track. I think that the Cup tickets, before any promotions, were at least $80.

If the NW drivers were promoted like the Cup drivers, people would go see the NW races w/o Cup race.

Daly Planet Editor said...

bevo,

Not really being told why AB has been missing from a lot of the Monday NASCAR Now shows.

I think that really got to him when he saw Nicole and Mike hosting "his" show.

Any fan who remembers AB and Inside NEXTEL Cup should understand.

JD

red said...

anon@3:59: guess i'll see you at dover the friday of memorial day then, huh? great track, terrific racing and being able to park easily, get in/out quickly and stretch out in the seats make it an awesome day all around!
n'wide shouldn't just be "cup light." but that's what it's become and it annoys me.
(and why is dr puch so very animated during n'wide and then just loses it during cup races? what's THAT all about?)

gotta run for a bit -- will catch up later.

Dot said...

And to think, AB didn't break his leg this time.

Newracefan said...

If AB absence from NN is going to be an ongoing thing I for one won't be happy. Those Monday shows with AB were the best. Nicole and Mike are OK but AB rocks. Perhaps it's all about the money and AB costs more than the others, but if less people are watching how does that help?

Sophia said...

TOTALLY agree if stories and drivers in NW were "PROMOTED aka Marketed" like Cup, folks would be interested.

I am tired of the CUP drivers sucking the liveliehood away from the full time NW.

Maybe Kyle will blow a tire, safely, and a NW underdog will win.

same goes from Truck series, let the little guys have a chance.

Sophia said...

If AB is getting DISSED from ESPN

He should go back to SPEED! :-)

bevo said...

Good thing it's great weather out here, people are starrting to zone out around me

Dot said...

@ Nrf, I was going to say the same thing. Again, what did AB do to deserve this treatment?

Dot said...

Re: Menard. Lost a lug nut during his stop? I thought the tire guys had them stuck on themselves.

Newracefan said...

Did he say Craftsman Tech Garage or something else? Not sure if it was me or Vince

bevo said...

Pretty good crowd - I'd say 120000

Newracefan said...

Guess there is no cup race this week according to ESPN. Speed can promote this race, grow up will you.

Sophia said...

@bevo

Are you at the track on your Crackberry? :)

Others feel free to clue me in, not paying much attention today.

Newracefan said...

Soph your not missing much, Bevo is there racing we are not seeing?

Dot said...

I want to know why JR can't pass the other cars that are also 3 laps down. Bevo, anything going on back there?

bevo said...

@Sophia-

Yep in Section 109 - beginning of dogleg after finish line right in fromt of the turn for the Legends oval. Using Opera Mini on my CrackBerry

Dot said...

Did we ever see the first debris? Will we see this one?

Daly Planet Editor said...

nrf,

Last season ESPN and the other TV partners put the sport first and promoted all the races of the weekend, no matter where they aired.

This year NASCAR Now and ESPN have completely refused to promote the very races they are on the air to preview.

Even the Sunday morning NASCAR Now show will promote the NHRA and not the start time or the TV network of the Sprint Cup race.

ESPN is a mess sometimes.

JD

Dot said...

@ JD, sometimes?

Sophia said...

@Bevo! Cool. Glad it's a good day of weather for you.

So you're seeing lots Kyle fans? .show me the evidence.

Just kidding...i know he's a great driver..

I liked your shiner comment. :)

Anonymous said...

@bevo--thanks for the insight on AB

@JD--agreed...of course there could be other behind the scenes politics going on. But when he broke his leg and Weber was brought up. It was spun that NBC liked the chemistry with Weber, BP and Wally. I loved Allen in the booth and if he's "removed" from NN once I have a TV again I'll take that show off Season Pass. Allen can carry any show and any telecast BY HIMSELF if he had to with one arm tied behind his back and one eye closed!

I can't believe how he gets treated by TPTB. UGH!

Short of Mondays (well not the last few weeks since Allen hasn't been there) I have not been missing NN AT ALL!

@red--I would go to a N'wide standalone. I love many of the N'wide guys and having Cup guys in there doesn't make me tune in. Of course I started watching *because* of a Cup guy (the Happy/Biff incident at Bristol) but I enjoy the stand alone races where half the field isn't Cup drivers. And hope the N'wide guys can make something happen with just a few Cup guys to deal with.

bevo said...

Not a whole lot of sustained racing going on - battle for a lap here and there. NW races usually aren't very compelling here unlike the Trucks or Indy cars.

Anonymous said...

lol @dot! agreed...sometimes?

Newracefan said...

Oh good an homage to Kyle Busch just what I wanted to see.

bevo said...

Jr fans not what you'd call happy campers today - but got one of them to drink a Shiner. He offered me a Bud in exchange :). Told him to keep it Sophia

Newracefan said...

Hey how about an update of why Reut went from fighting for 3rd to 7th. Through the fields are absolutely the way to go but don't stop so soon.

Newracefan said...

I find it interesting that Mikey is no longer portrayed as a goofball in his commercials, I still like them but it does make me wonder the thought process behind it.

Dot said...

Interesting about the lights for pit road speed.

The Loose Wheel said...

I was wondering about Kyle's tach because I knew JGR used the new style gauges. Good to know its still functioning aside from the needle

bevo said...

Reut and Ragan are going at it

Dot said...

Can we have at least one non bodily injury crash? Or a close call at least? This is boring.

Dot said...

Ask, and I receive.

Newracefan said...

I guess Lumber Lquidators baled on Bodine and the trucks for Bowling?

Daly Planet Editor said...

This race is going to be over long before 6PM it looks like.

Ask and you shall receive Dot.

The Loose Wheel said...

Yeah Dot, they came out with it last year and you can program them with different colors and such depending what driver preference is. I first noticed this after Jr won the shootout last year and wondered what the heck was in his dash.

We joked thats why he needed 2 20 million dollar a year sponsors lol

The Loose Wheel said...

Probably cheaper to cover bowling then sponsor a truck

Dot said...

A whole 14 cars on the lead lap.

Newracefan said...

David and there are more bowling fans than trucks fans right :0

The Loose Wheel said...

Judging by how ESPN puts ANYTHING before the nationwide series? SURE!

lol.

There was probably a reason for their move, they have people I'm sure that evaluated their return on investment with the truck sponsorship vs. bowling, also the truck deal may have been year to year whereas the bowling contract may have been long term with a pricey escape clause?

Dot said...

@ Nrf, you'd think so the way the Truck Series is promoted.

The Loose Wheel said...

I love the way Harvick has been used today

Dot said...

@ David, I agree. He needs to be up there more often.

Anonymous said...

@David--agreed. I was just about to mention that. Happy's doing a great job! Great information and working well with the gang :)

Newracefan said...

Bevo, hope you went to the race for the ambiance and not the racing.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Camping World is not doing very well, Lee Spencer reporting that NASCAR is looking around for a new Truck Series sponsor for 2010.

Check Foxsports.com for that one.

The Loose Wheel said...

Yeah, she also reported Truex could replace Joey in the 20 and BPS would go to the 39 if the 8 team shuts down in 2 weeks

Newracefan said...

Recreation one of the first to go when money gets tight and I think they spread themselves too thin with all the Nascar sponserships

Daly Planet Editor said...

I smell some more caution flags coming...

The Loose Wheel said...

Exactly NRF that how I felt when they announced all this. Notice you havent seen ANY camping world cars/trucks this year

The Track Girl said...

I just wanted to throw in and say that was a nice job by Keselowoski shadowing Busch.

And Harvick in the booth has been fun!

And last but not least, @Bevo have a Shiner for me, will ya? (Jr. fan here.) :D

bevo said...

Nrf-

Not a problem :). Got steaks in the cooler and plenty of beer for post-race

Daly Planet Editor said...

Well, this season it is ESPN that gets lost in the closing laps.

Hope we can see all that unfold on the replay.

Anonymous said...

@JD--yes as I was shutting down last night I noticed a Jayski tweet about the CWTS possibly no longer being the title sponsor and NA$CAR putting out feelers :(

Daly Planet Editor said...

Now can we please see what the heck happened?

Dot said...

Was I seeing things? I saw a bunch of cars cross the finish line.

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

They have been great as the cars cross the finish line, but what story to follow on the last lap has been tough. We really needed two video boxes or a wideshot. That was rough.

Daly Planet Editor said...

There ya go! Thanks for the replay.

Daly Planet Editor said...

ESPN has thirty minutes hanging around, I wonder what the plan is?

Labbie said...

What is ESPN going to do with almost 30 minutes of air time left?

I'm betting on a Women's NCAA B-Ball Tourney update.

;)

Anonymous said...

that was fun with Tony :)

Daly Planet Editor said...

TV schedule for Sunday is up on the main page. We will be live blogging the Cup race in the afternoon on Fox.

Should be fun and fast. Hope the track goes to two lanes and lets cars pass.

JD

Daly Planet Editor said...

bevo,

Thanks for the updates. Make sure to stop by the SPEED Stage tomorrow and say hi for us.

JD

Newracefan said...

Nice interviews thanks for the bonus coverage

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting the par-tay again JD :). Fun as always...look forward to much more action and excitement tomorrow

@bevo--thanks for the updates! I hope you have a HUGE sign so we can see you tomorrow!

Sophia said...

Bevo

Tell us what you are wearing on Sunday and we can look for you on our tv's!

Happy was a blast in the booth...

Gymmie I also enjoyed Tony and Happy kibbitzing.
Hope tomorrow is a fun race and SOMEBODY NEW wins...or an underdog.

PLEASE FOX show ALL THE CARS on tv so Sponsors get some bang for their buck.

Sad to hear about Camping World struggling. :(

Off for a nap for my night out of New Orleans music.

Thanks for the site as always JD.

Have a great night.