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.
looks like NASCAR is going to be delayed for a high school basketball game.
ReplyDelete*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
ReplyDeletehey anyone know what happened to streaming broadcasts on nascar.com? Is that only for second half of season during Sprint Cup Weekeneds?
ReplyDeleteI knew it. I mentioned this yesterday. HS Bball? Really? This is acceptable to NASCAR?
ReplyDeleteWhat a worse analogy for red headed step child? That's how fans are feeling right now.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteShould be " 's". Anyway, thank goodness there wasn't a tie and then overtime.
ReplyDeleteIs the GF going to be delayed? Countdown is starting at the beginning instead of in progress.
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.
ReplyDeleteI have work to do today (stupid thesis) but I'm posting here in spirit!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nice day in TX!
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteNo streaming this season. :(
JD
Yes it is JD...74 in my part of DFW :)
ReplyDeleteif anyone is interested, fox has the n'wide live leaderboard up.
ReplyDeleteNice of Jerry to mention the start and park set, now if only he would say the real reason why they stopped.
ReplyDeleteNote to JP. There's always good racing behind the leader. Sometimes we're lucky to see it.
ReplyDeleteagreed, jd, and i suspect lepage may be the next to go behind the wall.
ReplyDeletelots 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 . . .
ugh...that enhanced commercial
ReplyDeletebeen 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
where is that live leaderboard???
ReplyDeleteKyle busch for some of us is really making this season a snoozefest.
ReplyDeleteThough 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"
:)
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletewhere is that live leaderboard???
here ya' go:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/busch/foxTrax
thanks red
ReplyDeleteBeautiful day out here yall! See if I can add anything from the stands :)
ReplyDelete@ dear Sophia 3:28, I agree.
ReplyDeletelooks like another top 10 full of cup guys today
ReplyDeleteThanks with the changes on Racetrax I haven't been able to find anything live for NW and I like theirs better
ReplyDeleteWow Kyle stinking up the joint - time for another Shiner :)
ReplyDeleteWow, a through the field. How far will it go?
ReplyDeleteThe J said...
ReplyDeletelooks 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?
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.
ReplyDeletered,
ReplyDeleteyes 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.
Re attrndence : I've seen a handful of people with NW drivers stuff on. 99% wearing Cup stuff. Lots of Kyle fans too
ReplyDeleteCan you believe that Bestwick did not promote the Cup race tomorrow on Fox?
ReplyDeleteWonder who is the new guy in charge of the ESPN promo dept?
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.
ReplyDeletei 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.
I hope this race isn't a preview of the CUP race showing on FOX. 14 cars on the lead lap. Whoopee.
ReplyDeleteusually the nationwide texas races arent the most exciting, so im not surprised the race is like this
ReplyDeleteok, 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.
ReplyDeleteand i'm liking hearing harvick in the booth!!
JD
ReplyDeleteAB 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
@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.
ReplyDeleteIf the NW drivers were promoted like the Cup drivers, people would go see the NW races w/o Cup race.
bevo,
ReplyDeleteNot 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
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!
ReplyDeleten'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.
And to think, AB didn't break his leg this time.
ReplyDeleteIf 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?
ReplyDeleteTOTALLY agree if stories and drivers in NW were "PROMOTED aka Marketed" like Cup, folks would be interested.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
If AB is getting DISSED from ESPN
ReplyDeleteHe should go back to SPEED! :-)
Good thing it's great weather out here, people are starrting to zone out around me
ReplyDelete@ Nrf, I was going to say the same thing. Again, what did AB do to deserve this treatment?
ReplyDeleteRe: Menard. Lost a lug nut during his stop? I thought the tire guys had them stuck on themselves.
ReplyDeleteDid he say Craftsman Tech Garage or something else? Not sure if it was me or Vince
ReplyDeletePretty good crowd - I'd say 120000
ReplyDeleteGuess there is no cup race this week according to ESPN. Speed can promote this race, grow up will you.
ReplyDelete@bevo
ReplyDeleteAre you at the track on your Crackberry? :)
Others feel free to clue me in, not paying much attention today.
Soph your not missing much, Bevo is there racing we are not seeing?
ReplyDeleteI want to know why JR can't pass the other cars that are also 3 laps down. Bevo, anything going on back there?
ReplyDelete@Sophia-
ReplyDeleteYep 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
Did we ever see the first debris? Will we see this one?
ReplyDeletenrf,
ReplyDeleteLast 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
@ JD, sometimes?
ReplyDelete@Bevo! Cool. Glad it's a good day of weather for you.
ReplyDeleteSo you're seeing lots Kyle fans? .show me the evidence.
Just kidding...i know he's a great driver..
I liked your shiner comment. :)
@bevo--thanks for the insight on AB
ReplyDelete@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.
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.
ReplyDeletelol @dot! agreed...sometimes?
ReplyDeleteOh good an homage to Kyle Busch just what I wanted to see.
ReplyDeleteJr 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
ReplyDeleteHey 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the lights for pit road speed.
ReplyDeleteI 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
ReplyDeleteReut and Ragan are going at it
ReplyDeleteCan we have at least one non bodily injury crash? Or a close call at least? This is boring.
ReplyDeleteAsk, and I receive.
ReplyDeleteI guess Lumber Lquidators baled on Bodine and the trucks for Bowling?
ReplyDeleteThis race is going to be over long before 6PM it looks like.
ReplyDeleteAsk and you shall receive Dot.
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.
ReplyDeleteWe joked thats why he needed 2 20 million dollar a year sponsors lol
Probably cheaper to cover bowling then sponsor a truck
ReplyDeleteA whole 14 cars on the lead lap.
ReplyDeleteDavid and there are more bowling fans than trucks fans right :0
ReplyDeleteJudging by how ESPN puts ANYTHING before the nationwide series? SURE!
ReplyDeletelol.
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?
@ Nrf, you'd think so the way the Truck Series is promoted.
ReplyDeleteI love the way Harvick has been used today
ReplyDelete@ David, I agree. He needs to be up there more often.
ReplyDelete@David--agreed. I was just about to mention that. Happy's doing a great job! Great information and working well with the gang :)
ReplyDeleteBevo, hope you went to the race for the ambiance and not the racing.
ReplyDeleteCamping World is not doing very well, Lee Spencer reporting that NASCAR is looking around for a new Truck Series sponsor for 2010.
ReplyDeleteCheck Foxsports.com for that one.
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
ReplyDeleteRecreation one of the first to go when money gets tight and I think they spread themselves too thin with all the Nascar sponserships
ReplyDeleteI smell some more caution flags coming...
ReplyDeleteExactly NRF that how I felt when they announced all this. Notice you havent seen ANY camping world cars/trucks this year
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to throw in and say that was a nice job by Keselowoski shadowing Busch.
ReplyDeleteAnd Harvick in the booth has been fun!
And last but not least, @Bevo have a Shiner for me, will ya? (Jr. fan here.) :D
Nrf-
ReplyDeleteNot a problem :). Got steaks in the cooler and plenty of beer for post-race
Well, this season it is ESPN that gets lost in the closing laps.
ReplyDeleteHope we can see all that unfold on the replay.
@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 :(
ReplyDeleteNow can we please see what the heck happened?
ReplyDeleteWas I seeing things? I saw a bunch of cars cross the finish line.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThey 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.
ReplyDeleteThere ya go! Thanks for the replay.
ReplyDeleteESPN has thirty minutes hanging around, I wonder what the plan is?
ReplyDeleteWhat is ESPN going to do with almost 30 minutes of air time left?
ReplyDeleteI'm betting on a Women's NCAA B-Ball Tourney update.
;)
that was fun with Tony :)
ReplyDeleteTV schedule for Sunday is up on the main page. We will be live blogging the Cup race in the afternoon on Fox.
ReplyDeleteShould be fun and fast. Hope the track goes to two lanes and lets cars pass.
JD
bevo,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updates. Make sure to stop by the SPEED Stage tomorrow and say hi for us.
JD
Nice interviews thanks for the bonus coverage
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the par-tay again JD :). Fun as always...look forward to much more action and excitement tomorrow
ReplyDelete@bevo--thanks for the updates! I hope you have a HUGE sign so we can see you tomorrow!
Bevo
ReplyDeleteTell 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.