Sunday, April 26, 2009

Live Blogging The Sunday TV From Talladega


Thanks to jayski.com and ESPN for the injured fan information update.

So, here we go! Marty Smith is on NASCAR Now to start the day from the track. Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree flew to Connecticut to appear in the ESPN studios with host Nicole Manske. It's pretty clear that Smith enjoys Talladega.

RaceDay on SPEED is always a party from the big track. John Roberts hosts two hours of chaos that includes Wendy Venturini and Hermie Sadler reporting live from the garage area. This is key to today's show because there is a 30 minute overlap between RaceDay and the NASCAR on Fox telecast. Why this happens each season is unclear.

Chris Myers starts the day for Fox from the Hollywood Hotel. He is joined by Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip for the pre-race show. This extended show is supposed to have several features, including Hammond flying with Carl Edwards. No advance word on the Digger cartoon.

Veteran Mike Joy will call the action from the broadcast booth. He will be joined by Waltrip and Larry McReynolds. On pit road is the best crew on TV with Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren and Krista Voda following the teams and drivers.

The field is full, the weather is great and the crowd is huge. This is a great recipe for Fox to recover from a tough outing in Phoenix. Keep an eye on the caution flag pitstop coverage which has been a problem this season.

This post will serve to host your comments about the Sunday TV from Talladega, including the pre-race shows. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.

Thanks for spending your NASCAR Sunday with The Daly Planet.

629 comments:

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Sophia said...

WOW!! THAT FENCE WAS 1987 again.

Sophia said...

I thought they weren't supposed to lift from the back anymore???

Daly Planet Editor said...

Not too sure I am liking this sport a whole lot right now.

bevo said...

I hope everyone is OK in the stands.

Sorry but that is not how to win a race

Anonymous said...

he did what he had to do based on last year and the announcers are missing it... the rule was set

darbar said...

Is he stupid? There sure was stuff flying into the crowd. Or was I not seeing right?

Daly Planet Editor said...

I was working the '87 race live for ESPN when that happened.

Haus14 said...

That accident is a result of Nascar's ruling last year in the Stewart - Smith accident. Keselowski held his line and that is the result.

red said...

well, i'm glad for young brad and i am so glad that edwards is safe. how's newman?

Vicky D said...

This blocking as gone to stop!!!!

bevo said...

Agree JD. That is not racing.

hotaru-raganbaby_6 said...

Geez... this weekend has been an utter shock!

Anonymous said...

if he had gone below the line, they would have sent him to the end just like last year..there you go nascar you made the rule

red said...

haus20: you are spot on! nascar needs to shoulder the blame for that.

stricklinfan82 said...

I hope NASCAR is proud of themselves. As I mentioned on this blog yesterday, when NASCAR doesn't allow drivers to turn below the yellow line when blocked that's what's going to happen. Regan Smith got penalized a lap for avoiding a crash, Brad Keselowski got a win for turning the 99 on his lid. I hate to say I told you so, but......

bevo said...

Hey Fox! How about the people in the stands?

Tracy D said...

Ambrose is 4th!

Daly Planet Editor said...

They better show the replay from last year. Brad did what Regan would not do to Tony.

That is the entire situation.

Tracy D said...

Striklin, you said it.

The J said...

what else was brad supposed to do? not his fault at all

Sophia said...

Dang Jr still breathless!!!

Vicky D said...

Dot's in high heaven!

Anonymous said...

if you remember darrel said last year well that means the next guy will be turned

Sophia said...

No word on the crowd? Will they tell us?

Wonder how long before that crash of Carl's makes youtube.

sigh

darbar said...

I cannot believe that they didn't catch the fact that stuff was flying into the stands.

Newracefan said...

Thanks Tracy only good news I had all day

Anonymous said...

if you see the replay, brad was past his bumper, it was carl's fault

bevo said...

How can Mike Joy look at that replay, see parts flying into the stands and laugh about it? I expect a whole lot more out of him.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Smith even said he did not do that to Tony to avoid exactly that type of accident.

Could have killed fans and Carl.

Not sure I like this sport right now.

Anonymous said...

@Sophia--props to his conditioning and workout routine!

Daly Planet Editor said...

Fox better change gears to serious pretty freaking soon.

Anonymous said...

don't understand jr..if the top line was the fast line, him and newman should have went up there

Dot said...

@ VickyD, I am girlfriend. I had to pause the race so I saw the finish late. WOW.

Haus14 said...

Any racer with half a brain knows that that is a distinct possibility in that situation. How Nascar can be so shortsighted is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

Wow guys....lighten up honestly. You are all such negative nancies. FOX made sure to wait and make sure everyone was ok before saying anything.

Newracefan said...

JD Regan now says that's knowing what the rule really is he would have wrecked him

bevo said...

WAKE UP!
People were hit by debris in the stands!!!

Anonymous said...

nascar needs to smarten up and make the rule the way it should be..last lap whole racetrack is fair territory...did you see the ambulances..there are people hurt

Daly Planet Editor said...

Meanwhile, we see a line of ambulances on the frontstretch.

Are they kidding me?

Haus14 said...

I don't like Carl, but GREAT INTERVIEW - straight talk, I like it!

Anonymous said...

Brad said it in victory lane, he remembered last year.

And Edwards just brought up Smith's situation as well.

GinaV24 said...

holy hat, what a terrible crash. I was so scared for Edwards and Newman and those fans are lucky that the catchfence did its job.

Anonymous said...

Those ambulances cannot be there for decoration! Maybe the fence did not hold?

The J said...

with the old car, how low it was, carl would have been injured

bevo said...

Think the ambulances are the on- track ones lined up after the race

Sophia said...

not a fan of Carl but he's telling it like it is.

SO GLAD HE IS OK!!

but he's right....they won't change the rules unless somebody gets killed.

Dale Sr used to dump people out of his way??? correct?

Anonymous said...

ok, you see brad and you see the girlfriend there... boy racing has its perks, meanwhile one comment about the fans

bevo said...

Wow! You think fans might have been hurt???

Jimbacca said...

Joy watching the replay said good thing nothing went into the stands. Unless its an optical delusion there sure was some parts flying into the crowd.

Brad made it clear why he did it. Nothing he could do as per the rules.
Carl had a stand up response. Even with reporters trying to dig up heat.

For a safer car etc people are giving very large warnings, Red Flags and all, that things need to be done before someone dies.

And now its injuries in the stands. They need to get their st straight. People watching aren't ignorant. Don't claim everything is rosey when you can plainly see parts flying and people running.

Daly Planet Editor said...

If they go off the air without updating the fan injuries, it is going to remind folks of Fox leaving the air while Dale Sr. was in the ambulance.

GinaV24 said...

Congrats to Brad and now they are saying that fans were injured. I hope they are not hurt too badly.

Very very scary. Well, you know NASCAR has forced them into this, you can't go below the yellow line to avoid a wreck or you lose the race, so he did his deal and Edwards just didn't know he was there. DW is going on about an amazing finish -- how about an absolutely scary daggon finish.

Vicky D said...

That catchfence didn't keep all the debris on the track.

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking the same thing JD. Never wanted to be reminded of that, but here we are. Chris Myers just made a vague reference to injuries.

bevo said...

ABC/ESPN had yesterday and Fox has this today. What in the Hell are they thinking?

The J said...

at daytona they let fans go right up to the fence, good thing they dont let them at dega

Phathead said...

I have the utmost respect for Mike Joy, but to say that no debris went through the fence into the fans was a ludicrous statement. Anyone watching could see debris head into the stands. NASCAR better hope there are no serious injuries.

stricklinfan82 said...

Carl Edwards said it perfectly when he said something along the lines of "We'll keep doing this until someone gets killed and NASCAR then decides to change the rules."

If NASCAR's not going to listen to a nobody like me that posted this on this blog on Friday.....

It should be a great weekend of racing. I just fear for the safety of the drivers though based on NASCAR's enforcement of the yellow line rule.

I don't think there's any way around this story being a major focal point of the Fox pre-race show on Sunday. When they inevitably cover it I don't see how they can avoid criticizing NASCAR when they look at these different situations:

Fall 2008 Cup Race: Regan Smith gets forced below the yellow line by Tony Stewart trying to make the winning last lap pass. He turned left and avoided causing a major crash.

NASCAR's Ruling: PENALTY

Friday Cup Practice: Kyle Busch turns left into Tony Stewart. Stewart turns left, avoids causing a major accident, and drives on.

NASCAR's Ruling (if that had happened in the race): PENALTY

2008 July Daytona Cup Race: Jeff Gordon turns left into Carl Edwards, Carl holds still on the yellow line, hits the 24, and Jeff Gordon crashes.

NASCAR's Ruling: THE CORRECT WAY TO DO THINGS, NO PENALTY

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for another installement of DW's Rant to me.....


... maybe seeing Carl Edwards flip to the catchfence and comparing it to Regan Smith's actions last fall will finally open NASCAR's eyes.

Here's hoping that no one got seriously hurt in the stands.

Phathead said...

Now they make it sound like they're disappointed Edwards didn't win the race while upside down...

Haus14 said...

I just watched the replay in slo-mo and it looks as if there were a few pieces of sheet metal and a good amount of "shrapnel." It did not look as if any big pieces of debris went into the stands.

Sophia said...

They are leaving the air with no fan updates????

I saw big pieces flying on that last replay...folks could be cut up badly!???????????????????????????

Phathead said...

Any word on Ryan Newman? His throttle was obviously stuck after the wreck

Sophia said...

Most disappointing sign off and REPLAYING stuff flying into the stands.

Wow...so much for thinking BSPN are the jerks.

MOST DISAPPOINTING to say the least

The J said...

sometimes those little pieces do more damage than big pieces of metal. im just hoping we dont get a statement later a la mike helton 2001.

bevo said...

@haus-

Watch again. First piece that flew up was about 2 foot square going right at the guy in the white shirt

Tracy D said...

Clearly, stuff flew into the stands- tell us what's going on, for heaven's sake!

Newracefan said...

Ryan in fine in the media center doing interviews for finishing third. As far a fan updates, have you ever see medical related chaos, updating the TV guys is the last thing they are concerned with.

Daly Planet Editor said...

OK, did any of you hear any updates on the fans in the stands on the Fox close?

I want to be sure.

Anonymous said...

why do you keep saying there were no fan updates? if you listened you would have heard Chris M say there were some fans injured but they are being taken care of. NO you are not going to here from them because the fans deserve some privacy and NO you are not going to get any other updates then what Chris has already said because LIKE I SAID, the injured fans deserve some privacy!! what more do you want?!

Anonymous said...

Wow.....Lighten up. Why sign off the air scaring people "We have many injuries....see you next week at Richmond". Unlike the Daly Planet, FOX isnt a bunch of negative nancies and doesnt dwell over the small stuff. They said there were injuries. They didnt know anything eles so nothing can be said.

PammH said...

All I heard Myers say is that they were keeping an eye on the fan situation..

bevo said...

@nrf-
Exactly- that's why you don't laugh and act like everything's so cool.
(not you, but you in a general sense- all of us)

Anonymous said...

Don't know why I just had this thought, but without lights at Talladega, if this wreck occurred at any other moment than the checkered flag, the race would have been over due to the catch fence being compromised.

Newracefan said...

While I agree with TV in not going to be able to update fan injuries at this time, mostlikely the still won't know when Speed Report airs However small stuff WHAT

Anonymous said...

good lord people, you are not going to get the same information about fan injuries as you might get from driver injuries. Let the safety crews so their job and if you lucky you might get an update on Victory Lane later. But you don't have to, its not mandatory.

bevo said...

Yeah LIGHTEN UP! People injured in the stands but who Cares??? Right?

GinaV24 said...

Once I realized that car had hit the fence, I knew there had to be shrapnel hitting those fans. And all Fox can talk about is how "exciting" a finish it was. Scary!

glenc1 said...

when I first started going to the Glen (late 90's), there was the blue Armco & a 4 foot chain link fence on the front stretch. I remember leaning on it, so I know it wasn't taller. Just because it's a road course doesn't mean a car couldn't get airborne...people could've died. Fortunately they got wise and put in the real thing around most of the grandstand areas. And this is why.

That's easily the most frightening thing I've seen in a long time. I was in shock at Mike Joy's comments. When the Indy cars wrecked at Charlotte that time, people were injured by flying debris, and a windshield went into the stand at 'dega a few years back in a Busch race, IIRC. Mike should have known what a real possibility that was.

I think the yellow line rule is worse than the reason behind it. Brad did what he had to do to win, but you have to have some kinda killer instinct for that.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Did you really say lighten up about fans in the stands being injured, ambulances lined up on the frontstretch and Hollywood Chris Myers casually saying some folks were injured?

You know nothing about racing. One piece of debris can be fatal.

This is about covering the issues underway at the track because you are the TV network who showed the race. Nothing more and nothing less.

Lighten up, incredible.

Anonymous said...

best race in a long time... does he not remember daytona five hundred with mark martin and havrick

The J said...

im gonna stay positive and say fox didnt update anything cuz there was nothing to update on, and that no one was injured to begin with

Haus14 said...

bevo, that is one of the pieces of sheet metal i am referring to, but the thing is it looks as if it is "floating" more than flying through the air - still dangerous, but you don't see the fans "scattering" as the debris comes at them. All I am saying is that it looks as if it shouldn't be more than some cuts and scrapes - hopefully.

Anonymous said...

bevo said...

Yeah LIGHTEN UP! People injured in the stands but who Cares??? Right?

April 26, 2009 6:14 PM

Its not about caring. Its about, its none of your business to be involved in a fans injury. Let the track staff take care of it. and hopefully we might get an update when everything has settled. I mean seriously, do you want FOX to stick a camera in the face of shaken up fans? Give them some time and let them be.

bevo said...

JD,

Not me. I was foolishly responding to an anonymous poster. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

darbar said...

How the heck does inquiring about injuries impact the care the people are getting? None of us are there, so being concerned has nothing to do with hoping people aren't injured. And it is race related, as a race car caused this.

The J said...

first edwards, now newman criticizing nascar. this is good, i hope they all do that

Daly Planet Editor said...

ESPNEWS is on with Ryan and others complaining about the situation.

No fan updates yet.

Anon: There have been many times where issues away from the track demanded attention. If they involve fellow NASCAR fans, they deserve all our attention.

I respect your write to type but think you may reconsider your opinions a bit later.

JD

Phathead said...

I would just like a little concern shown by those doing the coverage. Hell I half expect they're planning a new Digger cartoon based upon it. I'm sure NASCAR will be using it in all their promotional materials for a while. And I hope the injured fans sue the shit out of them.

GinaV24 said...

Glad that our tickets at Richmond are up higher than along the fence! Not minimizing the injuries that those fans may have suffered but I know that I'm not big on being real close to the catchfence - there's a reason why it's that high.

darbar said...

And since when does anything stop Fox or any other TV network from shoving a camera anywhere. Did you not watch the race yesterday when ESPN shoved a camera in Katie Kenseth's face when her husband wasn't even out of his wrecked car? AND, they didn't need to shove a camera in anyone's face to find out if any fan was injured. One simple far away camera is all they needed.

bevo said...

@haus-

I understand your point but realize the car was going 200+, parts flying off and the camera was on it for maybe two or three seconds. The reactions you're seeing are just starting.

We had some tire shards fly at us in the 9th row of an IRL race at Texas a few years ago. I hadn't had anything to drink, heard the tire explode and rubber coming at my head damn near simultaneously.

Anonymous said...

@anon 6:11--no one is asking for their names, addresses, date of birth, blood type, SSN or an interview. We're just curious to *if* any fans were possibly hit by the debris.

Heck I think it was Bristol back in 2K3 where DJ or Robby lost their rear deck lid and they showed fans being taken off on stretchers and one was even waving to say 'hey I'm OK'. That was when the tethering rule came to be.

We just want word to say "there are X fans who are receiving medical attention at this time" or "we're keeping an eye out on updates regarding fan injuries as we do not know at this time and will pass the information on for updates on the later shows and at the NASCAR ON FOX website."

Mike said...

Maybe they don't know the condition of some of the fans....a person could be around for quite some time waiting for an update.

Sophia said...

Well, if tiny stuff flew in the faces and you are not wearing glasses...severe injury/blindness is a "Possibility" if you know anything about flying debris and injuries.

NOT HAPPY about this sport and the yuks and their last TWITTER.

GinaV24 said...

Actually it looked like the fence shredded pieces of the car off and of course that means that pieces of the fence were flying off, too.

The J said...

looking at his car after the wreck, edwards is extremely lucky

Sophia said...

Jr not sounding happy...comparing COT at Dega to IROC cars!

Anonymous said...

darbar,
Big rule in TV, don't go in close on any injuries.
As for a camera on Kenseth's wife, well, she is a DRIVERS wife. A fan shouldn't have to deal with all this unwanted attention in addition to an injury.

Tracy D said...

Sophia, I had tire marbles hit me in the eye at Martinsville - it wasn't pleasant and my eye looked like I'd been in a fight. And I'd been wearing sunglasses -

We're not curious, we're concerned. I'm praying for the situation. No one,and I mean NO ONE, wants anyone hurt.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Final Twitter update from Fox:

Thanks for watching. See you next week for Saturday night prime time racing from Richmond. Coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET.

darbar said...

Uh, you don't watch local TV news do you? TV cameras are always focusing on everything and anything.

The J said...

on a different note, keselowski, ambrose and speed in the top 5. not an everyday top 5.

Vicky D said...

Most of those folks in that area of the fence where Carl crashed probably weren't looking at his car they were looking at the finish and other cars and didn't see the debris come flying towards them.

Newracefan said...

I agree with no close camera when injuries possible, it's no one's business not to mention it could show something that no one really needs to see. I really do not expect to get any kind of update for several hours anything before that is most likely to be wrong.

Anonymous said...

"We're just curious to *if* any fans were possibly hit by the debris. "

And you got that from Chris M, I dont see why you want or need anything more. They probably dont have numbers or extent of injuries for a while. No sense waiting around when people can get that info at a later time, when it is actually made public.

Daly Planet Editor said...

The replay of the crash shows fans reaching out over the front of the stands and high speed debris coming at them.

All we wanted was a responsible update from TV professionals before the network left the air.

JD

The J said...

if anyone wants to examine the wreck further, on youtube already

GinaV24 said...

How much do you think Dale Jr is thinking about his Dad right now? Listening to his comments

Anonymous said...

darbar, are we talking about local TV news? not at all, there are different standards for a national sports broadcast.

Anonymous said...

vicki,i'm guessing if you have a 4,000 lb car in front of you hitting the fence you are watching it and not the finish line!

darbar said...

ESPNews went off too soon. I still wanted to hear the post race interviews

Sophia said...

Dale Jr CALLING OUT NETWORKS and media for celebrating the BIG ONES at plate tracks. SO TRUE. and as he is talking ESPN PRACTICALLY has a loop of Carl's wreck.

Who was the disgusting company saying they would give money for so many cars INVOLVED IN THE BIG ONE??

I can't BELIEVE THAT WAS PROMOTED?????!!!

Anonymous said...

"All we wanted was a responsible update from TV professionals before the network left the air."

JD, why isnt Chris's statement that 'fans were injured and we may update the situation when that info becomes available' count as an update? You would probably have to wait a while to get anything else out of the track staff.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon,

Because just like you have the right to your opinion, we have the right to ours.

Appreciate your comment, even thought it is tatseless and makes absolutely no sense.

The fact that you do not care about your fellow fans has been made very clear.

I want to remind you that Fox is the same network that left the air with Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the ambulance while DW talked to Mikey live in Victory Lane.

Nothing was evern updated on any Fox network about Earnhardt and that is a sore spot for many longtime fans. OK?

JD

Dot said...

@ Gymmie, it was R Gordon's car part. I remember the fan waving from the stretcher.

Marcos update: moved up 7 spots in the points to 19th.

Anonymous said...

@Mike--yes we realize that which is why we would like them to say "we do not have word on fan injuries but will try to pass along to the later shows or you can check our Twitter page or NA$CAR on FOX webiste for more information"

Yes I saw that Twitter update JD...incredible!

The J said...

injuries or not, i have a feeling despain on WT will open up a can on nascar

Sophia said...

ESPN not interested in upset and CONCERNED DRIVERS.

would rather interview "smack talk" among drivers or make stuff up

Sophia said...

@J

I HOPE Despain goes off on NASCAR on WT.

For coming in second Jr looked mighty depressed as did Ryan N and Scott Speed. I wish I had caught the beginning of the interview.

My brother once told me NASCAR is very secretive about driver injuries...(No DETAILS on Jeff G's back)

The J said...

speed report in 20 mins. maybe theyll have something

TexasRaceLady said...

Go, Junior. Opened up a can of Whoop-Ass on the media and NASCAR for "celebrating and playing up the wrecking."

Anonymous said...

"The fact that you do not care about your fellow fans has been made very clear."

JD, I am shocked. I do care for the well being of the fans which is exactly why I think we should wait until all this is settled before we try and get details this quick after the incident. Anyone who watches cable news might know that details often turn out to be wrong when given in the heat of the incident. I would rather wait until we know the facts before anyone tries to give an update on this. I apologize if my comments were misconstrued in any other way.

GinaV24 said...

Lowe's is promoting that they will sell discounted tickets for whatever the number of cars in the "big one", so for instance if it was 15 cars the tickets will sell for $15. I think this is not the right message although the track has couched it by saying the best result would be only 1 car wrecked at Dega so the tickets would sell for $1. So if there hadn't be any wrecks (unlikely) would they have had to give them away free?

Jr is right too in saying that TV and the media play off and use the wrecks as promotion. What do we see on all the promos, no matter what track, wrecks and wrecks. Then fans get bashed for "going to see the wrecks". Shoot!

Daly Planet Editor said...

We will keep the comments section open through the SPEED shows to get the info that fans are emailing about.

I have no idea about injuries, just keep reading our comments.

JD

Anonymous said...

@Dot--TY! I thought it was Robby but then I was thinking something about DJ too!

@Sophia--I missed the 'announcement' but apparently it was Lowe's. Another reason I'm never stepping into that store if I can help it.

Anonymous said...

Two patients airlifted out. Total of eight injuried.

Airlifted because of traffic - not because of injuries.

Officials not sure if injuries caused by flying debris from car or fence.

Watching Nascar's live stream of press conference.

The J said...

i feel bad for keselowski, that his first win is being overshadowed by what happened

Jimbacca said...

It's odd that big talkers post Anon.

Simple human nature. If you see dangerous things flying into people you are interested to know if everyone is ok. Not that Betty Sue has a broken arm and Ralph got a scratch. More like everyone is ok or X number of people were injured and they are doing fine.

We'll go with the idiot logic of some of the posts. They were on TV weren't they? They should be fair game. Doesn't sound so good spun around does it?

As far a coverage. The second half was much improved from the first. Maybe its a lack of cars?

bevo said...

8 fans injured, 1 airlifted. No fatalities as of now. SIRIUS NASCAR RADIO

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon,

We have unfortunately been down this road before.

Showing concern and presenting a realistic version of what is going on at the track is key.

TV viewers saw a glimpse of many ambulances lined-up on the frontstretch with the staff in the stands.

As many of the veteran fans in this forum have pointed out, even an object as small as a bolt can cause big injuries at speed to fans in the stands.

Once the race was over, the priority IMHO was not Brad or Carl, it was the fans.

Once we get the injury into from SPEED, then we can take a minute and sort out our thoughts.

Thanks for your reply.

Jd

Newracefan said...

8 fans minors injuries, cuts, bruises, poss fractures (arms or legs). 2 airlifts due to traffic not severity, facial cuts with possible fractured jaw (female) and someone with medical issue not related to crash (female). As per Bobby Lewis the Doc at the track. This at the medica center before they talked to Brad K.

Daly Planet Editor said...

thanks bevo, keep feeding the info please.

GinaV24 said...

@gymmie -- FYI it is Charlotte TRACK Lowe's that is running the ticket promo, not the home improvement Lowe's

Lou said...

there was an update on post race video on nascar.com

Newracefan said...

Gymmie don't blame Lowes they just bought naming rights blame Bruton Smith and his son, they are in charge for this stupidity

bevo said...

Interviewing Dr Bobby Lewis now on SIRIUS

glenc1 said...

This from Jenna Fryer's story: "The fence held and no debris appeared to sail into the stands." Again, what were they all looking at?

anon, no one here wants to see people bleeding or needs details of who they are. But a bigger tone of seriousness was in order here. And of course, I wonder if NASCAR told them not to talk about it.

GinaV24 said...

Thanks for the update on the fans.

The J said...

guy on espnews(i think his name is bram or something)getting all excited about the wreck, then the usual ricky bobby mention

Anonymous said...

@Sophia--yes with the HIPPA laws the drivers themselves pretty much have to reveal any medical issues. Back when Dr. J was a pit reporter he was able to access the care center and update medical conditions and 'splain to us in simple terms about injuries/what it meant/etc.

bevo said...

8 injured, broken arms and legs. 2 airlifted because of traffic. 1 because of injuries boken jaw and , 1 for other medical reasons, not because of injuries but she was in the area of the debris.

GinaV24 said...

The "fence held"! Wow, yeah barely. they are interviewing Brad K now -- he's going to do the smart thing and just talk about his race and that's fine.

Yep, I agree, it's the Smith's that are running the promo, not Lowe's.

bevo said...

Sorry about the creative punctuation there

Daly Planet Editor said...

That was so close to a disaster that I think it might only now be sinking in for some folks.

The J said...

about 200 replays of the wreck in 2 minutes

bevo said...

Jim Hunter about to be on Sirius

Daly Planet Editor said...

from Racing Today:

At least four fans were injured by debris from the crash. One woman, her face bloodied, was immobilized on a backboard on a rescue vehicle and being treated by rescue personnel. Three others, two women and a man, were being treated in their seats for apparently minor injuries.

Janet Thompson from Baton Rouge, La., said she was in the party with those with minor injuries. She said they were struck by a “round black cap” that others in the party described as a spring rubber.

But she said she felt safe sitting in Section K just above the track, even though the fence below was mangled and bent. “There are 160,000 people here and it hit us,” she said.

bevo said...

Alex Hayden getting with Hunter. Seriousness starting to sink in to Steve Post. He's doing a good job now being a traffic cop.

Anonymous said...

@Jimbacca--EXACTLY!

@Bevo & nrf--thanks for the updates

@Gina & nrf--oh yes I realize that, but still their name is on the track even though I refuse to call it that. But since they're paying for the "right" to have their name on it, it would seem they would have wind of this "promo" and see how ridiculous it is.

GinaV24 said...

thanks, JD for the update.

Anonymous said...

If we were to go back over the past, say, ten years, how many airborne cars were caused by yellow line issues at Dega and Daytona? Was that the cause of Kenseth going airborne yesterday? Was it the cause of Kyle Busch two years ago or so? What about McDowell at Texas?
My point being, is allowing below the yellow line passes going to stop all those other cars from going airborne?
I know I know, don't question the conventional wisdom, just react emotionally.

Vicky D said...

Hubby is too concerned for the Indy race for him to turn channel to see what's going on at 'dega. I'm waiting for updates here.

bevo said...

Jack Roush was pretty shaken in his interview a few minutes ago on Sirius. Says that kind of stuff will happen until NASCAR gets serious about hitting each other.

Daly Planet Editor said...

I worked the Bobby Allison wreck at Talladega for ESPN back in 1987.

Bob Jenkins put everything on hold immediately and turned his attention to the fans.

We just need info, nothing more.

bevo said...

Commercial break on Sirius. Hopefully they'll have Hunter whaen they come back.

GinaV24 said...

@Gymmie, you make a good point. Lowe's name is out there and it would be nice if they were willing to be better corporate citizens and pay attention to how a promotion might play.

JD -- I've only seen footage of Allison's wreck and I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been there when that was going on.

bevo said...

Talking to Ambrose now, don't know what's happened with Jim Hunter.

Sophia said...

No life threatening but severe scaring or broken jaws no picnic.

Anonymous said...

Not all anons are the same person btw...

Anonymous said...

I think Bob Diller has put it in a good perspective.

Anonymous said...

and there is the televised update. very organized and not chaotic now that everything has had time to settle to an extent.

GinaV24 said...

Sophie, you are so right - the thought of that car coming into the stands makes me feel sick. Just lucky it wasn't worse. I was at the Flemington track in NJ many years ago now, MY FIRST race and a spectator was killed when a modified car went through the fence - I was 9. I've never forgotten it and it scared my Mom so much that I didn't see another race in person until I was old enough to drive myself! Obviously attending sporting events can be dangerous - I've had near misses with foul balls AND hockey pucks -- but motor racing is a whole nother level of danger and people shouldn't take it for granted.

GinaV24 said...

Well Anon if you don't want to be mistaken for another "anon poster", stop posting that way. It is your choice.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon 7:10PM,

Are you a PR guy? Because we have been here for years talking NASCAR and do not need to be sold a bill of goods.

If you mean have the injured fans been sent to the hospital, the answer is yes.

If you mean that the way Fox left the air is now justified, the answer is clearly no.

Hindsight cannot be used to justify the big error in closing out the broadcast and walking away.

JD

bevo said...

Apparently Jim Hunter will not be on Sirius.

bevo said...

Ready to take calls on Sirius after break.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Thanks folks, I will be putting something together after some phone calls and make it available for your comments tonight.

Appreciate everyone stopping by and just a reminder that we will be here for the Camping World Truck Series race tomorrow at 11AM from Kansas.

A re-air of the entire rain delayed race will be 9PM Monday on SPEED after TWIN.

Mikey, Chad and Steve on TWIN. AB, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Ray Evernham on NASCAR Now at 5PM.

Jd

bevo said...

Well JD after ABC/ESPN with Katie Kenseth yesterday and Fox today with the the debris in the stands I don't think anyone connected with these broadcasts can hold their heads high.

Kyle said...

Wow, 568 comments-Not sure if someone has posted a link to an update on the fans or not, but here is one.

http://fanzonesports.net/nascar/2009/04/eight-fans-injured-after-crash-coming-to-the-finish/

Richard in N.C. said...

JD, Do you know whether the midnight or 1:00AM SPEED Report is just a re-air or a new show?
Thanks.

Sophia said...

Bevo

I am guessing Hunter thought better of it with fans going to hospital.

I am ashamed to be a fan of this sport the way it promotes itself after this weekend.

Unless you are expensive meal ticket and get killed, NASCAR does not care. Look how many lives it took for the last safer stuff to be instilled?

Now just fans "non life threatening" injuries and all is well.

I hope they are but this is a mess no matter how you stack it up.

Carl Edwards said it best in his interview..when somebody gets killed, NASCAR will change the rules.

What it seems to take in the BELOVED COT car...I thought the COT was NOT supposed to FLIP OVER anymore.

Didn't they just mention that on NASCAR Performance? The cow flaps and stuff? Perhaps somebody with it on dvr can remind me...I might have it on tape since it was after F1 race

Karen said...

JD, did you hear James Finch's dedicating his win to Neil Bonnett? He was choked up.

Anonymous said...

Richard, its a re air of the first SPEED Report today.

Anonymous said...

Seems to me if we want 100% safety and possibility of fan or driver injury, we should just ban the sport. Or perhaps the fans, like the ones here, should just stop supporting it. It's not clear what you want. Guarantees that nobody can get hurt ever?

Robyn said...

@Sophia,

The COT is designed not to flip over on its' own. But as Edwards was starting to settle down, he got hit by Newman, which propelled the car back up. I don't think that it ever flipped (or maybe I'm just blocking it out). A lot of the damage was from impacts.

Anonymous said...

"What it seems to take in the BELOVED COT car...I thought the COT was NOT supposed to FLIP OVER anymore."

well, it was designed not to flip over from the side. but not from the back, especially while going backward at 200 MPH. it was the COT that probably saved Edwards life though, so dont go talking bad about it now. But you can design something not to do whatever you want, it doesnt mean something so crazy will not happen that could be just the perfect set-up to have something like this happen.

Anonymous said...

If there was a woman bloody on a stretcher, I am sure this blog would have criticized FOX if they had put it on camera. For this blog, FOX is never good enough no matter what they do.

I thought coverage of the injuries was wholly appropriate. If I want to know more, I can read up on it later. I was 100% more interested in an interview with Carl Edwards to get his perspective and opinion than I am seeing images of fans getting first aid.

Jimbacca said...

Don't see anything on this page or others talking about banning fans or cars. I believe the colorful conversion is revolving now around the lack of coverage of an incident and the drivers who are talking big about safety. They are worried about themselves being hurt.

But Anon away.

Anonymous said...

The plate package will change to slow these cars down. We saw guys over 200mph today and I think NASCAR would like them topping out around 190. I think they'll simply change the plates not the rules.

How come no one criticizes Carl or his spotter for his move? It is NASCAR fault for the rule change? Phooey - it was Carl's fault for getting out of line and then not making sure he is clear before trying to get back in.

Sophia said...

@robyn and others.

yea, I realize it was a freak accident with Carl's second hit. So glad he is ok and hope fans can all be fixed up without scarring or life altering injuries.

Still sad how Fox showed NO concern at all..though we CLEARLY saw ambulances lined up??? A glib mention while laughing how "exciting" the race was...is not gonna fly well

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness nobody was seriously hurt.

What bother's me the most is the race winner had no idea if anyone had been injured and did a burnout to "celebrate". That was classless. The least he could have done was to drive over to the area and make sure every was OK before he did anything else. People are so self absorbed these days that its all about what I did and how I did it. I sure would never want to win a race that way. Blaming NASCAR for the rules is just a way to justify potentially injuring hundreds of people and to be able to live with it. What a loser!!

Anonymous said...

Shows how times have changed. I think twice every single year when we go to Talladega we see the clip of Allison in the fence. It is part of the tradition and no one complains. And now we will see the clip of Carl in the fence twice a year every year for the next 20 years. And for some reason people seem upset about it.

Anonymous said...

I like how Dale Jr made sure to throw in a comment about how much he doesn't like Carl Edwards before he knew if he was okay. He said something like "I would have liked to see Brad pushing anyone but the 99" or something like he couldn't believe his young buddy would hook up with a jerk like that. If Carl had been hurt, Dale would have looked totally classless.

Anonymous said...

Keslowski was so excited to win he started his burnout while cars were still coming down the track!

Karen said...

Keselowski said Regan Smith did the absolutely exact right thing last year, but he's not Regan or something like that. He knew he had to hold his line and that's what he was prepared to do, but he was not going to lose the race that way.

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

I don't think Jr doesn't like Carl, I've heard him say he doesn't like racing behind a Ford, in front of a Ford or next to a Ford. It's just the Ford's. I bet the next Daytona or Talladega race the restrictor plates will be smaller.

PammH said...

anon 7:53-Jr said no such thing. He just expressed surprise that it was Brad pushing Carl. I figure it was because Brad was a ways back last he knew...imo, of course.

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

And I hope the injured fans sue the shit out of them.You obviously have not been to a NASCAR race. By buying a ticket, you are basically saying you realize that it is dangerous to atteend a race. It says it on the back of the ticket you cannot sue the speedway due to injuries.

Also. NASCAR fans get hurt at the races all the time from either heat stroke, falling down the stairs, or just plain drukeness. This is the only time fan injuries makes the news. Its the risk you take when attending a race.

PammH said...

anon 8:24-welp fans sued Charlotte when a bridge collapsed after Jr won the All-Star race & they collected damages.

Sophia said...

I think what is most bothersome is not the argument of near disaster but the dismissive, cheerful DEMEANOR of the FOX Crew.

maybe they did NOT know what happened but when is the last time a race ended with AMBULANCES lined up in front of the fence?

they could PRETEND to care

red said...

anon 7:53: in my opinion, your comment is totally uncalled for and inaccurate. what earnhardt was saying (if you listened without hostility) had nothing to do with carl, the person. earnhardt was saying that he didn't want to see keselowski pushing ANYONE past him, the 88 car. and certainly not on the high line that at one point in the race was almost 7mph faster than the lane that earnhardt and newman were running.

in addition, earnhardt was being kept informed by his spotter as to who was making a final charge and where those cars were on the track. he knew edwards had been hanging back all day, he knew edwards was moving forward and i suspect it was pretty clear that the 99 was moving fast.

i heard the same interviews as you but i heard a completely different statement. i don't even like edwards all that much but he was getting a monster push from keselowski and it was pretty clear he had newman/earnhardt beat. dale was acknowledging that.

and anon@8:18: don't let the door hit you on the way out. if you don't see that nascar's ruling at 'dega last year directly led to what happened tonight, then i wonder whether you've been following the concern about the yellow line rule since last year. it was a bad rule from nascar and it should be changed.

anon@8:03; thanks for the reminder. i knew it was recorded immediately after the finish and so assumed the guys didn't know about the extent of what happened to the fans.

Dot said...

Watching VL.

It just amazes me the chain of events that lead to disaster. If Newman would have been a foot ahead or back, Carl wouldn't have hit him and flipped into the fence.

I wonder what the odds are of a race fan getting hit with debris in the grandstands. I'm glad it appears that they will be OK. What a story they get to tell.

batchief said...

Hi folks, this is batchief. My name is short for battlion chief. I was a professional firefighter for 31 years and that was the rank I retired at. My department also ran the cities ambulance service and I was at the scene of many accidents. There is no incident commander who would let the media into a disaster area. He would designate a meeting area for reports to the media. He would also make sure the injured were administered to and the area secured from further danger to the public before meeting with the media. He or a designated representative would inform the media of what the situation was when they were free to do so and the information they had was accurate. From what I have read here that information was passed along in the proper way at the proper time.

PammH said...

I am totally bummin' that neither Jimmy or Kenny have called out Nascar & their y/l rule for the final lap wreck. My only hope now lies w/WT. Maybe NN Monday...

Daly Planet Editor said...

Anon,

You are entitled to offer your suggestions, but not to tell others what to do or use derogatory speech.

Your comments are designed to inflame. The posters here are adults and veteran NASCAR fans.

Their views are equal to yours. Working from hindsight is great, but trying to pretend that you are a voice of authority is not going to fly.

Most of us know who you are and why you are here. The personal struggle you are involved in seems endless and I hope you get things in order in your life.

If this makes you feel better, than so be it.

JD

The J said...

if newmans car was a few feet ahead carls car would have hit right in his windshield.


alright despain im counting on you to deliver the smack

red said...

batchief: you have always had my respect for your reasoned and intelligent posts. my complaint is not with the way the emergency personnel handled the situation. it is with what i feel is the inappropriate way that the fox broadcast personnel handled the information. it bordered on flippant, in my ears, and certainly did not reflect what seemed evident to me, watching as a fan on tv. this was serious emergency, with metal in the air and moving rapidly thru and above the fence toward fans.

i had no expectation that emergency personnel would say anything to the media until triage had been completed and fans treated. but i also was astounded at the seemingly irreverant tone and comments that closed the broadcast.

what i would have liked to have heard was a simple "there are emergency personnel on the scene and we'll let you know what the situation is when we find out. stay tuned to fox (or any of the media partners) for further updates."

this same team handled the 00 wreck so professionally, so expertly and that's what makes this such a stark contrast.

Anonymous said...

JD, I just want to say again that not all Anons are the same person.

Daly Planet Editor said...

batchief,

While you were in the fire business, I was in the TV business.

I did not ask and did not expect any intrusive media presence that would interfere with the duties of the EMS workers.

There is, however, a big difference in leaving a nationwide TV audience without an understanding of what happened to the fans in the stands.

We are now talking in hindsight, but at the time of the issue decisions had to be made and Fox chose to leave without an update.

In this situation, the Internet and radio media provided the information about the situation for the fans.

Fox had time pressure and other issue to take into consideration where the other media outlets did not.

What discussion would be underway right now if a fatality had occurred? It would be very different.

We have had a long and positive relationship. I have no problem with your facts and explanation.

TV is subjective and will always result in varied opinions. I believe this discussion will continue on a lot of websites for some time to come.

JD

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