Slipping in between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series from New Hampshire are the Camping World trucks. 5:30PM is the time for Krista Voda and the pre-race show on SPEED called The Setup.
Voda will use Ray Dunlap and Adam Alexander as reporters during this half-hour show. It is no secret that the trucks are having a very rough season and this stand-alone race promises to feature some new faces and teams.
There has been talk of everything from a spec engine to a change in the venues that the series services. Veteran fans may remember that the trucks originally raced at many smaller tracks and the profile of the series was tough racing on bull-rings.
Now, the move to the bigger tracks and the expanded schedule may have proven to be to much for the current dollars in the sport. Returning to the roots of truck racing for 2010 might not be a bad idea. Some shows with the NASCAR regional racing series would bring a new racing dynamic to the sport.
Rick Allen and Phil Parsons are going to call the race for SPEED. Michael Waltrip was threatening to fly down to Memphis from his New Hampshire location, but at last report he still did not have a ride. Allen and Parsons are the official voices of this series and continue to get it right on a regular basis.
Look for the top teams to emerge, but also for the truck drivers to make the most of not having the Cup Series drivers in the field. Memphis is a good size for TV and the action is usually very good.
This post will serve to host your comments about the CWTS race on SPEED. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking some time out of your Saturday to stop by.
Hey folks, trucks up shortly.
ReplyDeleteI'm OD'ing on racing today, JD.
ReplyDeleteBut, since it just hit 100 degrees here, staying inside is NOT a problem.
ReplyDeleteBTW, did you get the correct info on the SPEED mod telecast in August? Is it Tuesday the 18th, or Wednesday the 19th.
I know I'm being a pest, but I want to put it on my calendar. Just call it the teacher in me. ;>)
TRL, it is Wednesday according to NASCAR.com but I am waiting until I get the official email from NASCAR.
ReplyDeleteNormally, there would be a mid-week show on a Wednesday.
YAYAYAYAYAYAYA Pick 'em Ups :)
ReplyDelete@TRL--I hear ya! Weatherbug just went from 100 to 99 (like that's a HUGE difference :p) and according to that the humidity is 34% and Heat Index 105. BLECH!
Going out to dinner - will check back later.
ReplyDeleteJust got a super-secret, double encoded tweet: Kyle Busch in enroute to Memphis. Figures he'll arrive before the half-way point and can still get drivers points. Stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteSo that's what a cow in labour sounds like...
ReplyDelete--KarenB
105 here :)
ReplyDeleteHope the Truck production gets back on track with this race. Been a rough time for what has been over the years the best broadcast.
@ Karen - LOL too funny - I knew I'd heard that sound before LOL
ReplyDelete@kbaskins- and they're milking it all they can :)
ReplyDelete@Anon, 6:03
ReplyDeleteUnless a driver takes the green, he doesn't get driver points.
Not a very mooving rendition either :)
ReplyDelete... I'll stop now
Oh, geez, peeps, y'all are killing me.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's too hot to laugh.
Nice of them to talk about the issues. Solid pre-race show.
ReplyDelete62° here, at bit cooler then Memphis.
ReplyDeleteLetting the teams take tires from one track to another.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense.
Now, THAT is an oxymoron.
NASCAR and making sense.
Sorry TRL, but you gotta admit that was udderly awful.
ReplyDeleteYou know, when I hear these "Nashville Recording Artists", it makes me think that I could be a star in Nashville, assuming I could get over my loathing of country music.
--KarenB
Alrighty! I'm awake now
ReplyDeleteI want to be where Charlie is :)...62 sounds heavenly
ReplyDelete<3'd Rick saying he wouldn't break the trophy!
Did you see the SPEED guy operating the jib cam by turn 4?
ReplyDeleteNow, that is going to be a hot job. Looked like he had a blue and white umberalla on the jib. Funny.
Lord, who picked that music???
ReplyDeleteYou guys oughta live in the Canadian southwest/US Pacific northwest. It's [doing quick temperature conversion] 54°F here. And wet. It's lovely.
ReplyDelete--KarenB
Stick with South Florida, I like the water. Was in Miami yesterday, that was fun. Whole different world.
ReplyDeleteI live on the ocean too, JD. It's just mine is colder. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like this temperate rainforest climate.
--KarenB
Hard to believe the Memphis track looks high banked compared to the NW race. And Memphis is pretty flat.
ReplyDeleteTRL - According to Bristol's site ...
ReplyDelete"The Sharpie 500 Sprint Cup race, along with the Food City 250 event, will be held Aug. 21-22 while the O'Reilly 200 Craftsman Truck Series/Food City 150 Hooters Pro Cup doubleheader will be held on Aug. 19."
Thanks, I'll put that down. :>)
ReplyDeleteWe were talking about the Mod race. That is mid-week so they can get some Cup guys. I just might run up to that one. Few new things in NASCAR these days.
ReplyDeleteYa know, Ray Dunlap just cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteTruck race will be equally hot in Nashville next month. It's always hot there in August.
ReplyDeleteHey, anyone missing Michael Waltrip?
ReplyDeleteActually, I am. I do like him on the truck series. He does bring in some excitement.
ReplyDelete"missing Michael Waltrip..."
ReplyDeleteNO! I'm watching because he is not there.
Makiki
Honolulu
See, always two sides to every story!
ReplyDeleteAlright, Digger and the truck race.
ReplyDeleteDid I hear Digger mentioned??? OMG!
ReplyDeleteYou guys didn't pick up your Digger comic books? They are on sale right now....
ReplyDeleteThese guys are not watching the track. Sounds like they're watching the monitor. Missing too many things on the track.
ReplyDeleteMW wouldn't have missed that! LOL
TRL / JD - Edit that ...
ReplyDelete"O'Reilly 200 / UNOH Perfect Storm 150
August 19, 2009
Lightning quick doesn't begin to describe the action from the Whelen Modified Tour. During a pre-season practice session at Bristol Motor Speedway, Modified ace Ted Christopher turned a lap of "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" in 14.479 seconds, easily breaking Ryan Newman's Cup Series track record. These drivers will lay it all on the line and challenge the banks of Bristol in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 - an event that is sure to become a instant classic. "
We should get a pool going to guess at what truck race we will see digger animation at the track.
ReplyDeleteJust got hotter here :) Washing machine sprung a leak on the hot water line, took me a minute to figure out what that sound was. Got soaked trying to turn it off. Missed the last 50 laps. Now I have a project for first thing in the morning ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen the Mods when to Bristol to test many said it was the most exciting racing they had ever seen...and it was just testing.
ReplyDeleteThat one is going to be awesome.
$30 gets you the all-day double header ticket for Mods and Trucks ...
ReplyDeleteMod practice starts at 9am ... Mod race starts at 6pm ... Trucks at 8pm ...
Headed outside to the pool, will finish this race later on tonight on DVR. See you all tomorrow for the 'Big One".
ReplyDeleteHere in Houston, it's a heat wave (plus 100's) and drought. Just got home and notice David Starr is a little back and Young is off. It looks like not too many fans in the seats though.
ReplyDeleteVicky, don't expect to see this as a stand alone race again next season.
ReplyDeleteThe trucks are going to be re-vamped and I am sure things are going to be changing.
Looks like a really poor crowd at Memphis. Makes you wonder how long that one can remain on the schedule.
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee will most likely be gone as they own NASCAR for sanction fees.
I think the record heat in Memphis is a BIG factor in the attendance today ...
ReplyDeleteLove the commercial-
ReplyDeleteBusch & Speed in Rolex as team mates lol - how will those egos fit in same garage space? Those poor crew members, they must have been really naughty to get stuck with those 2.
Now thats how to do a split in pits. Not the one we saw earlier.
ReplyDeleteNice shot of trucks coming off pit road
@ Jo, too funny.
ReplyDeleteJojaye - the pit crew that are on Speed/Busch team lost the rock paper scissors game.
ReplyDelete@Dot Thanks ;)
ReplyDelete@Vicky - LOL good one
Still like the booth better without MW. Rick and Phil are a great balance.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, bevo. Mikey's constant shilling has finally gotten to me. I turn off the race when he's on. I haven't watched TWIN for several weeks either.
ReplyDeleteI hope he doesn't retire from racing at the end of this year. It could mean we'll see more of him on TV.
--KarenB
That was certainly the way we would like to see the triple split. Not real hard.
ReplyDeleteI hope NASCAR can pump this series up for next season, even if they get a spec engine and smaller tracks.
Rick and Phil are trying to squeeze every ounce of excitement out of this race possible, but there just is not much to be found.
ReplyDeleteDFR, regular pit stops, get back to smaller tracks with three or four super speedways, run on Friday nights.
ReplyDeletereally miss Johnny Benson. hope he is getting well and returns to racing.
ReplyDeleteMakiki
Honolulu
Smaller tracks, good. Force the teams to build symetrical trucks, even better. This "twisted" phenomina that has really amped up the last 5 years has killed competition in my eyes and something has to be done about it. They took that step with the COT and just went too far.
ReplyDeleteDoing a "cage" style template would be awesome to see across the board without all the gadgets like splitters and wings. I think if they dumped the splitter for the truck series, went back to the valence and forced the truck to be symmetrical like its showroom counterpart, that would improve competition some. Drivers might complain more but I think it could help in the long run.
I expect a 20 race schedule next year from what it sounds like...this would be a great companion to the NW Memphis race. Have NO idea why they don't do it already. Dump California and go to Gateway, that would help also.
John:
ReplyDeleteDo you have any idea what a NASCAR sanction fee is for say a race like Memphis?
Seems like if it is costly, a promotor cannot make any profit.
Man, Hornaday is stinking up the joint. Talk about a boring race...
ReplyDelete--KarenB
Id actually abandon Friday nights on several events, take this series with the NW series, package them together and run them as two-fers with the Trucks in the afternoon and NW at night for tracks that have the ability. More stand alones for NW which would limit Cup driver's abilities to run both full schedules, Might do quite a bit for the attendance for both, or at least help trucks, and also help with fields for trucks as well hopefully.
ReplyDeleteMath: not Phil's strong suit.
ReplyDelete--KarenB
Don't forget: NASCAR Now is at 8AM on ESPN2. Something about live tennis from Wimbledon....
ReplyDeleteRick handled the math thing perfectly, nice when the announcers actually listen to each other :)
ReplyDeleteDavid, look for this series to stay East. The tow money is killing them.
ReplyDeleteThe fees are still steep and I don't know if you heard, but Milwaukee could not come up with the cash for the NASCAR weekend after the race. Still owes...
ReplyDeleteTrading Cali for Gateway would be good then JD...
ReplyDeletePIR is still a good race for them, dont expect vegas to be on it next year
Horrible last lap coverage from SPEED. What were they thinking?
ReplyDeleteWell Grandpa got the last Elvis trophy again. Congrats to him, his crew & fans.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am just tired, but I watched that whole race and then on the green/white/checkered we just see Hornaday and not the fight behind him?
ReplyDeleteHey SPEED, those cameras zoom OUT as well as in.
Have fun all, what a day. Hopefully no rain in NH tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Saturday night.
For those of you into the IRL, those guys are in Richmond and on Versus at 8PM.
Night all...
Now that the race is over - I really did miss Mikey.
ReplyDeleteAnd there were several uneven parts. I'm just gonna blame the heat, since a/c can usually only get about a 20 degree drop everyone was uncomfy.
Speeds race coverage has been very uneven this last few months - what changed?
Live leaderboards for practice / qualifying / race on NASCAR.com would help the Truck series ...
ReplyDeleteNASCAR.com updating the race info more frequently for the Trucks wouldn't hurt either ...
OK here's what I'm wondering... so, so many complaints from folks when TNT leaves the air early, and yet not a word about it when SPEED does so on the truck race? I'm not liking this double-standard.
ReplyDeleteReally missed Mikey.
ReplyDeleteWhen we have to have a discussion about how many caution laps equal how many race laps--and the booth guy doesn't know--that's a problem.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSonic,
ReplyDeleteCup race = truck race? Think that had a lot to do with it.
Kinda related. I just watched the Indy race and there was 20 mins left. They stayed on the air until 8PM interviewing drivers. Why can't SPEED, TNT, FOX and BSPN do the same thing?
ReplyDelete@Dot - could it be any of the following?
ReplyDeleteBecause it would be the right thing to do? Because they think NASCAR fans are to stupid to be able to tell time?
OR
We are not worth the respect others are given & they know NASCAR will not publicly hold their feet to the fire?
Actually - its all of the above
JD do you know if IndyCar is still paying the networks to air their races or did Versus pay them to have the series this year. I know in the past the IRL was paying to have their product on the air which was why they could do side-by-side as well as force a network to stay on the air for the full timeslot that they rightfully bought from their network. That could have been in play today or perhaps Versus filled out the timeslot since they aren't a huge network yet and don't have an ego lol.
ReplyDelete@ Jo, I concur.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the IRL race and their side by side coverage I saw the Mobil 1 comml that is shown during our race coverage. Tell me why again the sponsors don't want this?
Read on Twitter from KP that Daytona on TNT is going side by side. True?
@ David, funny ego comment.