The ESPN2 block of Nationwide Series coverage begins at 6:30PM with qualifying. Then, Allen Bestwick is next with NASCAR Countdown at 8PM. The racing action begins at 8:30PM.
Bestwick will be joined in the Infield Pit Center by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty for the pre-race show. Wallace will then move up to the broadcast booth and join Jerry Punch and Ray Evernham, who is in for Andy Petree.
With Vince Welch off to an IRL Sunday event, it will be the trio of Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Dave Burns handling the action on pit road.
The weather has finally cleared in the area and SPEED was able to telecast a live truck series race earlier on Saturday. The NASCAR on ESPN team should enjoy great pictures and sound just like SPEED.
The Milwaukee Mile is a rough place to race with typical flat-track action that normally results in a caution flag or two. Both Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were trying their best to get from the practice session at Sonoma to the Milwaukee track to keep their Nationwide Championship hunt under way.
The rest of the field is weakened a bit, but does contain several drivers like Ron Hornaday Jr. and Dennis Setzer who raced in the truck series race. In fact, today is Hornaday's birthday and he won the CWTS event. Keep on eye on "Grandpa."
This post will host your comments about the qualifying, pre-race and race coverage of the Nationwide Series from Milwaukee on ESPN2. To add your TV-related comments, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
348 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 348 of 348Soph - give that kitty a fan!
Man, why do they keep messing up the triple split?
JP is talking about the race off pit road and he sounds like he's reading an obituary.
love it! 18 is gonna be fine(carried over through the last commercial break), 12 has rubber hitting, 60 moving closer. lets step aside. what a waste of 4 minutes and then we miss the caution and barely make it for pit stops and were gone again. what was the caution for?
Well I have 7 comments to go after hitting refresh.
I see I have missed NOTHING but aggravation.
How many here besides me TRULY are going to stop watching NASCAR after TNT ends? I will keep up on TWIN and highlights. This is so painful to watch...no booth chemistry and bad camera work.
Wish they would have talked to Kenny Wallace and found out what happened.
@ Brad, they said debris. We won't see it though. Did we ever see Bayne's wall hit way back when?
Stevie could not win with Harold Holly...or anyone else Dad has thrown money at over the last couple years.
I really bet his brother & sister are thrilled to see any future inheritance go crashing into the wall.
Can not wait for the restart..to see him spaz out....
JD, SrRaceFan here. I've refrained from commenting until now - didn't want you to kick me off for my descriptions of the coverage. I'll try to say it nicely...
Watched all the race coverage today and ESPN is already sinking like a stone. It does no good to say "we're sorry" - those are just words and do nothing about the fact that some portion of their equipment malfunctioned - as in an "echo" over & over.
Once again, we were treated to the Kyle Busch show - from the time he stepped off the helicopter to this very minute. And did anyone notice that his name is "Kyle BUSCH", not just Kyle - they are running his name into the ground!
If I had a nickel for everytime they've said "Kyle Busch", I'd be on the Forbes 500 list for sure! And they're still doing it.
I thought they were going to give us more racing today between other cars, but that's not to be. Kyle gets near the front and it's all "Kyle Busch" all the time....
Add to the above the fact that Rusty hasn't changed a bit, Ray is as boring as ever, and there is no enthusiasm in the booth except going to commercial, I can see how ESPN is going to be for the remainder of the year.
They won't be first in coverage or even second - the cellar is the only place left. And as it fills with water, so their rock of a program will sink...
Okay, back off my soapbox now.
SrRaceFan, may i join you on your soapbox, please?
@ JD, re: triple split. They forgot to tape down the button.
jd, isn't this supposed to be an emmy winning production team? Sports emmy that is.
ESPN is happy how, even though you couldn't tell it by listening to JP. The script cars 1 and 2 on the restart.
How the heck is HORNADAY doing? I am still getting over my giant hotflash from the stuck needle.
Cat is so sweet..he was purring before I stuck him as he knew it was coming :)...4th time in 3 weeks..such a GOOD boy.
Has it been another night of pitroad penalties? I remember them explaining on TWIN one night how the penalties can NEVER BE WRONG due to electronic scoring...
So i take it it's been the Carl and Kyle show all night.
TOo bad they didn't get stuck on a tarmac like Tony Kanaan did the other day. SEVEN HOURS.
Did you know "buying a ride" is a bigger problem in IRL than in NASCAR..and I think F1...according to Robin Miller a couple weeks ago.
Like we said a million times, Jerry is just a reporter. He talks and asks questions. He reads car numbers and driver's hometowns.
The void in this coverage is where DJ and Andy jump in and do the play by play.
Other than Ray, this is a rough outing.
and the button popped up just in time to miss the cars pulling away. How timely.
Red, you're more than welcome to join me!
At this rate, I can't wait for TNT tomorrow - ESPN makes them look like Academy Award winners!
SRF
Why does JP always say "if you just joined our coverage"? Just as annoying as Kyle Busch. Not to confuse us with the other Kyle's running in the race. Now the Sonoma comment, again.
JD, with AP gone from tonight's telecast, there's dead air waiting for the PXP guy to say something. AP or DJ would jump in when that happened but it's just different with Rusty in there. Another comment about coming in from California!
Another California reference. LOL
SRF, thanks! i'm thinkning this is my last n'wide race until marty reid comes on board. i just can't tolerate it anymore.
Sr Race Fan
I TOTALLY agree with your soapbox rant.
We are so screwed for the next few years with this ESPN nonsense. Also commercial load is big on MRN. I think I read last week after the FIRST CAR on radio crossed the line, MRN went to commercial. Hate to see them go downhill.
I know NASCAR got the TV money, but somewhere they have to be just shaking their heads.
There is more excitement in a Division III college football game for goodness sake!
I can't tolerate ESPN no matter who's onboard!
So many couldn't wait for ESPN to come back to NASCAR - well, they're here and I'm just shaking my head at how far they've fallen in such a short time. They were bad last season, didn't learn a thing from the fans' comments, and now we're subjected to more of the same. And with their coverage of Cup coming up, I may have to finally forego the love of my life! Have been a race fan for 50+ years, but ESPN is driving me away... Oh, that was a horrible pun... Sorry...
SRF
He gets excited talking about Baseball. Wow!
Red
what are you going to do when all we have is ESPN for the CUP race & the chase!!! This is so upsetting...Aside from a few fave tracks, I am NOT going to sit here for hours and be aggravated by this bunch. :(
off to check twitter
the saddest part is that there appears to actually be good racing happening but you'd be hard-pressed to know that. unfortunately, it seems as if this sort of weak broadcast has contributed to the perception that there's no good racing in nascar.
and that's a major reason why ratings have plummeted, in my opinion.
Finally, a blurb that doesn't make us sound like we're from Podunk Hell. Harley's are the best.
Just once I would love for them to give a Harley Fat Boy as a trophy. Take a whack at that one Shrubbie. Can you see him try and destroy one of those bad boys?
nascar needs meetings to figure out why viewership is down?? all they need to do is watch how their product is being presented to fans. the way money is these days tv numbers should be through the roof.
and, in my continuing effort to get rusty up to speed in what is apparently not his native langauge: "that car's handling WELL," not "handling good."
language matters, especially if one is going to have a seat in a broadcast booth.
The kid crashes and they can't even pronounce his name...
Brad, no, I think this is more of the Razzie winning ESPN team. Or is it the Harvard Hasty Pudding Award winning team?
How could you not get excited for that last caution, with the field right behind with those cars going into that slow spin?
I'd bet the coverage would look a whole lot better with a pitcher of Margueritas... I might not know who won the race or how the coverage was, but I wouldn't care either...
That has to be better than getting so stressed out by the whole ESPN crew - from the announcers to the guy who tosses their empty paper cups...
SRF
@sophia: when cup goes to espn, i'll either go to the "radio + tv mute" route or just sit the races out. my patience has run out.
I could anticipate the 12 was going to spin and my heart rate went up....yet JP with his monotone "2 cars spin for the 4th caution of the night"
Please, please. Can someone teach Jr how to pronounce "fifty" on those Nationwide commercials? I know he's a southern boy, but it's not that difficult a word.
If the audio issues keep happening, we're going to have to learn how to read lips.
Let AB and Brad call the action from the infield!
Is it just me...or can AB make anyone sound good.
He make Mikey tolerable for years!
JD - and most of them can't pronounce Keselowski's name either!
Long time lurker, first time poster.
After spending two laps singiong the praises of the Lucky Dog rule, how can there be such a basic misunderstanding of how it's applied? If the eligible car causes or is involved in the caution, no dog is awarded.
darcin5261 said...
Please, please. Can someone teach Jr how to pronounce "fifty" on those Nationwide commercials? I know he's a southern boy, but it's not that difficult a word.
makes me laugh every freakin' time: "fiddie-five."
Kyle who?
JD - let AB & Brad call the race from Charlotte and they would know more what's going on.
@ red, it must be that young speak. Like Fiddy cents the rapper.
It'll be interesting to see if Kyle throws his crew under the bus with this car fading like it is, since he wasn't the one who prepped the car today.
Freaking Darnell may really mess the script up..
Steven lost his Karma...what did you do to him JD??????
lol @ JD Good one!
welcome, dave in okc! yep, the basic info seems to confound them every time. like when rusty said tonight that "you don't want to speed on pit road at this track," as if there's a track where speeding on pit road is desireable?
and as far as i'm concerned, it's still the "free pass," aaron's sponsorship not withstanding.
@ VickyD, I sent too soon when I read you. Funny. I'm sure we could call the race from our couches and do a better job.
That's what is so frustrating. JP has enthusiasm when he sends it to a commercial break. If he could just carry it over to the calling of the race itself.
@dot: nah, i suspect it's just his "good ole southern boy" speak. some commercials (ike the go-daddy one with kez) it's not heard but others? so thick, it's like trying to listen to ward burton!
Before you can get excited about racing, you have to be familiar with it.
Guess he's most familiar with commercials....
@ Mike C 10:50 & 11:02, ditto.
If Shrub does not win he won't even talk to the media.( we will just see him running to chopper to get out of there)
Dot, David Hobbs, Bob Varsha & Steve Matchett call the F1 races from Charlotte and most people watching the broadcast don't even know they aren't at the track.
Rusty, I thought he was driving his brains out. What happened to you?
if NASCAR wants to know what's wrong with the tv ratings, just read TDP.
We reflect most fans opinions.I think TNT is not doing well because they do just a few races and NOBODY KNOWS how well they are DIRECTED!
1. great camera shots.
2. FUN BOOTH to listen to and informative.
3. showing more than top 2-4 drivers.
LATHER RINSE REPEAT THAT! you have yourself a good show.
Red,
how pray tell, do you listen to Larry Mac if you're a stickler for language. I finally let go of his grammatical errors..but he also pronounces "Old" as "Ode" among other things. But you know what? Larry's PASSION and knowledge allows me to overlook the blunders. :)
I bet if you were at the track this would be a good race to watch.
@ VickyD, I was one of those who was surprised that they weren't at the track.
anon@11:03: punch is unbelieveably knowledgable about the sport and that's why it's so discouraging. i've said it before: he deserves a spot in the nascar hall of fame but this stint in the espn booth for the past few years is destroying his body of work.
Rich T - and we'll hear all about him and Carl having to catch a chopper to go to California too.
Kyle having a meltdown.
I bet if Mikey was in the booth things would be different.
brake disks are really glowing, and no remarks on same...
I would LOVE to see somebody run up to Kyle Busch and give him a pacifier to suck on as he runs to his car/plane.
Shrub may end up turning that Darnell car in the closing laps.
@sophia: you answered your own question, larry mac knows his stuff and is an asset to the broadcast for that reason. he isn't about running his mouth off just to blather on. his reports contain information and speak to his history in the sport.
rusty? not so much.
plus, larry mac doesn't have all those pet phrases like rusty seems to have compiled.
i just want rusty to zip it and let evernham speak for a while.
Time to go watch the leader only for the last two laps. Watch and see..
Bottom line...the pictures do not match the commentary. That is a shame.
It'll be a win for Darnell if he finishes in front of KyB.
red, i agree whole heartedly except starting every thought with "I mean" love Larry Mac though
How long before Shrub puts Darnell in the wall???
Carl and Kyle almost flew from Sonoma on the same plane. After watching Kyle and Darnell (Roush protege) tangle, I can't help but think how interesting that flight back to Sonoma might have been tonight.
@darbar--WOW! I'm glad you were able to get out safely :(
@Dot--ya mean they have actual houses in LV and y'all don't live in hotels :p. Sometimes I think it would be nice to live in one but (have housekeeping come in food at 3 am if you want) at the same time get old fast.
@SrRaceFan--no kicking you out here! My sentiments exactly!
@Sophia--poor kitteh :(. Yes what was that guys name a few years ago who bought his ride and was killed...oh yes Paul Dana
@JD--I think NA$CAR should give them a refund and let someone else take over. This "coverage" is so embarrassing.
Free tip--cookies bake properly *if* you turn on the oven :p
This is so lame these CUP guys winning so much.
This can't be good for this series ratings.
Very few crossing the line, sad....
All Right !!!! A-B-K Anybody But Kyle !!!!!
Some really good racing tonight.
Goodnight from Milwaukee, everyone. Have a great Father's Day
At least KyB didn't win. Now here comes the question, how does it feel to come here from CA and win the race?
will concrete Carl flip to conctere or grass?
Lots of time to kill in the broadcast window.
Well, after the truck race that was tough to watch. Not for the racing or the producing, but for the commentary.
Punch was the Milwaukee Monotone tonight.
Hope to see everyone tomorrow for the TNT race!
Have a great night.
JD
HECK of a race for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th!!!
shame the excitement wasnt the same in the booth.
Wow, think Kyle will eventually just laugh at Shannon's questions?
Weed, I mean Shrub, what a baby. Not using the word I want. Family site you know.
Kyle actually spoke after the race?
Kyle is madder than He#^ for getting second!!! All those other guys would LOVE to have a second place finish!!!!!
Too bad those two guys couldn't race their cars all the way from California instead of flying in separate jets.
He made a lair out of me, Kyle did talk to them
couldn't shrub thank whoever worked his car today and maybe the crew? i really try to like all the drivers but man does he make it nearly impossible.
I'm guessing ESPNEWS at 11:30PM.
Way to keep it classy KB...he really needs to start drinking to kill the bug that is up his...
I'm so glad that Kyle stayed for the interview! I wanted to hear him do his usual smart-alecky, poor loser speech...
And no, ESPN, your coverage isn't like fine wine - it didn't improve over time. Same old "stuff"....
Kyle looked so &$#$^#&$ angry. SHEESH.
INDEED, many NW drivers would LOVE to come in 2nd if these carpetbaggers would quit driving every week. sorry, that's my opinion.
@JD--he pretty much did with his short smart arse "answers"
Happy Fathers Day to all of our TDP Dads :)
@ Anon 11:18, too true. He's sad that he can't destroy another trophy.
Hard to believe 15 races and Carl without a win till tonight.
I think that NASCAR needs to have a "cooling off" period prior to the post race interviews....you run 250 laps & finish 2nd....thats first loser in Kyle's mind---A question that really gets under your skin---talk about how crappy it is to find 2nd... very tough
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE.
JAMIE learn how to interview.
Woof woof. Meow Hiss.
This is BEYOND PAINFUL..and we wonder why SrRaceFan and other LONG timers have abandoned this ship.
@ Dear Sophia and Gymmie, well said.
To borrow one of my favorite-ever phrases from the late, great David Poole:
What Carl Edwards showed tonight was class. What Kyle Busch showed tonight was two letters short.
cooling off period? how about Bristol when Shrub threw his team and the cot under the bus after winning. they don't need a cooling off period. Shrub needs to learn how not to be an a## when he's not happy.
Amazing how pit reporters from other TV networks have no problem dealing with drivers right out of their cars.
Of course their questions do not contain "how does that make you feel" which is mandatory for ESPN.
I'll take DW any race of the week over this crap!
Nice of Carl to give a shout out to Dad's & honor AK with a polish victory lap.
Hope Kyle does a Schrader flip at Sonoma
happy father's day to all our planeteers! i'm off n'wide racing until marty reid makes the scene. i may not watch sears point tomorrow -- i'll see.
just a major mess tonight: no way to make it seem otherwise.
JD...they have to have crooks sponsor the car...it is not like Steven's charisma is going to pull the big $$$$$$$$
@Anon 11:24, from your keyboard.....
Why are there flashing lights on the track in the background? Safety trucks?
@ red, but TNT is doing the race. You have to be here.
nice to see driver interviews post race to fill a tv block out!! the track has trucks and caution lights around the track on til stands empty
Thanks Red, you too! Have a great day for all dads.
Thanks Brad...did not know that about the lights.
Is Jack pulling out his CUP drivers next year?
Good thing Weed didn't win tonight. Glass shards for everybody.
Yep, should be interesting tomorrow for sure.
Ambrose, Montoya, Stewart, Said and Gilliland brought the Truex back-up car.
Don't forget RaceBuddy.
@dot: yeah, i know it's tnt tomorrow but tonight has just left such a bad taste in my mouth that i don't know that i can give another block of time to nascar right now. i mean, the idea of double file restarts tomorrow is intriguing BUT to have to hear it called the "shootout style double file restart" all afternoon? not so much.
and i know that tnt is gonna pull out the 'road course ringer" phrase so often -- or at least until those racers aren't in contention -- that it'll make me spit.
i dunno, i want to enjoy the time i spend watching my races but i haven't been able to for quite a while. to be honest, when the truck broadcast had such an atypically bad time a few weeks ago, it shook me. i look to those guys to provide THE best every week and when they faltered, it was disconcerting. i used to enjoy n'wide and now i'm planning to avoid the broadcasts of those races until there's a change in the booth. and tnt only has 5 more races until we get slapped in the face again with crappy coverage.
if i want to be on a rollercoaster, i'll go to an amusement park.
JD-
This race is due to be followed by the U.S. Open golf highlight show.
Problem is - that's basically rain fill.
since when did KY become a bumpy track that no one can figure out? I thought it was one of if not the favorite track of all the cup drivers til the test ban. gott love Rusty.
@ red, I hear ya. TDP keeps my sanity though. It's like watching with a bunch of friends. Makes it bearable especially the BSPN races.
Hope you're here tomorrow.
I'm shocked they're still on the air. Darn, no golf highlights.
Red
I so GET what you are saying. Truck race series off their game a few races..NW just HORRIBLE for plethora of reasons.
To me the season will kind of be over after TNT leaves.
WHO CAN STOMACH BSPN FOR HOURS??
Nice to see Ron smiling. Lookin' good. :)
Jamie now interviewing Justin A...will she use the word "Feel" ? . . .
she did not.
WOW, nice to see POST RACE INTERVIEWS for once.
There I said something positive about the broadcast.
maybe the producer has read all the heat TNT has taken on here hte last couple weeks about leaving early. Too bad he cant seem to read the comments about the play by play on his show!
ESPN has nothing to leave in favor of, the US Open has been a mess with rain on Long Island pretty much nonstop.
Okay, I also want to leave on a positive note.
"I'm positive this coverage was no better than last week or the week before or the week before...."
"I'm also positive that ESPN does not listen to the fans"
Is that enough positiveness?
SRF
@ SRF, too funny. They seem to be interviewing everyone.
See TNT it can be done. Drivers will wait to be interviewed even by Jamie Little.
There should be lots of highlights of the US Open. It ran over 11 hours without stopping.
Not sure why they are sticking around.
here's my positive note. good coverage or bad coverage doesn't change the fact that JD has a heck of a site here to entertain yourself with.
SRF
I'm positive you are positive in your statements. :)
:(
ESPN's coverage could really be the end of NASCAR.
Too bad the powers that be don't care. If they did they would have NOT allowed this dreck on BSpn for two years.
Anon, they are not running long. They are filling until Midnight ET which is the scheduled off time.
The big question is, why did they take down the Infield Pit Center??
Where are Bestwick and Daugherty?
Working on that one because we have not seen him or them in the post-race show. They normally host it.
JD
I like Trevor!!!
There, another positive...
Happy Father's Day!
A better positive...
I wonder if they have highlight restrictions for the NBC portions of the US Open and aren't allowed to show them until regularly scheduled midnight show?
I know this happens with a variety of NBC Sports properties (particularly the Olympics)
Yeah, where did Bestwick go?
Bestwick & Daugherty are running for the plane - they want to see the race at Sonoma! They always attend in person - they know what the TV coverage is like...
SRF
I LOVE seeing all these guys I am not familiar with. YAY.
TNT..take NOTES how to do POST RACe.
(but other than that TNT, you guys ROCK!)
Just quit leaving the air early? K?
There's AB & Brad.
why did AB and Brad give it up to the booth for 20 minutes and come back to wrap it up?? would have been better if they had done it all!
Ok JD, now I am totally confused.
Did they pretape the highlight package during the victory lane interview or something like that?
@ Anon, i think you're right. I don't see them.
No, not pretaped. They just missed their plane....
@ JD, you need to put your Twitter comments here. You're funny.
not to go all golf geek but Chris Berman? where is Scott Van Pelt? maybe espn wants to butcher everything this week!
@ Brad, If Chris Berman was in the race booth, I would not watch racing at all. What's with his voice?
Very, very boring race broadcast. But I got a lot of ironing done, if that's a plus.
And just a general question: When does "being disappointed at finishing second" become "being a sore loser"? Because I'm sure getting tired of the Sarcastic Shrub. Get some Round-up!
@brad
They lost that assignment sheet back when the put the Doc in the booth.
This reminds me of when ESPN used to think general personalities should host the pre-race show. If we had Brent and Suzie, Berman should've been in the mix too.
Good night all, there will be a new post up shortly for your comments on the Saturday races.
JD
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