TNT rented a house on a Michigan lake for the NASCAR on TNT announcers. It was close to the track and made the travel and logistics a lot easier. Kyle Petty quickly dubbed the place Camp Weber.
When not fishing or having a sing-a-long with Petty on the guitar, the TNT guys were talking about the issues with MIS. Junior fans remember him creeping across the line on fumes last year, saved by a late caution flag.
Now, the Sprint Cup Series comes to MIS after a wild season that has featured as many stories off the track as on the racing surface. MIS has the potential on TV to either provide a great telecast or become an exercise in gas mileage once again. NASCAR is hoping that the double-file restarts will add a kick to the middle and closing parts of the race.
The irony of General Motors announcing the withdrawal of funding for the truck and Nationwide series this week is not lost on the Cup teams in the garage. Putting on a good show is more important then ever when the survival of the series as we know it may be at stake. Next week will bring the real world fall-out of the GM news.
TNT is off to a good start in 2009. Petty, Larry McReynolds and Wally Dallenbach have been working well as a unit with Bill Weber directing traffic. Petty may be the star, but Weber sets the tone and he got annoyed in the closing stages of the Pocono race.
That break in communication caused a failure on the final lap that resulted in a big hiccup. The TV perspective was lost on the last lap, the cameras only showed the leader and the drama of cars spinning and running out of gas was never shown. Weber's words about Tony Stewart being the story made no sense with blue tire smoke in the background and other cars slow on the apron. In NASCAR TV, the final lap is more important than the first.
TNT's online companion is RaceBuddy. Again offered free to any broadband computer user at NASCAR.com, RaceBuddy offers a designated pit road reporter, four camera angles and team scanner audio. For those fans who enjoy multi-tasking, it just does not get any better.
Petty continues to push the envelope by Tweeting while he is on the air and this week TNT has added a direct link for fan questions at the NASCAR.com website. Upping the interaction between the fans and the TV crew is something that TNT has been doing well. Hopefully, somewhere ESPN is making notes.
TNT has been great with the directing, including the triple-splits in the pits and the priorities assigned on the track. With the huge MIS facility, the TV coverage is going to have to jump continually to the best racing on the track, regardless of the position of those cars in the line-up.
The network offered good recaps last week and seems to be aggressively including the pit reporters continually during the race. Interviews of the drivers who are out of the race this week is going to be important, especially if there is a big incident early on.
The biggest complaint emailed to TDP about Pocono was the fact that TNT left the air 15 minutes before the scheduled off-time. The remainder of the post-race interviews were done online at NASCAR.com, but that eliminated those not multi-tasking and did not seem to be fair since there was time remaining.
In 2007, TNT did the same thing during a crucial race and explained that it was more important to start the vampire movie early and keep the audience than offer interviews to NASCAR fans. The resulting anger changed that policy rather quickly. Perhaps, it might be a time to review that memo.
MIS offers the clear opportunity for both NASCAR and TNT to put the sport squarely back in the spotlight. Great weather, evenly matched cars and double-file restarts might be just what the doctor ordered to change the momentum for this series.
TDP welcomes your comments on the TNT coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from MIS. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.
We appreciate you taking the time out of your Sunday to stop by The Daly Planet.
432 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 432 Newer› Newest»JD re:3:20 comment
VW - building plant in Tn, going to supply IRL w/engines
@ bevo, you're killing me.
I read that Honda has/had a truck made for racing. Of course now with the truck series dying, don't know what happens with that.
@Vicky - Roger said that any sort of racing ventures for Saturn are a couple years down the road at least, but are certainly possible. He mentioned the Aura specifically as a car that would work well for racing.
@bevo - LOL!
@bevo ---
You owe me a new keyboard.
ROTFL
I think Viagra should sponsor the 'official restart'.
@david: copy that. we keep being told this car is so much more aero sensitive than the old car. i suspect it has to do with the combination of the taller greenhouse, the wing/splitter combination and the overall "squatiness" of the cot. the old car was longer and leaner than this one and so missing a full fender at michigan wasn't as bad.
and a correct: i just looked at the photo in my files of that car: it was the right front, not left.
Oh, well look at Vegas this spring. Gordan had no left front and ran great.
Ummm...sometimes you fix em better in the pits than ya do in the shop lol.
Least on pit road you can argue you were in a wreck and couldn't template up the car.
This car is MUCH more aero sensitive for all those reasons. The more you dirty up a car, the more dependent it becomes. NASCAR tied to fix aero push by making the car so dirty through the air that it wouldn't matter...plan backfired.
Tried to throwback to the 80's before anyone knew what aero push was but i guess NASCAR forgot about the flashy memory eraser thing...
i know we all mentioned it last week but how refreshing to not have those fox bumpers anymore as we go to commercial. it just seems more . . . respectful of us as fans somehow. (and we don't lose any of the racing!)
pit stops starting; the 17 car is first in again.
I am so disappointed in the tastelessness of the BK commercials
@ Haus14, ditto.
Red amen to the bumpers they were cute once then I realized it meant I was seeing less of the race, not so much. We can only hope Fox figures out what they need to do to make their part of the season what is should be.
Does the audio sound better on RaceBuddy than on cable for anyone else?
Red...if i ever score a job on a cup team or at a windtunnel or something...you'll be receiving a book or video or something weekly lol
This race is a great example of why NASCAR is in trouble. Boring would be a compliment. Surprised there aren't even more empty seats. The most exciting part of this event is seeing how quickly I can hit mute before the commercials come on.
Andrew,
Not here, it seems like RB is scratchy, and the pics are about 1.5 2 seconds behind what TV is.
@david: works for me! just remember your planeteer buddies when we all show up at your front door, wanting race tickets and a shop tour or two!
caution.
RB audio is good...video is ahead of my tv
Caution. SDDD reports he ran over something in the backstretch.
@Andrew--he does. The Honda Dealership here in my town is Hendrick. It's the only one in TX
@Haus--I agree. I don't eat that crap so me boycotting wouldn't do a thing but these commercials are very disturbing
wow, that camera pan on RB reveals a sh**-load of empty seats! scary empty . . .
Good thing. Things were so spread out even RB couldn't find a 'battle' to show!
@ Andrew, how do you run over something invisible?
Thanks, one can never go wrong with pee humor :)
On a serious note - too bad TNT has to get a race like this. They do such a great job presenting the race it would be great to see them have something to work with.
@ bevo, right on.
biff wanted fuel. got overruled.
Red...shop tours are doable, race tickets depend on the track lol
@Dot - Dunno. Maybe it was a piece of the guitar?
so whatever happened to showing the debris which brought out the caution? kyle petty: where are you when we need you? can someone twitter kyle? sophia?
A lot of empty seats in turn 4
andrew, you're killing me! i came close to doing a spit take with my water bottle just then! "guitar string", indeed!
@red - Nothing from Kyle on the debris. http://ow.ly/e1mZ
@ Andrew, too funny. I was being rhetorical.
@andrew; thanks! wonder what kyle's up to? shouldn't he be tweeting us instead of just broadcasting?!?
This broadcast is so refreshing having commentators who talk intelligently about racing on the track and not be bragging about who they "talked to" in the garage area.
I'm enjoying that part but the actual racing is a little boring.
@ Steve L, ditto.
Steve L. said...
This broadcast is so refreshing having commentators who talk intelligently about racing on the track and not be bragging about who they "talked to" in the garage area.
*************
Along this line, I really appreciated Wally and Kyle's definition of "side bite". They used terms I could understand.
Doggone 48 is just unreal.
16 is a clear 2nd best.
LOL Jr. McGrew can get it done, just gotta keep the driver in check.
Awesome Bill up to 16th
I really appreciate RB during the commercials!
Why is Truex 5 laps down?
With the new restart rules does any one think that we will have less cautions breed cautions?
Karen he hit the wall and was black flagged to fix hanging debris, this happened under green.
@karen: nascar blackflagged him and required body work on the right rear (i believe it was.) put him 4 laps down at that point. i'm unclear as to what happened: wall? another car? both?
Boyd ask again when it's a narrower track
@boyd: nope.
@Karen-hit the wall & got black-flagged by Nascar. Rite side had flapping issues.
We need a non injury crash. Spice things up.
@ boyd, you'd think the DFRs would cause another caution. Leaders fighting for positions.
Thanks, guys.
Another question: Anyone see Jr. get his skirt fixed?
J.D.,
How about, "This long green-flag run sponsored by Extendze"?
Why isn't Kyle Petty answering the questions he's asking? When did the 55 take gas? When did the 88 fix the skirt?
Personal note: it's great to not have to work during the race. I missed sharing the race with you folks.
West Coast Kenny
Alameda, California
welcome back, WCK! you have been missed!!
@red - Truex was way loose and smacked the wall, I think.
Nice to see Bill Elliot and the Wood Brothers getting some love!
the 88 somewhat fixed it, still flapping some though
With 22 cars on the lead lap we might get some interesting decisions on the next caution.
Thanks for noticing Bill there Larry Mc!
Also great to get information from the pit reporters
wreck off 4
Woah! Stremme spins trying to get onto pit road and smacks the wall along the entrance. Caution.
stremme killed the water barrels
stremme pounded the barrier at the end of pit road
Stremme in the waterbarrels right after they went to break, but could see it on RaceBuddy!
@Dot - Ask and ye shall receive.
Dave Stremme off backstretch, big crash. on RB
This BK stuff is just tasteless...
Caution for Stremme
stremme's net down yet?
jo..primary audio on rb is the 16...but i have heard softer audio that last run but cant tell who it is.
TNT still on break, but at least we won't miss pit stops. They're still trying to get Stremme's car on the hook.
Like all the other COT races, the REAL racing starts with about 20 laps to go. Ride all day, adjust on the car, and let it fly with 20 to go.
I really need to keep refreshing the page more often
@red - Yes, he's fine and on his way to the infield care center.
JD: BK tasteless? LMAO!
woohoo, changed the in car to biff!
thanks, andrew. i was checking cnn and missed the RB camera shots.
At this rate, TNT will have a lot of time to have a post-race show. Glad Matt got his lap back but did we ever hear what was the problem?
@ David - Thank You I thought I was hearing someone else besides Biff , I have PitC to hear #14 radio, & kept thinking I was hearing some one else. Maybe JoLo? the other driver? Thought I had finally completely lost it
....And we're missing pit stops. C'mon, TNT!
WCK, I swear about a half hour ago, I wondered where you were. Glad you're here.
If it's like last week, we might be seeing John Q a lot earlier than scheduled.
Hehe...the Viva Viagra Restarts...see what you guys started?
This is really going to become a fuel mileage race.
race buddy reports loose wheel on Kenseth and also khane can not make it to the end on fuel.
We get to see the pitstops on replay. Great.
Hey, at least TNT showed a full recap of the pit stops.
Andrew said...
....And we're missing pit stops. C'mon, TNT!
but . . . they told us why AND they're now showing them on delay.
so, partial points, yes?
I overloaded my multitasking just as I heard CHad say go see if he's all right hurry up. Scary
biffle cutting it off under caution, they told him to save save save
Did anybody mention what Scott Speed and A.J. Allmendinger were off track for? What did they repair? They are 26 and 36 laps down respectively.
MV, dinger's car was total junk. i didn't hear anything about speed.
TNT cameras trying hard not to show large blocks of empty seats, but it's impossible.
Poorest crowd showing all year. And they come right back to Michigan in 6 weeks.
MV - Dinger's car was in the wall at one point and was total junk. Not sure what happened to Scott Speed, but he was the last car still running for a long while.
This is interesting watching the guys saving fuel already...They have Biff on the incar cam, but Stewart is doing it as well. He is on HotPass.
Great, now we got biff's camera with Logano's audio.
Im guessing since Joey was the vote car, the coding for audio/video is off by a number based on their order in the vote. Bummer, i liked biff's audio
anybody know time for the fastest MIS race on record??
First comment of the day, so let me say this...
Great broadcast thus far by TNT. Kyle really is the show, as JD continues to point out.
LOTS of empty seats in the corners, which the cameras are trying to avoid showing... but we all knew this was going to happen, it's near Detroit. I'm kind of surprised it wasn't worse than it is.
Should be fun to see how fast JJ is in traffic.
ok, i think weber needs to retire the "double file restart; shoot-out style" line now. like, this race. as in: i never want to hear it again. it's not that unusual for those of us who go to local tracks . . .
brad, it might be the 1999 caution-free race
this wont be it tho. not even close
JJ gets the request, anybody else gets a pass thru.
SDDD's blankie flew out the window and he's now whining on the radio again.
Kyle Petty really tells it like it happened. Love the comment about being TOLD to do it by Nascar, not them requesting him to do it.
The caution-free race was run in 2h 17m 56s, we're at 2h 08m now.
@ Anon 4:22, RB is showing the empty seats. Funny that the cameras are avoiding them.
Could be good for SPEED. Biff on Victory Lane and then taped interview on TWIN with Chad and Mikey.
Anon 422 - it ain't gonna be better - the region is economically wrecked. Both GM & Ford have mostly closed in Cleveland area where a lot of fans could drive to race from. Its gonna be worse for a while before/ if it gets better
hey, MV backed me up!
thanks stat guy! lol
who is the special pit road reporter for RB?
@red-Nascar has requested that's the way they want it called.
Empty seats are the reason NASCAR needs to rethink going to tracks with a 6 week gap.
My friends got their race tix for LVMS 2010 and there's no date on them. Is that common? Or is there going to be a date/track shake up next year?
I'm sure it'sso we fans are constantly reminded what a HUGE favor Nascar did, honoring the 'fans request' that they have the single file "shoot out style" restarts. See how well they listen?
@Haus14 - It's Jim Noble again.
Haut - I think it's Jim Noble but I could be wrong.
It's the guy from PRN, I think his name is Jim Noble.
Dot, until NASCAR puts out the official schedule, nothing is set in stone. Id say typical for getting tix this early.
Karen and Red,
It's nice to be missed. Thank you.
Working in a new Kohl's store here in Alameda, California. If there are any Planeteers here, stop by and say hello. Scheduling is tough, because usually they want me all weekend, but I lucked out and only go in tonight to close.
Does anyone else despise the Castrol commercials with the fake Scotsman whipping everyone for "thinking with your dipstick"?
Geez, a race which won't be an endurance test for us viewers... what a concept.
West Coast Kenny
Alameda, California
thx
@Dot - AFAIK, only a few races have their dates set in stone over the long run - the Daytona races and the Coca-Cola 600 may be the only ones that won't move, ever.
Hey guys the double file restart -shootout style line will never go away. That is the way that NASCAR wants all media to call it.
great comeback from kyle petty after dallenbach explains the tire wear out of the pitbox question: i was gonna say because they can and it's ungodly cool when they do!
this is why i enjoy these two together in the booth -- and weber letting them talk.
Dover is saying their Spring race in first WE in June with actual dates listed for all races. I just got the renewal the other day
Anon at 4:33 - also that's probably the only thing that they can say came from the cup drivers/crew chief/Nascar meeting. We won't hear anymore about it.
pammmmmm and anon@4:33: thanks for the info but more's the pity. guess nascar "responds" to us fans by starting the double-file restarts but has to come up with a cutesy name for it.
pathetic.
woke up from a nap, literally...
JD, can you find out if they are putting the wrong audio on the in-car on purpose on RB?
@ David, that's what I thought.
@ Kenn, glad your here. Yeah, that dip stick comml is annoying. Like we don't get the double entendre (sp)?.
kenny,
the dipstick commerical ranks right up there with the tasteless burgher commerical
tnt should give robby g some love, lead lap still in 20th
i was wondering the same thing about the audio...it has been wrong the entire race.
Kenn, welcome back. The Scotsman has to get in a long line behind the Burger King, the Viagra guy, Smiling Bob and the Sunoco engineers. Oh, and that wacked chick from Progresive.
No clue on RB, that is routed directly from the track. The big victory this season is to get things in sync with the TV broadcast for broadband users.
@David - Just went past the elapsed time of the fastest race here. If we stay green, we're just going to go 16m more than the record.
Whoever OK'd that ad campaign was obviously thinking with their dipstick.
Yes, I hate my keyboard also.
If there is ever a racebuddy problem, just email me directly.
Last time I yelled at NASCAR.com they fixed it pretty quick.
Just a couple of guys in a big building in Atlanta.
SallyB you're killing me!
MV, figured that would happen. got at least 15 minutes left still.
hard to top a caution free race with a 3 caution race
maybe if we all send that in as a question to them about the rb audio, they might answer or fix it
@Sally B - good one!
Daly Planet Editor said...
"If there is ever a racebuddy problem, just email me directly.
Last time I yelled at NASCAR.com they fixed it pretty quick.
Just a couple of guys in a big building in Atlanta."
please let them know that this fan greatly appreciates it and wishes we could have it all season long!
Lost wireless access and RB
wah
don't know what is happening.
This old PC will not do RB..too old
I think I'm starting to figure out this multi tasking thing.
thanks ;)
@ SallyB, I'm glad we don't have dipsticks to think with. It IS a guy thing isn't it?
Oh Lord, I hope so!
RB now explaining how to get post-race by staying on RB! guess the learning curve is pretty quick -- and the response to fan complaints last week as well.
Hope the online TNT postrace show works better than last week...and that they don't cut away early.
Well, another fuel mileage race and thirty minutes to fill.
Movies anyone?
We have to wait until the last 10 laps to see a race?
Can we please lose the phrase, "Shoot-out style"? Can we lose "Double-file" along with it? Restarts have been double-file forever; the only thing that's changed is the running order of the cars on the inside.
Maybe ABC / ESPN will assume everyone is used to it by the time they pick up the schedule and will just call it a 'restart'.
from twitter: kylepettySorry if sound is not what you want at home, TNT guys in the truck work their rear ends off to make it right..
anyone having sound problems --other than the RB out-of-sync issue?
@ JD, L&O on after the race in LV.
Just RB is the problem. Kyle just misunderstood it I think.
audio is right now on RB
not sure if sound is a problem on RB, do they just put the most interesting audio on and not necessarily the one belonging to the car shown..or is it screwed up and they don't know it.
Now Chad wants him to slow down, my multitasking nerves are shot
I spent 5 years in Indonesia working. The only good thing was no tv comms. We had Wimbleton moments.My only regret is that I didn't tape a NASCAR race because nobody would believe how they could hack up a race.
Frank In Sebring
YESsssss!!! BIFF JUST RAN OUT THO
*blinkblink*
WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!
YAY MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
man...that was drama
what a finish go mark yes!!
Score one for the old man!
Wow, good finish!
Best TNT could to to polish a pig. All you can say is...nice pig.
Last lap excitement!
Congratulations Marky Mark and the #5 Team :)
At least we had the 'drama' of several cars running out before the final lap. Only way to salvage a fuel mileage race.
TNT did it right this week and RB used the one shot/crew excitement junk.
I WONDER if they got it backwards last week. GOOD TNT. God TNT.:)
TNT is the most fan friendly.
Anyone remember who on the RaceDay staff picked Mark today? I cannot remember.
Congrats to Mark & 5 crew & fans. Nice shot of cars on finish line & pit road out of fuel.
If other networks listened as good as TNT does!
Boy, for what some of them would have given for a thimble full of fuel!
This race guarantees a smaller crowd in 6 weeks.
BORING
TNT gets it. Thanks a ton!
Thank you, TNT, for showing that finish.
Womder what Jack Roush is doing right now?
Karen
INDEED TNT is the most fan friendly.
How pitifully WRONG they only get 6 races.
back to the bologna on ESPN's coverage..and crickets..
back to the bologna on ESPN's coverage..and crickets..
Sophia, dreading it so much.
Well my mom the new Nascar (at 78 I might add), just called to rub in the fact that my driver ran out of fuel and her driver won.
it was Wendy JD :)
Fuel mileage races may be what the new owners of GM demands. It ain't about speed with Government Motors.
biff got braces?
Great effort by everyone at TNT, not an easy race to make compelling television. As others have said Thank You for being so fan friendly.
Race Buddy has the post race link this time
Got to give Greg Biffle credit for that interview. Can hardly wait for JJ!
I can't wait until VL. KW and his Mark the kid Martin. Oh wait, I can.
Should be a don't miss TWIN w/Chad on Monday nite!
bottom line is biffle and crew didn't stick to their strategy and thought jj could make it -
@ David, Biff got braces a couple of months ago.
k dot, missed hearing about that and never noticed before lol..
So Wally and Kyle were on it...the worry came true...JJ and Biff ran each other out of gas...
Um. 20 minutes left, and we're cutting away. Not again!
most exciting police chases till bottom of hte hour? why cant we see interviews and what not.
rushing off the air again?
Okay,
I have a problem with the network dropping post race early.
I have daughters in another state that are fans (dad raised them right), and they don't have computers to get the post race.
I know life isn't fair, but it would be nice to let other viewers get the rest of the show.
How come they can leave the air with 20 mins left? False advertising if you ask me.
Obviously they got complaints about starting the movie early last time, since we're getting World's Wildest Police Videos on the east coast instead of John Q. But they apparently didn't think to extend the NASCAR postrace.
I wonder if it's a contractual thing with NASCAR.com - can TNT only show so much postrace before having to kick it over to the internet?
If Allen Bestwick can fill two hour in the rain, maybe TNT can fill 20 minutes with four or five more interviews.
Not fond of them leaving early.
I'm not happy they left the air early again!!
And the TDP emailbox explodes again...
Again, TNT has done this several times in the past couple years. They don't stick around to fill out the window, but it's not really rushing off the air either. If they were outside the window they'd stick around just as long. Most people tune out anyway, so they switch to something else. In some of those races where FOX ended up with 40 minutes of time to fill I wished they would've wrapped up earlier, TNT has more flexibility to do that since they don't have other live programming. Since we get the online post-race, I don't mind, they can take the time to interview the back of the pack drivers there and people who want to watch, like me, can do so.
Interviews w/top 3 on ESPUNEWS
JD,
Everyones just showing you the love!
I'm going to add my voice to the complaints about jumping ship early.
TNT did good with the finish, but screw us with limited streaming capability out in the cold.
RB has post race but STINKS TNT left air early
JD in a serious manner. if TNT blocks until 5:30in the east. Why do they cut early and add a filler to the network and force those of us that have a computer to go to the web site for a post race? It's just a pain for us but a lot of fans don't have them to follow with. It's almost as insane as follow the coverage if you can on ESPN in the fall. Coverage on the network was great considering what they had to work with.
sorry to those without broadband. what a way to end a good broadcast today, and then just leave. I do not get it. Hours and hours of pre race which I did not watch. And only minutes of post race.
Post a Comment