Saturday, July 4, 2009

Live Blogging The Wide Open TNT Coverage From Daytona


There are few NASCAR TV telecasts more anticipated than the summer Sprint Cup Series Daytona race on TNT. That is the rock group Buckcherry above, who will be performing a number during the TNT pre-race show.

This is the only time of the entire year where NASCAR TV coverage takes on the format used in the IRL for years. While TNT calls it Wide Open, what they are doing is blending the TV commercials into the telecast while continuing to show the racing action. In return for agreeing to this format, the sponsors get additional logos on the screen and some additional mentions by the announcers.

Last year was perhaps the best telecast, where fans missed almost no laps on the track during the entire race. The only commercials aired full-screen are the ones inserted by the local cable TV companies. All of the national ads from TNT are presented with the action continuing on the screen.

TNT has ninety minutes of pre-race programming. Marc Fein will host with Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds opening the telecast from the TNT infield stage. Tony Stewart is the guest and TNT is taking your questions for Stewart at the NASCAR.com website.

Wally Dallenbach will join Fein for the Countdown to Green show and focus on setting up the race. Once the race coverage gets underway, Dallenbach will be joined by Petty and Ralph Sheheen. This is the second TNT race for Sheheen in the play-by-play position. He will also call the final TNT event in Chicago.

Down on pit road will be Marty Snider, Lindsay Czarniak, Matt Yocum and SPEED's Adam Alexander. This is a big opportunity for Alexander, but many NASCAR fans thought that TNT would bring in veteran Wendy Venturini for that open slot.

With the double-file restarts, look for TV director Mike Wells to keep the cameras wide and watch for the racing action throughout the field. This has become a TNT trademark for the TV coverage and the reaction from fans has been very positive.

TNT also originates great triple-splits on the caution flag pit stops and has been super at tracking the cars as they race off pit road. That is certainly going to be an interesting part of the telecast as strategies unfold with the new restart rules.

RaceBuddy is again in operation for broadband computer users through the NASCAR.com website free of charge. This feature has four additional cameras, team scanner audio and even a designated pit reporter. It also allows for messaging across several different services like Facebook and Twitter.

Speaking of Twitter, both Petty and Fein will continue to use this service during the race to interact with fans. TNT has really been pushing the new media technology this season and it has been working well.

This post will serve to host your comments about the TNT coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from Daytona. To add your TV-related opinion, 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 on this holiday weekend.

621 comments:

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darbar said...

Shrub needs to man up. At age 24, he's not a infant. Logano is only 19 and has more maturity in his little finger than Busch has in his entire body. If you're going to race in a man's sport, you need to be a man and behave like one.

red said...

from jade gurss in a response tweet to someone: all drivers are ok.

Anonymous said...

we'll see under real racing conditions and august heat, they didn't think they had a problem last year... who knows what might be the unintended consequences of the new tire...

Anonymous said...

I can never understand the logic of throwing the caution flag for tire wear.

In most other forms of motorsport, including when Hoosier made its forays into Nascar, there were always excessively soft time compounds and the solution was rather simple - you have to pit sooner.

Imagine if there were cation flags because the guys were going to run out of fuel.

am19psu said...

Guys, if Kyle did not double block we would have had a great race.

I'm sure this is agree to disagree, but in my opinion, this was one of the best Daytona endings I've seen (now 20 minutes later after seeing no one got hurt).

Two guys going at it as best they can, knowing it's checkers or wreckers. The race to the checkered flag two years ago was outstanding but this was every bit as good.

My only hope is that NASCAR, er ISC, puts SAFER barriers around the track and they do something about airborne cars, because Ky. Busch was about 50m longer from flying into the grandstands like Edwards did at Talledega.

Anonymous said...

In those situations the car blocking is choosing to take the risk of getting wrecked. You've gotta either be far enough ahead to anticipate the run or able to use your first block to kill the guy's momentum. Just like on the highway... if you cut people off enough you WILL get hit sooner or later and it will be your fault.

Anonymous said...

exactly anon, that's what makes this a joke. they can't just let them race because it would have been embarassing to have the top cars blow tires at the big race

Jack from PA said...

Awesome finish. Tony did what he needed to do given the rules, he was there and Kyle blocked him, plain and simple. Just glad everyone walked away (and in Kyle's case, away from interviews once again).

One of the best broadcasts of races ever, IMO. TNT did an amazing job tonight. Great booth chemistry, and Ralph did a fantastic job all night, especially the enthusiasm he had through the final lap.

Like everyone else has said, I'm really dreading Indy. But we have one more race until then.

Anonymous said...

compare this to mark martin and harvick a couple of years ago, mark didn't try to block and they raced to the closest finish, that's how it should be done..i'm sure kyle's spotter did not say clear...

Anonymous said...

Why not just make the tires wider? I'm not sure any magical tire formula can solve the reality that a heavy ill handling car is going to eat up tires.

Jimbacca said...

From the half race I saw.. Great Coverage. That combo in the booth is great. No politics just here it is. Kyle is very honest in his views.
As far as the final caution. Little lost on the complaints. A car hit the wall as wel as many other cars involved. Where's the conspiracy in that?

On to the finish. Wow. Kyle hit hard. Kasey hit hard. So many hard hits and that is the only downside of the short end game. No real answers on the conditions of people. Because there were some very nasty hits.

Racebuddy covering the wrap up show is great as well. What a wrap up should be.

BTW did I mention racebuddy is a great tool. Don't know how the following network will touch it.

darbar said...

Does anyone know if Kasey and everyone else are OK? That was a bad couple of hits Kasey took

am19psu said...

And I should point out, well done TNT. I thought the race dragged a bit in the second half when everyone got strung out, but TNT tried their hardest to keep it interesting.

Newracefan said...

Dar as per Twitter everyone ok. Fantastic race coverage Thanks TNT.

Now time for me to call it a night. Bye all

red said...

@darbar: according to jade gurss: from PR guy for RPM, all drivers are ok.

Sophia said...

Jimbacca

the "Phantom debris caution" before Speed wrecked is what most are griping about..not the caution for his wreck

that bunched up the cars as all restarts do.

Especially DFR SHOUT OUT STYYYYYYYYYYYYYYLE! lol

Kenny Wallace on Twitter last week said they say SOS just to bug everybody..wonder if they mentioned it on RD today..only caught moments of that show.

Dot said...

Loved the coverage tonight and of course TDP, and e friends. Now Twitter friends.

Off to gamble. Maybe I'll have good luck like my boy Marcos. See you later.

Daly Planet Editor said...

great comments and a lot to think about on several topics.

Thanks again for stopping by.

firecracker427 said...

I thought TNT coverage was good - just wish they would add a little more to the post-race show, no points standings announced before they left the air.

MikeC said...

The reason they probably didn't have any point standings is because NASCAR was still figuring out the finishing order of the race after that last lap crash.

Daly Planet Editor said...

There is a new post up for your comments on the Wide Open TNT coverage from Daytona.

JD

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