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.