Note: The Sprint Cup Series race on ESPN from Pocono has been cancelled due to rain. RaceDay on SPEED will air at 11AM and then ESPN will have the live race at 12PM. Thanks everyone, see you tomorrow for a live blog of the TV telecast.
Most everyone knows by now that Pocono is having a tough time with rain. After a long night of rain, the track is now under fog and the jet dryers are out and working.
There is no doubt that the 2:18 race start is going to be pushed back. Our interest lies in how the NASCAR on ESPN TV team handles the day. There are several options.
First, present the entire pre-race show and then move to stand-by programming after 2PM when the actual race was scheduled to start. Second, stay live and continue to use the eleven announcers, all the drivers and the resources of ESPN to fill the time until the race begins.
It should be interesting to see who quarterbacks this coverage. Allen Bestwick will be in the Infield Pit Studio and Jerry Punch will be upstairs in the broadcast booth. Bestwick has Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty alongside, while Punch has Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree with him for the duration.
Tim Brewer is in the Tech Garage on-site in Pocono. The pit road reporters are Jamie Little, Shannon Spake, Dave Burns and Vince Welch. All of these TV personalities will be heavily involved in filling this time during the rain delay.
One big challenge during a wet weekend like this is the TV equipment. We saw problems happen for NASCAR Now this morning and there is no doubt that something will probably fail before the day is done.
This is Pocono, so the excitement is limited to the frontstretch and the accidents happen everywhere else. Cars fan out three and four wide crossing the start finish line on the longest frontstretch in NASCAR racing. The second and third turns of this track are flat and do not make for good TV. Since the infield is not paved, cars off the track are in for a very wet ride in the grass.
If things get underway, we should be watching to see if ESPN changed the philosophy of playing back driver soundbites and going to Tim Brewer under green flag racing. The stories of the race throughout the field are also a challenge to the network right now and hopefully the pit road reporters will be used to fill-in the gaps.
This post will serve to host your comments about the ESPN coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from Pocono. To add your 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 The Daly Planet.
246 comments:
1 – 200 of 246 Newer› Newest»Wendy interviewing Marcos said its started raining just a bit again
Not a fan of Ambrose's sponsor.
Sorry Dot.
Going to be a very long day in NASCAR TV land...
That is pretty serious fog cover at Pocono
"If" they get the race started it will be to 1/2 way since they don't have lights there. Pocono, as I recall, has problems with weepers, so it wont be too easy to dry it in the 1st place. And the poor fans in the parking lot, I recall going down there 10 years ago, all dirt and mud. Tow trucks will be making a killing today pulling out stuck cars.
Nascar really needs to look at, do we do a poor job and put on 1/2 race to say we did it, or do we just say tomorrow, sunny day, in the low 80's lets do a full race then. ESPN has at least 3 channels to show it on, classic has the reair of todays at 1pm so they wont be pushing anything. Give the fans who spent their hard earned money on tickets, pit paddock and souveniers what they paid for instead of a poor race in the rain.
Captcha: shetati? what is that?
Even if it stops raining I think the dew point will keep them from getting the track dry. So JD are you thinking ESPN2 tomorrow
Wow. Does look awfully clear on the radar now....
Interesting.
Great! if they run tomorrow RD will be on 1 hour before to tell you the same things that will be heard in the marathon today. That's great tv.
Spencer picks jet dryer to win today. He may be right
Guys I said this last week.
Poc-oh-no!
@david: if that's weather.com for long pond, put the radar map in motion. clear now but not for very long and certainly not long enough to get the track dry and get to 1/2 way.
jd: are you planning a n'wide and truck recap for monday or is that something i can do during WT tonight? just trying to plan life . . .
Why, why, why do they let Brad talk? He said the EXACT same thing Rusty did...geeze..and dropping driver names like crazy!
My desktop app has been flashing red and orange (the alerts, it's orange now and the normal color is blue).
Not good.
PammmmH,
Brad is suddenly having a very hard time. Not sure what changed, but he really does not have a role now with Ray E. on board.
Seems like this season has been plagued by more rain than any in recent memory. Nothing more dissapointing then to wait all friggin weak and then get rain on raceday. This is why we need even more saturday races. If you live in the Southeast, you could conceiveably go to a third of all races, driving, and never have to miss work.
I cannot stand when they let a little thing like a speeding penalty turn into a big deal.
Come on, by the Thursday after the race, we're ready to move on. Me at least.
Red, I was so disgusted with the Nationwide race I really had nothing to say.
Depending on how much time we have today I will probably put something together.
Asked a lot of questions to folks by email and got very little back in the way of answers.
That was just a mess after the great ORP race.
ESPN has so much talent - if they would split N'wide & Cup make it 2 seperate teams w/no overlap of people everyone would have a secure role. Instead we have cRusty overload in both series.
And why do they think we need all these talking heads anyway?
@ David, It's OK. I still love you.
I wonder what the ratings will be for this race, whether they run today or tomorrow. They gotta be low as we all just love racing at Poc OH NO.
Looking at accuweather, the radar looks good. The chances of rain are still high but it drops to a 50% chance of rain the rest of the day after 4pm. Track is being dried, looks 30-40% dry right now. If they can get it dried within the next hour to hour and ahalf and we get some luck (which we havent all year) then we might get it started if not in today.
thanks, jd: i couldn't agree more. just so discouraging this weekend and little in the way of redeeming value to be discussed.
so, i'll touch base w/youse guys as the day progresses and will wait (impatiently) for kligerman on WT w/despain tonight.
JD thanks for letting me know I need to FF through most of the DVR'd NW race.
OK we are still talking about speeding penalties. I find it interesting to see that Nascar Performance had the exact type of tach as the 42 and ESPN did not. Not to mention I got more out of the NP info. Brewer always makes me feel like I must be too stupid to understand and NP assumes otherwise.
@jd: plus, my phillies are on at 4 today against the giants and hamels is pitching . . .
Give Dave Burns credit. he didn't ask JPM if he has moved on from last week. It seemed like everyone else has this week.
Turned on ESPN for pre-race and they are still diagraming Montoya's speeding penalty from last week. Turned to a movie on TNT with Russell Crowe to watch that instead. Will catch up with ya'll later.
brad,
I thought that ESPN was going to move AB up into the booth to call the races and put Dave Burns in the Infield. He is a funny guy with lots of TV experience and works well with others.
Oh well...
I think we are in repeat mode haven't we seen this 5 crew training at least 3 times. Look for Marty in the pool
JD
That would be too much to ask for. Televison giving the fans what they ask for.
JD was that something you hear or hoped? Sounds like a great idea to me.
Thought that was what might have happened last season. But ESPN is sold on Punch in his role.
Rewards for a long time of working for the network, I understand that part of it.
@Hotaru:
I cannot stand when they let a little thing like a speeding penalty turn into a big deal.
Come on, by the Thursday after the race, we're ready to move on. Me at least.
Let's not forget there actual casual fans. I have a friend who watches every Cup race with his wife but doesn't follow the websites and doesn't watch "NASCAR Now" or any of the Speed programs. Not everyone devotes as much attention to NASCAR as we do.
Weather update: my friend Brian in PA who gets the weather patterns 2 hours ahead of the track says it's bright sunshine as of 12:15 local time.
West Coast Kenny
Alameda, California
Loading motorhome so checking in every so often.
Has anyone seen ad for "ExtenzeForHER". Thought they might pair it with guy ad. Yes, ladies, we now are included. Aren't we thrilled. Which female driver, needing sponsorship will raise their hand? Hopefully NONE!
Ahhhh...the casual fan. I have missed him...or her...whatever.
Remember when France spent the whole year trying to get the casual fan into the sport?
Wonder how that worked out?
@WCK
Agreed there are casual fans that don't follow everything. However, there are speeding penalties every week. This was being blown out because it was Indy and JPM was wearing everyone out. Had say Casey Mears gotten a speeding penalty last week I don't think there would have been an entire segment on it today.
Guess ESPN didn't get the memo, casual fan hunt is OVER
Great, reward Jerry but not at the expense of the quality of your product. I hate to say this but I wonder what Jerry thinks of his performance on these broadcasts. Does he rewatch the races and critique himself? Does he see obvious flaws or what?
But with the production truck have its own holes in actually presenting the race with the correct pictures, JP is a secondary worry for me.
Im just not a fan of this "new style" of presenting a race...it was fresh and neat with FOX at first but its worn off in a hurry. ESPN's overdone attempt at being "professional" almost seeming "above" the sport. Yet they use guys who have been down in the trenches for years to tell us whats going on yet they look somewhat uncomfortable with how they are dressed and to an extent, how they act. I don't see guys reporting on the NFL in suits and ties, why is this mandated with NASCAR? Just bugs the heck out of me!
@nrf-don't miss the last 20 laps of the NW race-it's stellar!! JD, because of the poor coverage we get from BSPN, my frustration w/non-necessary personel has manifested itself moreso than earlier this year. I also mute TB-he tells me nothing new.
J.D.,
My friend has been a casual fan his entire life. He's in his mid-60s and grew up in North Carolina, and has watched stock car racing his entire life. But he hasn't gotten caught up in reading all the sites or watching the programs in between. To him, it's just another form of sports entertainment which he enjoys but does not obsess over. He's fascinated that I devote so much energy to it.
I've talked to people who watch a few races a year on television but that's it.
WCK
Thanks Pamm I'll keep that in mind.
There wasn't much meat in that Kasey piece, Marty did a much better job with Kyle
So we talk about Evernham when he ISNT there?! This makes a TON of sense.
God Bless SIRIUS Speedway for having Ray and for Ray explaining his situation. Rather than go to the horse's mouth and ask him why he left they do this?! Good God this is a train wreck.
Kenn, that is our point. You can't make people become hardcore fans who just view NASCAR as something to check in on during Sunday afternoons.
I have a feeling we are going to see Ray on the final ten races and then all next season. Just a guess.
Ray had said on Speedway a few weeks back he was only doing a handful of broadcasts so idk about that JD. Would be nice though. I think he is busy with his track for the time being and sounds really happy with this phase of his life.
Michigan will be alot of fun.
@Brad,
Agree with you that speeding penalties happen every week. But it's unusual to see a driver who was dominating the race lose it on a speeding penalty. If a casual fan saw last week's race and heard Juan-Pablo say that NASCAR took the race away from him might naturally wonder about it, especially if they don't follow the websites or watch the programs. It makes sense to follow up.
WCK
@David
You don't expect anything more from ESPN do you. Ray has been in and out all year and RPM has been struggling all year so it makes perfect sense to wait until Ray is off to discuss the topic. Everyone cant throw out their theories if Ray is sitting there to tell them the real story. BTY love him on Speedway everyweek too.
david, that was for this season. Evernham has no role on the telecasts, so it makes no sense.
It may well be that either Petree or Daugherty moves on to make room for Ray.
He is not a journalist, but an analyst. The very strange thing is that he was not brought in to work with Marty Reid on the N'wide races with Randy LaJoie. That was very confusing.
Having two TV teams would have made a lot of sense for the next four months.
Brad, they had all last week to address this. With weather and such I saw several pieces multiple times where they could have had an improvised honest discussion which I feel TV lacks now. Everything is planned, produced and scripted where nothing flys off the cuff anymore. Thats where a guy like Rusty would shine but instead they all play characters.
I know its to be expected but it doesnt ease my disappointment.
Sorry guys, gotta make up for missing the last 2 weeks on here.
Petree? I hope not! Andy does an excellent job and I would hate to see that change! Boot Brewer and Brad and I'd be happy. Sorry to both those guys but with so many talking heads something has to go.
Graphics departments says they were two winners in July 1992 @ this track
If any of us wore sunglasses in the fog, we would get laughed off the planet.
David, changed does not mean someone is doing a bad job. People move to be owners, new business projects and for personal reasons.
Wonder if those were the bodyguards for Kryle walking w/him?
If you go to The Weather Channel web site, weather.com and put in Long Pond, PA, then scroll down to the map and put your mouse over the map you can see you can interact with the map. You click it and it goes to a bigger map. Here they have a new feature that lets you see what the weather (clouds) will look like in the future. You can also have it show you where the track is.
I tried this and it looks like more clouds will be coming into the area round 5 pm track time.
Tiger Woods will be teeing off in just a few minutes. I think I will go watch that on Tv.
J.D.,
Don't casual fans buy sports drinks, fast food, car insurance, candy, cars, and the other products that are advertised on the race cast? Should the producers treat the race cast as a meeting of a secret society where you need to know the password and handshake to figure it out?
It might be frustrating to all of us, but shouldn't we regard NASCAR as a big tent and welcome everyone in? I remember there was a time when I only watched Daytona and Talladega. It took a lot of years before I started watching every race, subscribing to NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated, setting my DVR for "NASCAR Now" and "This Week In NASCAR," signed up for DirecTV so I could buy HotPass, reading Daly Planet and joining in the comments...
I'm just saying this is a process and hard-core fans are evolving as we speak. Should we discourage them or encourage them?
WCK
Always wonder if the pit road people dread drawing Kyle. Although Kyle seems to be in better mood today.
Are they just going through the motions with pre race prep or is there a weather window?
Add Ray, remove Rusty and Brad. Oh and move JP to booth.
So do you know something we don't?
re: sunglasses
I hate that the drivers wear sunglasses during interviews even when it's sunny. Wearing them on a dreary day during an interview is just pretentious.
I always appreciate that my boy Carl removes his sunglasses during an interview. It's just the polite thing to do.
--KarenB
Drs. Foot & Mouth.
LOL Dot.
Wonder what Indy cars would look like here if they came back...
Just said 3 - 3:30 go racing - weather.com future radar shows heavy rain starting 4. Guess nascar wants to let the parkers get in their lap so they dont have to stay another day
I wish Shannon wouldn't have messed that interview up. That would have been HILARIOUS!
Why are they nottelling the truth (Bestwick et all) - They know it is not going to be good the rest of the day - they afraid people will turn the channel? They will anyways wne dr punch starts monotoning
accuweather shows clear skies.
Weather forecasting still isnt an exact science...
Tanker flyby = neat but cant we get some fighters?
10 for the anthem!!
When exactly is the flyover suppose to happen? Oh cool Jimmie and Chad they really are hilarious together
Jimmy looked so small there - looke like tiny tim - please sir may I have another?
Did anybody notice during the Marty Smith / Kasey Kahne piece that, once they got to that concert, they showed a few girls getting their picture taken with Kasey, then a GUY was ruffling Kasey's hair... I wonder how Kasey felt about that, and to have it included in the piece. Whose idea was that?
What just happened? Muted the prayer and saw the airplane. Then back to AB & Co.
J.D.,
It's nice to hear someone sing the anthem who has sung it before and thought about the words and what they mean.
WCK
Great anthem and a doosey of a fly-by!
Frank in Sebring
He was probably praying for clear skys
Jimmy shaved - now he looks more like dave mathews
Bill-radar I'm looking at shows clear areas behind the track
@NRF
if timed right the flyover happens as the singer is holding out Brave
David ask,
Wonder what Indy cars would look like here if they came back...
With todays drivers a flaming pile of rubble in the tunnel turn.
Frank in Sebring
It does show clear behind the track but for how long is the question.
Really like the newly revamped Rusty Wallace on ESPN.
Whether its Marty Reid or someone else, Rusty has been great since he started working with Marty on the N'wide races.
I think Dixon, Helio and Kannan would get through okay...
LOL
Looks like it is building as the front (actually backside) hits the mountains - happens here all the time - popcorn storms - clear and then there they are
Chad is Rad?? OMG, that was pretty funny stuff! Luv hearing AB laughing..
Reminds me of the old IWC
Is there anything that Brad and Kyle didn't talk about yesterday??
Why did the rear side window of Jimmie's rallye car say "M. Johnson"?...
So, it looks like Bestwick is going to take it all the way to the green from the infield with Rusty and Brad.
Interesting decision...
Jimmie and Chad are hilarious together. They are like brothers; love, respect and how can I get him now. Too funny. Not to mention Chad you can get it on Nascar.com for $19.95. Loved it. I'm guessing perhaps it was taped earlier. JD??
Martin I thought it was Mr. Johnson but I could be wrong.
Maybe Marty Reid was just the broadcasting training Rusty needed. I agree, he's been much more palatable lately.
--KarenB
You guys are really making me laugh.
Bored, but still hanging in there.
Why is it the interview Wendy or Hermie (can't remember) Jr was upbet and smiling and now with Shannon he looks down right depressed. Is it an ESPN thing or a I got my game face on thing?
We were fine aero wise until the manufactures were allowed to overly rake the front ends and the teams started twisting bodies on these things.
mandate symmetrical bodies on the older style car with a limit to the amount of front rake and we would have been fine.
Jr is not a big fan of ESPN either. He and Smoke don't like the agenda driven journalism. I think that's what they called it on Stewarts radio show last year.
BillH, that's exactly what I've been thinking...pop up rain is the norm on days like this. Just cause it isn't on the radar now...doesn't mean it won't be. That isn't to say they couldn't get to halfway...but I don't like that NASCAR claims they can run the whole race when they know that won't happen (like when they know it will be dark.) Why not just say, we're going to see how much we can get it.
If ESPN was listening to NASCAR a few weeks back they said the Nationwide COT is being used as a platform to see if they can find something with that car to carry over to this car...
I feel a caution flag start and track drying laps by the field coming on.
that's get 'in'.
Did anyone else catch that obvious F-bomb in the fluff piece they are doing on spotters?
jone, nope I missed it..oops.
Now that's an interesting feature! I never even thought about the genesis of spotters.
--KarenB
Seems like they're getting some serious seepage on the track.
Perhaps this is the racing gods' way of trying to convince NASCAR to stop running two mind-numbing 500-mile races at this place. :)
Denny or Bowyer said weepers were going to be a problem on RD so doesnt surprise me that its an issue
More rain and storm cells forming to the west, according to The Weather Channel's Weather in Motion. Could be raining again by 3:30pm or 3:45pm.
This interview is basically what Smoke and Jr. don't like about ESPN. Why try to get Bowyer to throw his team and the RCR shop under the bus. Even if he does have an answer you shouldn't keep badgering him. Good for Clint for saying I don't want to say.
Listening to Clint talk about bump stops. Isn't it amazing how NASCAR tortures the drivers with something they don't like? Just like BSPN tortures us with someone we don't like (as PxP) in the booth.
Arrogance at its best.
David - also Brian Vickers was talking very seriously about seepage earlier too.
Crud... 20-40 minutes away from - at the very minimum - another light shower. Could be even a brief downpour. Darn.
little cell - see popcorn storm
I stand corrected. It was Vickers who said that.
Thanks!
2:56 pm EST - we aint gonna be racin today boys and girls. mark it down now.
Rusty did something I actually like?!
Are we in the Twilight Zone?!
No...just the Poc-oh-no Zone
Hey look...the Wheelen Caution lamp is back! Guess someone got the memo from June!
Lookout nrf, spoiler alert!
OK, just so everyone is on the same page. It is raining hard again on the backstretch. About to lose the track, that means two or three hours until racing at the earliest.
Wonder what time NASCAR will call the race until tomorrow?
huh? where did that come from? looks good on TV?
Chad is Rad did not make it out of the first round of Rally X. Entertaining joke though.
After this weekend I have the perfect team to get people to run from a race. Both Waltrips, Rusty, Brad (for all those that dislike him), and of course JP in the booth to cover the event. Think of the self promotion and complete lack of covering the action!
wow! i tuned in at the wrong time: dj, petree and doc all in lavendar shirts and purple ties? whew.
and can i just say: i could listen to doc tell pit road stories ALL day!
umbrellas again, cya tomorrow folks...
ESPN should say they'll move the race to Classic after 5pm. That'll hopefully force NASCAR's hand to do the right thing and call the race.
No update from ESPN on the contingency plans for tomorrow.
ESPN avoiding weather updates to keep viewers?
This is actually a hilarious story about Junior Johnson clubbing an official with a jack.
and now brewer telling pit road stories: very cool.
not a fan of brewer but still neat to hear from these guys who were in the trenches -- literally -- back in the day.
radar seems to hint at current storm moving south of track... question is do we have time to dry/get a full race in/deal with weepers? I'm guessing no...
and if you've had no exposure to dr jerry punch until now, you now know why he should be in the nascar hall of fame AND back on pit road!
LOL AB commenting on the purple ties, think he's reading TDP while off air?
Fascinating discussion on pit safety. These guys (including the good doctor) are much much much better when they're reminiscing and giving us the benefit of their experience.
--KarenB
Agreed Red,
And that's why the ESPN pit reporters (as do the TNT pit reporters) wear firesuits.
Makes you wonder if no one employed by Fox remembers that incident.
Ya think Bestwick has TDP? lol. Glad he asked about the ties
Really liking this pit road discussion. That answers why the pit reporters have firesuits now doesnt it.
anon@3:29: i'm sticking with what i said several hours ago: this is not going to happen today. if they get it started, either the track will be unsafe w/weepers all around or they'll never get to 1/2 way. tomorrow is clear so mike helton needs to call the white house and ask for a make-up date, let the fans go home/to the hotle and do this tomorrow.
We all spend too much time together as we have all pretty much repeated ourselves in the last 5 or so posts lol
It only took 2:25 to get all 7 guys into a thoughtful entertaining and educational conversation.
I'm really hoping we get an ESPN update on conditions after the break, we're running out of a time for a decision, thinking one has to come by 4pm EST?
Like others have mentioned - enjoyable listening to the stories of how so many safety features came to be. Doc is at his best during rain delays why don't they switch him to where he would shine?
I never tire of seeing Jr.Johnson take out the official either lol
coming out of break Brad --- "That's a good sign"
Karen-could have listened to the guys talk like that for hours! such fun..
rusty? heat on the track w/weepers as well? and now "yeah, but they can go above them"? really, rusty? and what happen if there's a car -- or two -- already up there and you have no choice but to race thru the weeper? not smart, rusty, not smart.
can't race until all of those are dry: remember the mess at cali?
Can "aero push" dry weepers?
Just asking Rusty....
in his usual rusty-way he butchered his point, but I believe what he was trying to say was to get the cars on the track (under extended yellow or yellow/green) to get heat in the track to beat the weepers
@Red
Remember Texas? The big crash?
Jamie---Instead of Coke you should be sipping Crown...
Jamie--take in that Honeymoon-adjust the trackbar & dial in two rounds of wedge---
Get the cars out there to create a Benny Vortex. It'll keep the storms away!
I wear my sunglasses at night...
Everybody at ESPN (including Shannon in that Jamie McMurray interview) is really pushing the point that they're hoping they'll get the race in today. Ignoring the weather really is the company line at ESPN.
Think 4PM is the magic time for an update? I do...
Fox did the exact same thing with weather delays. They'll constantly say the green flag is just minutes away. This isn't anything different with ESPN.
I see drips on the camera! Lights out!
anon@3:37: certainly do: scary bad.
granted, i don't have a ticket and i'm not there but as a fan, i don't want these guys going out there with nascar and the track being in some kind of "hurry up " mode to get to 1/2 way. it is one BIG track and i know from being there in the rain that there a more than a few weepers around the track.
putting cars on the track under yellow will dry what's there but as those cars pound the pavement at full speed, the weepers will come back again.
if it hadn't been raining for days, i might agree with the strategy. but with two days of rain, the ground hasn't had a chance to drain and that's what has to happen for the weepers to go away.
tomorrow will be safer than today.
If I got paid to wear them, I would wear my sunglasses in the shower. Looks silly today but understandable. Iguess some drivers don't have a rain out clause in their shade contracts.
Allen Bestwick is "not as optimistic" about the weather. Finally, opening their eyes to the obvious.
Stewart's crew guy taking the generator away from the car,... did he hear something the TV crew hasn't yet?...
Mike Mulhern says coming back Monday
did chad get on the rogaine program w/jimmie?
Hearing crickets... Am I the last one here? Should I turn off the lights when I leave? :)
jd: top of the hour coming. i'm guessing we'll get updated then?
Maybe Rusty needs to get the draft tracker to dry the weepers.
8 minutes until MRN is back
Right now, it looks like a 10AM race and RaceDay on SPEED at 9AM.
Just have to wait for TV network assignment. I feel ESPN2 coming on, ESPNClassic is out for Cup races.
Will update ASAP
@MV no I'm kinda here lol got apartment cleaned, laundry in & cleared out about 56 or7 weird followers on Twitter. Unfollowed several more - just listening to rain delay & gettin stuff done
ESPN2 is wide open all day, ESPN just has baseball at 7pm EDT.
Monday forecast calls for morning fog. Be sure to add some extra time on your DVR.
Guess I can catch up on all the races I DVR'd yesterday, this thing is toast
according to the nascar scanners, they lost the race track again...yup i think thats it for today
MRN printing a semi-pretty picture of no nascar decision, and sunshine over turn 3, track is NOT lost
hmm, everbody wants pocono to be a shorter race, a 6pm EST time start would be the Pocono 300?
that picture of Rusty was hilarious.
@ JD, why can't the race be on BSPNCL? They can't pre-empt Billiards from 1999 and drag racing from 2007?
Hey look, Rusty's fro. Ya think Brad had one that big?
almost all generators are off put road now - 10 minutes then I call it and start a movie
OMG! That Rusty and Mark Martin pic was too funny!
Someone in the production truck has a really nasty sense of humour. I love it. :-)
--KarenB
LOL MRN announcers arguing over how wet the track is
J.D.,
Even if they get started today, won't they have to move the race when the baseball game starts at 8 PM Eastern?
WCK
I dont have classic so lets stay away from that garbage!
Thats probably why it wouldn't be on classic as its not available across the board on the same tier as ESPN and ESPN2
MRN is still waiting around, somewhat optimestic.
5 PM will be the end all answer I think
That weeper on the right side of the screen was bad. Good thing tomorrow's a holiday here in Ontario.
Dot that would be because some folks don't have ESPN Classic, like me, as comcast just dumped it here in MD, I applaud ESPN for being committed to keeping Cup on one of the major networks. The lack of ESPNC distribution I believe also contributed to the SPEED/ESPNClassic simulcast of the Nationwide Richmond race a few years ago
nice job in ESPN of catching up with Mike Helton
Mike Helton says no race today...just saying..thats what I'm hearing----
ESPN isn't hiding anything. Went straight to the top. Bravo!
Gotta love marathon fill shows. Still refuse to make a decision.
Jimmie Johnson gave up the facial hair and now Casey Mears is trying it.
so now they're down to cutting the weepers and we kow THAT'S a sure sign they've lost the track.
c'mon, mike: call it and let the fans focus on trying to get their cars out of the mud fields that are the parking areas right now . . .
The start and parkers are gonna be sleaping in the haulers tonight
Was that gut cutting the track?
If this is a 4 hour race, obviously there's no time to get it all in. Are they already planning to just run it to halfway?
Anyone else think that if it wasn't for the White House visit they would have called it already
finally robbie gordon - race can now be called
-sigh- anyone get tired of complaining sometimes?
NASCAR tries to get it in, gets criticized. And if they were to call this 2 hours ago and say we were going to have to race tomorrow and it didnt rain another drop the rest of the day they'd get criticized again.
Im glad they are at least waiting out their regular timeslot to make a decision. If it were 6 PM we would all know what the call would be.
Helton said about 10 more minutes so I think thats perfectly reasonable in my eyes.
Usual a decision to call is based on the "fans deserve to see the entire race"
is the fact that this is pocono and many fans complain 500 miles is too long weighing into the decision process here?
@dot: cutting the track, indeed. it widens the crack where the weeper comes up and theoretically allows the water to drain faster and thereby dry out faster.
Classic is OK for the Nationwide Series races, but last we went through this drill with the Cup events, the choices were only ESPN and ESPN2.
Casey Mears and Robby Gordon...
ESPN must really want to kill time.
(Just kidding. I like that they're reaching out to guys who don't get a lot of TV time.)
Not "gut", guy. And to think I don't use a laptop.
Sunday night baseball on ESPN tonight. They can't stay around forever even if they do start the race.
wow what a dilema, if nascar calls now with the sun shining...
make no misake. Nascar tries to get an "official" race in. They will try to get in as much as possible but half way is all they are concerned with in a rain delay.
Not complaining - just wanna hear the truth - anyone with an internet connection can see the weather and what is coming - from the start they should have said - "Weather doesnt look good today, we are gonna try, but just in case we can't, we will run tomorrow" - Instead of crossing fingers and thinking happy thoughts. Give us fans creditr for having a brain, thats all
It will be on ESPN2 tomorrow. ESPN2 is always used as over-fill programming for all sports, not just NASCAR. There really is no difference anymore between ESPN and ESPN2. I believe both are avaiable in almost the same amount of households.
David,
Everyone here has the right to say whatever they like OK?
If this upsets you, then the choice to remain or leave is yours.
We have great readers who have been with us for three seasons now and we enjoy their views.
My goal is to expand this type of format and give even more voice to the fans.
That means everyone gets respect when they post their thoughts.
JD
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