Juan Pablo Montoya is on the pole and that is a sign that things are going to be very different today in New Hampshire. There is a driver working for free, several teams in full meltdown mode and the oldest Chase competitor just extended his contract to drive in the series.
Into this fun walks the NASCAR on ESPN TV team for the third consecutive year. This group will have the ABC television network as a pathway to the fans for the rest of the season. All ten Chase races are on free over-the-air TV.
Allen Bestwick will open the show at 1PM with NASCAR Countdown. This is a one hour pre-race show from the Infield Pit Studio. Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty will be alongside of Bestwick for both the pre-race and for comments during the live telecast. Tim Brewer will be on site with the Tech Garage.
Last season' pre-race shows during the Chase proved to be tilted toward the Chase drivers despite what else was happening in the sport. There are lots of stories across the board to choose from, but expect a full dose of Chase-mania from the ESPN gang today.
Wallace continues to be outspoken and that has been a positive point for these telecasts. Love him or hate him, Wallace draws the fans to hear what he will say next. Saturday, Jeff Gluck from scenedaily.com offered a column critical of current NASCAR team owners like Wallace and Daugherty being on TV. It should be interesting to see if Rusty chooses to respond.
Bestwick will transition to Jerry Punch prior to the 2:16PM green flag. Punch will be joined by Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree to call the race. It's no secret that things are not rosy in the TV booth and this is the type of track that requires a lot of work from the announcers.
Flat and sometimes boring, it is going to take effort to continue to comb through the field for racing. The pit reporters are also going to have to push to get the stories as passing on pit road under caution flag pit stops is going to set-up the new doublefile restarts.
Tight camera shots and in-car camera views don't work in Loudon. The track is two high speed drag races with passing going into the corners. Seeing the field come down the front and back straights is going to be key to covering who pulls out to pass. We saw it in the Mod and truck races time-and-time again.
There will be non-Chasers with nothing to lose who take risks all race long. The TV challenge is to blend the reality of what is happening in the race with the story of what is happening in the Chase. That balance will tell the tale for the viewers.
This post will serve to host your comments about the ABC coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. Comments may be moderated prior to posting.
Thanks again for taking the time to stop by and talk NASCAR on TV.
457 comments:
1 – 200 of 457 Newer› Newest»Predicted S&P teams today are #66, #87, #64, #37, #09 and, even though they have a sponsor, #36. These 6 cars will likely park before lap 60.
Wow, thanks for that info!
36 claimed they parked due to engine issues last week, should be interesting to see how long they run today.
Sorenson working for free is the most interesting story to me. I called this last year when GEM brought in AJ and tried to fire Elliott that Reed was the odd guy out. Does that crew swap make any more sense to everyone now? Hopefully Reed is at least getting a share of the winnings of what the car makes if he isn't receiving a base salary.
Hope at the very least a good NW team takes notice for next year if something in Cup can't open up.
Another great Real Deal from Wendy with JJ.
Time to make the dounuts, good luck AB!
Can you feel all those NASCAR fans watching football right now? I can.
I hope the 36 will try and run the entire race. I pick the 14 to win the race followed by the 5
Let's talk about someone other than JJ! He is a great driver but there are 42 other drivers out there.
Looks like its coming down to financial crunch time for some of these teams. Should be interesting to see how many we wind up with by Homestead.
Ok, I am switching to football, I will be back at 2pm for the race! This pre-race show is killing me!!!
JD-
Other than the race fans at the track, I doubt there are many in the northeast watching this race at all.
Patriots are playing the Jets in this same window.
OK, that makes three of us....rofl.
I am watching the Eagles game now, not the pre-race show. This is an impossible mission for NASCAR to compete in a head to head matchup with the NFL. No matter what they do, no matter who broadcasts the race, the results will be exactly the same.
That has been out primary topic all week long. We had a big column on Tuesday about it.
Don't forget the Red Sox playing too up there
Have a good race all. Switching to the NFL and Packer football.
May you have no in-car cams, roof cams, or bumper cams but just nice wide shots.
Man, they are dropping like flies!!
How many times are they going to show poor Matt missing his pit box? And the music today is awful. There are more non-chase drivers in the race than chasers I wish they would interview some of them. This show is dragging I need to do some things and come back for the race although AB is trying to make it interesting.
I'm sorry, but could they bore me anymore to death before a boring race starts? How about some news? Like...did anyone hear Biffe had a fire at his house?? j/k, JD...;)
Please don't feed the trolls! If you cannot contribute, you disrupt. This too shall pass.
Pammmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,
That shows just how small the NASCAR press corp is. No Jeff Gluck at the race and many other reporters not traveling but watching on TV.
NASCAR reposting the same stories over and over again. Lordy!
Not really paying attention... again, don't really see the need for hour long pre-race (added with RD).
Listening to Jacksonville vs Arizona on the radio... which means my attention will be divided 'tween that and checking for updates on David (via UPS Racing's Twitter... he'll get lost in the Chaseism of ABC).
I'm here! Back from vacation and Football? Is that the round black and white one they kick with their feet or the brown funny shaped ball thay the other team chases you and knocks you down when you carry it? ;)
IMO this is when NASCAR and ESPN reap what they sow with the pathetic coverage up to now. We don't expect good coverage so even normally great fans are distracted by football, and the mythic "casual fan" doesn't even think about a race. That's why they have to take the criticism to heart - their only hope is to win back the serious fan.
God Bless you all for watching live for me...LOL! I'm still FF'ing thru Race Day...no Kenny...a good thing.
Will keep reading TDP up until race starts. Then will pick it up when we watch the race on DVR later today.
And no...not watching football or baseball. Helping hubby put engine/transmission back into our Aussie "Magnolia" sports racer for upcoming race at Sears Point.
Way more fun than Chase this Chase that....Jimmy 3 time champ, can he win 4....blah, blah, blah!
Have fun....keep me laughing :-)
We need ABC to use some new footage and stories for their prerace show.
Even in HD a rehash is a rehash. My wife reminded me that we saw a lot of this earlier and is suggesting that I should do some honeydos until race time.
I guess the horrible pre race shows are a necessary evil. Unlike myself who has seen every story 20 times by the time a race starts not everyone has all the outlets available to them. Between Sirius, twitter, Jayski and a few other websites nothing is "breaking news" by the weekend but if you cant access those I guess you can learn something. I have not watched a full pre race show in about 2 years. I don't even do it at the track anymore when it used to be a good time to get on tv. Same problem with track side I gave up on it too. Maybe next year there will be a few tweaks to the pre race shows as well.
ok, i'm gonna try this again but if it's a duplicate-sort of post, i apologize.
when i first tuned in to the coverage, bestwick was throwing it to the booth, which consisted of only andy and dj. is the good doctor out today? when bestwick took it back from them, he mentioned that the 2 of them would re-join us later in the booth but didn't mention dr. punch.
anyone know what's up -- if anything?
and i'll be channel surfing during commercials: radio is already keyed up on laptop and if the booth is unimproved, tv will be on mute anyway.
I know it's beating a dead horse, but...
From dictionary.com, the definition of "seed" in sports is
to arrange (the drawings for positions in a tournament) so that ranking players or teams will not meet in the early rounds of play.
I think it should be a rule that ESPN's NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now at 10AM should not repeat the same stories. Make it a challenge.
Like you guys said, if you throw RaceDay in it is one big chicken dance. Lots of flapping but nothing accomplished.
red, we have a new troll so I have to moderate comments today. There will be slight delay between submitting and comments being posted.
JD
red, they took Punch completely out of the pre-race several races ago. He now appears just before race start.
@ JD, thanks. I thought it was me.
Just saw a tweet that Tony Raines changed engines.
Does that mean he will race the whole race, or is it his start and park engine he had to get in?
@jd: thanks for the info on dr punch! see how long it's been since i watched pre-race?
ok, tech center already: "when the brakes start shaking, it's hard to drive a race car . . ."
really?!? who knew -- except those of us who have had problems with our brakes over the years.
and loudon isn't exactly bristol or martinsville when it comes to brake wear.
doesn't bode well for the race of the day. guess the remote will be landing on eagles or phillies today more than i anticipated.
i'm just sayin' . . .
Don't you just love how ABC/ESPN skipped the Canadian Anthem?
nicely done anthem. josh turner! nicely done!
Hey JD, did you pick the anthem singer? He wasn't bad.
No football for me today!
NASCAR all the way!
I have not heard of him but many female fans certainly have!
Always good they have a Catholic Bishop deliver the invocation in New England, acknowledging regional religious differences.
Same here, Steve L.
Shalom and Amen! Still miss good old Rev. Hal Marchman.
No Tom Cruise on pit road today, sorry ladies!
that's Josh Turner...very good country singer. I've noticed many of the invocations using 'shalom & amen' as Marchman used to do.
That little Chase commentary piece made me think of the "in a world" guy, the one who died earlier this year. Just a little melodramatic, imho.
And the good doctor, leads with our doom: there are so many compelling stories of the top 12. Never mind the other 25 (S&Ps don't count).
those are some SERIOUS black suits in the booth today: is there a funeral after the race?
Seriously? That's the question for Edwards? Scrap that feature please!
That in-race reporter thing sounds so stiff to me every week.
red, I heard it's not a picnic up there..
@patrick, yes I do....... It's great that they start the race coverage talking about the non-chasers...
no need to apologize to this woman (re: lack of Cruise); I can do without his 'cult' agenda, thank you very much. I hate that he has any association with racing.
Carl gets the curse again.
I think Nascar should put this singer on retainer to follow the cars around to every track to sing the anthem! Straight forward, no theatrics, and he hit every note!
ok, not a gigantic fan of edwards but i really do appreciate the way he makes certain to look at the in-car camera as he answers dj's questions.
And rite after the anthem, when we got to hear in-car from 40-11 different folks, the radio went on!
The suits are for when they boor us to death with their excitement!
Can anyone tell me the purpose of the 'crew helmet cam'? Wait! I know! It's to go with the Brewer stuff, right?
JD--The Dr is in with Sunday Office Hours--Mr. Turner did a good job on the National Anthem.
Anon 2:06--Us brothers of St. Pete are race fans, too--mayhaps the Bishop is, as well.
The pre race again could have been subtitled Masters of the Obvious--but it is what it is.
Wide shots to start the race!
Keep it up!
You don't understand. You have to talk about the other 31 cars first so you can crow bar Kyle Busch into the conversation.
Think Tony had a little deal there?
Great. The ticker shows Montoya got the lead, and we're looking at the back of the pack? It's not like there are a ton of on track passes for the lead...and they just missed it!
Red, the reason for the black suits will be the bleak ratings for ESPN for the Chase.
Haven't quite figured out what we are following, have you guys?
nice spelling boyd.... are we going to hear about Kyle all day today?
Not yet JD, I think they just had to get their quota of Kryle shots, and a JJ for good luck.
Direct tv feed is having tech difficulties ....but they are playing the MRN feed...Sweet music to my ears.....
following side by side battle, helicopter shots. Who read this blog last weekend? they just ruined it commercial at lap 9. oh well
Forgive me for being picky--but there was nary a nention by the commentators of the lead change--oops, DJ and AP mention a checking out JPM
Kyle Busch, apparently. This is the token look at non chasers...just beofre we get the '...if the race ended now' piece.
No deal per the 42 radio.
Montoya just walking away.
Too much multi-tasking so posts will be infrequent at best. sorry guys.
ya know what THE worst moment is so far? all 3 sports on tv into commercial at the same time -- and the radio as well.
Sorry, trying to track down the DirecTV problem. Anyone got info on that?
Kenny Bruce tweet about 37 is hilarious
Raines swapped that engine, so he could go to the back, so he'd not be in anybody's way in route to the garage.
Red, i feel ya. My Lions lead at the half! =)
Glad they are talking about Bobby Labonte. He can still win in the right situation.
HOF, work that deal out with TRG!!!
Good ole COT race, getting all strung out. Race will start with 20-30 laps to go.
Raines got the start and park motor changed in the car just in time. Off at lap 19.
14 fastest on track.
50 plus 8 months? JP changing it up.
If it just me or have they changed the camera shots today to show more cars....so far
How do you "overheat" a new engine.
Using that high camera in Turn 1 really helps the lap coverage.
They only pass at the end of the straights, so the wideshot down the drag strip really works.
Time to get the pit reporters digging for some stories.
I hope this changes but 9 laps of green then 4 laps of commercial then 10 laps of green again. This pattern will make for a long day!
Patrick: your underfunded team forgets to put water in the radiator.
#66 to the garage
JUst in case anyone would like to listen to voices other than those on the boob tube.
http://www.eaglecountryonline.com/
Upper right hand corner of screen...
99.3 Live Webstream
Lap 23--TV muted, radio on. I'm not real fond of PRN, but anything has to be better. And I've already learned a ton of what's happening in the race.
Beatingdeadhorsesagain
Underfunded team couldn't afford water.
@peggyann: welcome to the club. amazing difference, isn't it? and if your tv has the closed-captioning on, you actually miss nothing at all -- except the voices.
Why do the words "Here Kitty, kitty, kitty" come to mind when I can FINALLY see Stewart start to reel in J-P-M? Wouldn't some jr. sub-altern production intern be tasked to keep an eye on the timing monitor to see who's fast, so they might whisper a word of inspiration to look at the track? That might help the analysis--must be AP is reading my mind.
Who is the gentleman talking on HOTPASS when PRN goes to break?
ES on the links before I get in trouble...again...and again...and..
So why aren't they talking about Stremme who is hanging tough in 6th still?
*Knock on wood* Much better coverage so far. *crossing my fingers*
Dr T. Pitcommand is a beautiful thing.
Hornish was the fastest car last week quite a bit in a run...just never had long enough run.
Montoya falls off pretty big or Tony picks up alot after 20 laps. Had nothing to do with traffic.
Kenny Bruce is ON today, "Lap 25: 66 to garage. "What time was our flight again?""
@ David, Stremme who?
another production question: is it required to keep the camera on the single car that the booth is discussing or maybe, just maybe, could the camera continue to show us the race instead?
i hesitate to compare the proverbial apples to oranges but the camera work feels downright choppy compared to the mods yesterday.
#36 to the garage.
Hey...wait...there is NASCAR racing in-between the commercials on ABC....Oh, My...
hey Red, all the same cameras and camera men all weekend for all races...
#66 OUT - Electrical
And the wheels fall off the bus
JPM talking about heating up rear brakes causing car to slide in on entry
fox has picked up espn's flair for repeating the obvious in re: edwards' broken foot: did anyone in philly area know that mcnabb isn't playing today due to his rib injury? must be hardly known since they've pointed it out a kabillion times in the first 1/2 of the game!
radio just finished a quick thru the field. . .
(and there's the obligatory big head/small screen shot from espn. sigh.)
Sorry folks, those who cannot contribute disrupt. No problems.
Here we go with the video packages. These are the things that should be in the pre-race instead of segments already shown on NASCAR Now.
JD
D* HotPass has PRN and scanner audio only so far. Regular network camera feed, where usually it's an in-car iso in larger window. Also Dolby cutting in and out.
Dara2k
it is looking like a strick 9-10 green laps window then 4-5 laps worth of commercials.
Those pre-produced pieces do not belong in green flag racing. Put that fluff in the pre-race show.
red said "another production question: is it required to keep the camera on the single car that the booth is discussing or maybe, just maybe, could the camera continue to show us the race instead?"
red, maybe the PTB feel the audience isn't smart enough to listen to commentary and watch a totally different picture.
Junior is now in 14th. Have you seen Junior's 2010 paint schemes?
#64 to the garage.
@anon @2:38: that's what i thought (based on previous races.)
so then why does it feel so completely different? are the producer and/or director the same as the ones for the mods? b/c if not, that's what's different. if so, then i'm flummoxed as to what's happening here today.
and just a personal preference: i REALLY don't need to watch the crew chief in a side by side box while there's green flag racing, ya' know?
12 drivers, 10 races, 1 championship and way, way too many commercials...that is what this chase is all about.
At least we're getting more than single car shots so far today.
reports of debris in 1
could not be confirmed as debris.
rubber.
As I said on Twitter. AWESOME to listen to PRN talk about battles on the track while we watch the leader go round and round the track alone.
Why do they do this?
oh. good. well, we did get to see Tony lap the 55. Thank goodness for the radio.
42 pitting in 10
Unless there's a caution soon, this is going to be a 8 cars on the lead lap race.
36 out brakes
87 out transmission
Why in the world would you come back from comml w/an in-car camera shot?? They started out okay, but are going downhill quickly.
#36 OUT - Brakes (66, too. don't see my earlier post)
#87 OUT - Transmission
Still too many tailpipes for me today, got to stay ahead of the racing. Little excitement and the music into the breaks under green is just criminal.
Tick tock The " announcers" have not stopped talking for more than
8 seconds. Sigh.
Wouldnt it be nice - if they could
Simply SHUT UP once IN a while ?
And finally - do these folks know
that we can hear their hideous
comments just fine thank you..No
need TO YELL AND TALK LOUD
I give up .. thanks for allowing
me to post.
JD
Didn't think Marty Smith was allowed to tweet about nascar during race weekend? And theres the lap 10 commercial.
@TexasRaceLady--a properly constructed telecast blends visual and aural continuity. Even with all the associate directors and 70+ cameras, things can change so quickly that the only way to get info out is to do it by talking about it--that is the original reason that all the on camera people wear those funky Secret Service earpieces that you {can't} see. This, of course, assumes that the production executives either know (or care) about what's going on on track.
speaking of tailpipes, JD.
Oh no! Kasey. Not the caution I wanted.
This race has no flow. In 10 laps they hop from a battle to a Chase driver then a sponsored in-car or feature then commercial. The commercials have been so brutal that I can predict when they are coming.
Uh oh, a Chase driver! ESPN can leave commercial for that at least.
Back for a blown engine. Is this true!
noo! kasey! good cut from commercial though.
kahne is done, said it blew
Red, I've listened to the radio before, just don't like PRN all that much. And since I'm not playing the drinking game, I don't need CC to see "in case you just joined our coverage.."
well, that stinks for kahne but i agree with dj: coincidental. still, it doesn't bode well for that team's championship effort.
OK coming back from commercial to *crickets* and then a hmmmmmmmm...NOT GOOD!
@red... yes it is a different production team, and different prod truck, all the below the line equipment is the same... it's the same way every weekend..
Guess I spoke too soon about the improved coverage
Shanon did not follow up on Punch saying that had something to do with problems in the RPM engine dept? Come on now.
We were watching HotPass but they are having technical difficulties.
Did I miss the how do you feel about that from the pits, or was it omitted?
Is Almirola expected to run much longer in the #09? Except for him, I was dead on with my S&P prediction.
anon@2:52; thanks. that's pretty much what i had thought. i have nothing but the highest regard for the camera gang and was glad to see them get attention in the most recent nascar illustrated!
so, the issue is, as usual, the director/producer combo, i guess.
So, instead of seeing the pit stops, we get to see a guy doing lug nuts? Wonderful.
Wow! That's a ton of kitty litter on the backstretch.
Mears hit one of Hamlin's crew
Shannon, come on:
"..what may have led to this?" Uhhh... the engine blew up. Did she want him to go into technical detail? A cue for Tim Brewer? Weak question. No follow up either.
time to switch to the radio audio...they are doing a full field rundown during this caution. What a concept!
prn reported mears' tire changer hit by hamlin's splitter on that last pit stop. tire changer seems ok: just a red stripe on the foot. lucky guy.
@VickyD --- my hubby is hopping about DirecTV Hotpass being screwed up. He's got one of our receivers, but since he's outside of Texas he doesn't have local channels for the race.
Wonder what the problem is?
Enough with the "points as of now".
Anyone notice that Hamlin's right rear has been smoking off and on the whole race?
MV, unless they lose a bunch of laps under green, the #09 will do all they can to run.
64 out brakes per officials channel
Hi all
looks like a busy day for somebody around here....sigh.
I am so over the helmet cam. Can we just see the cars?
Bengals on the other tv in the LR. Kind of multi tasking...stuff going on around the house.
Seems like more wide shots and as soon as I said that to room mate, in car cams for 2 minutes. :)
ok in car cams then back to the wide.
**HINT** to ESPN. More Wide Shots.
And why do they ALWAYS put the CC over the top of the screen for sports? Regular shows on lower part.
Also the person typing cc is much slower than they used to be.
a BUMPER CAM..so much for THINKING things were improved. another freaking in car cam, then another.
Thanks for your time JD.
PRN: Excitement. "Tony to the inside" "Kurt and Hamlin side-by-side" Battles, battles, battles. What's happening out the window.
ABC/ESPN: zzzzzzzzz
Watch Juan walk away for 20 laps, then Tony run him down.
ESPN will be clueless.
#64 OUT - Brakes
#9 OUT - Engine (obvious)
Smoke from Smoke's rear tire rub?
caution
Debris, metal just off the groove in turn 3
Debris turn 3 free pass 34
eagles just not making it happen, atlanta in a deluge and the field is now covered so i'm finished channel surfing on tv for the day, i guess.
and a bit sad about it . . .
Sophia,
The camera work has been better today than usual. More back in the pack, and more than single cars most of the time.
Anyone at ESPN want to clue us in on why we have a caoution? Anyone looking out the window? Hello? Testing 1-2-3
well, i guess we ought to be happy that we're not focusing solely on the non-chasers but it does seem a bit . . . overdone when it comes to following the 18 around and even in to the pits.
annndd . . . we're into commercial.
again.
will there be a field re-set when we get back?
TRL - It's nice that the cars on Hotpass are non-chasers but since they are having technical difficulties, it's just like the regular broadcast. Maybe they will get it sorted out shortly.
09 penalty for missing lugnuts
I would like to say that once again the reason I do not watch entertaiment TV is being reinforced with these promos.
Well ESPN is about 15 minutes late to the pit road accident.
Wow, could ESPN be any slower with info?
JP made it sound like it just happened to the 07 crew member.
really? a "moment" ago? at least Jamie said it was the previous caution and not this one. Just be honest.
Wow! Right on top of the Hamlin-Mears thing!
/sarcasm
wow! that's pretty deceitful right there! that issue w/the tire changer on the 07 and the 11 car wasn't on this most recent round of pitstops! someone who was listening, please tell me they didn't try to pass it off as such?
Is Jamie on drugs?... He was walking towards the #11 car and his right foot was run over?...
I am with you JD. We don't watch any network tv at our house except for sports programming.
Tony S seems to be driving pretty aggressive for a chase race.
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