This is the time of the year when Sprint Cup Series drivers begin to get tense. Answers get a little shorter, faces are a little tighter and crew chiefs work a little harder. This year, there are two exceptions to this rule.
One well known exception is named Jimmie Johnson. Love him or hate him, he is the king of cool when the TV cameras are on. This season, the other exception is NASCAR's favorite senior citizen Mark Martin. He is usually seen endlessly repeating the same theme of thankfulness and smiling ear-to-ear.
Every racing weekend, SPEED airs the Trackside show. This program is sometimes taped in the afternoon and sometimes done live. This weekend in Kansas, SPEED will welcome both Johnson and Martin to the program at 7PM ET Friday night.
Steve Byrnes has been hosting this TV series for years. His skills at gently directing traffic and keeping things on schedule are usually on display. This time of the year, Darrell Waltrip is long gone and Elliott Sadler is on the panel. Sadler has joined his brother Hermie in carving out a nice niche on SPEED.
Rounding out the panel are the hardest-working guys on SPEED, hands down. Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond are a part of every single Sprint Cup Series Racing weekend. Unlike the other NASCAR TV personalities that come and go, McReynolds and Hammond start in Daytona and stay put all the way through Homestead.
Normally, this show is a harmless hour of fun and some conversation for the hardcore fan featuring behind-the-scenes information. On this Friday, however, the two top candidates in the Chase for the Championship are going to be sharing the same stage.
This gives the panelists an opportunity to ask some questions and get some answers that perhaps fans have not heard before. The one thing that this panel does quite well is get a bit deeper into the mindset of drivers and teams that succeed.
Johnson and Martin may be quite different, but they share the same kind of quiet discipline from their exercise programs to their focused approach to racing. It should be interesting to hear them speak on various subjects in this long-form TV program. So often, we hear them talk in short "soundbites" on shows from NASCAR Now to RaceDay.
Trackside still suffers from a tough stage configuration, distracting audience noise and bad weather, but it has muddled through. Cold and wet are two words currently being tossed around about the conditions in Kansas this weekend, so we shall see how things work out.
There is a full day of practice and qualifying coverage on tap before Trackside. The complete NASCAR TV schedule is located on the right side of The Daly Planet main page.
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This is going to become a ton more interesting especially after news that the 48 and 5 from Dover were told to not bring the cars back to the race track ever again.
ReplyDeleteMight tune in just to hear if it gets mentioned.
I enjoy the conversation aspect of Trackside, but the commercialism and stage setup are tough. I get it makes the fans there feel like they are a part of the show but the group mentality of everyone trying to get their 15 seconds of fame just because a camera is there gets old fast.
@ David, I don't remember reading anything about the 5 & 48 cars getting banned. Wow. What did they get away with?
ReplyDeleteI wonder what kind of reception JJ will get. Don't get me wrong, I like him but, with his winning ways, he might get some flak from the crowd. No worries for MM though, everybody loves him.
I hope they are on at the same time.
JD, is there some way that the crowd noise could be filtered?
Dot, Lee Spencer had an article on foxsports.com about the 5 and 48. Jeff Hammond also had a comment next to her article.
ReplyDeleteDavid, they don't talk about stuff like the 5 and 48 on Trackside, especially when there was no penalty. I wouldn't hold my breath that I'd hear anyone speak about it.
ReplyDelete@ Karen, thanks.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they won't talk about anything negative they'll have their happy and race faces on. I wonder if Nascar gave #48 & #5 a free pass but we'll never know.
ReplyDeleteI think trackside is great, but
ReplyDeleteagree with David 12:07 that the
background is distracting. It
appears to me that the producers
may be making the frenzy; especially with some of what appears to be manufactured signs.
Save the hooplah for appropriate
times.
I forgot to add that Nascar Now
ReplyDeleteis up against Trackside. NN
won't have anyone watching. Maybe
they should go back to 5:00 or 6:00
or what ever their revolving schedule is this week.
once again nascar not playing fair. if cars were out of specs, even by 2 sheets of paper, thats still out of specs. while it may not have affected race results, who can say.my problem is the carl long penalty about his engine. it was less than 1 cubic inch over and they fined him 200k and suspended him. come on people in tv and print demand solid answers from nascar. lets not sweep it under rug
ReplyDeleteNope, won't be any negativity from these guys! "That's Chad's job" and "I don't know anything about that I just drive the car they give me." I may watch to see what Jimmie says, but Mark is a broken record. The biggest thing I like about Trackside IS the audience, some of those signs the fans display are too funny. And I like to see what gifts the drivers bring from the sponsors. The Dollar General bagful was a hoot.
ReplyDeleteI thought NA$CAR's "new" policy was a pass/fail with no exceptions with the COT. I guess the Hendrick organization is different and get a warning that others don't. If it fails, it fails and a substantial fine and points penalty is supposed to be the result. Apparently you can't punish Hendrick if it has an impact on the Chase.
ReplyDeleteWas at Trackside last week in Dover, just to see Jeff Gordon. It's a lot of fun, if you're up for LOUD music during commercial breaks. And believe me, they strongly encourage sign waving, and yelling, and "looking like you're having fun." They will even provide the cardboard to make your own sign, if they don't see enough signs in the crowd.
ReplyDeleteRE: the 48 and the 5...the tweet from Bob Pockrass said the cars didn't FAIL. They were within the tolerance, but right AT tolerance, so they were told they should not be cutting it that close.
ReplyDeleteAt tolerance, still a conversation piece. I don't believe they were illegal, though them being told not to bring the car back in that condition is interesting because who is to say that couldn't affect the car(s) those teams select for later races?
ReplyDeleteI know what TS is notorious for and it will probably get blown off, my only hope is that it gets addressed during practice and we get a straight answer from both NASCAR and the HMS camp
Happy Friday JD and the Planeteers :)
ReplyDelete@David--Agree! Love the convos but can do without the drunk fans trying to get on TV and overshouting the hosts/guests. A few shows I've had to strain to hear them :(
They won't talk about the illegal cars - other than maybe a joke about .07 of an inch or something.
ReplyDeleteI just hope Mark is still honored to drive that car and having so much fun blah blah blah.
I definitely won't waste any of my time on Trackside this evening.
SPEED got the scoop at the beginning of NASCAR Live, only caught the ending though. From what I've read tho, Mark was good, Jimmie was over, all parties have been warned.
ReplyDeleteI expect a Roush driver or two to call this a Hendrick Charity move before qualifying wraps up...
allisong
ReplyDeleteMOST DISAPPOINTED to hear SPEED encourages that loud, annoying fans and irritating signs.
I will not be watching though I DO enjoy the guys on there. That show needs better production/direction values.
I am not going to TRY and listen over loud fan screaming.
@Dot: "No worries for MM though, everybody loves him."
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't. To be candid, I'm sick to death of him. He should have stayed retired.
Besides, he never says anything but how happy he is. No insight. No thought. No information. No truth.
There is a new post up for Friday TV comments, just refresh your browser.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
JD
Crockett I am right there with you I am so sick of hearing about him in fact I'll probably skip Trackside this evening (unheard of!)
ReplyDeleteHow about those pink Elliott Sadler sunglasses on Trackside?
ReplyDeleteCrockett & Mary
ReplyDeleteI am there with you both.:)
So tired of the SCRIPTS.
Please if there is a higher power a higher being ..Please figure out
ReplyDeletea way to Send Marty Reed.. someplace else anyplace away from
a Nascar Telecast. Thank you. Amen
Good Nite