The season closes out with one big storyline and several smaller ones. Jimmie Johnson's only competition is his own teammate Mark Martin. The other story is the teams going for broke to win this last race.
One additional story is that Rick Hendrick has stayed behind in North Carolina to attend to a family member who is undergoing emergency surgery. No doubt the absence of Hendrick removes an element that the TV networks normally count on in a championship race.
Allen Bestwick brings ABC on the air for the final time this season. He is joined by Ray Evernham, Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty in the Infield Pit Center. The ESPN pit reporters will be handling the interviews.
Shannon Spake, Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Vince Welch have been working on the NASCAR trail all season long. They have struggled on the Sprint Cup Series races because of their limited exposure to the series. ESPN has not done many practice and qualifying sessions this season from their 17 Cup races.
This is a final moment in the sun for the team of Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. The Nationwide Series season was easy to watch, but when the team switched over to the Sprint Cup Series the wheels came off.
There is no need to recap the issues again, but things are just not working for the TV viewers with the current team in place. Expect changes in the off-season. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, changes for today's race.
This post will serve to host your comments on the Sprint Cup Series race from Homestead. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.
Thanks for hanging with us this season and giving us your NASCAR TV opinions!
334 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 334 of 334Have you noticed how little interest we bloggers are having in the race? We seem to be marking time until this mess is over.
totally agree, was just thinking how pathetic this coverage has made the sport I used to love.
yep, my interest is all used up this yr for sure.
If just 10 cars remained on the track and the rest of the cars went to the garage -
Would Espn notice or would the telecast be much difference.
Answer: Tony Stewart
And this time I don't think we can blame it on a boring race! If TV would just cover what is happening on the track instead of focusing on thw 'what if's and 'gonna be's, I think this would be an entertaining race. That's the problem with concentrating on the final 10 races of the season as soon as the season starts in february. Fans are burned out on the 'title' long before it happens.
Wow, talk about timing!
Was that a six minute commercial break?
I think the 42 and the 14 have been watching Kez and Denny too much! This could make for some interesting interviews?!
JD said "sport I used to love." Me,too. Which is why we need JD more than ever to keep fighting the good fight. I will follow you whatever format you choose.
Makiki
Honolulu
Thank God for Allen Bestwick & his updates.
I am tired of counting driver mentions, so after 154 laps:
1 - Jimmie Johnson 111
2 - Tony Stewart 61
3 - Mark Martin 57
4 - Kevin Harvick 45
5 - Juan Pablo Montoya 38
Well, the 14 and 42 radios are actually pretty quiet. Juan sounds different on the radio, like he just doesn't care.
I'm all for a good rivalry tho! Where has this been all year!?!
Think Jamie will ask Tony and/or JPM how they feel?
@ David...They have been too busy points racing to have a good rivalry before the last race.
I like smoke, but JPM just became my favorite driver.
@ Sally, funny. I'm waiting for Shannon to go into labor and have Jamie ask her that same thing.
JPM has always been that way....but now he has better cars so he's more in the mix...this time he messed with the wrong guy, tho...
Too funny from SPEED's tomjensen: Montoya apparently is a Spanish word that means "Keselowski."
We should thank Juan for getting ESPN to show us something other than point updates and single car action.
We are also live on Twitter at twitter.com/TheDalyPlanet
Anyone else getting a black flickering effect?
What happened to Logano? he was 13th before the caution?
@ David, end plate issue.
@David
per MRN. he made a pit stop to repair the trunk lid. It was loose and they had to fix it so air would hit it then the rear wing.
@David
#20 had to fix the endplate on his wing, so had to make a stop.
Punch we already know what manufacturers they are in.
Thank you. been walking out of the room on occasion so if ESPN mentioned it, I missed it.
Was having a darn good day too
The last few weeks Espn has been showing the two boxes with racing in each. I don't mind this if there is close racing happening in each box but Espn seems to do the two box just to do it.
Charlie, SPEED does it on the truck series. But, they do it when it makes sense.
Montoya must be Spanish for Kesolowski...loses something in the translation, though...
amazing how there is a great race for the lead going on and we r on full screen jimmie watch.
Not a Kurt fan but, I hope he wins over Diva.
I don't mind 2 boxes if there is actual competative racing in both. I see no point in two boxes when it is showing a car in 23rd (or so) position stroking for a championship.
How many passes for the lead have we soon only thru replay?
Dot, I hope "Diva" gets it done!
Oh shoot. Brewer. Honestly, does he REALLY go to all these tracks. I am totally convinced he is in CT!
I NEVER saw the tech center at PIR...
Aack! We need TB to show us how a piece of debris puts a hole in the roof? Oy.
wish they could use their energy to show a race as well as they can show you a whole in a roof and why.
I know there has to be racing on the track.
They sure stretched that so they could get a tech center update.
Is it me, or have there been a lot of commercials the past hour?
I will stop by after the race, but right now I have so lost interest.
It's sad. I love this sport, but I'll listen to the end on radio.
33 cars still on the lead lap. Remarkable!
@David, lots of wave arounds with all the cautions today.
J.D.,
Three times over the past month I swore my season was over. It was a combination of my distaste for the ESPN programming and complete lack of enthusiasm for watching another Jimmie Johnson championship. I had the day off so I thought I'd spend another afternoon with you and the Planeteers.
Although, as usual, I enjoy the company, I wish I had kept my resolution. Except for the contretemps between the 14 and 42, this is about as exciting as watching grass grow.
Thanks for giving us a place to vent. Thanks to you, J.D., some changes were made this season. It's only too bad ESPN was too hubristic to listen to common sense.
West Coast Kenny
Alameda, California
@ David, why can't we like the same drivers? I feel bad when I diss yours. You're such a nice kid. Love to you anyway.
Fuel mileage out.
Jr had just stopped too.
One thing I'll give these guys credit for is they front load the commercials to give us as much green flag racing without commercials as possible later in the race.
Total silence from the booth when Robby spun. Go BSPN.
J.D.,
I swear, Robby Gordon spins out at least once a race so his sponsors' stickers get some TV time.
West Coast Kenny
Alameda, California
Dot, I like Marcos.
Don't feel bad though, this is what makes this sport go round!
Love right back at ya!
no one on the 88 team knows where they are or what lap they're on and LM can't get a straight answer form the officials funny as hell
@ David...That's one of the most fun things about this site. We can all root for lots of different drivers without being offended. we understand that we all have our favorites for different reasons!
;-)
@ David, XOXO. We agree on one driver. Your Diva is out front.
Wow. that was complicated. Can't believe Jr. is back on the lead lap after the miserable day he's had! I bet it isn't over yet, though.
I lost my whole internet connection for about 25 minutes. I was totally powerless to listen to anything but JP and the musketeers. I thought I was going to have to mute and just watch. But Comcast finally got their stuff straight and I'm back up.
it's an amazing contrast isn't it? Just like Ramsey Poston said....
How cool would it be if Burton won?
It would be great, but he would hardly get a mention over the 'date with history'.
Jimmie Johnson's fourth championship is in the bag i'm sorry and disgusted to say.
Another ill-timed Onboard
Punch has no idea what to talk about. He just told us about the 48 trying to make history twice in two minutes. Absurd.
Look at all the different cars that have been in the top 5. I bet there is a story about how they got there rather then what JJ is doing.
Wow, my MRN and ESPN are synched. its a miracle!!!
Geez...Burton is leading, and they concentrate on JJ with the title sewed up? Can't they find something different?
Who's keeping track of the driver mentions? What's it up to - 150 for Jimmie, 45 for anyone else?
And I'm a Jimmie fan, but I hate this. It makes people not like him, and it's not his fault at all.
Oh no - just had a terrible thought. What is JP going to say on the last lap so he can be a part of history when Jimmie wins the championship? Bet he's been working on that every night for a month now.
If the RCR cars continue to run well next year, I wonder if Harvick will resign with them?
@ Sally, um, no.
What I dont get?
Jerry Punch was a pretty decent play by play guy before the first TV Contract. He called the 2000 Winston 500 and showed more emotion than we could imagine.
Could it be the people he has to work with?
Sally - I agree, this is horrible. It is so bad it is about even with Texas.
Beginnging of the race: top 5 & JJ.
Middle of Race: top 5, & midpack (well, following JJ pass everyone in the middle of the field)
End of the Race: Top 5 & Jimmie Johnson.
You know they have the cameras to show a race. Look at all the different angles you get in a replay.
Marcos up to 35th. You remember him, right?
What seems to be 30 hours ago, on Race Day, they did a recap of the season and showed replays of the year. My wife, who usually does not watch NASCAR, made the comment that the announcers in the beginning of the re-cap sounded so excited, but toward the end, it was really low key.
This was noticed from someone that knows nothing about NASCAR TV and she could tell Fox sounded better than ESPN.
No wonder all the real NASCAR fans are screaming, this coverage provided by ESPN has been horrible!
"Miss Terri Debris" makes her appearance at last!!!
Sally, yes. This is a pattern with Kevin and RCR. They get good, Harvick is happy, they get bad and he threatens to leave, then they get good and he is happy. I imagine he will look and see if they can land a sponsor at KHI or SHR and he will explore his options. But if he has a sponsor at RCR and its his best bet, he will stay.
There goes fuel mileage. Imagine that.
Maybe Kyle can liven things up here
@ Bevo...he just tried "Where no team has gone before". Appealing to the Trekkies in the crowd I guess.
They missed the graphic of the positions off pit road....INCREDIBLE.
Maybe MA can get a lucky dog before the end of the race.
WCK, glad you didn't give up on NASCAR totally and hope you're back next year on TDP. I was sad when you posted your weren't going to take it any more.
Note to Brad - the saying is "A tough row to hoe". Yes, a road would indeed be difficult to hoe; some might even say impossible.
ANON: Stop trying to make your case in comments that will not be published.
Just drop me an email and let me know what you are having an issue with anytime.
Terri - I was the keeping track of the driver mentions. I gave up by lap 154 for many reasons. Jimmie Johnson won by a landslide. He has probrably been mentioned over 200 times by now. It is horrible. You would have no idea David Ragan or Regan Smith were in this race. 0 mentions in 154 laps.
ha ha @ Bevo
there still 3 wide a bit back - Espn
If anybody likes entertaining incar radio, the #2 radio is very nice.
I bet this is a great race in person!
LOL. Punch gives us a by the way about Edwards finishing 2nd last night in the Nationwide Race. A totally meaningless comment.
I'm actually surprised that the telecast is more balanced than I expected. It hasn't been all 48 all the time.
JD, don't feed the trolls
:p
35 laps left for ESPN
I dont know whats more pathetic, someone making derogatory comments that cant be posted, or the moderator making derogatory comments about the commentor without the commentor being able to defend himself.
We are watching MM's hotpass and he's having a really tough day and most of the time not being able to turn the car.
Just hoping he gets some help. Really a sad case. Always try, ya know?
Two different races on the radio with ESPN video and then trying to listen to the ESPN audio as well...
LET'S NOT RIDE ALONG WITH OUR IN-RACE REPORTER!
Let's show the racing!
Shrub has now driven enough miles in all three series' to have driven around the earth at the equator...
Silence, awkward, no direction. Thank gawd for Andy and DJ.
Who at this point in the race is wondering about JJ? Who Jerry? Who could possibly be watching that doesn't know?
KyBu beating Denny into 1 and off 2. Into 3 also. Going to be an interesting finish. Says he cant dig harder like his crew wants because he goes slower, crew said back off and his response "Oh I see we have a funny guy here..."
"In case you are just joining us", Jimmie Johson is "chasing history" in the "cockpit"...Are you kidding me? Please save me!
I can't believe how ESPN is ignoring AJ Allmendinger in the top 10
Just wanted to say farewell for this season to the DP gang. Haven't been watching the race much - it's on Tivo. Will check it out if I am feeling bored sometime. Only, I'm never bored.
Good thoughts going out for a better season of race coverage next year.
Kyle says he is done, right front is gone
but Kyle did say he found a new line he liked last night and that helped him win.
...And another thing...Actually, tonight IS the night you'd want to see the points "as they run" across the screen more often! As usual, ESPN/ABC is a day late and a dollar short...84 days until FOX coverage of Nascar begins..mercifully...
"This is why I cant win a championship, cant take a 2nd always going for the win"
Rogers "I didn't come over here to have you settle for 2nd. Now tell me is it rubbing or not?"
Kyle "Its about to blow out"
And now for the "JJ in the clutch award" for a routine pitstop.
Is anyone surprised that the 48 crew wins the 'in the clutch' award from ESPN?
How about this for Punch's final lap call?
And the 48 car piloted by the young man Jimmie Johnson in the cockpit under the stoic command of crew chief Chad Knauss sails out of the final banked turn to take the spoils of victory and etch his name in the annals of history as the first driver to be crowned four straight years as the champion of Nascar's preeminent division. Jaimie?
ESPN was reading when somebody here said no mention of Allmendinger in the top 10.
10 to go next time by
isn't this exciting.
I think those are actually crickets in the booth right there
A joke from Chad to Jimmie...the booth just chuckles because they obviously didn't even listen and know what the heck Chad was talking about.
I will be sooo glad when this is over.
the young man jimmie johnson, once again puts the 50 year old mark martin into second place...
We just got an "oh, by the way" mention from JP on Michael Waltrip's retirement from full-time Cup racing.
Really sad and borderline insulting.
4 to go on the season and they FINALLY mention that this is Wlatrip's last full-time season.
Reminder: PLEASE leave us a comment after the race on the YOUR TURN race post that will go up after the checkered flag.
Denny! Watch out for that group next year!
Props to JJ on 4 in a row. It really is an amazing accomplishment. ESPN, you suck.
Cya guys later. time for work.
How is it win a race and be totally ignored. Denny could just have easily finished last for the attention he is getting.
Some of Jerry Punch's final-laps gems of verbal crap...
And there is Jimmie Johnson one lap away from making history.
"Open up the history books, folks. On a November night in 2009, Jimmie Johnson is a four-time Cup winner."
Said with all the passion of a funeral director.
To JD and all The Planeteers... Thanks for being here all year...
See y'all next year!
Chad says fantastic race. How would we know?
Congrats, Jimmie.
wohhooooo ESPN/ABC is done for now.
First interview after Denny's win...straight to Chad Knaus.
Lame.
And Dave Burns doing the Jamie Little/Shannon Spake emotions thing? Come on!
Make sure you go back to the main page and leave us one last comment on the ESPN telecast!!!
Thanks to all of you who are leaving until February. Check back with us, we will still be here updating the TV and keeping up with the sport.
Email me anytime....
JD
Did anyone hear a mention before the end of how Hamlin came all the way from 38th to win??
Well, thank goodness that is all over. It's a shame since i used to have "withdrawal" during NASCAR's short off season but any more, I don't miss it as much.
It was fun talking with all of you all season.
Thanks, JD for all your efforts and letting us have a place to give our comments on the TERRIBLE TV coverage.
Classy comment by DH about MW. Kudos.
Thnx JD for your blog all year. I will be reading all your articles this off season and also hope that ESPN will make important changes.
Hamlin thanking Michael Waltrip. Very good job by him.
thanks JD. We do appreciate the forum to express.
Wow, Denny Hamlin in victory lane congratulates Michael Waltrip on his career. Guess I have to give him a little more credit.
I continued the driver mentions the last 50 laps. I am missing laps 154-207.
1 - Jimmie Johnson 137
2 - Mark Martin 74
3 - Tony Stewart 60
4 - Kevin Harvick 55
5 - Kurt Busch 42
6 - Denny Hamlin 42
7 - Juan Pablo Montoya 38
8 - Clint Bowyer 35
9 - Jeff Gordon 33
10 - Jeff Burton 29
Super job for Jimmy and Chad for their 4th Championship.
Thanks JD for all you do and for being here for us. I've been here since the beginning with you and will follow where ever you go next year.
See yall around the bend folks!
Thanks once again JD for all of the time and effort you put into this. Lord knows I couldn't :)
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