Once again, SPEED stands front and center on a Friday as NASCAR prepares for a big tripleheader weekend. SPEED will be handling all the on track action and offering all the NASCAR TV programming for the day.
The first order of business for SPEED is to acknowledge the tragedy just down the road at Fort Hood and keep the tone respectful. There is little doubt that the mood in the garage will be tempered by the reality playing out for many soldiers and their families. The military has a significant presence in motorsports with most eyes Friday on Ryan Newman and his Army sponsorship.
As the Sprint Cup TV networks have come and gone, SPEED has been a consistent partner for NASCAR fans from the opening weekend in Daytona. The trio of Steve Byrnes, Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond has logged more hours on the air than any other in the broadcast booth.
Byrnes is a consistent presence with a deep knowledge and love for the sport. His pairing with the intense McReynolds works because of the relaxed style of Hammond. In the casual setting of the TV booth, McReynolds and Hammond have called endless practice and qualifying sessions for both the Cup and Nationwide Series.
Quietly this season, SPEED has built a core of racing reporters that may be much stronger than some TV networks use to cover the live races. Wendy Venturini, Bob Dillner, Hermie Sadler and Randy Pemberton are inquisitive and informed.
SPEED's reporters know when to step into a situation and when to leave someone alone. The result is the ability to get spontaneous interviews with many NASCAR personalities. Over the last eight months there has been a trust established that no one will get thrown under the bus, embarrassed on TV or ambushed about an issue just to create conflict.
The highlight of the day starts at 4:30PM Eastern with back to back Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series qualifying. Then, the Trackside show welcomes Juan Pablo Montoya and Brad Keselowski as guests at 7:30PM. With Byrnes, McReynolds, Hammond and Elliott Sadler asking those two questions, it should get interesting.
The evening caps with Krista Voda offering the Camping World Series pre-race show at 8:30PM. Rick Allen will then call the race with Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip. This series has been enjoying higher TV ratings and popularity because of the quality of both the racing and the coverage.
This is a huge day of NASCAR coverage for SPEED. Between Danica, driver changes and multiple storylines unfolding in the garages, it will be SPEED on location with no competition all day long. After a strong week of Race Hub and a great truck race in Talladega, this network is on a roll at the right time.
Please use this post for updates on the SPEED programming from the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. TDP will live blog the race at 9PM. To add your opinions on the daytime coverage, just click on the comments button below.
This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Let's hope for good weather and great racing on Friday.
84 comments:
Well alright TIME for Texas!! Hope everyone has a great weekend and lets all have faith that maybe just maybe something will happen to improve the ESPN on ABC telecast of the race on Sunday
Ugh, tomorrow's over-coverage (which starts earlier than I like it too) is not for me!
Sorry, I can't stand it.
hot, you have to say why! What part bugs ya?
I missed Dillner's Danica update, what did he say?
First off, I would like to extend my condolences to those affected by what happened at Fort Hood.
I'm looking forward to the truck race tomorrow night. Maybe the NW on Sat. The CUP race? Not so much.
I'll miss tomorrows festivities as I'll be at work. Will cheat as always. Keep the comments explicit please. Thanks.
WOW, all day on SPEED!! It's supposed to be GORGEOUS weather and I hope to get out for a bit..but will have these guys on for sure.
Sadly, I enjoy SPEED's friday coverage more than the races on that "other network".
And I enjoy it for the positives you mention JD.
I won't catch it all but will have it on in the background. COMFORT FOOD VOICES! :-)
In regard to over-coverage, for comparison, as best as I can tell WLW radio coverage of the Cin. Bengals starts at 9:00AM Sunday, for 1:00 home game, and continues thru post-game show. Oh, Bengals still have to sell about 3,000 tickets to avoid broadcast blackout- NASCAR is not the only sport affected by the economy.
The tragedy at Fort Hood does put the NFL, NASCAR, Danica, etc. in perspective. God bless all the troops and their families.
Im looking foward to pratice, and the truck race! I dont work till 10pm cdt and get to watch all of fridays coverage! Only thing that sucks is I have traffic court on Saturday and its when the Nationwide race is. soo that means I have to wait till 11:30pm CDT on saturday to watch it since my vcr is broke and have no dvr! hey guys on a side note I just got to actually watch the Phoenix race from April that I was at on nascar.com on lap by lap and I SOOOOO can not wait for FOX next year. the race was called so much better than ESPN. Wish I was going to PIR next weekend but my cousin just had another baby and he works retail so its hard to go there for the race in December. But will be there for next years spring race!!! WOOOOOOOOO
opps not December, November!
Speed has a unique challenge today. There will be intense attention to the Fort Hood situation and I suspect it will take priority over racing today. Racing is a fantasy but real life sometimes intrudes.
I just saw an article in the Washington Post that stated that TV ratings were soaring for NFL because of the economy. They state that people don't have money for going to games, so they stay home and watch games on TV.
That is opposite to what NASCAR says, but certainly seems more logical. NASCAR says that TV ratings are down because of the economy, NFL says TV ratings are UP because of the economy.
I would certainly watch more NASCAR if the racing and TV coverage were worthwhile.
I get all my NASCAR info from TDP and Jayski now. I DVR the races and review them only if there is something mentioned that might be interesting.
Ken,
That is going to be the challenge for sure.
JD
Hey, if NASCAR says it, it MUST be true! What does the NFL know?
Tom
Inverness, FL
My personal opinion is that Speed will make a brief remark at the beginning of the show to share their respect and condolences for the events at Ft. Hood. Then, business as usual. We have news channels to cover news. Speed channel covers racing. I can imagine a driver interview starting as follows:
Reporter- driver X just climbed out of the car after about 20 laps on the track, how's it driving out there?
Driver X - First I want to send my condolences to the soldiers and families at Ft. Hood, but the car is really tight in and loose off so we're going to change...........
I don't think there needs to be any effort at "balancing" a Nascar practice show with the news of the day. Next week are we going to hear Hammond to give his opinion on health care, or Steve Byrnes talk about the tragedy in Cleveland? Speed is better than that. Acknowledge and then go with what you know.
I think you are discounting the fact that the race location is Texas and that there is currently a US Army car in the series.
JD could I get an answer on where the flyover comes from? I think there weill be coverage of Ft Hood when it's appropriate, SPEED and NASCAR have always been very supportive of and by the millitary, this hits the NASCAR community on many levels.
I will watch ALL day because it is the best chance I have of enjoying any racing this weekend. I have MUCH more fun watching practic and quals on SPEED than I ever do watching a Cup or NN race on ESPN.
I am also getting really tired of people ranting that this is an anti-ESPN site. That is pure BS. If ESPN could give us the same level of coverage and enjoyment as any of the other networks there would be nothing to complain about. As it is they are basicly the only thing to complain about.
First let me say I welcome any
remarks that reflect condolences
for the loss of our soldiers. THEY
are the reason we are living in the
best country in the world!
USA Today quoting Poston as saying
Dega had "seriously intense racing". I wonder what he was watching the other 175 laps?
You know that a network is doing something right when you can't wait to watch everything today
The craziness at Fort Hood will be treated appropriately by everyone on TV, I'm sure. Who among us is not dismayed, angry and sympathetic?
Beginning Nov. 5 early a.m. ESPN2 has provided only a fragmented and pixilated picture. Now it's 24 hours later, with no fix in sight.
Will we get to see the Nationwide race? Don't know, and frankly don't care. It's an ESPN production.
ri88,
No info available to me right now on the flyover.
Perhaps, a TDP reader might know who is doing the flyover for the races this weekend?
JD
Thanks JD, I'm asking basicly because I was wondering if it came form Ft Hood and that would be part of the media story
Usually flyovers here come from Dyees AFB near Abilene. B1's.
@Jim- haven't had any problems with the picture on ESPN2 with DirecTV
I am looking forward to the coverage from Speed and like I have stated many times before in my comments, I would love to see Speed get the entire Spring Cup and Nationwide package. Their coverage of F-1 and the Truck series are second to none and show us more with less and mkae the races exciting to watch. I will definitely be watching all or most of their coverage today.
Love to see NASCAR give SPEED the Nationwide package.
What ESPN does to that series in the last couple of months is criminal.
Weather for TX
Today high of 82 clear blue skies low tonight 55.
Tomorrow increasing clouds high mid-70's low mid-50's.
Same on Sunday. No chance of rain.
Really digging the Verizon pearl white scheme.
SPEED would do an excellent job with the NW Series, but hopefully ESPN can get their act together in the offseason. I remain an optimist. On that note I have to get some sleep will return later on.
SPEED's big Friday should have bee SPEED's big Thursday. If they don't promote their truck series by refusing to show practice and qualifying, they don't deserve to air the races.
We tried to get them in gear last season. The response was that the TV budget did not allow for Thursday coverage.
I think it stinks for the trucks, how hard would it be to have a couple of cameras and one pit reporter for interviews?
JD
I too wish SPEED would televize truck practice and quals, at least at companion tracks,
BUT...I think that Anon's criticizm is a tad harsh...Yikes!
Well, if SPEED/NASCAR could convince FOX to get them put on basic tier for all cable Co.'s maybe they would get enough in added advertizing revanue to do just that
word veri Pitchall
maybe a fortuitus time to be talking trucks
I'm with Anon 7:25, why couldn't we see truck practice and qual? They're ratings went through the roof last week. Even if they reran it last evening/night and I already knew who was on the pole, I would've still watched it.
Regardless of this, I agree, SPEED should get the NW series.
I was shocked and very sad when I heard the news report about the Ft. Hood tragedy. I've got friends in the military and it is a hard enough thing to deal with all the stress, let alone have something like this happen at "home". I'm sure that Speed will address it appropriately, they seem to do a good job of understanding and talking about those things without making it "sensational". I agree with you about the trust that is obviously in place between the Speed reporters and the drivers. It is always interesting to watch that dynamic. I won't get to watch much until I get home - I'll probably catch qualifying on Sirius on the way home and its great that there is a truck race, but is Mikey in the booth? If he is, I'll have to mute it and use the radio for PXP - I just can't listen to him.
It would be very cool is Speed would take over the Nationwide series. Then maybe that group of racers would get a little respect instead of the absolutely awful coverage they get with ESPN.
So does anyone know if the NASCAR fan council deal has been disbanded now that NASCAR won it's award? I was expecting a survey after Dega and there wasn't anything. Maybe they've heard all they want to hear. LOL
Saw that they're going to paint a tribute to the fallen Soilders and the TMS employees will wear black.
Just normal Internet hyperbole, but it doesn't change the original message, by SPEED not treating the trucks as a full fledged national racing series, with practice and qualifying coverage, it makes it more difficult to expand its audience, and provides all the other media outlets more reasons not to give it the light of day.
If SPEED wants to think of itself in the big leagues among content providers, it needs to heavily cover and promote the trucks as a major grand national touring series should be covered.
Just to follow up Wendy's point - 20 mph winds out of the southwest. Roughly from turn 1 to turn 3 but blocked by stands and Speedway Club so it whips around between 1 and 2.
Yes, thoughts and prayers to all at Ft. Hood and in the military.
On a lighter note. Just saw Jayski's. Conway and the 26, car with our favorite sponsor, is planning on running all three series at Phoenix. Mamma Mia! I seriously may not watch Trucks or NW. Since I now use HotPass instead of ESPN, (even though they probably won't use my driver), I can avoid it for the most part.
Can someone tell Bob Dillner how to pronounce Kez's last name? The second e is silent.
Getting ready to go to work. Will sneak in comments later. Have a nice day Planeteers.
Funny. The comment about how SPEED treats the trucks (as far as practice/qualifying coverage) is the same thing you all keep saying about ESPN and the Nationwide series, but because somebody is criticizing SPEED everybody takes offense. If the same thing was said about ESPN everybody would be joining in and agreeing.
Watching NW practice on SPEED. These TV folks clearly know the drivers and teams and current situations in the garage so their conversations are always informative and, at times, gently humerous. SPEED has found excellent personality mixes for its NASCAR coverage. Great "hard core" NASCAR TV!!
@Richard in N.C.
WLW has had a Sunday Morning sports talk for YEARS 9 AM -12noon,it's year round. Only when Bengals play does it often talk about Bengals but they talk Cincy Bearcats, & other news, too. I live in the area and listen to the station sometimes.Though I just catch bits on Sunday AM. If they are speaking non-bengal talk, it usually switches to ALL Bengals at noon (Official preshow)and the game comes on WLW at 1pm.
They've gone thru a lot of hosts over the years, & currently, Ken Broo does his best to discuss other things but it's a caller driven show. :)
Just didnt want to give FALSE impression its a LONG PreGame BENGAL show cause it is not.
I like it when the SPEED guys have all the shows on Friday.
Let's face it, ESPN has NO CLUE how to bring quals and practice on Fridays.
But they give us the same qual/practice tight shot camera work for the races. :-(
My take as I watch NNS practice. FOX is the Walmart of TV and print journalism. They have the money, outbid the others and get the programming they want. They wanted the NFL, they got it. They wanted MLB, they got it, NASCAR , got it too. NFL, they hired the best TV people, like John Madden, etc. MLB ,Joe Buck, Tim McCarver.If you watched any of the World Series the broadcasts were great. WHY? because of the on air people, they are just plain outstanding at what they do. Now NASCAR. They hire Mike Joy, what a great start, he's really good too. But now here's the problem. For some reason they change the strategy and hire DW, Larry Mac, J.Hammond, etc. Now the type of broadcasting we get from Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Mike Joy no longer exists. Professionalism, insight,Real whit that makes the NFL and MLB broadcasts so good is not given to us on NASCAR broadcasts. This is so obvious to many of us, why not FOX? it's cold and windy with nothing to do today, but I turned off the SPEED broadcast as It is too hard to watch.
There is certainly a case to be made for FOX to move some of its SPEED on air talent to the Cup series broadcast on FOX. Oddly, I find DW and John Maddon to be simular kinds of people as broadcasters. Either you love them (I do) or you find them endlessly annoying. That's part of what I find fun about watching media be media.
What a terrible weekend. I just heard there's been a shooting in Orlando, but I'm still stinging from the shooting yesterday. Sad day for our men and women in the military. God Bless our troops.
@ Vicky
just saw that and thought to myself that these incedents usually come in threes not a happy thought.
Clear Channel is getting annoying. For some reason they canceled local talk radio to go to Station affiliate and carry the Orlando shooting?? Why? They didn't do it yesterday with Ft. Hood? They usually only do this for huge political stuff or political funerals??!! Most disappointing...I wanted to hear local stuff.
Oh well, at least I have Steve, Larry and the boys (&Wendy) on SPEED.
:-)
I've gotten so I don't even check the big cable stations for these stories...they so often get the info wrong, only to correct themselves LATER.
Gorgeous breezy day in Texas!! going to be springlike in Ohio too this weekend. Woo hoo.
what? who watches speed? speed is all show and no go nowadays!
the boys in the booth are having WAAAAAY too much fun LOL
Sad about Orlando. One of the businesses in that office building was Sun Sports, the Orlando regional FSN network.
Sophia, WLW was where one of my favorite sports commentators, Bob Trumpe, got his start - but I can't get it flying thru the air until evening. Thanks.
Good day from SPEED so far. Trying to find out if the NASCAR Media Group facilities were not ready for Thurs. truck quals.
JD
Robert in NC
I STILL miss Trumpy though it's been 15 or so years? My how time flies. Sportstalk here was never the same...some thought him grumpy and opinionated...I liked him. Both the current sports guy 6-9 Lance somebody, and the 9-12mid guy STINK imo.
The fact that they're covering so much. It's tiring.
don't want to get diverted but i got home at 3:30 and am enjoying the heck outta this last 1/2 hour of the "building the HOF" show!
wonderful footage and REALLY interesting!
i have a sense this was run originally at the HOF nominating moment but i never saw it before: awesome!!
@red--thank you for that! I was watching going OK I remember seeing a special with Johnny TV and Winston but didn't remember all those various highlights. I was all OK I know I'll be 40 in January but I'm too young to be losing it!
anon 12:09...you would find a lot of people who can't stand some of FOX's analysts...I've heard plenty of people whine about how they can't stand Joe Buck (I don't agree, I end up hearing the football team of Buck/Aikman as much as anyone and I like him.) Some people couldn't stand Madden either. I think DW and those you mention are like that for people. You will hardly *ever* find a broadcaster that everyone loves; we've had those arguments here numerous times. I might start my own blog when it comes to the Olympics. If I have to listen to Al Trautwig again I might just lose it altogether...
DW, Larry and Jeff have a ton of talent and knowledge combined, but were all rookies at the time they started and developed personas. Jeff Hammond this year has been outstanding when covering practice in the booth and I really feel he is finding a role there and could be a sleeper at some point for an analyst role.
DW is DW. Love him or hate him when he is on his game he is outstanding. Larry is money 99% of the time when it relates to how a race changes, cars change and pit strategy. He is up on the wheel getting that info and keeping us informed. Mike Joy keeps a good balance, just on SPEED he gets much more relaxed. Don't have a problem with it at all because even though they are relaxed, they hit all the topics and give you more about Furniture Row or Wood Bros. in a single weekend then ESPN would all season.
OMG when was the last time anyone spoke to Reed!?
Sorry I'm late to post this.
To start, thoughts and prayers out to Fort Hood. People who commit absolutely insane acts like this deserve a bullet to the head and a special place in Hades reserved for them.
On to the Trucks, this better be a good race or else. The Nationwide Series is no fun and the Cup Series is getting stale, as is the coverage for both.
Could Jr. look any more unhappy? At least he doesn't look like he wants to Kill Dillner like he does with Jamie L
Jr might not have looked happy, but he sounded like he felt the car had reasonable speed. Pole progression is interesting so far...
I guess I didn't realize that speed time shifts quals during commericals, cuz we just saw Jr but Kasey Khan is on the pole now.
David, you must be joking. You don't really believe what you wrote.
What part Annon?
The part about the FOX talent? Yes I do mean it. Every word. Sorry not everyone views the world the way you do.
I don't know whether to hope JJ spends Sunday hidding in the back of the pack or running up front. There are TV pros and cons to both scenarios.
Ri, JJ says they are going for the win. I agree with that mentality. Playing defense never works because that's when you start digging holes. If they do what they always do, they are going to wrap this up sooner rather than later. Fastest 43 race. Always a plus.
How does Speed expect to get NW quals in a one-hour window when Cup quals were two hours? I don't get it. Screws up everybody's DVR'ing.
Well, that answers that. They're not. Trackside on.
That was interesting. SPEED leaves N'wide quals with a couple of cars left and joins Trackside on time.
Hmmm.....
Speed's choice to cut away from live Nationwide qualifying for the 85 millionth of 90 million hours of redundant pre-race babbling this week is completely asinine and moronic.
JWT driving for RCR in NW next year. Suppose Zaxby's is going with him?
They did this same exact crap at this race in 2007 if you remember. A great job by Speed all day long just got flushed down the toilet at 7:30 PM. Here's a thought if the schedule from Texas was so "tight" today.... use that gap you filled with that Making of the NASCAR HoF re-air to air Trackside!
12 cars yet to qualify as of right now, in the Nationwide race.
Yup Karen. Its been in the rumor mill for a couple weeks now and was announced today. Jayski has the release. Im gonna guess they will shift the 29's points to the 21, run JWT in that, then Bowyer in the 29 the first 4 races to keep both cars locked in.
I find it to be an interesting move, but it will sure answer alot of questions about JWT's ability.
Don't like the move to bail on NW quals. =(
Seven yet to qualify.
What am I supposed to do with that info, Charlie?
@Karen it happens every year :( we only get an hour of N'wide quals. I have no idea why they can't start Cup an hour earlier.
I'd rather have a TAPED Trackside after the Pick 'em Ups than dumping the Quals if they can't start earlier.
I always liked Joey Clanton when he drove the Zaxby's truck. This is interesting about JWT I was wondering where he was going to end up. This only one hour of quals for NW is crazy. Nascar or Speed or the track should move something around or start earlier to fix the problem. I don't normally watch trackside but we were watching quals and it got dumped for trackside.
OK, have hear this same segment four times since Dega. Enough
Didn't get to see NW quals and sorry it got caught short!!!
That said, I totally enjoyed the interview with JPM! He's such a fun addition to NASCAR, even if he did have to search for the right word to describe the fan experience and called NASCAR a "show". ;-D
JPM, always a great interview!
Love the guy.
....................
Anyone commenting on the Trucks?
Click on The Daly Planet logo and return to the main page.
We have a live blog of the trucks in progress right now!
JD
If ESPN cut qualifying short like that, it would have gotten a much bigger reaction that just "hmmmmm".
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