There are several major NASCAR media stories in progress. We will update the TDP main page continually on Wednesday to see which ones break and are fair to report.
Here are a couple of the topics we can mention:
Still wondering if there is a link between no announcement of This Week in NASCAR being renewed on SPEED and the new weekly Inside NASCAR TV series on Showtime?
Both series have the same exact format, the same production company and the same content. You don't think the TWIN gang is going to Showtime? Can't be...right?
The Fox vs. Time Warner Cable feud is still boiling with only days left until Fox goes dark in many major TV markets including Charlotte, NC. The financial brawl affects over-the-air stations, cable nets like SPEED and also the Fox Sports regional cable networks. Only Time Warner Cable subscribers (15 million) will be affected.
Update 2PM: Looks like Federal arbitration may be the only solution. Click here to read the Hollywood Reporter story on the lastest offer to settle.
Aside from the recent ESPN announcement about on-air changes, December 31st also brings TV and radio personality contracts to an end. We should know who is out, who is in and who may be changing jobs shortly. It's that time of year.
Finally, the new 1PM start times should radically alter the look of the many pre-race TV shows for 2010. As you may remember, SPEED moved RaceDay one hour earlier to avoid the pre-race shows of the NASCAR TV partners. That puts RaceDay at 10AM ET should the show remain two hours long.
What this shift may do to shows like NASCAR Now, NASCAR Performance, NASCAR in a Hurry and even the dreaded NASCAR Smarts should be interesting to discover. We should get a peek at TV schedules shortly
Update 11AM: Travis Kvapil just announced on Twitter his return to the Sprint Cup Series fulltime in 2010. Details to follow.
Check back with us on Wednesday morning when we will open this post for comments and add the news updates as they come in to TDP. Thanks!