Here come the trucks again and this time the racing will be more about beating and banging than aero push and drafting. Saturday afternoon, the Camping World Trucks will be running at the bullring in Martinsville, VA. The ultimate payback track.
Krista Voda starts the coverage at 1:30PM with The Setup. Pit reporters Ray Dunlap and Adam Alexander provide the interviews. There are some new faces, some Cup Series cross-over drivers and several good storylines unfolding in this series.
Rick Allen comes along at 2PM to call the race. As usual, he will have Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip alongside. It's been an interesting couple of weeks for these two gentlemen, especially where their shared Sprint Cup Series ownership interests are concerned. Waltrip even started and parked one of Parsons' Cup cars in Bristol last week.
Waltrip suggests that spending the weekend with the Parsons crew allowed him to prepare better for Talladega, where he will be racing Parsons' car for the entire event. Money is doing a lot of talking in the sport where these two are concerned.
The trucks need a solid show of good racing to get the series back into the TV highlights and return it to the popularity of 2009. The CWTS schedule for this season leaves a lot to be desired during this early stretch.
The familiar CWTS production team from SPEED is handling this event. That should result in some old school NASCAR TV and get away from what FOX has been offering. Following the leader and overusing in-car cameras has made the Cup Series tough to watch at times this year. SPEED follows the stories, shows the racing and lets the pit reporters provide a lot of information.
Rain washed out much of Friday's activity, including the CWTS qualifying. We will provide updates on this post and on Twitter about the weather during the morning hours. Larry McReynolds, amateur meteorologist, said the rain would clear out well before the truck race.
The big twist on Saturday is the low-key introduction of TruckBuddy. The folks at Turner Interactive, through the NASCAR.com website, are offering the CWTS version of RaceBuddy. Click here for the direct link to the page.
Although slightly smaller and with a few less features, having an online application like this for the race is a big step in the right direction. Letting fans get involved in picking video streams and choosing cameras while watching the race on SPEED is the wave of the future.
Hopefully, the success of this TruckBuddy experiment may lead to the application being sponsored and rolled-out again this season. Dodge is using the Ram brand to pay the bill and let users have TruckBuddy for free on Saturday. Nice move.
Let's use this post to get your comments before, during and after the CWTS race from Martinsville. To add your TV-related opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks!
87 comments:
Yes it would be good to get the Fox folks out of SPEED for a change. But better yet will be next week, when FOX won't be at the track at all.
I really love the trucks at Martinsville. There is one groove only. If you want to pass the only way to do so is to push someone aside. LOVE IT>
one of the best parts of race weekends has been watching the trucks broadcasts and today will be no different! because the broadcasts are generally strong, i find that i don't multitask: i just watch the tv and enjoy the broadcast.
so, i'll be WATCHING the race and will likely keep on eye on truckbuddy, TDP and twitter -- not b/c those sources will be the only way to get info but b/c i enjoy the interactions!
@Joe Dunn - No Fox is a good thing, but there is a downside to next weekend's coverage. It looks like ESPN and Speed are giving us no practice or qualifying coverage, just the races. I'd take tape-delayed coverage over no coverage at all, so this is like taking us back to the '80s when all the information you got was as you sat in front of the TV 30 minutes before the green flag.
LOVE the Trucks!! Here's the funny part: I will have RaceBuddy & other internet apps only, tethered to my laptop wifi. Expect quite a bit of rubbernecking from people around me. DVRing the TV race for later. Ain't the internet great?!
If F1 this morning is a gauge be ready to be beaten over the head with the same Hot Tub movie trailer - 18 in 2 and 1/2 hours.
TruckBuddy might be my only way to watch the race.
No rain, but cold in Martinsville on Saturday morning.
If we could have broadcasts without a Waltrip, the world would be a better place.
JD,
Based on the pic, is Krista Voda a Northern Iowa alum (I remember reading somewhere she's from Iowa)? Or just a fan?
Bummer they lost to Michigan State, but I'm happy because several of my relatives are MSU alums.
Tom, I believe she is an alum!
Just turned on Speed. 12:25pm to check Nascar out. Heard DW's voice. Turned the tv off. Back outside. Can't watch the truck race due to MW. When will these over ego type folks go away so I can enjoy Nascar again with real broadcasters and not ex-drivers with an inflated self worth? Cause, I'm done with both the them.
Krista looks good and it really is great weather for racing. Here we go.
Is truck race buddy on-line yet.
I can go to the page that tells about it on nascar.com but can't find out how to get it going.
Got it. Guess I was trying to early to get it.
Any audi yet on TruckBuddy?
Yup I was impatient too Charlie...glad it's up finally :)
See nice Anthem :)
On Speed's NASCAR on Speed web page, clicking on the "Personalities" tab will take you to a page that shows 23 Speed personalities.
Who is missing? Jimmy Spencer.
It will be interesting to see if Speed airs "What's the Deal" this coming Monday night.
JD, don't have audio on TB. My own issue or what?
Audio is there in the background. Wait for it to crank when the race gets on the track.
karen, i have track audio here. it's low but it's the same as it is/was w/racebuddy.
Thanks, guys. Still trying.
before i forget: many thanks to dodge ram for truck buddy today! it is greatly appreciated!
If you put your mouse over the screen where you can see the four pictures, a bar comes up that lets you go full screen. To the right of that is the speaker icon, move your mouse on that and you can turn the volume up.
karen, there is an audio slide: when you hover over the screen, it comes up. mine was already at the max. the only other idea would be to restart it: that may clear whatever's happening.
to be honest: i only use audio during commercials or when i have tv on mute. oh, wait! this is trucks:i don't USE my mute!!
Kroger and Tide would have the money to be able to expand this relationship with Harvick if they wanted to get back in the big leagues . . .just saying.
Truck Buddy is a big plus!
Only problem is too many windows. The Daly Planet, Truck Buddy, and twitter.
Ah watching races in 2010.
red and charlie: I'm such a dumb ass. Had my remote control speakers way high, hit over the sound like you said, blew me out of the seat.
Love the tweets, etc. on the side.
Officially loving the battle cam. Need this all season!
boyd, race buddy has so much to recommend it to fans & battle cam is one of the best features. i generally focus on that one window.
two suggestions:
1. leaderboard please
2. ability to maximize a selected window but still be able to see the remaining 3
again, thanks to dodge ram trucks for this!
Yup Yup BIG THANKS to the nice folks at Dodge for bringing Pick 'em Ups Buddy to us today :)!
Such fun!
This version is like "RaceBuddy lite."
With truck race buddy it would be nice to know what lap they are on.
Thanks Dodge for folks ability to use Truck buddy...ESPECIALLY for many without SPEED :)
Yes. An announcer and/or something giving running order would be perfect. Thanks Dodge!
red, who's in cam #1 and #2?
Looks like a pretty good crowd for the truck race.
karen, i believe hornaday is #1 and jason white is #2
Karen
Hornaday is #1, and I think Jason White is #2.
Red, wasn't trying to horn in.
Thanks again. Since you agree, you must be right.
boyd: no problem at all. i was watching truck buddy to be certain. besides, i think we're all getting use to reading the same info from multiple sources as a result of twitter!
karen: thanks for the vote of confidence!
so now i have TWO truck buddy windows up: one to listen to hornaday and team and one to watch all 4 shots. i have the audio window minimized so i can hear what's being said and other maximized so i can watch while listening. (hornaday's not happy w/the3 truck short-pitting: "tell the 3 i'm gonna knock him off his stand if he does that again.")
gotta admit: this is fun.
AND the tv is doing a mighty fine job as well. what a wonderful broadcast!
red and boyd: I haven't had so much fun watching a race in such a long time. Loving this TB.
Thanks for the tip @red.
I bet their server is smokin today.
karen, best part is that the visuals from tv are strong so i can mute the booth if i want to and just listen to hornaday while i play around w/truckbuddy. it's great to have the confidence in the tv truck team to know that i can look up at any time & get a great camera shot on tv!
red, went to your set-up. What a great idea.
karen, fun, isn't it?
red, roger that!!
thanks Red! that's smart! Have 2 up now too <3
@gymmie and karen: not sure how i'll handle it when RB comes back for cup! it'll depend on the racer but i happen to like the TNT booth a ton so we'll see.
and it's not as if i dislike this team today but with the mute button pushed, i can read what's being said as i listen to hornaday's team.
I have to question the announcers on this caution. They're virtually ignoring the #60 truck and his involvement in it.
Opened a third window for the mosaic, plus TDP on aol and twitter on flock. Talk about the server smokin', my cpr will be smokin' soon.
Feeling crappy today...still trying to get over bronchitis caught in the Keys 3 weeks ago.
So, even though I am the DVR queen, I thought I would check out Truck Buddy. Saw tweets.
Holy Cow! Now I see why everyone is so excited.
My question is: why can't the TV guys give us these same type of camera angles???? This is better than watching on my 48in HDTV where I get vertigo from the jumping bean camera work.
I am sure this has been covered, but wasn't paying attention, so apologize up front. Who is doing the camera work for Truck/Race Buddy?
My dilema? Will I watch the TNT races live so I can use Race Buddy????
Big thanks to Dodge Ram for Truck Buddy.
With this it makes you want to watch live and not DVR and catch up.
90% chance of rain tomorrow so we better enjoy today. It drops to 30% on Monday (per wunderground)
The Racebuddy cameras generally are the same ones that TV has....
what the heck is dillon's issue w/carmichael? that's about the fourth time he's tried to wreck him before just succeeding!
Yes, they are the same cams that the TV crew uses.
red,
that means that Carl Edwards is twice the driver Austin is.
He's still as rookie, with very little track time.
Don't worry Grandpa will take care of him.
boyd, he keeps this up and grandpa may take that number away from him!
(or maybe make it bigger as a reward since he's driving like someone else who carried it for a while!)
If mogi is such a scam why does Nascar allow them to advertise?
I notice when it comes to the Nationwide races & Truck races, that the announcers give the benefit of the doubt to the teams connected with Cup. Like there, Michael said Ricky should've given Austin more room.
Charlie,
NASCAR sells the TV rights to the networks. They have nothing to do with the ads.
Some of them, such as Mogi, buy the lower cost commercial positions and just replay them endlessly.
Eventually, they will go the same way as US Fidelis. Bankrupt and heading for prison.
anon@3:39: interesting observation!
Is there any particular place people can go to thank Dodge for providing us with TruckRaceBuddy.
Hope you feel better WC Diane :(
having a blast today w/trk race. running 2 laptops w/TDP and twitter and incar 1&2 and speed on the tv. still wish i was at the track though.
Wish we could hear Sauter's scanner. Colorful character for sure.
This is the Speed coverage we know & love. Can't use Truck Buddy, but glad you all are enjoying it!
And that Narain Karthikeyan, welcome to CWTS. Where else has he raced besides in a truck here? Doing a heckuva job.
I looked around Charlie, but I could not find one, even on Facebook.
Thanks for checking it out JD. I think Dodge did good.
It's kind of interesting Dodge would sponsor Truck Buddy, considering they hardly have any trucks in the field anymore.
Karen, open wheel, sports car and even Forumula One.
www.facebook.com/dodge is Dodge's official facebook page.
i'm liking that the camera stayed with that battle for position until hornaday got it and didn't bounce thru multiple cameras! it's solid work to give the moment the time it requires to resolve and THEN move on.
That was fun TV today! Thanks for hanging with us!
No comments means great TV!!
before anyone hollers about camera work at the finish:
they showed the first 4 finishers cross the line then switched to the BATTLE for fifth, watched that hit the line then went back to the wide shot for the rest of the finishers.
THAT is intelligent and respectful of the fans!
ESPN needs to come off some of their bucks and get RB. What an exciting race. Know that lots of it was CWTS but the announce team was good, truck excellent. Would bring so much needed excitement back to NASCAR. Thanks to Dodge. Going to their FB page to thank them.
Brian France, save NASCAR with RaceBuddy!!!!
Watching some of the chat on Truck Race Buddy I noticed a few people had never watched the truck race before.
Truck Race Buddy not only made for more free viewing options, it also brought in new fans to see the truck race.
I've talked with several people and we all think the "argument" after the race was totally phony and an attempt by NA$CAR to drum up interest. They need to use better actors next time.
Osbornk: I totally disagree. Sauter is known for his temperment, very short fuse. Hornaday is no wus either. Looked daggone real to me.
osbornk, that's a major stretch, in my opinion. sauter had a legitimate argument with hornaday and, as karen notes, sauter has a reputation for having a hot temper.
not everything is a conspiracy by nascar to get viewers. sometimes (most times) it's about very intense competitors reacting in the heat of the moment.
and sometimes (most times) the most obvious explanation is the accurate one.
For my money, the NCWTS is the best racing around. The drivers are just hungrier for the win and do what it takes to get the checkers.
They are either trying to prove they have what it takes to move up to the next level or get back to the big leagues.
Kinda like watching Triple A baseball. It's pure entertainment.
Racebuddy will open up a whole new group of viewers. Not everyone gets speed so any other avenue will be tremendous for one of the best series in nascar.
Race was great as usual.
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