The second half of the Sunday Talladega doubleheader is the Nationwide Series race.
It will be Marty Reid, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree in the booth. This is the trio that will be calling the Sprint Cup races later this season for ESPN, including the entire Chase for the Championship. Shannon Spake, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns and Dr. Jerry Punch will be on pit road.
ESPN is in hurry-up mode, so there is no Infield Pit Studio or Tech Garage. The call of the race will be the focus of the telecast. That might be perfect for this situation today.
NASCAR is trying to get this race in before darkness falls. There are no lights at Talladega and if the race does not get to halfway, the entire gang has to unpack and stay until Monday.
The Sprint Cup Series drivers racing in the Nationwide Series race certainly have an advantage, because they have already been on the track. However, they are also certainly drained from a very active race that saw lots of green flag racing.
ESPN needs to focus on the packs of cars and try to stay away from over-using the in-car cameras. The track is fast and these NW cars should put on a good show. Earlier in the day, the aerial shot was fantastic and provided a great perspective.
This post will serve to host your comments on the Nationwide Series race on ESPN2. To add your TV-related comments, 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 today.
Race will be delayed until 7pm on TSN2 in Canada.
ReplyDeleteJD ... I don't suppose you know this (or could find out), but I'll ask anyway. NASCAR.com was scheduled to do in-car audio for the Nationwide race yesterday. Any clue if they're going to have that up and running today? When I go to the page, I'm not getting the driver selection.
ReplyDeleteNevermind on that in-car audio. I just refreshed and have the driver list now. I guess I was just impatient. :D
ReplyDeleteI have not heard or gotten anything about them offering that today after the rain delay.
ReplyDeleteThe cheerleading program has been delayed until 1 p.m. on May 8th?
ReplyDeleteShows you how busy the ESPN programming grid is!
If Fox had mentioned that post race interviews were on Speed I bet Speed would have gotten a lot more viewers.
ReplyDeleteyay! Marty Reid!
ReplyDeleteAnyone have an ESPN Racecast link for Nationwide? Can't find it on their page and don't want to use NASCAR.com's outdated scoring. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMRN missed the invocation ...
ReplyDeleteNational anthem singer was kinda sucky ...
Here you go:
ReplyDeletehttp://sports-ak.espn.go.com/rpm/racecast?raceId=201004240331&prestitial=false
Is it a mortal sin I am happy to see ESPN?
ReplyDeleteWhat a difference - Wide Shots are being used.
ReplyDeleteRemember, same camera operators too...
ReplyDelete49 off track
ReplyDeleteA graphic example of what a difference the calls in the truck can make for how a race appears on TV.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike C!
ReplyDelete@David, I was just going to ask about the cameras, I did not know it is the same camera guy to.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
Unless JD know something I do not, FOX/TNT/ESPN share camera crews for the mostpart all season. I think the pit crew camera crews are specific to network though
ReplyDeleteEverybody does what they are told. Top guys in TV working on these crews.
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected, 49 not off track but is a lap down. Looks like Lagassee Richardson and McClure have lost draft.
ReplyDeleteBackmarkers like Kenny Wallace and Chrissy have formed their own pack 15 seconds back
Looks like ESPN might be "front-loading" the commercial breaks, to make way to show more racing towards the end.
ReplyDeleteSo is that a yes JD to them being the same crews?
ReplyDeleteLook wide angle shots at Dega! Its a miracle! I'm enjoying ESPN, are we thru the looking glass?
ReplyDeleteI heard Marty's voice change & stopped typing. Good call.
Time for Roush to "park" his other rookie too based on last week's precedence?
ReplyDeleteDavid, while some techs are shared there are also may folks who are working for only one network because of their duties.
ReplyDeleteJack is not happy right now.
ReplyDeleteI feel for Collin though, nowhere to go...
Ok, thanks JD. I thought that last year they all opted to share people to cut costs and did not know if it carried over into this year...
ReplyDeleteThat sure got ugly fast ...
ReplyDeleteRight, but some things like TV booths, production trucks and uplinks are not shared.
ReplyDeleteThere are always combo and individual crew members working in the TV compound.
Mr. Stenhouse is now Mr. Doghouse.
ReplyDeleteThere's another thing ESPN is great at and Fox never does. When they come back from commercial and they see nothing's going to happen for several minutes they immediately go to another one within less than a minute instead of just filling with a bunch of crap. Nice to see that one network cares!
ReplyDeleteCarl absolved Ricky of the wreck on MRN ... Said someone was ramming Ricky from behind ... and he was about to get on the radio to tell Ricky to layoff ...
ReplyDeleteNice to get prompt updates on the condition of the drivers involved in the wreck. Fox...please take note!
ReplyDeleteIs it just me - or is it creepy to see a deceased man ( Billy Mays) doing a commercial for the awesome auger?
ReplyDeleteNo, it's creepy.
ReplyDeleteLack of comments says it all.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the others but I am STILL seeing lots of in car/bumper cams? Was making food earlier & noticed it on kitchen tv...still noticing it.
ReplyDeleteHave on MRN again. Commercials? glad I'm dvring this race...not gonna be worth sitting thru....sigh
Same thing last week! A fun NASCAR race on TV where you knew everyone was working hard and it was going to be exciting.
ReplyDeleteESPN has come a long way on this deal. Marty Reid has been clutch.
another link to listen to race
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wnpv1440.com/
Sophia, in-car and bumper shots are just a fact of life now and the networks are going to use them. Especially at a track like this since the cars get so close together too. That being said the non-in-car stuff has been pretty darn good so far
ReplyDeleteReplays of lead changes we missed during commercial! Don't think Fox did that once earlier today.
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ReplyDeleteThank you for all the wide shots, and Marty calling the race
ReplyDeleteI agree, it was nice to see a almost big one replayed back to us. Keeps the flow going.
ReplyDeleteMarty keeps tripping over his words and is not as strong as I've come to expect recently.
ReplyDeleteI like the in-car / bumper cams at the RP tracks ... It's telling a big story about drafting partners & the bumpers ...
ReplyDelete@Sophia - the Hubby is watching I'm watching & cleaning -any way he said they had a really good back bumper cam that showed several cars a ways back from Baynes car, so I guess all of them aren't too bad, sometimes
ReplyDeleteFull screen replays should be banned under green flag racing.
ReplyDeleteAll bumper shots aren't useless. But, when they try to 'show' a pass from that angle it's useless.
ReplyDeleteWe missed more passes and incidents this season on FOX because of the in-car issue.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, it was almost funny.
Did you see Joey & the gas can LOL
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope NASCARonFOCKS is taking notes here. By God, they need to be!
ReplyDeleteThe one positive thing is that ESPN may finally be ready to bring the Cup season home like it needs to be for the first time.
ReplyDeleteSomething has to give.
ReplyDeleteMy only gripe: A dead man is trying to sell me a gardening tool...
ReplyDeleteJD - You may have just jinxed Disney ... Everybody was all giddy about the Nashville coverage and then disappointed the next week ...
ReplyDeleteWho's on the play-by-play next week at Richmond?
ReplyDeleteMarty has an Indycar weekend.
JD only worry with ESPN the all chase all the time agenda with cup, if that persists it will be a fail even with Marty doing so well
ReplyDeleteTrust me, I let them have it.
ReplyDeleteAB fills in for Marty this season when he had IRL dates. Richmond, Charlotte and something else. Nicole hosts the infield.
ReplyDeleteoops "has" IRL dates...
ReplyDeleteSee, camera guys have been there all day.
ReplyDeleteI concur with NRF. It is easy to say thing will be better with what we have seen so far but what happens when the Chase starts and the focus is on Jimmie going for 5 in a row and the vaunted top 12. My hope is that they DONT do what they did last year and that is fit a script to a race.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Reid for confirming most of the crew did both races
Good to hear AB fills in... I thought I saw rumblings of Dave Burns and Vince Welch doing PxP.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because of all the rainouts I missed this story, but good to see RCR is continuing to sideline Jon Wes Townley, even if he Richard ends up losing the sponsor and Townley reappears as the driver of a PRISM car with Zaxby's on it or something.
ReplyDeleteRC said last week JWT was out last week and this. Has said JWT will be out a couple or few more races until they have a decision
ReplyDeleteA bit heavy on the commercial front, I guess I'm to assume they'll have a long stretch to the end.
ReplyDeleteESPN usually goes that route. Last 25-30 will prob be commercial free barring caution
ReplyDeleteMarty's sounding like a giddy school girl meeting her fav pop star ... He keeps getting tongue tied & giggling ... LOL ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhy is Marty Smith wearing a tie at the track ?!?!
Brendan,
ReplyDeleteDave Burns and Vince Welch will each get one opportunity to call a NNS stand-alone race this season.
Nothing more than that, just on a split weekend later this year.
Rapid Recap ?!?!?
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't they do a split screen on that ???
Does ESPN have to do something to compensate this race's advertisers to being bumped from an over-the-air network to cable or doesn't that matter any more?
ReplyDeleteSame spots, different rates.
ReplyDeleteThat is the actual ESPN team in the picture above during a race.
ReplyDeletejust catching up cause I was on the treadmill....
ReplyDeleteDitto on Billy Mays...good grief, even death can't keep him off TV.
Enjoying the coverage. Even an 'update' on start and parkers, finally a Chrissy Wallace mention (that took a bit long, but she was just running midpack & keeping out of trouble.) And good catch on Kyle's plastic...
cool shot jd
ReplyDeleteWho were the cars that got together when they put Vickers' pit stop in the large box??
ReplyDeleteNot perfect, but still much better than Fox.
ReplyDeleteI hope Billy Mays' family is getting money from those commercials. That would be the only good reason to keep showing them. Well, Sully is really creepy...
JD...any idea what Patti Wheeler's doing these days? Wiki says she has a TV company but no details....
ReplyDeleteCommercial with 13 to go... bad day for commercials all around. I thought they were front loading.
ReplyDeleteIs the sun going down making it a problem for the drivers to see?
ReplyDeleteseemed like a hard commercial because there was no intro into break...
ReplyDeleteMRN and the Deuce on commercial at the SAME time ... with 10 to go
ReplyDeleteCharlie, I was wondering that too...been looking kinda dark and they always say the cameras make it look lighter than it really is.....
ReplyDeleteThis a perfect scenario for a great finish.
ReplyDeleteGlen, she does not have to do anything. She re-married quite well.
ReplyDeleteMan, glad no one was hurt in that one, including Morgan!
ReplyDeleteNice coverage (90%) the commercial thing well, just sighing here. Have a great night the lightning & rain has arrived here. Good Night
ReplyDeleteyeah, they mentioned Leo...I've seen him in the sports car field...
ReplyDeletebut you know it isn't about 'having' to work (someone might accuse you of sexism...lol.) She had a pretty impressive career.
I'm a McMurray fan, but that one was on him. Just hard racing, but still...glad to see those guys are okay, especially Setzer...yikes.
ReplyDeleteWay too messy of a call at the end. A car got into the catch fence and was on fire and they almost ignored it as it happened.
ReplyDeleteGreat race. Nice visuals. Good race for Brad.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you guys hanging in there with us today.
ReplyDeleteLong day of racing and lots of interesting TV topics.
Next weekened should be fun. Richmond!
Have a great night!
JD
It seems the director of this Espn race was having fun and the Fox director was just doing his job.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Jr...should only have 1 GWC at RP races. Adds too many crashes though Jr knows the 'fans like the drama'.
ReplyDeleteI HATED hearing idiots yelling and whooping over the car on fire. Drunken idiots. Glad all are safe.
HOPE NASCAR RETHINKS the GWC rule and the fence did it's job..
JD, any weather reports yet for Richmond next week? Hope it's a sunny a warm weekend.
ReplyDeleteSophia, I agree with you that there should only be one GWC attempt at plate tracks.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think multiple attempts at any track is a stupid idea and it doesn't seem like the drivers like it much either.
Having the Cup and Nationwide races run back-to-back really pointed out the differences in the quality of the broadcasts from the different networks. The lack of useless babble from the ESPN booth really contrasted with the Fox booth. The updates on various cars that had wrecked or dropped out along with the wide shots showing more of the field made it much easier to kepp track of the action in the Nationwide series race.
ReplyDeleteI thought that ESPN did a very good job today. Originally I thought that ESPN was being really dumb when they announced that they would broadcast a race scheduled to being at 4:30 starting at 5:30. However, it appears now they knew what they were doing. Marty Reid provided great enthusiastic broadcasting with Andy and Dale popping in at just the right times for the right amount. Running both races back to back gave me a headache and I was ready for a nap about halfway through the Nationwide race, but ESPN did a great job today and I am glad to see that FOX and ESPN both have made great improvements this season. Perhaps the better racing has something to do with it as well?
ReplyDelete