Here we go with what may be the highest-rated Sprint Cup Series race of the season. The high banks of Talladega are calling and FOX is the network for the race.
Chris Myers opens the show with Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip alongside. Myers is a mess this season. He plays the fool on FOX while being the sophisticated host on Showtime's Inside NASCAR. The recent rain delay he hosted was just awful.
Talladega is a race that calls for a cool head when things go bad. The speeds are approaching 200mph with the new spoiler package and Myers needs to set the right tone. The element of danger has returned and kidding because you care does not have a place here today.
Darrell Waltrip spilled the beans on Dale Earnhardt Jr. driving the #3 car in the Nationwide Series race in Daytona. Waltrip has a new Twitter account and he had been typing like a man possessed. The Earnhardt and RCR camps were none too happy with "ole DW." Should be interesting if he uses the pre-race show to apologize.
Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds are waiting in the TV booth for Waltrip to call the race. Joy has been decidedly low-key this season. At times, he seems almost uninterested. Whatever the reason, there has been a big change to the way the FOX play-by-play announcer calls a race.
Many fans have suggested that Joy is merely tired of Waltrip and McReynolds talking overtop of him. That may be the case, as both men have left their traditional analysts roles and routinely stop Joy as they offer random comments and emotional outbursts. Waltrip calling for Junior to win at Daytona is still fresh in the minds of many.
The best pit road reporters on TV will be fighting to get on the air once the green flag flies. Waltrip and McReynolds talk more than any other analysts on TV and the FOX pit reporters are often a lonely bunch. Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren and Krista Voda should have a very interesting day.
Look for the battle between wideshots and the excessive use of in-car cameras to be going full steam today. This race can be covered in a variety of ways by the TV Director, so what the FOX guys choose to show today will go a long way in either exciting or frustrating the viewers.
Weather is clear, there have been no TV problems reported and the crowd is huge. This has the potential to be the best and highest-rated Cup race of the season.
This post will serve to host your comments on the TV coverage of the race by FOX. To add your comments, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks and let's go racing.
549 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 549 Newer› Newest»It's hard when you can almost hear Mike Joy sighing.
What happened to the 17 car?
and we're in commercials -- again --sheesh, I think I'm going to go find something to do until closer to the end of the race -- I can follow it better on radio and here than what they're showing on TV.
They finally decided to show it. What a shame it took so long. And of course the only angle 1,000 miles away :(.
There you go guys. Fox replayed the pit road incident with the 12 car.
I hate to say this and be so negative since I love the voices on FOX & SPEED, but I DETEST FOX's TRUCK PRODUCTION.
Pitiful.sad. First time I'm watching race live at times.listening on MRN. but camera choices continue to disappoint.
What I "have heard" of the booth at times, energy is good. There something positive :)
MRN also has GLUT of commercials like tv tho
they had 1/3 state troopers of Dega yesterday MRN is interviewing somebody.
DENNY HAMBLIN SPINS
Mike Joy? Yeah, I feel for him, but we fans are the ones who should be sighing or screaming with rage about this mess.
Glad Denny didn't hit anything.
They cut away from commercial for a caution. Maybe they will keep this up.
WOW! Amazing nobody hit DH! Good save & drivers reaction
Great pit coverage. Machine gunned!
I don't think the director is much of a racing fan anymore :)
This race coverage is great if you just want to watch cars going around in circle.....
Noticed a reduced role for Hammond. On face shots of the fake tan. What happened to his stupid toys outside? I guess Tim Brewer won that race.
wait, what? "we're not receiving any telemetry from that car . . ." fox isn't or nascar isn't? if nascar isn't, how do they score laps and position for that car?
if it's fox, well, not sure it matters.
and how about we update who took what on these pit stops instead of throwing to the hollywood hotel?
Kylie wash your mouth out with soap!
Good competition 46 lead changes in the first 50 laps now that is competition. FOX needs to get their heads out of their fucking ass and do a good broadcast.
I'm enjoying MRN's coverage, as I mix it in with the Fox coverage. Only problem I'm having is the one pit reporter....Danielle Frye, I believe's her name. Lots of stuttering....like her mouth is moving faster than her brain is thinking.
"Jeff Gordon using sign language." I love Chris Myers.
Chris Myers is awesome. His side kick is awful.
mike C
not a fan of the chick on pit road. last race she couldn't even get words out at times...don't know if its folks screaming in her ear or what...but i hear ya.
Fox used to produce a top notch race broadcast, not any more. It's become too sporadic and gimmicky. This might be an exciting race, but it's hard to tell from what they are showing on TV.
BLIMP shots are FABULOUSO.
Red, every car uses a backup scorer. A person keeps track of every car in the event of that...
Hammond got some plastic surgery. The guess is eyelids. The results were not sooooo good.
Our guess is that Kylie is a 12 yr old boy. Just found bad words.
Sorry bout that.
Looks like Kylie's mom forgot to lock up the computer when she went to the store.
Finally see the danage to the side of Mikey's car.
OK, I am now scared witless at that 2 car shot of the 24 being pushed by Sadler! happy he's in the lead, but scared, scared, scare at the pusher.
MikeC...she's been horrible for years. It's not what you know, it's who you know....
I once heard one of the announcers rerimand her for missing an interview off the air.
Fixin to get busy right about now.
ok less bumper cams for SOUND guys...*shrugs8 wanna hear the GROUP of engines especially from behind as thats when the sound changes pitch due to air molecules changing..we only got a brief bit of the deep thunder noise...maybe next time they will choose better cams....
who am I kidding.
big crash
holy crap, boy TV and trackpass were NOT synced up at all.
Dang it, knew they couldn't keep this up.
Kyle Busch: "Whose driving that? Because he can't hold a wheel straight. 100% my fault, I guess I shouldn't have trusted that guy." Spotter: "Been happening all day."
TRG almost leading and a big wreck just started to make my day.
Oh yeah,
Luckiest man in Alabama is Kurt Busch...
@david: copy that. does nascar have "manual" scorers as well for cars? it's one of those "doesn't happen very often" sort of questions.
GlenC
ok..since u started it..that chick on pit road is horrible...was trying to be nice.
WAY. Mikey has to go to the garage? & Max :-(
Tough year for Matt Kenseth. Hope FOX talks to him. He went to the garage.
Red, last I knew they do. Every car still has a manual scorer which is why sometime drivers are forced to change number colors/designs if the spotter cannot see or read the car clearly. If it has changed in the last few years I am unaware of it.
How about some Ford Built Tough play-by-play for us here, Mike Joy? DW won't shut up long enough?
Her name is Krista Vota and she IS the sharpest tack in the entire Fox box.
OK, that was a scary wreck. My driver just asked "explain what happened there so I can learn from it". the explanation was -- the cars in the freight train pushed RIGHT thru the 36 car. No way to stop when the push is going through the bumpers.
thanks, david! knew someone would have a solid answer. appreciate it.
You think about Mike Joy's long history in the sport. Acting like this must be killing him inside.
DAVID:
No more manual (real people) scorers as of this year. It's all electronic.
I was wondering if Sauter's car just wasn't good enough to be racing like that. Did not look like Kyle really did anything wrong...
anon @2:46: so, if it's all electronic, what happens if the transponder goes out on a car?
Krista is great. She's not the one people are taling about. There are two female pit reporters.
bracket review = mute button . . .
As I said red: if something changed in recent years, ala this year then that WAS the case. Thanks annon for clarifying.
Not a good system IMO.
yuck, brackets again. time to flip the channel
Actually that happened for the first time - last week when Ryan Newman's transponder went out at Texas. He had to come in and get a new one. I dunno - NASCAR tested no scorers for a year in the truck series - now all three series have no scorers.
When the transponder fails, they bring the car in, swap it out and return it to position.
Mikey is laying it on Kyle
Anon
I was talking about girl on MRN, not our K Voda :)
By the way, this make believe bracket crap is still moronic Fox.
all, MikeC talked about Danielle Frye on MRN...yes, we were digressing from TV (I finally gave up on FOX sound, though I have the picture on. No issue with Krista..
thanks, anon and jd, for transponder info. since we haven't heard anything about it since that moment, it was more me trying to gather information than anything else.
OK John, what if it's under green and a transponder fails? Do they throw a failed transponder caution?
This bracket idea really brings the the whole picture of this race better together as a package, don't you think. Without it we would be lost.
Ha ha.
Red, I imagine they would.
tatipapis reporting on twitter that they're done for the day.
haven't seen a recap from fox yet as to status of all involved.
err annon
They have only had a failure before the race as far as I know.
The big problem has been cars with damage. They have to stick one on when they go back out.
The video seems kinda slow ... For speeds close to 200mph, they look more like they're going 60mph ...
MW thru Kyle under the bus on MRN & now on TV too.
HUH? These in car camera shots are what looks best in HD???!!!
Uh, not on my new 47" Vizio 1080p 120mhz with AT&T U-Verse HD!!!!
Wide field shots with lots of cars are great!! You can see each car clearly!!
wow, mikey just threw young mr busch under not one but TWO buses!
MW running his mouth=lol
Agree with Mikey! Nice to see him smiling :)
now back to MRN
Mark Martin was in the back pack, when, why, was there a plan for him to do this? Who else was back there. Who is still laying back?
Kyle owned up to it, it happens.
JD, 2001 at Watkins Glen, Skinner's caught fire and put them out of the race. Then like someone said with Newman's last week....
Fox ticker is all screwed up, Kahne shown 5th and Biffle shown 9th and they're 1st and 2nd. Kyle Busch shown in the lead.
Halfway home, FOX is lost.
Frye is something like the coordinating producer for MRN, probably pressed into service because of the double header. She is Awful. Filled in on Sirius Speedway and is the worst thing to listen to on the radio. Horrible personality on the air too.
Every good chain has a weak link.
When Mikey was talking, at first, I thought he was talking about Sauter.....since he and Sauter have had some run-ins in the past. Took me by surprise when he mentioned Kyle's name.
Could you imagine if Regan Smith won this thing?
JD, Sweet justice for 2 years ago...
@David - 2001 Watkins Glen, Robby Gordon was the driver and it was the in-car camera circuits that caught fire.
This field goes back and forth so many times, that it's simply going to come down to being in the right place at the right time on who wins the race. Put it this way: I don't believe anyone is going to want to lead the race with 1 lap to go, if they hope to win the race.
Ah MV, for the longest time that was reported as the transponder catching fire I thought. Either way it was robbery.
DANGIT!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
@JD - You jinxed Regan Smith!
He already won one Talladega race. Just didn't get credit for it.
you spoke too soon -- there's hammond and the car!
Regan super dejected on the radio. Thanked the crew for a good car though.
Regan's a good plate racer, too bad. I think in a better economy, he'd have a better ride. And yes, I'm biased cause he's from down the road a piece...lol.
Some duct tape on a nose up in the booth would be good too, Hammond.
Anon - I agree about Ragan winning that race until NASCAR stole it from him. I was never happy with that decision
subtle but cool moment just then: mike joy talking about hamlin leading and ties in hammond's info piece on importance of radiator here. mike joy created a wonderful moment of coherence, there.
that's how a pro calls PxP in the face of endless interruptions.
Does this put Ambrose back on the lead lap?
Hammond's deal was horrible. He was stuttering and got the facts all wrong. Radiators do not cost 15 K and the ones he had for show were old style and not super speedway radiators.
sorry, I meant Regan. cold fingers, hard to type. I may have to turn the heat backup
@Nan S - Yes, Ambrose was the first car a lap down, he's now on the lead lap.
Surprisingly, the #09 is still running and might not park in this race.
Joy is still a pro, he's just got to keep Larry Mac at bay later when things get crazy.
When you leave a blog open, bots crawl the blogspot program and insert all kinds of weird stuff.
I'll just moderate for a while and they will crawl away.
hey brendan! where you been?
(or have i just not been paying attention?)
New drinking game: Take a drink every time Larry Mac mentions the University of Alabama :)
maybe we can all chip in and send Mike a muzzle for DW and Larry. He could use it at his discretion.
Looks like the Fox ticker is broken, reporting wrong positions at times and has not shown intervals since lap 62.
JD, you are the best!
I like to just hang out and watch... call me a lurker if you will.
Also a note for Canadians, TSN2 will show a tape delayed version of the nationwide race tonight at 7pm EST.
Driver cams are useless here, sorry DW
A restart should be a wide shot for a few laps but what do I know.
Fox seems to be only showing the cars in the front of the race. I have to have Live Leaderboard up and running to check out my favs.
I'm really, really, really getting tired of The Darrel Waltrip Endless Monologue At The Most Inopportune Times Show. Let Mike call the race, DW! You're supposed to provide color, not yap on and on like a lonely chihuahua! >:-(
this is a totally different race on MRN than it was on FOX. They're actually excited.
Except for the really bad reporter...
Russ, I'll drink to that!
"a good little drag race". Still 80 laps to go, madness will ensue with 20 to go.
@ Gina
I'll drink to that too! It's will just hurt with me being a Georgia boy and all!
Interview Regan yet?
it may be b/c he's my driver, but i really like the amp "moment before the moment" commercial. it really captures that moment well.
I understand that Jr. is a good plate racer, but must they always focus on him?
I wonder if any of the pit reporteres will run down Regan Smith and interview him???
70 lead changes FYI...
Of all the races to have cable and internet issues. I think I missed about 45min to 1hr of the race 'cuz tv and internet kept cutting out. Everything seems stable now. I hope it stays that way.
DW is not adding anything to this broadcast for as much as he's been talking. it obscures those moments when he does add information.
Another great blimp shot.
Don't you have a feeling that DW is just waiting for JR to win this?
I've been watching since 1992... I never thought I'd ever see that 75 lead change mark touched...
Yes I do JD. Jr is due & is hungry..
@Russ - We'll likely have over 100 lead changes today. Does anyone know if that's ever happened?
JD,
DW trying to make ammends for spilling the beans on Jr's annoucment. :)
Vicky D, MRN did an interview with Regan Smith 5 minutes ago.
There doing Crank it Up camera work right now.
So, if you eliminate the 'lead changes' due to green flag pit stops, how many do we have?
jd, i'm waiting for dale to win this as well but i'm watching other cars in the race as well, ya know? dw's CONSTANT fawning creates more "dale haters" than just about anything else.
Naturally, these drivers stick around after they get knocked out of the race to be interviewed. Makes you wonder how long they stick around, like in the case of Regan Smith, until they finally figure out they're not going to be interviewed? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Or does Fox give the driver a wave-off, to signify they're not going to interview the driver?
@ Martin
The record was 75 back in the 80's. Although I bet there was over 100 lead changes in that race if you count the ones not at the line.
I once saw a replay of that race. It was very similar to this race. Nobody could stay at the front.
is there any reason we need to see the crew chief talk while the racing is in a small box? how about just let us hear him while we watch full screen racing?
I think Jack Roush needs a debris caution!
HAHAHA 18 spotter said the same thing!
So they leave with a shot making you think there will be a yellow and don't mention it?
DW will probably cry if Jr wins. I don't mind excitement, but favoritsm just gets on my nerves
Red -- DW can't hear himself over the howling noise in his ears caused by his flapping jaws.
Series record is the 75 lead changes
@ Sally
I would say about 10 of lead change were due to pit stops
whoa, that wasn't well done just then. mike joy telling us old man martin is trying to pull a second line as the bumper music starts then the truck goes to a tight shot of theoretical debris and yet, we go to commercial regardless.
I am happy to see NASCAR on FOX is able to squeeze some motor racing into The Darrell "Bigfoot" Waltrip Show, even if it is only random in-car camera shots and close-ups of the cars. It's been a while since I have read the lettering on the contingency decals.
Caution for the hat?
Never said what happened to it!
They have thrown debris cautions for stuff lesser than a hat.
ANy count on the SPONSORED USELESS in car cams and special Speed shots.
Good gravy. I went to get a snack and missed David R interview on radio :(
Red, yeah I was hoping to see that since I heard the 5 and 24 hook up and say they were going to move forward, but no, we get commercials. blech. Does Nascar really need to wonder why the fans are turned off by this?
Don't we have one more pitstop?
Daly Planet Editor said...
Never said what happened to it!
almost symptomatic: start a point of discussion, take it just so far and then . . . no pay off.
Yet another great blimp shot. Let's see more of that.
So DW thinks there getting near the end and it is time to go. Lets see it is at the bottom of the hour. How long will the race go until it is over, 10 minutes?
yea, give us a nother bumper cam you group of cub scouts playing with toys.
what I get for TRYING to watch the race as it happens for first time in WEEKS
Usueless lipstick cam and in car cam. :-(
Larry Mac - pit stop a moligist.
there will be at least one more scheduled stop
NASCAR wants it to be over around 4:30PM ET. That gives them an hour to turn everything around.
Imagine pit road!
End of the hat deal.
Nice shot of the destructing hat.
Dag Gum, that looked like a real nice hat too.
JD, its because they are employing the running stream of conciousness style of broadcasting.
and it is useless to anyone trying to follow the action
I just got home from a trip and I listened to MRN until a few minutes ago. The race on the radio is a different race than I see on TV. I like the one I heard on the radio much better.
hey jd? we FINALLY got the pay off on the hat debris. how many laps did it take to key that replay up -- and how come it wasn't ready when they were talking about it earier?
Gina said
"Does Nascar really need to wonder why the fans are turned off by this?"
It's quite OBVIOUS NASCAR has the $$ and just thumbs their nose at the HORRIBLE broadcast.
Truck crew needs to be FIRED.
OR the "Suits" telling them the script.
Business is picking up...
about 9 to a pit stop unless of course there is a caution.
We'll then hear the "cautions breed cautions" mantra from the booth.
Isn't it weird? Last season we were upset about Jerry Punch, his awkward silences and horrble commentary. DJ and Andy had to jump in and do PXP.
This season, we are wondering what happened to Mike Joy and why DW and Larry Mac talk all over top of him?
TV sure is interesting.
They'd have to almost run caution-free from here-on-out to be over with by 4:30p.m. Eastern.
AJ Allmendinger did not drive for no pay in 2009. That was Reed Sorenson wasn't it? Did Mike Joy goof up hat one?
They just showed that brady bunch thing of in car cameras. They didn't have a camera for Jr. When was the last time that happened?
GinaV24 said...
JD, its because they are employing the running stream of conciousness style of broadcasting.
Sounds about right. A sports television telecast should be something clear, crisp and concise, not something that resembles a 1980's-era Van Morrison album. :-)
Mike Joy is actually doing quite well today. Comparing him to Jerry Punch is a bit rediculous
Sophia and KoHoSo - you betcha! But what do the fans know? And we're stuck with this junk if we want to continue to follow the sport.
anon @3:40: i was just looking that one up myself b/c i thought it was sorensen who raced for no pay.
according to wikipedia, you are correct: it wasn't dinger, it was sorensen.
Brendan, you can tell that from the silence? I think Mike has been muzzled by David Hill at FOX and it is killing the sport.
In the old days, he would be screaming right now.
What a great shot of that group of cars coming in to pit. . .
Got to wait on fuel man - why not take four ?
Anon, I agree. They keep using their loop data to promote things, but if the fans don't SEE the lead changes or exciting stuff, then it makes NO difference to people's interest in racing.
Its supposed to be about fun and excitement and watching cars race each other. Loop data is like a lot of other stats - easy to manipulate and not always intersting.
Yes, these telecasts have had David Hill's grubby fingerprints all over them. Hill is still po'ed about everyone dissing his love child, Digger.
He's been resetting the field and telling me whats happening as best he can. To me he is still by far the best part of the FOX telecasts. Not even close to anything offered by Doctor Punch.
MRN pit reporter describes the cars coming out of the pits as "a hornet's nest." Sweet.
Now that green flag stop with many coming in WAS exciting.
Brendan, he is totally the best. That is the point.
I agree! Why not take 4 when you have to wait on gas?
If you're going to make changes to this booth team start with the analysts.
DW is why I always refer to this bunch as the 'Tower of Babble'.
Somebody is readin cause Mike Joy is talkin..
David Hill's grubby little paws indeed. Well, he's the one who decided that telling his customers "tough" was an appropriate response.
Unfortunately, we still have to live with the broadcasts to watch the commercials, uh, I meant races.
I can't wait until May. I've got tickets to Darlington and the all-star race. I won't have to watch them on TV,
I need a break from the tv. If it had been nice today, I'd have worked outside until this time of the race. Rain and cold weather forced me inside
The BIG ONE hasn't happened yet.
JD
David HILL IS killing the sport. Look at what he did to Mon nites on SPEED???? Killed TWIN for the junk on now.
Pitiful.
Is D Hill picking the &^%$$&@# camera work?
Did we ever see the cars that hung out in the back earlier?
If this was the first time this crew did this race at this track I could understand why they are trying to catch up with what is going on.
Sally, that's a good one and DW is the high priest of babbling.
Kyle wants tape if they pit again.
The wreck is coming, they need to get the commercials out of the way!
Chris, yes, a lot of those cars are now running up front. but since the booth didn't tell us what was going on, unless you, like me, are following some of those drivers via trackpass, you wouldn't know
Raining here too..thus abusing myself with tv CAM WORK..then again it is Dega...but I am switching between MRN guys & FOX guys :)
26 laps to go. Hope fox does not go to anymore breaks.
I'm getting the sense they're running make-good commercials from some of the rain-delayed broadcasts....just seems like there's been more commercial breaks today.
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