Here we go again. Rain delayed the race until Monday and the good news is that there is no precipitation falling at the track. Jet dryers are working to get things dry for the race start shortly after Noon ET.
This is hurry-up mode for NASCAR, so expect things to be different. There will be no long pre-race show and possibly no invocation or anthem heard on TV. NASCAR is trying to get two races in today and that should be a challenge.
Mike Joy returns to call the Sprint Cup Series action with Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds in the booth. Waltrip had a long day on Sunday in the Hollywood Hotel working on the air during the hours of rain delay programming.
Down on pit road are Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda and Dick Berggren. Jeff Hammond and Chris Myers are in the Hollywood Hotel.
Texas should prove to be interesting on TV. The track is fast, but passing has been at a premium once the field gets stretched out. It should be the restarts and caution flag pitstops that provide the biggest scrambling of the field.
Staying wide enough to show the pack of cars jostling on the restarts has been a challenge for FOX this season. Cutting to tight shots and using in-car cameras long before things get strung out has resulted in many passes and incidents having to be seen on replays. Keeping it simple today is going to have big benefits.
Darrell Waltrip has once again has a long weekend. When he is tired, the result has been scattered commentary that often happens when he talks overtop of Joy and McReynolds. It's been a tough year for DW, it's almost like he is trying too hard.
Sometimes, these Monday races run very clean. This may be the case today as several of the Cup drivers are doing double-duty and racing in the Nationwide Series race that follows. If weather again threatens, all bets are off as the field may be racing hard to get to the halfway point.
This post will serve to host your comments on the Sprint Cup Series race from Texas on FOX. 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 for hanging with us on this Monday for NASCAR racing.
287 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 287 of 287anon at 3:00,
A.) This problem doesn't exist with the IndyCars because they have side-by-side ads, which all NASCAR networks should have by now.
B.) You can't control cautions falling but you can watch the race and hold off on a break when a lead change is obviously about to happen (like Vegas with the 24-48 at the end and earlier today with the 88-48)
Tight one car shots sure show off the pretty cars.
Anon 3PM,
Good question. Over the years, the veteran NASCAR crews like FOX have become great at using passes for the lead, green flag pitstops and caution flag stops as measuring sticks for commerial breaks.
In terms of passes for the lead, they normally let them happen, they say we will be right back and go.
They also take a break before the green flag stops happen and immediately after the caution flag stops. Sometimes, they can get two in on a caution.
It's not an exact science, but on a track like this you can see a pass for the lead coming a mile away. Very different at short tracks or road courses.
Good question.
Right on the head, JD
If they gave free seats the those who are staying for the NW race, that's a change. When they had the rain problem with both races in Richmond in 2008 (fall race), they ran the cup race at noon, then emptied the stands completely to admit those with NW tickets. How times change. That emptying of the stands was a pain.
And yes, I'm sure there's no good time for a commercial, but it sure seems as if there're a slew getting run all at once. Big blocks of ads. Can't they do one ad, go back to racing, wait a bit and do one more ad?
The 24/48 race is great. I wonder if there's more like it back in the pack?
@Tracy - Ramsey Poston said on Twitter that you could get in with either a Cup or a NW ticket today.
Andrew, that's great. Congrats to Bruton Smith et al for using common sense.
I think the either ticket for both races is a good idea for the track. It makes the attendance look much better and it does not cut into ticket sales much. It also makes the locals feel better about the track and it might cause them to buy more tickets later.
I know timing and scoring has gone down at NASCAR.com and the FOX website.
Has to be something at TMS.
@Tracy - The emptying of the stands is what was planned had the two races been held yesterday. They changed plans for today's schedule.
JD, yes, timing and scoring still down
I think I have figured out why the tight one and two car only shots.
We are watching in HD on big flat screens, but somewhere out there somebody is watching on a little 19" square analog tv with a converter box. They are doing the camera work for him/her. You watch on an old little analog tv and you can't tell what car is which when you put more than a few on the screen.
The broadcast is being tailored to the lowest common denominator. Those of us in the 21st century just have to suffer.
Did you see they showed 4 cars in one shot for about 2 seconds. Nice work FOX.
I ain't sure how that there ticket thing work, but it sounds like a good idea. I reckon if you have a Cup ticket and somebody in your seat, you just tell them "them there's my seat" and they can find another one close since there ain't that many people there.
Fox Race Trax is back up
caution
Someone at MWR is going to get fired here shortly. 5th engine already for MWR so far
WHO did not see THAT caution coming out?!?!?
The TMS press release requested the fans work it out by themselves if there was an identical Cup / Nationwide ticket. Just find a nearby seat.
Nice pit stop coverage there.
This should make for a fun finish. I just hope Joy can get some enthusiasm going and keep DW quiet.
Larry Mac has been on the point today for FOX.
Okay, this is a good place for an ad. Nothing happening on the track.
DW, nobody is doing anything crazy because there are still twenty laps left.
They bombard us with commercials so we will buy their products. There are a few that makes me want to avoid purchasing their products. The singing NAPA commercials and the Godaddy ads with the sexy Danica theme do not make me want to buy from them and support their ad budget. I only see these ads during races.
Yep, we missed the prerace festivities today. That's happened when the race gets postponed. And it doesn't look good for next weekend at Talladega, either.
Oh no. What a wreck. Just too bad.
What the heck just happened?!
Great job from FOX on staying with the action on that restart, and good excitement from the booth. Why can't we get this the rest of the race?
FOX is out to lunch. Period.
Huge wreck. Jeff caused that. Desperation causes you to make some silly mistakes...
Keep the camera on Jeff! Good job!
Remember when Tony and Jeff were rivals? Was hopin to see that again.
Too bad for the 43 and 98.
Too mane replays. Show the drivers getting out of the cars.
And this is why brackets = fail
DW is a shilling.
The Newman in-car watching the mud was a great shot because ?
I like the replays from the different perspectives.
Anon 3:00.. Watched both F1 and Indy yesterday because Nascar could not race. Watching more and more of them, plus ARCA Friday night. ALL due to Nascars lack of performance on TV. Nascar simply does not give me the "flavor" of the race anymore on TV.
To answer your question.
1) A few years ago broadcasters would break from commercials for important action on the track. They Never do anymore.
2) Side by side commercials with racing and commercials would help. Just like Indy Racing.
3) This isn't the scarecrow singing "If I only had a brain" in Wisord Of Oz. Have a brain in the truck. Currently there are none. I've see many times on tv a pass is getting ready to happen for the lead. Then a commercial. Try sticking to the race during those moments. Have a brain. This is real. Postpone the commercial a minute, the thought is quite simple. Doing it, as in the past, seems beyond current day broadcasters. The current day folks in the truck simply don't know about Nascar. And it shows to the Nascar fans.
And, if this is someone with Fox I'll suggest a few other things.
4) Fix the pre-race show. It stinks. No information.
5) Fix the post-race show. There is nothing.
You asked for an opionion. You got one.
Now I'll ask you someting.
Why were the broadcasts three years ago so much better then today. Before the Mole Cam, before Pizza, before so many other items I can't put it to words right now.
Carl starts the "Big One" in his first race off probation ...
Who were they saying was causing problems not too long ago??
Just shows that Carl is a big honkin' hypocrite ...
Awesome camera on the prettiest sight in motorsports.....the 24 beat to hell. Get the cheese ready cuz the whine is coming.
Live scoring is going to be screwed up for a bit as cars are being towed across the start/finish line. Carl Edwards is currently being shown in the lead.
Booth wants to blame everyone but a Hendrick driver
Tony is a class act here.
I get the feeling that the commercials are programmed by computers and the commercial breaks happen regardless of what is happening on the track. Someone mentioned that they need a brain in the truck. Computers might be why it appears brainless in the truck. Fox can save the salary of the person that used to monitor the action on the track.
Dick B is doing a good interview.
Putting the gloves....on...?
I think Tony will change his mind
a little about causing the wreck.
From the topside replay it looks like the 99 got into him, but I
don't think you will get Carl to
own up to it.
You know, this would be a prime spot for a few commercials.
51, Jeff ran into Tony twice which broke Tony's momentum completely. Then Carl nudged him into Jeff. Jeff driving desperate caused that wreck. Classy of Tony to just take the high road though
Carl's on PRN
Admitting 50/50 fault between himself & Stewie over who caused it ...
NASCAR should park the 24, but they won't since it's a Hendricks car.
This is wounding up to be JJ's race. But then what else is new.
Ziggy
@Anon 3:51 - It's kinda parked by default at this point.
Okay, Fox. Let the blame thing go, please.
Biffle is pitting because he has a flat right rear
Got it confirmed. Race will be reaired at 8PM ET tonight on SPEED after Race Hub at 7:30PM.
Highlight of the race - Mike Joy's bracket picks are still good.
OSBORNK - There's actually two commercial breaks during the hour that are controlled by the master computer in NYC ...
It's about 25 after the hour and 5 before the hour ...
The director at the track has an extremely hard job trying to cut out of that commercial break ... They've got to hit it at a certain spot in the timing and most of the time they don't get that lucky ...
Stupid onboard cameras
17 flat rear tire
Anybody but the 48. Idiot Kenseth and fuel mileage.
Let's see how FOX handles the final lap and the start finish line graphics.
Do you think they'll mention the recoveries of Kahne, Martin, and Truex after all three had trouble in the middle of the race?
yawn
Fantastic finish! Go Denny!
If they would just leave the camera on the finish line another 10 seconds.
LOL 11's spotter: "1 legged driver, 1 eyed spotter and a great crew chief!"
Warning Denny not to kill the car and watch his leg on the burnout
Great final lap coverage! Thank you, FOX!
Fun fact, last 3 races run on Monday have been won by: Denny Hamlin
Why do wide shots with 10 to go and not the other 300 and some laps?
At least under green flag FOX got these segments in -
AT&T Race Break
AT&T Fastest Pit Crew Award
Sprint Biggest Movers
Verizon Speed Shot
AMP Energy in-car Cam
Sprint Whats Happening Now
FedEx Understanding The Race
Animal Welfare in-car Cam
After that restart that was the most unorganized booth I have ever heard. Thought MJ was supposed to call the race.
Indy affiliate went straight to 4 o'clock news. No victory circle
You dig seeing the FedEx crew while cars are still finishing? That's interesting.
The broadcast starting with the restart before the Big One was pretty darn good, aside from some questionable camera choices on the second restart. Why can't we get that all the time?
JD, I don't get so up in arms over that because networks have been doing that for years. Even the old ESPN did it.
I do like a FULL finish rundown though, with a full points recap. To me if you do that, it makes up for not seeing all cars finish.
We will have the NNS live blog post up shortly, thanks for hanging with us.
Perhaps "darn good" isn't the right word. "Better than the first 3 hours" is probably more accurate
Winner was too predictable ... I'd swear my Hollywood scriptwriter friend is working for nascar ...
And nascar continues to wonder WHY ratings / attendance / satisfaction is down ...
Hey FOX - ditch the "bracket crap" and the Pizzi guy.
I didn't do the bracket thing but isn't it true that most everyone that did the bracket picks have different picks that what Fox has and if that is true why show their picks if it doesn't mean anything to all the others that have picked.
David,
Every lead lap car finished on ESPN under the camera at the finish.
This BS of cutaways began a couple years back with driver's wives and has now settled down to pit crews and crew chiefs.
Imagine a horse race where you showed the top three horses finishing and not the rest of the field.
Those races only take minutes, this took hours. TV owes it to the fans of the teams to let the cars finish on-camera. Been saying that for years and will continue to say it.
I loved Dale Jr.'s comment. The end of the past few races have just been stupid.
I don't know JD, I can remember in 98, 99 and 2000 an awful lot of races where people won and the cut was right to the crew rather than a fixed shot of the line. But maybe my memory eludes me. I can't speak for races before then though.
Driver's wives and such is overkill but showing the crew? They did work to get that car a win too so I can accept it. JMO
If Fox said they were going to do post race on-line and were told no, why didn't they do a long post race this time, since they had the chance.
Why did they leave early.
Moving race comments to the new Nationwide post!
Thanks for all the Cup talk today.
JD
Now that coverage was horrible. I am sick of DW and I used to love Mike Joy calling the races, but anymore he lets himself get run over by DW and I am sick of his big mouth thinking he either knows it all or he tries to give the race all the time to Kyle Bush and the last time I checked, there were 42 other drivers out there. I was also glad to see Jeff Gordon finally get some fire in his eyes and was loving it when he was rough up Jimmy Johnson.
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