The weather has cleared after overnight rain and things look good for the Sprint Cup Series as they race in Michigan. ESPN has the race coverage after a one hour pre-race show.
Allen Bestwick hosts from the Infield Pit Studio with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty alongside. Marty Reid calls the race with Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree from the TV booth. Tim Brewer is in the Tech Garage. Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro are the pit road reporters. Jamie Little has the weekend off.
MIS is often a fuel mileage race with long green flag runs. The challenge for the TV team is to stay on top of the developing race strategies and update the teams that are struggling. The pit reporters are key at this race.
Saturday, ESPN came into the Nationwide Series race at MIS fresh off a fantastic performance at Watkins Glen. The MIS Nationwide coverage quickly dissolved into tight shots of one or two cars mixed with in-car cameras. The director jumped from car to car and quickly disoriented the TV viewers.
This was the ESPN of old, working stories scripted in the pre-race show like Danica Patrick and the Edwards vs. Keselowski rivalry. The actual reality of what was happening on the track in the field was lost. Only the ticker updated the real stories of the race and offered any perspective on the race itself.
As hard as Reid and Bestwick tried to update viewers, the choice of the pictures by the producer and director pushed the Nationwide race right back into the same old mode. Random images of the leader were mixed with sudden cuts to two cars on the track running next to each other with no explanation. In a word, it was awful.
This is the fourth season of NASCAR on ESPN. Like many of the Sprint Cup Series teams, there have been glimpses of what could be mixed with the reality of the end result. If ESPN tries to offer NASCAR fans this type of disjointed coverage during the longer Sprint Cup Series race, it is going to fail miserably.
With the NFL regular season only weeks away, it is going to be more important than ever before for ESPN to open up the coverage and show fans at home the best racing on the track regardless of position. The trend of following the leader and then jumping back to other cars on the track has been a failure since 2007.
There is an all-star cast of announcers ready for this race and the camera people and other technicians are second to none. Ultimately, the success of this race comes down to the choices made in the production truck by the producer and director. After producing races again this season since February, ESPN should know how to get it right.
This post will serve to host your TV-related comments on the ESPN coverage of the Sprint Cup Series from MIS. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
251 comments:
1 – 200 of 251 Newer› Newest»My heart pours out for that Horrible racing accident in California last night. Prayers for all involved and their families.
Sorry JD - "J" above is me. Signed in using my wrong gmail account.
I sure hope the Cup race is covered like it was last week. And not like yesterday's NW race. I had to turn it off and go do something interesting. There was nothing interesting with the coverage yesterday.
Come on ESPN - we know you have it in you to do a great job - we have seen it the last few weeks.
No problem John, I am nervous about this race today. Fans have lots of other choices and the football season is a heartbeat away.
Here's hoping that ESPN suddenly remembers how to do a good broadcast.
With the fact some drivers can officially making the Chase with today's race, I'm afraid they'll start to go into Chase mode with today's broadcast. We shall see!
Mike, I agree!
Pretty good Harvick interview. ESPN's David Newton says Tuesday press conference to announce Bud as the 2011 Harvick primary sponsor.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but rainstorms or thunderstorms may be hitting MIS in about an hour.
Gluck is Tweeting rain about 1-2 hours out, that may decide it for many. Me I'll just take a nap
Bet ESPN will be showing us "Points as of Now" for Kevin all race I bet and it will get so old.
Thanks for not feeding the trolls! Those who cannot contribute must disrupt. Story of the Internet.
I am heading off to check the radar for a min. Rain on this track is rough.
Looks like the rain will hit the track at about 2:15p.m. Eastern and finally exit at about 3:45p.m. Eastern.
Oh boy! That radar is not looking very good. Blah.
This has to be one of the worst anthems ever. What is this dude on?!
Sorry, had to mute the anthem!
worst anthem in a while (but I missed Foghat, lol.) Lucky the bombs bursting in air drowned him out.
Wow.. That was a horribly sung song.. Or was it just me??
holy moly! what was that? it WASN'T the national anthem!
Maybe they also need to drug test the National Anthem singers...
Rain in MI has been threatened all week. been very scattereIt may dissipate if it falls at all. I've been hoping for rain here near Flint all week, and nothing.
Good Afternoon all,
Heres hoping its a good race today & we get to see it all. Seats looked really empty during pre race. Bruton is gonna add 50k seats to the KY track, sheesh, have a sell out first instead of empty seats.
That was the weirdest anthem ever! Was it one guy singing or two? And what's with the second guy singing off time with the first guy to sound like some funky sound system reverb? No, it is NOT good singing to sound like a bad sound system!!
Man, did anyone preview those guys singing the anthem? They should have lip synched it.
Well, I'm attempting to watch my first NASCAR race from start to finish since ORP. So far Allen is outstanding in the infield. He is in his own zip code compared to Lindsay. Chris Meyers is not professional enough to even be compared.
The national anthem was awful.
Jojaye, that was Humpy's issue with Bruton about adding seats. He does too much without certainty he can sell them all other then a "gut feeling"
Got all the moderation stuff figured out. Should only take a couple of seconds. Thanks for your patience.
You would think that, with attendance and ratings free falling, they would be reducing the number of seats. As you say, better to have a sellout and a waiting list, rather than a sea of empty seats. thought Bruton was a better businessman than that. Hard to say a track (like, say, Iowa) can't host a Cup race because they don't have enough seats.
JD, whatever you need, we're right here with you.
Did anyone here read Jeff Wolfe's column in the Las vegas paper? He said he finally gets why so many fans dislike the crapshoot. Guess he had his AHA! moment.
Sally,
Were you around when I went at it with that guy last year? Holy cow is he a weird one.
Yes, I was here. I guess it just proves it takes ALL kinds, doesn't it?
That's my "big fish in little pond" theory.
If Michigan got rid of the 3-4 sections of grandstands in turns 3 & 4, things wouldn't look so bad on tv.
JD,
It's your blog so do what you have to do, we will play along. Well, as long as the broadcast doesn't run me to golf again today. High hopes!!
Good Lord....6 laps and alreday a 'point as of now'. Disgusting.
By, "Things have settled down", I assume he means that we are now in MIS cruise/snooze mode.
comml already?
I really went at it with some TV folks in email last night.
Like it or not, they got the message. Change or we are gone to football. Yesterday was unwatchable!
Expected S&P teams are 09, 13, 87, 07, 7 and 55. Didn't think Carpentier was going to be on that list in the 26, but I'll just add it as a maybe.
JD, do you think that TV will ever understand that, when they give us the 'scripted' format instead of just going with the flow of the race, they are driving people away from their broadcast? It is, ultimately, the networks who control what the fans see and hear, and how we perceive the quality of the races. How can they NOT get that?
If ESPN shows Points As Of Now every 6 laps, we all will sure be sick of that by the end of the race. Marty doing a good job, along with DJ. Not much out of AP yet.
Lead car out front by a mile, field all strung out...but this isn't a cookie cutter? How hard is it to grasp that these tracks, no matter what the nuances of their set ups, peoduce the identical types of races...boring?
I hope the cup coverage is better than you guys said the NW coverage was yesterday.
JD -- I do hope you keep the live blogging open, even though the trolls and other crazies are no fun for you. I'd really miss being here with my Planeteer friends without it.
Sally,
Every network has bosses and they all have different views.
That is why truck coverage is so different from ESPN. TNT is technology driven while FOX is personality driven.
ESPN guys are doing what they are told, even when they know it's not working.
Sorry, I don't understand the sniping about the showing the current points standing. Yes, I know points are not given until the end of the race, but the trophy isn't given until then either. Do you not want to know who the leader is until the checkered flag flies either? Showing Points as They Are Now is just informing us the overall race of the year.
So, who will be held responsible for the falling ratings when they are losing money at the end of the contract?
I thought they were going to make wholesale changes in the TV truck after last season.
Instead, they just changed Jerry and brought in Marty.
It's the producer and director that make or break a telecast once the announcers are straightened out.
@cp43 - my concern is about the race that is happening on the track as I watch, not speculation about what may or may not be reality in 3 more races. Putting the spotlight on the 'chase' instead of each individual race is part of what is hurting Nascar.
Sally, this is what I don't understand about the TV coverage and NASCAR's lack of "concern" with what they show.
For most people, the TV coverage is the first way they are going to see a race. If they aren't engaged at that level, they are never going to put out the bucks to go to a race.
Am I just remembering it wrong or was the coverage better in the earlier years of the TV contract (pre-renewal)?
To be perfectly honest this actually is a really good race right now. ESPN is leaving some things to be desired though I think. That gap tracker is horrible though
Yesterday I slept from lap 5 to the checkers woke up & BK had won.
Did anyone read Hintons column on how wrong all the fans are who don't think NASCAR is better than ever? Weird read. Delusional actually.
CP43, I don't mind it being updated a few times during the race, but when they start just banging the drum on "as they run now" for me, since I don't like the chase, it becomes like nails on a chalkboard.
Gina,we had some really lousy coverage in races years ago. We didn't complain because we didn't know what good coverage was. We just appreciated seeing anything.
I hadn't heard about that accident JP but saw a tweet in my feed from my paper back home in Cali about it :(. Very sad indeed.
Thanks to Don I was reminded that Saving Abel is the group that did that Jeremy Mayfield song/video Drowning (Face Down) last year. JD wrote a column about it.
According to Angelique the track is being bombarded with calls about it.
Hope the team didn't pat Jack on the back too hard since he hurt his back in the plane crash. He looks like he's lost a lot of weight but good to see him at the track, bet the team members like him being there too.
OT here, but that commercial about "meeting a team chevy driver" reminded me. Did anyone happen to see the PR release put out on Jeff Gordon a week or so ago -- the title read "Tame Chevy driver Jeff Gordon". I wrote back to them about their proofreading abilities -- no compliments since it was obviously meant to be TEAM, not TAME.
I know a few people who probably would say that it was a Freudian slip.
Sorry, it makes me laugh sometimes what you see out there on the internet and this just cracked me up.
CP43, there is a difference between updating the point standings say, before the race so viewers know things going into the race, but when they show the standings "as they race" after lap 6, it really just seems to mislead the viewer. I mean...after six laps!
Sally - Thanks for the explanation. I agree that the current race should be the primary emphasis of the coverage. But like there are multiple races currently going on on the track; yet another race currently going on is the points standings. If the TV team had been more aware of the 'points as they run" standings at Atlanta in 1992, they would have understood Kulwicki's strategy in staying out longer. Instead they were saying his team made a major mistake, which in fact won them the champoinship that year.
That was a huge issue last season. Showing the points right now during races when it made no sense.
OsbornK, LOL, I have tapes of some of the really old races so I do know what you mean, but for some reason in 2001 until BZF got his brainfart to start the chase, the coverage seemed to be better to me.
So what happened to the 2?
Thanks Marty for telling us who is parked. Bad day for #2 team, but TB got his full screen time ;)
All 6 expected S&P teams were in the garage, but here we go, Robby Gordon coming back out to pick up a few more spots in a car that won't even earn points (late entry).
The entire focus is on Chase drivers and contenders. Case in point, Truex is running 10th, but hasn't been shown yet.
Kurt B says there a hole in his engine block, done for day after blown motor.
Ugh, they are talking about rain on the scanners being about 10 miles out, so we are likely in for a rain delay.
JP just called it a cluster off pit road. Must be the word of the day. Kyle Petty called Kasey Kahne to Red Bull a cluster and a bad soap opera during RaceDay.
Ugh, they are talking about rain on the scanners being about 10 miles out, so we are likely in for a rain delay.
Darrien & Tony are making fun of the "green power" pace car. Think its lost part of car, & its funny looking. ( fines coming?)
JD, Raceday always seems to be a "cluster".
Nice to know that the 24 team is the fastest on pit road so far this year, it would just be nice if they could get the final decision on the pit box to work out to their advantage.
Have a feeling we are going to see more changes with that series for next season.
JD that is exactly what Kyle said Friday. And I agree with him. I like Kyle Petty's thoughts and am glad that for the most part he is brave enough to be honest instead of tow the company line 24/7 unlike some
Ok, so if you think the concept of the Chase sucks, that's fine. I've been following NASCAR since the 60's and haven't missed seeing a race in 15 years. I certainly still have mixed feelings about the concept, and am apprehensive about the new changes for next year.
But like it or not, this is the way it is for the championship, and decisions & actions made each week and each moment can affect the points situation. Showing points as they are now, especially we get closer to the break point, are just as important as the track position, since it is all so important to the championship.
cp43,
I have to disagree with that one.
Marty's words are not matching the production truck's pictures. Disjointed work
I agree with CP that showing the points as they run is not inherently bad, but when you dwell on it with every single pass it gets old fast. A great first update would be when Martin hit the wall and got lapped. They showed it. Then after Kurt Busch blew up. An example of a bad time to show it is a random off cycle pit sequence because it doesn't accurately reflect how the race is really unfolding because in a few laps it will be back to status quo.
I think this is a great race though personally
That's fine, JD. So where do you want to want to draw the line? Surely you want some mention of the points sometime during the race? Or not at all?
Marty was pushing the truck yesterday just like Mike Joy used to on FOX.
My feeling is that tension is rising. We are missing a lot with all this graphics and tight shot stuff.
Also MV, Robby went back to to "test" He mentioned it the other day that having the 2nd car was important because he wanted to get more data for setups, etc.
I like two different battles on the screen at the same time.
To me, the chase messes up the racing due to points racing. I want to see a race to win every week. The year long champion doesn't make much difference to me.
Like David, I think there are points in the race where it makes sense - but really it is all a moot point until the end of each race.
I think out of break, under caution and post-race. Otherwise, it dilutes the actual race which is still raging.
As I said many times, the problem with the Chase is that more cars are out than in. Fans don't change their fav driver and suddenly they feel excluded and just leave.
We have seen it for the past three seasons. I agree, it's rough to talk about a playoff when all the athletes are still playing!
David, isn't it sad Robby is stuck in the S&P group now? I was never a fan of his personality, but always appreciated his independent efforts on the racetrack.
cp43...I've been a fan since the 60's too. Who was in the running for the championship was mostly an afterthoguht until about 5 races to go, unless it was a tight race. That suited me just fine.
Yeah Robby rubs me the wrong way quite often but I do appreciate him staying determined to do it his way and own his own team. I actually think this experience, especially the struggles of the last 2 years have humbled him a little because at first even owning his own team it was burning alot of family money. The reality might finally be setting in for Robby that money is indeed finite.
Just caught up on Tivo. DJ and AP doing a good job explaining the driver's lines on the track. Very good use of driver communication with Bowyer and his spotter finding a good line. Marty trying his best to get the producer/director to bear down and do their jobs like professionals should. BD as usual adds absolutely nothing.
I agreed & disgreed with Kyle on the Kahne cluster. I blame Mr H, not Kahne, for the whole debacle. Why negotiate when you have no openings? Mr H is a great guy, but this was a big mistake and Martin bore the brunt of it. Poorly played all around.
This looks like typical Michigan to me.
I agree on points as of now. I don't even want to see it until there's 50 laps to go.
David, like you, I'm not particularly a fan of Robby's but he was always out there doing his deal and it can't be fun to be a start and park car.
rainy
I've always admired Robby's willingness to go his own way. It really impressed me when he decided to run the Dakar Rally! That takes some cojones.
Glen,
I think he tried to set up another satellite team to run his Chevy stuff and NASCAR said no.
That is when the Red Bull firesale happened. Interesting stuff.
If it's a matter of taste as to how often points standings are shown, then I see your point.
As far as individual fan's car not making the chase, as a fan of whoever is driving the 43, I certainly understand that. And if you only care about your fave, you might leave. But if you are a fan of racing, you might stay to watch even if your driver is not in the chase, or not in the race, or not even being shown, if there is otherwise good exciting coverage of good races.
I don't where ESPN got that radar from that wasn't showing any showers around Michigan. The radar I'm looking at looks quite a bit differently.
To me, it sounds like it's paining ESPN to even acknowledge any of the drivers who would be considered out of contention for the Chase. Really surprised they finally mentioned Truex.
Just so you know, I called MIS & compalined about the attempt at the anthem. When I finished, gal told me because I wasn't a customer, she couldn't log my complaint because she was in Daytona!!! Said the best way to ge my message across would be to log onto the website. hmmmm...
@Pammm MIS on twitter is "noting the complaints & bumping them up"
Lol. You call MIS and some gal sitting off of Bill France Blvd is taking your calls...wow. Makes you feel loved, eh?
PammmH - not a customer? Of what, MIS or NASCAR?
Unbelievable!
CP43, when Gordon missed the chase in 05, I was disappointed and since the TV folks were only covering the chase, he didn't get TV coverage so I feel very much for people who want to know what is going on with their driver and there's NO coverage during the race.
I still think they should do a full through the field so that ALL the cars are mentioned through the race. If NASCAR wants to keep people interested, they need to have TV covering ALL the drivers.
Busch-Hamlin changing cars in practice is interesting, but there is racing all over the track to cover.
Look at the camera work! Yes, that's it show the racing.
Big difference huh G?
Gina, same for me last year when Matt missed the chase they never mentioned him after he was out! Sometimes Nascar thinks that's the only drivers who have fans are the ones in the chase and it's not so. We need a thru the field Marty!
That giant graphic in the middle of the screen was quite useless
JD, oh yeah. This is WHY I tune in to watch racing, not to see bumpers and in cars or a single file parade.
Really really nice.
Gina, I remember that. My wife has JG Fan Club member number 275. A tough year for her too.
Even then tho, while the TV coverage emphasis is certainly on the chasers, if Jeffy then, or non-chasers now run Top 5 or so, they do get shown.
Reading off the full field rundown is necessary on MRN, but is boring & unneeded on TV as long as they have the crawl showing that on the screen. I do remember when the graphics only showed the Top10 or less and then, yes, we were left clueless.
@Vicky D
Yesterday I told you the replay of the Nationwide race would be on at 2am this morning according to Zap2it Guide and it wasn't on. Sorry about that.
I happen to be up then and thought I would watch it. They had drag racing on and then some video contest. It never did come on as far as I know. I went to bed but did check up to 3:30am.
however I did just have to mute Rusty.
Just between us girls, I think the Rusty countdown clock is ticking.
jojaye, yes I saw that on twitter, but it made me sooo mad, I just had to call!
glen & gina-yep, wasn't feeling the love at all for sure!! made me feel like because I didn't spend $$ at the track, I had no right to bitch. MIS does live webstreams every couple of wks. don't think I won't be tuned in for the next one. grrr.
again w/the chase crap.
Covering only the chasers assumes that the fans have any interest in who wins the 10 race 'title'. I personally don't care. I want to watch the race, with all 43 cars on the track taken into consideration. To ignore them isn't making it any easier for teams to find sponsors when they know they will be ignored for 1/4 of the season.
JD- Hopefully Brad follows Rusty out the door
Kyle Busch would have an incredible fanbase if he had a better attitude. I feel sorry for his crew members.
VickyD and CP43, yeah it is a really bad feeling for any fan. I imagine your wife wasn't any happier than I was.
I still think that concentrating on covering the race is the important thing. If all they cover is the chase and the chasers, the continuity of the race doesn't make sense because although only the 12 are eligible for the trophy, unlike stick and ball sports, ALL the competitors are still out there. It just drives me crazy when the coverage is all chase, chase, chase.
I am enjoying this through the field right now. I think it is as important for TV as for radio since although the ticker will tell me where my car is, it doesn't tell me what is happening with my driver.
The ISC attitude is why we first slowed down our race attendance, & then ended it completely. When we lived in Plano TX we went to races there at Texas for both Cup & anything else they had going we could afford. Bruton may not know progressive banking, but his people know how to treat people. imo
It would seem that in team radio communications frequently get...heated? for most teams.
You know, Landon Cassill was a HMS development driver, now he's having to be a S&P driver in order to stay in the series.
For some reason that strikes me as very very sad for these young guys.
Sally,
Since I am none of these, I will ask: do football/baseball/basketball fans care if their team makes the SuperBowl/World Series/ championships? Cuz if their fave don't make the playoffs, their fave isn't covered either, at all, cuz unlike NASCAR they're not playing. Do those fans then not watch/care about the playoffs?
GinaV24, he would be a full time Nationwide series driver if the series wasn't so messed up. These young drivers have no home without $.
A lot of young drivers have gotten raw deals lately. Aric got one over at Gibbs, Brad K from HMS when MM came on board & stayed ( he landed with Penske so its all good) McDowell is S7P is he not? Seems like you need to bring $$$ or a sponsor to get a ride these days. Or be a grandson
If it wasn't for MM being on the bubble we would never see him on the broadcast (and now he's a lap down!) I wish they would show my favorite more today.
Oh Bevo, I'm with you. Brad and Rusty are probably very nice people but don't add much to the broadcast IMO
@cp43
that is completely different. if your stick and ball team is out, you have no chance of watching them because they are not playing. In Nascar, yout driver is still running. the network just decides to not cover them but they are still racing.
Jojaye, I've never had the pleasure of attending an SMI race but I hear the same thing from everyone who does. Can't stand Bruton, but they get it.
The ISC on the other hand, is much more about how much they can make than in making your racing experience better.
Sally - me, too. the only time I will probably care about the chase is when/if Jeff Gordon holds it up at the end of the season.
But then again, I'm biased and I know it. LOL
Ah, good news, past half way in case it rains.
cp43, What Brad said. If your team isn't in the playoffs, they aren't playing, period. can't watch them if you wanted. every race team is on the track for every race, in the crapshoot or not. Let's see how many viewers Nascar would have if they only put 12 cars on the track for the final 10 races. I sure wouldn't care, would you?
Gina, I do agree that coverage of the current race should be primary. Talking about strategy, points, the owner of the track, the vice president of marketing, gopher-cams, who is running 39th, etc, should all be secondary to covering the action on the track.
That's why I continually switch between TV & radio to follow the race, not the other stuff.
But there are many races within the race & I appreciate coverage of them all.
CP43 - as a Cowboys/Yankees/Magic fan (ok hubby is LALakers) no we do not watch if our teams are out of playoffs. Some folks do, my hubby cheered for the eagles a few years back becuz they were NFC ( I don't forget quickly here) but we don't usually watch. We hope for next season.
Marty sounded a little tired sending the coverage off to commercial. Must be a long weekend
Buschseries -- I agree about KyBu. I mean the guy can wheel a car but I just can't get on board with the case of bad attitude that he expresses so much of the time.
I quit eating M&Ms and other MARS company candy in my own form of protest and I LOVED M&Ms
I'm afraid the Dale Earnhardt type of coming up through the ranks driver is becoming history. The majority of the newer drivers come from relatively wealthy families that could afford to support the drivers as they learned to drive. Many have never had grease under their fingernails. A few came up the hard way but it becoming very rare. A majority of the drivers can't relate to the typical blue collar fan.
btw, on the Chase debate, no I don't like the Chase, but if the networks did a better job, it wouldn't bother me as much. My driver has never been in it. But it doesn't stop me from watching the races (can't say I watch as much of them). It does, however, make me flee to the radio or Internet to find out what's actually happening at the race (and even MRN harps on the Chase somewhat.) I used to enjoy the battle for 10th, going to the banquet, and now that's 'irrelevant'.
When we first got tickets for Dover, we were able to pick new seat locations on renewal, and after a couple of times would up in seats we really liked. But when we bought seats on the backstretch for the first night race at Daytona (and made two trips that year due to the fire postponement), we were put off by being told we could not ask for different seats on renewal. After one more race we never went back.
Exactly, yet the stick & ball lovers still seem to watch the playoffs for some reason, even if their fave team isn't even playing.
Maybe they actually like the sport as much as they like their favorite team...
At least in NASCAR my fave is in the race and if he does well, he is shown even if he can't win the championship.
Osbornk - sadly I believe you are so very right. No more regular guys make it good in NASCAR ever again. Its our loss.
I may follow the playoffs for other sports - for instance I think the divisional championship games for football are a lot more interesting than the superbowl.
I agree that the biggest difference is that in the stick and ball playoffs it is only those left in the games who are playing.
My personal preference would be that the chase go away, but if it doesn't - for heavens sakes give them their own points system and rather than making the field larger, it should go back to 10 drivers.
Buschseries, I agree. Landon won the rookie of the year honors and his ride all in the same year. It must be a frustrating thing and it is a bad thing for the future of the sport AND the fans.
Gina, but how is America's favorite driver going to be in the Chase unless they make it the top 15 drivers next year.
CP43, I know what you mean. I have trackpass so I can follow Gordon's scanner. I would hate to be without it.
At this rate they will have to expand it to the top 20 to make sure the Popular One gets in.
holy moley, did Rusty just compliment JEFF GORDON? the world is ending!
We're probably going to have a caution soon....Harvick has a 6 second lead.
oh brewer! Can't they just show the craftsman symbol stuff and not have to listen to that silliness?
Any bets on debris? during commercials?
VickyD - it would be easier if NASCAR would just make a rule that Jr always has to make whatever playoff scenario they dream up instead of just expanding it every other year to try and make sure that the chosen one can make it.
Brad has been spending way too much time with Rusty, he now says the cars are "flat flying" and he's calling the drivers "cats".
TB doesn't really explain it fully to me.
Enjoy the race all.
Back to golf for me.
MikeC -- LOL, have you noticed though that since all the publicity over the cautions and manufacturing excitement at the end of the race, that we have a lot LESS of those kinds of cautions? I was expecting one at the end of WG last week and it didn't happen
You know, people talk about putting Jr. into the crapshoot as if he has made the demand of Nascar to guarantee he gets in. As I recall, he said not long ago that there isn't much point in getting in if you can't be competitive, and right now his team isn't.
MartinVincent - the saying is if you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas.
Brad has picked up the lingo from Rusty -- if he starts calling the cars "hot rods", I will probably puke.
They keep talking about who is going to make final spot in the chase. That reminds me of the final team that makes the NCAA basketball tournament. It makes the team and their fans feel good but it doesn't change the outcome in any way. It only gives the final contestant a little more TV time. Like NASCAR, the NCAA keeps increasing the field so more people can feel good. I think there should be 43 cars in the chase.
Sally, I don't think that Jr wants it handed to him at all, but NASCAR really wants him in it sooo badly, so they are the ones who are trying to manipulate it so he gets in.
if they rig it so he's in and he isn't competitive, that doesn't help Jr at all.
OSBORNK - If you want all 43 in the Chase, we might as well go back to the old points system, without a Chase
@Sally - nope he didn't make the demand to get in. Media acts as if the world ends when he doesn't make it. Just listen tothem.
What Rick H has done is really sad, first a team was put together around Jr, then Tony Jr. took the fall for the non performance of the team, enter new CC & car chief, still the lack of perfomance of both teams ( 88 & 5)
no stability on 88 team & an almost defeated sound to voices very early in the season. The teams are not good - something is wrong & its not " just" any 1 thing. And its being ignored.
OsbornK, me, too and go back to making it a full season title race.
One of the best things about the old way was seeing if your driver could move up into the top 10 and get further up. Now that you are locked into the top 12 and can't get up further than 13th, it loses something.
Bushseries61-EXACTLY!
Gina, you are right, Jr. doesn't want things given to him it's Nascar thinking it's good "for the sport!"
OSBORNK - If only Brian France had this wisdom
Newman had a problem. Caution
This is a great ad for the diversity program....too bad that none of the drivers involved can get any farther because they can't find sponsors to get them on the track. Talk about all horn and no driveshaft!
VickyD, sure thing. Yes, he has a big fan base and I'm sure it would bring a lot of interest to NASCAR if he was running up front, you see that at races all the time, but to try and force that to happen by expanding the field for the chase is just bad and makes the sport out to be a joke.
I would have no problem if they dropped the Chase format & went back to the previous points system.
I also would have no problem with world peace, Robby Gordon doing something intelligent, or AJ winning the championship this year.
But none of that's gonna happen...
Marty is either flustered, tired, or both.
JPM: On Wednesday I when I was driving that Corvette I was doing some drifting. Good practice for today.
ah and now we have the wavearound automatic increase in the lead lap cars. whoopee
Buschseries I believe doing qualifying and both races in the weekend, the tv teams are probably all tired. And they might do practice too.
I just love it when Nascar brags about how many cars are finishing on the lead lap these days, implying that it's bacuse the cars are more 'equal', when in reality it's because of rules like the lucky dog and wave around. Talk about phony stats!
12 second pit stops! Benny Parsons would be handing out a lot of cash.
CP43 -- so true. Or brian france suddenly getting a brain cell or two to rub together
Sally -- I agree, the diversity ad is great it's just a shame that the sponsorship outlook is so bad.
darn it!!
Gina,
Sorry bout Jeff! Maybe next week
I like the wavearound. Starting the leaders behind a bunch of often-slower cars was generally likely to cause chaos even before boys-have-at-it.
@VickyD - Both qualifying sessions and all the practice sessions were handled by Speed. ESPN only had the races on their plate this weekend.
I think ESPN is missing a story here, pretty sure it was Bowyer that hit the 24, infineon ring any bells?
Man I didn't realize that Jr was a lap down.
Both of the Jeffs can't get a break
Could be payback -- hard to know in all that mess but it sure could be. I was worried about Truex there a little earlier
Thanks, CP43 -- just not in the cards to get a win even when they have a good racing car.
Hope they can bring this one home, good job so far.
Notice when they stay nice and wide, they don't miss anything on the track.
Those were some awesome wide shots. Got to see some good racing
I love the fact that they are using the longer/wider camera shots to show the track and the racing. It works so much better.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that ESPN does a strong finish, too, JD.
Passing should never be shown with in-car cameras. Never.
split screen! good job
Those live in-car cams are going to get you burned more often than not.
did they ever had a pit reporter check on Menard's car and reason for slowing on the track?
I'm thinking if a team didn't pit now that they're going to try going to the finish without a stop.
Wow, what a mess that was.
VickyD, I didn't hear them follow up on the menard deal
Close up shot haters have never seen the early CBS coverage when there was only one car with a in-car camera and that only worked for 1/2 of the track.
Wide shots are great for big pack shots, but a race w/no CU's is a major snoozer unless you are BIG race fans (like the folks on this blog). CU's bring the new viewers into the action & let them realize how tough this driving stuff is to do.
5 wide! OMG
it looks like Menard is still out there running
Obviously the 33 is interested in messing up with the 24
Gina, guess since Menard isn't up near the top 12 in points, we won't hear about his issue.
Nice that they hung with the racing until the pack broke up. That should be done every time. Simple rules for covering this sport have been around for decades.
Wow did all that spread out all of a sudden?
don't look now! good, bad or ugly the 88 is the highest running HMS car in 15th.
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