That's Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker smiling because Danica is back. The California crowd might not know many of the Nationwide Series regulars, but they all know Danica.
It's Allen Bestwick who will lead ESPN2 on the air at 4PM ET with the NASCAR Countdown show. Brad Daugherty and Rusty Wallace will be alongside Bestwick in the Infield Pit Studio. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Garage.
Calling the race will be Marty Reid, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. The pit road reporters are Dr. Jerry Punch, Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Dave Burns.
Auto Club Speedway has been struggling for attendance in the Southern California market. While Danica's return might have given the speedway something to use in advertising, it's doubtful that Cali fans are going to turn out for this race in force.
On the TV side, there is no college football game before the race or the pre-race show this Saturday. The West Coast start time forced ESPN2 to move college product to other ESPN networks.
This post will serve to host your comments on the TV coverage by ESPN of the Nationwide Series race from Auto Club Speedway. 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 stopping by.
192 comments:
What a nice race that was. I made but one comment because I was actually watching and loving it.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled dreck...
Today should be the same old situation.
S&P:
26 Keselowski
36 Green
82 Miller
90 O'Quinn
91 Gilliland
92 Setzer
Possible additional S&Ps:
21 Shepherd
27 Baker
52 Lepage
I am so happy that my football game (Roll Tide) is on CBS!!! I will be driving my remote this afternoon :)
Hope everyone enjoys the race!
Wow, that's a long way to go to S&P.
You guys ready for "the Hoff" to sing the anthem?
Not sure we'll be able to call what he will be doing singing.
Looks like we have the full compliment of trolls for today, JD. They are SO amusing, aren't they?
I thought our troll would be at a high school football game today!
Maybe mom did not give him a ride. Come on mom!
Sorry for the 14 year old profanity.
Had fun watching the ARCA race from The Rock. Sigh. Almost forgot how exciting a race can be from a track built for stock cars to run on.
Sally, the vocabulary might be limited, but he has persistence.
Nice to see the kids are able to play on the blogs today. how pathetic. This race may get ugly early from a competition stand point.
I will be taking advantage of all the commercials today to keep track of the Michigan - Michigan State game. GO BLUE!
And the say 'tweens today have a limited attention span!
A slightly later start time may help nationwide races. Gets them away from the 12pm college football window.
Au contraire...the second pack of games have already started. Mine has!
@Sally the ARCA race definitely was some exciting television.
well, it is pre-race so i guess it's ok but did we really need that brewer tech minute spot about aero?
i really dislike this determination to explain the basics of the sport every, single week. no other sport i watch does this -- and i watch pretty much all of them at some level.
Well that was certainly different. Don't hassel the hoff! holy Cow!
The Hoff still has it!
A stellar crowd - NOT More people on pit road than in the stands.
The Hoff does the banner? Ok now I want William Shatner on Cup
now, if we just knew what "it" is . . .
We have a great game and upset brewing in thr SC vs. Bama game.
has what, lol? Not good, but we've certainly heard worse.
The ARCA race on SPEED was great. No frills, no gimmicks. AND ... they actually had a points race down to the end.
Bill H: that was my comparison as well: very William Shatner-ish! Maybe Hoff will do Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds in Victory lane in honor of Lennon's 70th birthday . . .
What I really enjoyed about the ARCA race was that it was a back to basics broadcast. No clutter on screen, no T Brewer, and no one in the booth hyping their favorite driver/team/sponsor. Very refreshing. Makes you realized how little of the crap they put on a telecast is really necessary.
Yes, imagine that...a close points race without some let's pretend 'chase'! Amazing what can happen if you just let it play out.
Saly, that was my reaction to ARCA race as well: less is most definitely more.
Jeff Gluck reporting pre-season testing back at Daytona Jan 20-22.
I can hardly wait for this interminable season to be over with. Can't face the thought of Daytona testing already!
Someone shoulda hassled the Hoff :p
Well I did not see it, My boycott of E$PN continues. I also hope you guys joined me in my boycott of E$PN.
Dude, you missed the Hoff!
See if Gluck has a crowd estimate
I would not boycott ESPN. They have great football coverage.
You are NOT in Hollywood. You are NOT in Los Angeles county. You are in the city of Fontana in the county of San Bernadino. What's wrong with reality.
here's the thing about not watching: i'm not a nielsen viewer. so my tv isn't being "seen" by espn in their numbers in any way.
He did better on the anthem than he did on Dancing with the Stars.
I agree that we definitely have heard worse.
Unfortunately, I'm switching to football now. So many good (and close) games on now.
I always try to watch the opening ceremonies of Nationwide and Cup races. The anthem is always special even when it is badly sung.
Iowa Marsha
Also known as "Fontucky"
No crowd estimate yet, but they were giving them away online for almost any reason.
New sched for this speedway next season.
Di, did you say reality and ESPN in the same sentence?
Is it just me, or is Marty having a hard time with mush mouth syndrome today?
Must be all those double boxes!
No wonder ISC stock plumetted this week. This track is a real loser for them. They have tried and tried but it just won't happen.
observation: too many camera shots already so that we're being visually moved from allgaier's progress to the leaders to an in-car to a wider shot -- and reid trying desperately to keep up a commentary with each shift.
this is, i believe, what had been referred to as "disjointed coverage" in previous blogs.
also, to compare to arca race: screen is filled with visual clutter. it may all be "necessary" but there's so much on the screen that distracts from the image.
"On a side note, there appear to be literally hundreds of fans attending the Nationwide race in Fontana." - Monte Dutton
Just so Marty gets the solution to the complaint. slow down and speak clearly and the mush mouth will take care of itself. like clock work commercial on lap 10.
Same cast of characters up front every week in Nationwide. There is no real reason to watch.
gee... exactly what lap is it? Marty says Kevin takes the lead officially for lap 11. Ticker at the top says it was lap 10. Then when they go to commercial the graphic says lap 9.
Whatever - too early to go to commercial if you want to keep interest!!
And I really am surprised that my dogs did not start singing the anthem with the hoff!
DANICA, DANICA, DANICA, DANICA, DANICA, DANICA, DANICA, DANICA
We got it !
The Nationwide race has never been well attended at Fontana. They've always had to give away tons of tickets. I guess all that ESPN has to focus on is Danica and the hope that she doesn't continue to drop like a rock. With all the start and parks she can't go back too far.
Sense a theme there do ya?
Okay, I'm almost starting to feel sorry for Marty. He is fumbling for things to say, and fumbling his words as well.
JD. It appears that Marty is trying too hard to not screw up today after the interview this week and he is all over the map so far. Seems to be confused and off his game. For those reading, I was a big supporter of putting Marty in the booth but something has changed. In my opinion the broadcasts are not as sharp as they were when he was filling in.
Man this track needs the racers to battle side by side to make good TV.
Driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions are planned. Tickets for the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20. Autograph session wristbands will be available at a later date. Fans that purchase NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest tickets early will receive the first opportunity at securing those wristbands.
See the greed ? Daytona already wants $20.00 to watch testing.
@Anon @ 5:02...this is California. Sister track to MIS. Neither of them is conducive to close racing. You know, these big, wide tracks that the drivers love because they don't have to get close to anyone else?
After they said no to AB, there was no bigger supporter of Marty than me. Who knows what is really going on? Missing someone in the TV truck as well.
here's another observation: i would prefer going from the racing directly into commercials without the bumpers. it may seem like only a few seconds but over the course of the entire race, it adds up AND it's annoying.
NASCAR has to get this series some type of identity. It's all Cup guys all the time. Failing miserably.
ACS is my home track, was at both races in Feb. Today's crowd is no worse than in Feb and no worse than some other NNS races this year.
Lots of ticket giveaways for Sunday's race, very few for today. In fact I won tickets for the Cup race (Woot!).
And there hasn't been very much coverage at all of Danica leading up to the race, aside from ESPN. Local papers are a complete joke for Nascar, they barely mention is when it's here, and don't mention it at all the rest of the year. I think it's lack of coverage and advertising resulting in poor attendance.
Is the missing producer an issue here?
Looking at the 'crowd', is doesn't seem to me they would have a lot to lose if they kept any Cup driver in the top 20 out of this series. They might find fans would be more interested in guys competing on an even playing field as for as tram backing. I miss the days of watching young drivers gain experience in this series.
Big summit meeting on Tuesday at the R&D Center to discuss the NNS Series next season.
Imagine the issues on that table!
Heck, drivers like Randy LaJoie and Jason Keller used to be able to make a living running in just this series. Those days are long gone.
Again, almost back to back ads.
Well, I got one really good race broadcast today, and for that I am thankful. Now, before I get myself in a foul mood I'm going over to watch Alabama.
As someone observed, all I got to do with this ESPN/BZF extravaganza is check back here to see what I might have missed.
Commercials back again. I cannot decide, am I going to hurl first from one more of Kelley saying "Having kids or buying a house," or Pops saying "You n'me Junior."
i still maintain that n'wide races should be stand-alones: no cup guys in the cars. you wanna own a n'wide team? have at it.
but this was -- and should return to being -- a developmental series, intended to bring talent UP thru the ranks.
will sponsors flee? well, they're not exactly banging down the doors to get their logo on the cars right now, now are they? promote the racers and let the series regain its own identity.
Jack Ingram, Tommy Ellis, Harry Gant
California the track is just not doing it for me plus you've got Cup drivers just stinking it up with a mediocre TV Coverage.
I see teh main problem is competition. You cant convince my that it is a good series when half the field is a lap down after 30-35laps every week. I am a fan and watch either way but casual fans aren't gonna tune in to watch 4 cup guys battle for the win every week while 7 other cup guys and 3 NW only guys fill out the top 15 with everyone else laps down. its just not a competitive series period.
It is obvious that the Calif. track president has repeatedly failed. How on earth does she retain her position when ISC is terminating their track presidents left and right? Is she a France family member ?
If they go to the new cars next season it might help to negate the advantage the top teams have a bit.
Also, the Cup drivers and points and S&P issues.
Anon, she is one of Lesa France Kennedy's best friends.
I just love this track - we are seeing some great racing today!
Nice coverage from ESPN so far as well!
brad: could it be that it's not competitive because of having elite racers running against developing racers? the arca series was terrific and i contend that's because the vast majority of those racers are all pretty much at the same level.
when the level of skill and experience is so uneven, it's no surprise thagt the cup guys take over the series.
How many teams without backing from their Cup teams can afford to build the new cars? Another of Nascar's 'money saving measures' that cost the teams $$ while lining Nascar's pockets.
she is one of Lesa France Kennedy's best friends.
Enuff said !
Sally, lots of things are going to be changing I am told.
NASCAR needs to keep the NNS and Truck series going no matter what it takes through this economic tough time.
E-Z answer is to have more stand alone Nationwide races not companion events every weekend.
Summit meeting huh? But will they actually listen?
@red:
absolutely the cup drivers are a big part of the problem with competition. however, the people with big desks think they need all those cup drivers so i don't think that will change anytime soon and skewing the point system to award a trophy to someone that doesn't run cup doesn't seem right either. if they run they should be able to win the championship. The series needs different cars and smaller tracks but they will never make it a stand alone series so we will probably just have to deal with an uncompetitive series with a manufactured hollow champion for the near future.
NASCAR called the meeting with the NNS owners. Can't put this same product on the track next season.
Also, can't let college football kill the last three months of live coverage.
Hope they give some races to SPEED.
Oh, they will listen...but the big question is will they do anything that actually helps? I bet they decide to give this series their own 'chase', and exclude the Cup drivers from winning it. Make things even more irrelevant than they are now!
@anon 5:17 as JD said she's one of Lesa's BFFs and for years I heard they'd never lose a date because of that so was surprised when they did
Maybe they should just have this series and the trucks run show together on more smaller tracks. Shorter tracks make better races, less seats to fill, and harder for Cup drivers to double dip. Instead of driving his own cars/trucks next year, Harvick may put Elliot Sadler in the seat. That works for me.
JD, maybe our troll will be at his JUNIOR High School football game. We had to mute the anthem although DH has a good voice but too long. I think MR does better with the NW races.
brad, you're right: the sponsors will scream. & from a competition point of view, i also dislike tiered-champions. if you race, you should be allowed to be the champion. tha's the whole philosophy behind competition in my world view.
but this series is suffering from having the cup guys run away with it every week. it's been a gradual infusion and it may have to be a gradual solution to get them out over time.
first steps: change the car to make it competitive again, move to smaller tracks, maybe shorten the season.
Is ISC actually in deep trouble (financially) ?
Remember, NASCAR has obligations to service the ISC tracks. It's all in the family.
I would like the K&N, Modified and ARCA series to get together on some dates that can benefit the trucks and NNS as well.
Plenty of ideas out there. Can't get much worse than this season.
Yep, they just fired the top exec under Lesa and are continuing to downsize.
Bottom line: The same old thing is not working.
Heck no, instead of making 10 billion in profit, they may have to settle for a mere 5 billion.
You can Google "Roger VanDerSnick" if you want to know more about the ISC struggles.
It's all about Danica
Nascar could schedule enough races so that it would be impossible for Kyle & Carl to run so many. Wouldn't stop the 'owners' championship deal though. They could also limit the number of Cup guys who can run in a NW race. That way you wouldn't get the companion race phenomenon, where 20 Cup guys make the Daytona NW race.
anon@5:41: i dunno. doesn't seem as relentless as it has in the past. i think the last discussion was merited, given that she may be able to get back on the lead lap if there's a caution.
They are looking at not letting Cup guys who do more than X Cup races get driver points.
Could still win for owner, but not for themselves.
Also, new car rollout and costs involved. Sponsor issues and travel costs. Smaller pit crews, etc...
Well how does the series sponsor Nationwide feel. Are they happy with their investment and return?
Maybe they should keep the series closer to home... like, not hauling cars halfway across the country 3 or 4 times a year. That might help cut costs. Since they will have to pay Nascar to 'certify' their chassis, it will add more cost that way. Oh. And maybe pay enough prize money to make a living for the teams?
Nationwide has said yes, but the new car switch-over is going to be huge.
If they can get a full field of these new cars on the track and get the manufacturers on board, it will change everything.
This series has no identity right now at all.
Gresham, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro might work. But none have safer barriers.
No Chevy Camaro - that would have been huge.
Yeah. Not the smartest decision GM has made.
2011 schedule is done - moot point.
move to smaller tracks & fill them so fans feel that they're part of a great event. imagine how the fans feel sitting at the track today:"for this, i spent money?"
full tracks will generate excitement among fans.
also, NO SECOND DATES! tracks get one shot. keep the fans excited about the race coming to their track by making it special.
shorten the season. eliminate the numerous off weeks and just condense it. set the schedule so that tracks are geographically dense: lessen the cross-country travel time & expense.
work a deal with hotels for crew rates. these guys will be there each year: cut them a break. help the teams afford to travel.
Chevy has to help. I hear it's ugly right now for next season in terms of car count.
You can schedule all you want, it the series fails it fails.
NASCAR triple header weekend - K&N series, trucks, Nationwide
2011 scheduleis done -- but 2012 isn't. change has to start at some point and i, for one, don't expect that they'll be able to make significant changes for 2011 season.
but i do hope they'll be talking about what has to change.
You can count #27 Baker / Curb out for 2011 - long NS team.
I'm not sure how much Chevy can How many government bureaucrats are interested in NASCAR racing. The government is is total control behind the scenes and I don't think racing is a priority if it doesn't run on batteries.
JD, Nascar should deal with this NW series issue but those suits just seem to shut it out and deny there is a problem. There have been so many great NW races in the past, I don't want this series to disappear. I would even like to see Trucks/NW race weekends not NW with cup series races.
well they can't flounder around in 2011 like this year.
well, I came in about an hour ago and I've been trying to watch this race while I'm finishing up the chores I needed to do, but every time I walk into the living room, its in commercial.
I just heard AB say there was an extended caution for oil on the track, so at least I know why for this one.
Does anyone know what happened to replacing John Darby? He was supposedly out this year and was going to train his replacement. Nobody wants the job?
Changes coming: bobpockrass: Starting next year, Sprint Cup and Nationwide will go to self-venting fuel can. No catch can needed.
Not a peep on replacing him. The poor guy looks like he is going to drop dead any minute.
That smoking will just kill ya.
I have a friend who was a NASCAR Official. He said it is nowhere near as glamourous as you may think. Low pay, long hours, lots of travel.
Hey John, I am watch on YouTube Super Bowl XXV. It is an ABC broadcast with Al michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf. The pre game was so patriotic and Whitney Houston sining the anthem with heart and soul. I am saying this because Disney turned ABC into E$PN on ABC and ruined a good thing even to an extent that they do not show laps 9 to 11 of the Richmond race on the 9th anninersary of 9-11. That is why I boycott E$PN becaquse if you can't show fans being patriotic on a national day, they have no credibility as far as I am concerned.
Sorry to get off topic JD, but I had to vent.
JD, I hate this, since KyBusch got his penalty during caution, they are showing him passing the cars but there are other cars on the track!
I had plenty of friends who have gone through the Disney transition up in Bristol.
ESPN is nothing more than a middleman. They buy things and try to turn a profit off cable subscribers and ads.
That equation is changing as leagues and sports start to manage their own product on TV and online.
So, ESPN is scrambling for new online content outlets and new media applications they can control.
So far, that is college sports but not pro. NASCAR is one of the few that still has no one clearly in charge of the sports TV who is a well-known heavy hitter.
It really is crunch time.
JD, if they need to keep the series going, how did cutting the purses help the teams?
I still think that Chevy made a bad mistake in not putting the camaro out there instead of running the family car (impala) in the nationwide series.
I wondered how Zucker kept her job when she kept making such dumb comments like "the fans are all under the fans shopping". Right, that's why I go to a race.
And Gina has the $6400 question of the day! At least we are getting to see some passing rite now, w/Weed coming thru the field.
@Gina..it helped the track owners by cutting sanctioning fees...which helps ISC, don't you know?
Gina, there were some lame excuses made but basically there was no money in the pot.
What this series becomes on the track is going to be decided in a couple of weeks.
Stop the presses. Caution for debris and who is the lucky dog?
Say it with me.....DANICA
PammH, Sally and JD, yep, that's always the reason isn't it. What benefits ISC most?
Of course, if they keep losing fans, they will keep bleeding money and it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Brian France should write a book (he'd need a ghostwriter of course) on how to screw up a winning operation.
At least she has a car that she can run with the field in today. A lot better than usual.
Gina, I thkn that even with a ghost writer any book by Baby brian would be as incoherent as trying to listen to him talk.
Or as incoherent as my spelling!
Kind of feel bad for BF. Have not seen him on TV in a long time, life not going well. You think it might just be wake up call all this stuff.
what *was* gas in the eye is *now* speedy dry either way glad he'll be OK
LOL, Sally, yes, it is hard for me to believe that BZF can speak so poorly. Incoherent is the right word along with incomprehensible.
JD, the powers that be had better make some smart decisions for a change, but I'm not counting on it.
I also agree that NASCAR needs to do some real work for 2012, not just shuffle a few dates. Wipe the slate clean, figure out how to put races on tracks when it makes sense based on location & weather patterns and go to one race per track per season. They've overexpanded and made their core fans pissed off to the point of no return, so its time to do real serious thinking. Although with Brian France in charge, I do not see that happening. He simply doesn't have the brains for it.
wow, look at that, a whole bunch of cars in a small pack. how unusual
JD, I don't really feel bad for BF I feel it's the 3rd generation and that creates problems for Nascar in general.
JD, I don't feel bad for BZF -- he is the cause of his own problems and he's totally screwed up my favorite sport.
Wow, has a race actually broken out in the last 40 laps?
oops, I spoke too soon. back in line now and how can Marty call it a battle with Danica when the camera shot shows in line racing?
When a kid with talent like justin Allgaier can't find a sponsor to run next season, things are WAY bad and out of whack.
I sense a little late race drama with perhaps a battle over space that does not end well.
Oops. Our 'tweener must have finished watching his football game. He wants our attention again.
Gina, I can see the cup guys racing on ESPN. JD, I forgot to mention earlier, I like the picture.
I see everyone is having fun here. Lots of interesting comments. At least BK is not leading. That nasty boy Spurrier is beating Alabama.
Oops, commercial. Just got here and commercial. Guess I'll go back
Come on, cut and past spam is lame.
What happened to all the tween swear words?
If you want to be our troll, you have to be original!
We have no need for a banal troll here!
Did they really just go to commercial as Allen was saying there is trouble on the track? brilliant. I think our troll could work for ESPN!
Well, I think I heard "trouble on the racetrack."
ESPN has the worst luck.
JD, like you said several weeks ago, once they go to commercial, they can't stop. Bad luck!
JD, methinks you are right. oh darn it, KyBu is in the lead off pit stops.
oooh, talk about wrong place wrong time! Hey didn't Brendan know its against the law to pass on the right?
Harvick said on the radio he is firing crew guys after the race. Nice.
Honesty from the boss. refreshing! cant blame him, the pit crew has lost a bunch of spots this year.
I'm sure that isn't the first time someone has threatened jobs after bad stops.
VickyD, that is true. I thought that race was tomorrow! LOL
Delana probably won't let him, after all, she wears the firesuit in the family. LOL
Darn, Bama is getting crushed. I did not want to see that because that gives Boise State and their ugly blue grass a chance for a national title.
Is there anything Nascar will do to get the Cup guys out of Nationwide and make the series what it was supposed to be, one for up and comers?
Danica will have a great finish via attrition. That will make the bozos at ESPN drool
Kyle trying to run away and hide? Somehow I doubt that
Alabama loses 2 kids unhappy. ND wins 1 kid happy. FSU still to play . Last kid in limbo. KYBu leading. I'm happy. Sorry GinaV24
OK, a caution on pit road? while the race is green? huh?
WOW, that could have been scary if any cars and teams had been on pit road.
You have to wonder why there is a delay between something happening on the track and Marty seeing it.
He has to be glued to the monitors like NHRA coverage. It's not working today for sure.
Anyone see full pre race? Did they interview Busch or Harvick?
hey, we complain about lack of interest, well, like it or not, Danica has helped in that regard. Comes with pluses & minuses. I think considering the part time nature of her attempts, it hasn't been half bad. But a pet peeve--I think using Dario as an example of open wheel-to-Nascar failure is kinda lame. He was driving Chip's cars, which were kinda crappy at the time. He also broke his ankle & never got a full shot. Just had to get that out.
Anyways, let's hope they can run to the end with no cautions.
Danica crashed!
Danica in 14th? Wow. If it has been because of lucky dogs musta been a lot of them. Maybe ESPN will drool. As for me I say all Danica needs is a couple of trophys. After that if she wins a race or two she will be a star...
AncientRacer -- no problem, hey one person's happy is another person's pain!
Apparently she did crash. She is always doing such nice things for me.
JD, before his suspension, Randy used to look out the window and we would have up to the minute info. The only other reason they could have missed Johnny Bournemann was because he's not a cup guy and ESPN doesn't think he's important enough to have a camera on him.
I think this time that Danica GOT crashed. Shame, she was running better today.
It would have been fun to see how well she could have finished without that happening. She was actually running pretty well for a change.
Jarrett and Petree are milktoast.
Danica got turned and they would not step up and call it.
What are they doing in the booth?
Poor Danica spun up in the air.
JD, absolutely! I get real tired of this nonsense in the booth. Just call the race
Gotta give a big thumbs up to any driver who can stay in for the entire race with no sponsors.
A classic case of going to the other end of the spectrum. at the beginning of hte year, ESPN was all Danica all the time and got killed(Rightly so) and now they wont even comment on a clear cut crash. she was wrecked and it had nothing to do with her. it is ok to analyze the action. This tv business is a hot mess as my kids would say.
I liked DJ when he started, but it just seems like he never wants to blame anyone for anything. 'Course...his father could be like that too sometimes....
At least we got to see some decent racing during this race in the last half.
GlenC and Brad, yes there is such a thing as being "too nice". I just would like accuracy and an even handed approach to calling the race.
Front Row Joe finishes 14th. Good for him!
The end was decent racing, but it was what all cup drivers again.
Not a huge Danica fan, but I just backed up the DVR. That guy got pinched high and then turned left and got her back.
JD, I have not been a fan of hers either, but that sure looked deliberate to me.
He didn't get hit, he dumped her.
JD, in that case, I agree with you that DJ and Andy are both wusses.
Thanks for stopping by everyone. See you tomorrow for Cup race!
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