Monday, October 25, 2010

Talking Sunday NASCAR TV


UPDATE: There will be no more "Your Turn" posts. Feel free to add your post-race comments right here.

The good news is that we can now use one post to host all the NASCAR TV comments on the day. The bad news is the reason why. Numbers are down all over the place for NASCAR, including online blogs like this one.

The day starts with Nicole Briscoe and NASCAR Now on ESPN2 at 9AM. She has Marty Smith on-site in Martinsville, VA. It should be interesting to see how much focus of this hour goes to the unraveling of RPM and the recent rumors of impending demise.

As we reported, Smith minced no words Friday in reporting that no mechanics had left RPM, that Roush-Fenway had been paid in full by RPM and that Kasey Kahne did not leave RPM being owed any money. These facts were completely the opposite of reports on Thursday from Race Hub's Bob Dillner.

NASCAR RaceDay is up next at 10AM with two hours of news and interviews. Saturday morning, SPEED telecast one hour of Sprint Cup Series practice avoiding the Kahne and RPM story entirely. Only in the last few minutes was it even mentioned.

While Race Hub is produced in-house by SPEED, the other programs from the track are produced for SPEED by the NASCAR Media Group. How else can it be explained that Kahne driving onto the track in the Red Bull car was not the first image viewers saw on Saturday morning? Instead, the TV team did everything possible to dance around the huge elephant in the middle of the room.

John Roberts hosts RaceDay, but the meat of the program is provided by reporters Wendy Venturini and Hermie Sadler. Since Sadler is driving in the race, he will be of limited value as far as news gathering is concerned. It's up to Venturini to provide an updated overview of the entire RPM story.

Perhaps the person with the most interesting perspective is going to be RaceDay panelist Kyle Petty. Teamed with the hootin' and hollerin' cheerleader Kenny Wallace, Petty actually hosted the RPM merger press conference live on SPEED way back when.

Petty has never been one to mince words and his feelings about the truthfulness of RPM and the current situation could make for the most memorable TV viewing of the day.

Allen Bestwick is next as once again the NASCAR Countdown show has been moved over to ESPN2 at noon ET. Along with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, Bestwick has a lot of ground to cover with all the news and silly season changes unfolding this week.

Marty Reid leads Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree into yet another Chase telecast over on ESPN at 1PM. On this tiny track, ESPN cannot use side-by-side video boxes for live racing or endless in-car camera shots. Reid cannot simply work off the TV monitor and needs to stick his head out the window and call the actual race as it happens. This week it has to be different.

It's all about pit strategy on Sunday and Dr. Jerry Punch and the pit reporters are going to have to play a major role in the telecast. The intensity is high at this track and there are no doubt going to be some upset drivers before the day is done.

ESPN will offer an extended post-race before the three hour block of The Speed Report, Victory Lane and Wind Tunnel gets underway on SPEED at 7PM.

This post is going to host your comments on NASCAR's Sunday TV from start to finish. 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 taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.



284 comments:

1 – 200 of 284   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

This is the best blog about NASCAR. Don't stop investing your time into it, you're producing a good product. Thanks,

Pan

Wisconsin Steve said...

I could not believe Kenny Wallace's closing comment on Victory Lane last week. He said, "I hope Jimmie Johnson wins the championship because it will make all of you (the fans) mad."

So now, in addition to lecturing the fans for 2 hours on Sunday mornings, he has begun demeaning and insulting them on Sunday nights. Is that good for ratings?

I personally think there is excessive complaining from the fan base nowadays, but talking to people who are unhappy with the sport like they are beneath you isn't going to help.

KW used to be an entertaining voice of experience with a pretty good connection to the fans.

What happened to this guy?

Anonymous said...

NASCAR has been it's own worst enemy for sometime now. From the television package, Darrell Waltrip cheer leading, the common car template, boring racing etc, etc, etc.

Watching Cup races used to be a normal Sunday routine. Now I only watch them when I feel like taking a nap. The cool thing is that I usually wake up with 5-10 laps to go.

Anonymous said...

Kenny Wallace is a bufoon, a total embarrassment. Is this the best Speed can do? Perhaps. Yesterday, I had to listen to Michael Waltrip AND Rusty Wallace. Gee, I wonder why the ratings are down???

larry said...

Just for the record...I don't post here as often as I used to, but I'm here every day. I'd hate to see this blog die.

As for NASCAR? I don't watch it much any more...no reason to see the "big boys" win all the 'class A' races, and not really interested any more on the 'stagecraft' of the main entertainment day.

I have been a race fan since the late 50s. I started to lose interest when the top-35 rule came into being. Many of my favorite drivers were in startup teams then and they were locked out of the big race.

Then the "chase" and "debris cautions" further lowered my interest level. Lack of need to win a race due to points racing further reduced my interest level.

I will occasionally DVR a race now, but I really hate the constant plugging of race sponsors, NASCAR sponsors, car sponsors, commentator sponsors, sponsor sponsors, etc.

If I bother to stay home at racetime, I check twitter and this blog for race info and to decide if I want to check or simply remove the DVR'd copy of the race.

I never miss Race Hub and always DVR Nascar Now, just in case there is something interesting there.

NASCAR "powers that be" have destroyed my interest in sitting through the race on Sunday. I hope they can recover someday.

Anonymous said...

Good Morning & happy Raceday

I'll be watching on & off all day, as my Cowboys play on Mon night this week.

I don't comment much, usually, because its the same & I get tired of typing it.

This whole RPM thing has had my attention all week, whats been said & what has been left unasked or unanswered. Kyle P. is gonna be interesting - if KW will let him speak.

Thanks for all your time JD - its worth it to us.

Zieke said...

Raceday just might be interesting if "Kenny the blowhard" will quit trying to sensationalize a bland subject of some kind, and let Kyle talk about the RPM stuff and etc. KW has gotten really stale, as has his driving, and both should be replaced. Maybe just a 2 or 3 minute segment for he and Spencer would be plenty, but not the ranting for 2 hrs. That has become over the top.

51 yr. fan said...

Ditto on Larry's comments. There is no fun in watching live "Wrascar". NO ONE wants to
be spoon fed by the Waltrips and
Wallaces. We used to rush back
after the Panther games to listen
to the end of a race. Now it's
barely discussed in the heart of
NA$CAR. Until they come up with a
better product and presentation, I'll depend on THE PLANET and
Race Hub to keep me informed.

Keep up the great job!

Mike (Detroit) said...

Hello to all you loyal,die hard, NA$CAR fans. Good morning from southeastern Michigan. I agree, this blog rocks, and I think some very important people keep an eye on this blog, because the truth is freely spoken here. So I wondered about this "ESPN.com Offers RacingLive! During Martinsville Race" Has anyone had any experience with this blog? So you log in and trash ESPN's coverage ...and they let you?

Chadderbox said...

11 minutes into NN and nothing on RPM yet. Chase, Chase Chase!!! Where would we be without Brian's Chase?

Chadderbox said...

28 Minutes in and Marty Smith is giving us a report.

Smith says he is trying to get answers as to what is going on at RPM. Robby Loomis basically says they are moving forward.

That could mean anything I guess.

Sad situation really. I love Nascar and this can't be good. They are struggling at RPM.

AncientRacer said...

Website traffic is down? How much? That is a telling tidbit.

I, too, am interested to see what KP will say, and I'll be disappointed if he says nothing. Loomis was just on NN and said little.

What I'll be looking for today is shot selection. Martinsville is so tiny if you're there you can see the whole track while wearing horse blinders. There will be no excuse for a focus on the leader broadcast.

PammH said...

The opening to RH was great!!!

Anonymous said...

Well NN stuck to script. Chase chase chase RPM ( no info really) chase chase chase

Loomis said zip zilch - RPM going forward? to what? Cup Scene had article that Rousch has arepay plan set up w/RPM. NN reports bills are paid in full....

Lets see how Raceday does.

Anonymous said...

You should remind your readers that CBS usually runs an hour over on the Sunday nights they have a 4pm NFL game.

Good chance the NASCAR Undercover Boss show won't start on time. Allow an extra hour on the DVR.

Daly Planet Editor said...

30 min into RaceDay and no KK or RPM coverage. Wow.

PammH said...

they mentioned they would be talking about it at 10:08-I was particularly listening for it.

AncientRacer said...

So John Henry buys George Gillette's football team awhile back and RPM gets its cars this weekend? What? Am I to guess that maybe what is owing on the cars comes off the purchase price of the football team or what? KP was right saying that there is soooo much spin going on. Also, I really do no buy KP's Sgt. Schultz act, but I can understand it.

OSBORNK said...

I think the situation with RPM & other teams that is being hidden from us will have a big impact next year. I think NASCAR will be begging S&P teams to show up so there will be enough cars to fill the field. There are only about four teams with a reasonable chance to win (Stewart and similar teams are simply poorly hidden extensions of one of the four teams). The power of Hendrick controls NASCAR decisions and their interpetation of rules.

A few years ago, NASCAR racing was a frequent topic of convervation during the week with my friends. The only conversation I have had in recent months about NASCAR was discussing Tim Richmond (and only because a friend knew him personally). I expect the "sport" will become more like professional wrestling before it gets any better.

Lisa Hogan said...

Hello to everyone!

I watched the Truck race and the Nationwide race yesterday. I caught up with the comments last night during half-time of my football game. :)

During all the pre-race shows, I am busy around the house and just catch bits and pieces. I never watch the racing chef thingy.

I will watch the race today...live and will catch up with the comments during the commercials. I have a PC and don't post much during the race.

As always, thanks JD!

Anonymous said...

Putting a chef in a firesuit doesn't make cooking a NASCAR topic.

Who the heck is producing this show these days?

Daly Planet Editor said...

RaceDay is a wild mix of segments and topics. I like how JR just smiles and ignores it all.

OSBORNK said...

KW knows "everything".

glenc1 said...

Did I just hear Kenny say he knows everything and we don't..? Geeeeeeeeeeez.......

Daly Planet Editor said...

Kenny knows, but he won't share! Can you believe he said that?

Chadderbox said...

Osbornk - I agree with you but I hope you are not right. IF (and I mean a big IF) Nascar WERE to become a topic of discussion "like professional wrestling" in the future, I would think it would be hard for Nascar to come back from that. That would not be good.

AncientRacer said...

Yes, Kenny, we know you know. You're so special. Whew.

Anonymous said...

Kenny says fans don't know everything but they ( Kenny & tv people) do. So we should listen to them. KP says later on the story will come out.

Hey heres a radical thought, why not have the reporters report the story that you aren't telling us yet. Reporters reporting the back story instead of being PR shills for teams.

KW saying we know more than you so just do/believe as we say does not sit well with every one at our house

Mike (Detroit) said...

Scott Orr @ 11:02 am: Good Point...Good Queastion

Chadderbox said...

What in world has happened to KW? He has just went downhill and fast as a tv commentator. I really used to like him 5-6 years ago but he has not evolved as a commentator/ analyst and he is out shined week after week by those around him.

glenc1 said...

You know, I don't expect Kyle P or anyone else to come forth with all the things they know with business & family being involved. Personally, I think a lot of rumors are true, and then the teams backtrack and pretend it never happened (and no one 'tells'). Then they make fun of the reporters for being wrong when I think they were originally right. Because they're all protecting themselves.

But Kenny needs to know that fans can read; I knew all about the Gillette/Henry deal before it was talked about in racing circles; it was a sports headline about soccer (futbol...) He also needs to know that bragging about him knowing it all is lousy journalism and is not going to give him any credibility whatsoever. I at least expect them to report what they can. He has no involvement, so why isn't HE telling us? Gee, cause he's afraid of losing friends by violating the garage code of secrecy. I know I'm rambling but that just set me off.

Travis_Prochaska said...

I was just wondering what the DISH Network signal is like for any of you. For me, SPEED channel is jumping in and out with the signal. A dialog box keeps appearing stating that the signal has been lost. It will then regain the signal for a few minutes, and then we repeat the process. I wouldn't think it is the weather in Lincoln, NE since it is a pretty sunny day to this point. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Happy Race Day Planeteers :)

@Larry--yup a lot of fans have been turned off with the top 35 and the "it's not a playoff" playoffs. A few AFAIK now defunct sites lots some great writers over that. They hated it, stopped writing articles & said they were giving up on the sport. And I know several fans who did the same.

Osbornk & Glen--yup Herman knows all and were dumb. The other day he was "telling" us why we should love the Ethenol & to stop whining about it.

OSBORNK said...

Kenny Wallace has done the impossible. He has made DW sound like a voice of reason and modesty.

AncientRacer said...

KW has been insufferable today. I'm glad Raceday is almost over.

Mike (Detroit) said...

And yet again Kenny Wallace opens his mouth and inserts his foot. I swear to God, he reminds me of a teenage boy who is in desprate need of ritalin.

Anonymous said...

What, Herm? Did you just say that Jimmie Johnson, the #1 driver at HMS, has no more money than anyone else?

You can just stop talking now.

Or do you have "inside info" on this, too?

glenc1 said...

Travis, haven't had any issues on my DISH in central NY. Weather nice here too.

OSBORNK said...

Travis, it must be a weather situation. Dish has been working perfectly for me. I think this is the sunspot time of year when the signal can be disrupted due to atmospheric conditions. I had this problem a few times several years ago.

PammH said...

I'm sorry, but toeing the company line "JJ is good for the sport, blah, blah blah" is NOT gonna make me like him any better! Why can't they understand that?

Chadderbox said...

KW has lost him mind today!

Chadderbox said...

Sorry - I mean KW has lost HIS mind!

OSBORNK said...

Has this been the most useless and least informative show they have ever had?

The weather here in Virginia is great and probably the last weekend of pretty leaves. Why go to or watch a race when you can ride through the beautiful mountains in a car or on a motorcycle for only the cost of gas.

AncientRacer said...

Hermie was the most entertaining and informative part of Raceday today. He seems genuinely excited to be driving. Good for him. I hope he does well.

Daly Planet Editor said...

RaceDay is soo watered-down. John Roberts just grins and haw-haw guy. What a waste. SPEED has to take over producing that show next year.

PammH said...

Zippy had the bestest line in the driver/cc piece, imo!

OSBORNK said...

They are digging deep to have something on Countdown and not address the issues of the day. Old cop cars running around in the mud is not what I tuned in to watch.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Weird choice this deep into the playoffs.

Ken-Michigan said...

TV could have really done something today on any of these long winded pre-race shows that would have gotten a thumbs up from every NASCAR fan.

MRN's Barney Hall.

SPEED's RaceDay "mentioned" Mr. Hall for about 15 seconds.

Mr.Hall was recognized and honored during the drivers meeting for 50 years in the sport.

TV pre-race should have done more. Dedicate an entire segment to the man whose voice is more a part of this sport than the sport itself.

Coast to coast & border to border, you could search the radio dial on a NASCAR Sunday and if you heard HIS voice, THAT voice, you knew you found the race.

If you've had the opportunity to shake the mans hand, you already know that they don't come any nicer than Barney Hall.

If TV won't do it, let's all raise a glass at today's Green Flag in appreciation for a man who has spent 50 years bringing us the action.

Here's to you Barney Hall !

OSBORNK said...

JJ is dominating the TV attention already.

Anonymous said...

@Pammmmmmmmmmmm---agreed! They can say whatever they want but fans are MAD and not watching because of the dominance. I don't see how that's "good" for the sport. I don't care how they try to cover the taste it it's still nasty & fans aren't swallowing it.

Well many on Twitterville liked the segment at Greg's property and want to play. So some of us did like it :).

bobbydjr said...

Wendy Venturini is one of my favorite reporters. I believe her talents are wasted on RaceDay with all those bafoons. She was the only reason I watched it until a few months ago. But even as much as I like her, she couldn't save that show. I don't even consider turning it on anymore. My hope is Wendy finds a better place to grace us with her expertise and effervescence. The rest on that show can fade away into obscurity for all I care, especially that condescending Kenna Wallace.

oldnewenglander said...

Nascar took the driveshaft cover off the 48. Wonder if that will be mentioned at all again today? Why do I doubt it.

Daly Planet Editor said...

NASCAR took a #48 part?

Anonymous said...

Probably a titanium driveshaft cover to get more weight low ~ Penalty on Tuesday?

bobbydjr said...

During pre-race inspection, NASCAR confiscated the driveshaft cover from Jimmy Johnson's car and replaced it with another one. JJ is allowed to keep his 19th place starting postion. No pre-race penalties were given by NASCAR, but the final decision will come Tuesday.

Imagine that?

Charlie said...

My NFL team the Packers play later tonight so I will get to see this race live.
Hoping for minimum in-car cams or bumper cams under green.

Anonymous said...

Even though it was all chase centered that was an awesome opening.

Daly Planet Editor said...

That story is huge!

Anonymous said...

Good Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. Can't go wrong with a college band. It somewhat lends to the southern small town flavor of Martinsville as opposed to the glitz, glamour and Hollywood stars in Fontana.

AncientRacer said...

Blimp shot seemed to show a good crowd. No sellout, but a crowd. Could have been the distance, though

Anonymous said...

Better to give him penalty points tuesday than making him start at the back today and make it up with one 2 tire pit stop!

Roland said...

In race reporter is....Carl Edwards. Big surprise.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Conway sitting this one out. Thanks for that one - he is not Sprint Cup material.

Anonymous said...

Who advises Nascar and ESPN to delay the start of the races until folks can get set up in front of the NFL games? Why cant they start the race at 1 pm at the same time as the NFL?

oldnewenglander said...

Marty just said there are 43 cars, all capable of performing. Really?

Anonymous said...

Well this may be NASCAR's chance to even the points up on Tuesday. See if they have the kahunnas to dock JJ a few points.

Charlie said...

Has Espn mentioned the drive shaft cover on the 48?

RWar24 said...

Short track race, I'll say Lap 14 for the first commercial break.

Danielle Goldberg said...

You should know better than to criticize TV partners trying to do their job. You owe ESPN/Fox an apology.

oldnewenglander said...

@Charlie

AB mentioned it in passing on ESPN2. That was all.

Anonymous said...

in north charlotte ESPN is jet black on the screen! anyone else having issues? MI Connection cable!

I was getting ready to watch the leaders go around in circles all day on ESPN.

Anonymous said...

Commercial on lap 11 today....

Daly Planet Editor said...

No TV complaints from that area.

Anonymous said...

a lot of empty seats in turn 4 commercial lap 13

Anonymous said...

In the first five laps we have numerous in-car shots and several ground level shots that preclude getting a grasp on how the race is developing. This is stupid. The motive must be to keep the viewer in the dark about what is happening on the track in Martinsville.

Mike (Detroit) said...

And cut to erectal disfunction

Anonymous said...

14 laps at a short track and boom - commercial. Remotes change channels to NFL games and might not go back.

Anonymous said...

wow tight, ground level shots.

Anonymous said...

Am hating the camera angles right now. No perspective.

Martin Vincent said...

Joining late...

S&P: 64, 87, 81
Maybe: 13, 36

Anonymous said...

jj vs hamlin show

Daly Planet Editor said...

Thanks MV!

Sophia said...

Not watching the race. Dealing with some other issues & after reading here, am glad I did not set the DVR at home.

Nice to see ESPN/NASCAR are NOT concerned about the biggest turn off to the race. *insert sarcasm*
HORRIBLE Camera work

Will watch SPEED report tonight & catch comments on Twitter maybe.

Anonymous said...

Commercial break every 20 laps?

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna tune out if it turns to the JJ vs Hamlin coverage.

OSBORNK said...

With the short track,even with very close shots and in-car cameras, they can't hide the many empty seats. When there are that many empty seats on a track that holds just over 60,000 people, it is not a good sign. I suspect the TV ratings will reflect the same lack of interest.

Charlie said...

Marty is watching the monitor.
Such a shame to have such great seats to see the race and you watch a Tv instead.

Martin Vincent said...

Harvick is only 77 points behind the point leader and the over-dramatic opening sequence had Johnson and Hamlin walking side-by-side, as if they were the only 2 drivers with a chance at the championship.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Reporters at track say 48 piece taken not on display and apparently "no big deal."

saltsburgtrojanfan said...

cheater chad is at it again

Anonymous said...

MV,

I avoided the pre-race because I knew they were going to talk about the same things and over hyped it. I hate ESPN.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Marty got caught pants down watching TV.

josh said...

if nascar takes a part from a team, that means it is illegal, if for some reason there is no penalty to the 48 on tuesday, this sport is screwed

OSBORNK said...

Of course the confiscated part is not a big deal. I'm sure it was unintentional unlike the Boyer violation.

Anonymous said...

I'm watching today just becuase it is Martinsville.

AncientRacer said...

Of course it is "no big deal"! Think of the effect on the script if it were a "big deal" Shot selection bites as others have said.

Charlie said...

A tweet from a driver is a bigger deal then Nascar removing an part from a car. Cool.

RWar24 said...

Can somebody tell me how a driveshaft cover is a big deal? Somebody needs to take a deep breath.

Anonymous said...

The camera was so wide, we could see half the backstretch. Then the zoom button was pressed until we could see Jeff Burton's eyes.

racingfool said...

The inside info I just got was that the drive shaft cover was made of duct tape and bailing wire. Let's go back to the roots baby!

AncientRacer said...

@RWar24

It is the same way 65000th of an inch or whatever is a big deal. If one is the other must be --- unless it is Jimmie, I guess. I wonder if Clint knows about it yet.

josh said...

if a part does not conform to the rules, and is taken, it is illegal, doesnt matter what part it is

Charlie said...

Tight shots at a short track does not work.

Mike (Detroit) said...

Boy the shot from the helicopter is nice. Wish they would use that a lot more.

Daly Planet Editor said...

No way to know. Could be weight, size, venting or a number of issues. Just guessing right now. As you may know, Chad K has a long history of fines and suspensions.

racingfool said...

I was just in Mooresville talking to some of the poor teams and bottom line is they are now afraid of showing up at the track with a Cup car as the tolerance levels are so strict they cannot be sure to meet them. A fine would put them out of business. Good news for some of you is that it is eliminating a bunch of start and parkers.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it also less of a deal if it is figured out BEFORE the race as opposed to someone doing something outside of the rules and having it taken AFTER the race?

AncientRacer said...

@Anon 1:48

To me it should not matter. Is it worse for me to be caught trying to get into an event with a fake ticket or if I get caught after I get in?

Anonymous said...

A lot of tailpipes

Anonymous said...

"couldn't wait until the end of the commercial to complete the pass" ??????????

racingfool said...

The fact is that it was Jimmie's Car and they do not want to screw up Nascar's big plan of him 5 peating! Any other small team would have been parked for the race or worse.

OSBORNK said...

Beautiful day. I'm going to ride one of my motorcycles for a while.

Charlie said...

My pet peeve.
Up to Speed is a filler for Espn.
If the race was broadcast correctly you would never have to have a field run down because the camera work and announcers would keep you up to date where cars are.

Anonymous said...

I'm getting really dizzy watching this. The camera keeps zooming in and out, the shots keep changing. In-car, tight shot, wide shot, tight shot, blimp shot...all in 60 second!

Daly Planet Editor said...

These tight camera shots might be fun to watch in the TV truck, but they are deadly up against NFL games.

AncientRacer said...

Might be fun in the tv truck, but they have all the other monitors too. I don't

oldnewenglander said...

If anyone here watched Mizzou-Oklahoma last night, ABC used tight shots during that football game. There were quite a few times that they had the cable cam so tight on the running back carrying the ball that you couldn't tell where a potential tackler might be.

Kind of like not knowing when the pack starts closing or the race leader is about to catch up to the backmarkers.

Anonymous said...

Camera work and the tickers are making me dizzy. TV going off - I will "watch" race on TrackPass and MRN.

Have a great afternoon all

Anonymous said...

Elliot Sadler stopping on the track brings back memories of Brett Bodine doing the same thing on the backstretch in 2002. No penalty back then, 2 laps now.

oldnewenglander said...

Waiting for Tim Brewer to tell us they don't run inner liners at half-mile racetracks.

Darcie said...

Hey, everyone. I've not posted as much here, not because of the blog, which I think is wonderful, and is necessary to try and keep the media honest, but because I've become totally upset with Nascar. I'm tired of the change as you go rules, of the crappy racing, of only a few teams having a chance to win, of Nascar "insiders" singing a happy tune and force feeding fans outright lies and finally I'm tired of terrible coverage by all three networks.

I will tell you, if the 48 gets away with absolutely no penalty, when they totally dumped on Bowyer for 1/1600 ths of an inch, I, along with many others, will leave Nascar for good

Martin Vincent said...

David Gilliland off the track because of a rear gear failure, crew working on it. No thanks to ESPN!

Anonymous said...

at&t give me a break

Charlie said...

Only 3 hours more of this.

BillyDelyon said...

Anyone else getting tired of '4 in a row time' driving like a bumper car today?


Mercy!

saltsburgtrojanfan said...

John

If Chad Knaus has a history of fines and suspensions, why don't NASCAR ban him for life.

Just my take

racingfool said...

Thanks Tim Brewer for making us so much smarter.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Well there ya go!

racingfool said...

Brewer even makes Hammond look smart. That IS hard to do!

Charlie said...

Tight shots mean you miss other action on the track.
Maybe Tim Brewer can explain that.

racingfool said...

Brewer even makes Hammond look smart. That IS hard to do!

Martin Vincent said...

Do teams really have short-track wheels? I thought they just didn't mount an inner-liner and used the inner valve hole instead of the outer one for short tracks.

Chadderbox said...

Same poor coverage again this week. I am sorry! It's just sucks!

ESPN is actually becoming quite good at destroying the race coverage. Each week it is just another version of the same disaster. The coverage of the race is so poor I wont even make a list. They have got to be doing this on purpose.

Going back to Bristol coverage, these jokers CAN'T do a short track!

oldnewenglander said...

How long before we start hearing about brake issues?

Charlie said...

To much jumping around with camera work. I will read about who wins later today.

Off to football.

Mike (Detroit) said...

#31 & #29 running good today. Good for Childress.

Anonymous said...

haha ESPN returns from commercials to do promos

Anonymous said...

WTF. Commercials now every 5 minutes? Terrible. I barely know what's going on this race.

RWar24 said...

Wow, that almost worth coming back from commercial for. I hope those 5 laps they just showed didn't get them behind.. UGH!!!

Becky [@hightechredneck] said...

I have the tv volume so low I can barely hear it. Did they mention anything about Truex's issue w/ the loose wheel before they went BACK to commercial? I thought I heard "56 car" but nothing else.

Daly Planet Editor said...

This kind of coverage, other than Bestwick is just soo hard to watch.

Anonymous said...

ya know, about the 48 thing...if NASCAR really wanted them to get away with cheating, why take the part and not just pretend it was okay? Whose eyes are on that during inspection? Just wondering....

AncientRacer said...

Marty Reid was saying few weeks ago we should feel blessed because back in the day they only had 5 cameras. How I miss those days.

Chadderbox said...

ESPN Race Coverage = ADHD and JJ's Show

Brian's Chase = Lost fans and Manufactured Drama

Brian's Leadership = Failure

ESPN and Brian's Brain = Disaster for Nascar

Martin Vincent said...

@AncientRacer - They didn't have two dozen in-car cameras (minimum 6 cars with 4 angles each) back then. Take those away and the coverage would be somewhat better. That'll never happen, too big a source of revenue from the "in-car shot" sponsors.

sbaker17 said...

My digital camera malfunctioned the other day and would continually zoom in, then out, and so forth on and so on. Wonder if the ESPN cameras are having the same problem?

Bad announcing and bad camera work with too much else to occupy my time. Adios ESPN.
Keep up the good work JD

Ken-Michigan said...

marty reid YOU are terrible !!!

Anonymous said...

wait what was Marty Looking at that he didn't call what was happening with 12,82 and 78

Mike (Detroit) said...

Yeah in car cams are a big money thing for sure. Squeeze that lemon just a little harder.

AncientRacer said...

@MV

I know. It's the bucks.

In cars were once a treat. I remember the first race I watched that had an in-car. Was Cale at AMS. Camera sat behind him like you were riding in the back seat watching him drive and able to see out the windshield. Was coo. Esp. as he won the race.

adamtw1010 said...

Action happening on track on the screen live and ESPN reporters talking about something else. Opportunity for exciting broadcasting missed. Epic Fail.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Think Marty is in the Tech Garage with Tim?

Martin Vincent said...

@AncientRacer - I remember that. They were as big as the first-generation camcorders and had their own battery to provide power to them. Drivers didn't want them in their car because they added too much high-positioned weight in their car. Fast forward a couple of decades and Robby Gordon didn't want them in his car because they can set it on fire.

AncientRacer said...

Any bets that the copywriter for the Cars.com ad featuring the character named "Timothy Richmond" had no idea at all...?

Martin Vincent said...

Anyone know what happened to Bobby Labonte? Is ESPN going to tell us?

Mike (Detroit) said...

Boy they sure are quick with that good old yellow flag. I'm sure that helps them get in all the required commercials they sold.

Mike (Detroit) said...

Back to GoodFellas on Spike :)

Ken-Michigan said...

JD -

This is simply amazing how they cover these races.

The 77 / 82 squabble was never followed up on at all, after it was so blatant.

No update at all on the 33 going to garage.

why not talk to crew chiefs like the old days ?

Producers need to take blame for much of how this is covered.

I could call this race AND produce it better from my couch.

Anonymous said...

Is the new drinking game to take a drink whenever Marty says "Side by side"???

Jonathan said...

Holla everyone!

Jonathan said...

Anon im with you
side by side

drink drink ;P

oldnewenglander said...

@Anon 2:57 p.m.

We actually wish Marty would say side-by-side a lot more. As in "as we go side-by-side."

Daly Planet Editor said...

Not even halfway. Ouch.

Jonathan said...

Scott Speed has no luck! Anyword on his future I know he wont be back with Red Bull and I dont see anyone picking him up now a days will he go to Nationwide or Trucks?

RWar24 said...

They totally missed that J. Gordon stayed out. Plus whoever pitted before stayed out. So Marty says that Newman taking 2 tires will be the xx lead change.. Yeah there was a lead change but it wasn't because Newman took 2 tires... Terrible coverage.

Martin Vincent said...

Sidenote here: no S&P teams in the garage still, Cassill and Blaney were off the track for a bit, but all 5 teams that I suspected might S&P are still on track.

AncientRacer said...

@MV

That is interesting. Maybe because this race is like street car speeds, less mechanical wear and tear?

RWar24 said...

They go to in-race reporter, I check out NFL for a couple of minutes. Another one of ESPN's worthless features.

Mike (Detroit) said...

@ RWar24

Ok I thought it was me like I blacked out or something, Lord have mercy. The ist 13 stayed out.

josh said...

dear espn producer, when using the big box and small box, always put the racing action in the big box and the other stuff in the small box, why did we need to see mark martin in the big box right there

Jonathan said...

Josh at least they showed it, if they didnt people would say oh why didnt they show what happened to Mark! LOL im ok w that

BillyDelyon said...

Motor mouth Marty is the worst...


Mercy!

Daly Planet Editor said...

It's almost like they are mailing it in.

PammH said...

Boy, ESPN is breaking up really bad rite now...:(

oldnewenglander said...

Did not realize they were allowed to pass the pace car on the access road, but I guess so.

Daly Planet Editor said...

Can you believe they did not follow Junior up to the lead?

Mike (Detroit) said...

Well they were on his in car cam when they went to commercial, so, maybe somehow , we could someway figuar out that Jr is in the lead.

BillyDelyon said...

It does seem like they are just givin up JD.

Andy sounds so down cast...

Yikes...

Anonymous said...

I turned off the tv for 30 minutes to relieve my headache. It took 5 minutes of ESPN camera work for my migraine headache to return.

I love Martinsville, but just can't deal with the jumpy camera work that zooms in and out every corner.

AncientRacer said...

Jr. leading! If he wins he gets 500 bonus points and we have a REAL Chase!

Sally said...

He Planeteers! Just got back home...was listening to the race on the radio on the way home. Unfortunately, they concentrated the mahority of their coverage in the top 10 or 15 cars. Discovered that listening to a race while driving on the X way can lead to excessive speeds.

BillyDelyon said...

JJ is driving really ruff today...

Someones going to take him out if he keeps this up...

Sally said...

Is junior REALLY leading?

Mike (Detroit) said...

Man that helicopter cam is so nice, we just got treated to 3 seconds of it.

BillyDelyon said...

He's pulling the ol "8 wheels is better than 4"..

(Jimmy)

BillyDelyon said...

Poor Ambrose..

Can't buy a break...

Daly Planet Editor said...

These dudes are just lost!

Anonymous said...

Their cameras have caught jimmi doing quite a bit of bummping ~ I hope they are able to catch the payback if it happens!

Jonathan said...

GO JR WOOOOOOOOOOOOO JR JR JR JR!!! Sweet its about time

Anonymous said...

Has our moderator left for Dolphins-Steelers yet?

BillyDelyon said...

If I hear one more time "Jimmy and Denny have won the last 8 races here"....

YAWN!


Good Grief...

Daly Planet Editor said...

If ESPN was covering this race with intensity, effort and knowledge it would be fantastic. This is good rscing.

Anonymous said...

@Anon 3:48
Fins are in the 4th. If he's gone he won't be back for a bit. I'm basically there now too

Anonymous said...

Past history? Is that kind of like the current present or forward future?

BillyDelyon said...

My head just hit my keyboard when they went to Brewer...

Mike (Detroit) said...

And if they just pulled back the cameras and nothing else it would be 100%

BillyDelyon said...

Gordons crew just blew it big...


Ouch.

Sally said...

Wow. Jr. didn't lose positions on pit road. That doesn't happen too often. The thing I love about short tracks is that there is ALWAYS something going on, even if it's dealing with lapped traffic. That's why I prefere them to all those cookie cutters.

Anonymous said...

Bears are driving with 3 minutes to play against the moderator's other team, trailing by 3.

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