Live Blogging Sprint Cup Series In Las Vegas (2PM - FOX)

The good news is that the weather has cleared and it is going to be a beautiful day in the Las Vegas area. The bad news is that the rematch of USA vs. Canada in Olympic hockey is on NBC up against the NASCAR race.

The NASCAR on FOX team has been having a hit or miss season. They missed in Daytona but rebounded in California. This week, Darrell Waltrip has been on SPEED many times covering practice, qualifying and as a panelist on the Trackside show. His behavior had been nothing short of erratic.

On Trackside, Jeff Hammond actually changed chairs to sit next to Waltrip and could be seen trying to quiet him down while fellow panelists tried to ask questions of guest Danica Patrick. When Juan Montoya arrived as the next guest, Walrip again talked constantly.

Mike Joy is a well known commodity in the NASCAR world. He can deliver stirring play-by-play and knows how to tell the stories unfolding on the track. Joy's booth partner Larry McReynolds provides information on race strategy and crew chief issues. It is left up to Waltrip to deal with the driver topics and call the replays.

Waltrip will begin the day in the Hollywood Hotel with Hammond and host Chris Myers. This week, the Slice of Pizzi feature continues with driver interviews conducted in an embarrassing fashion for the sake of comedy. The pre-race show has been struggling and the race today really needs a strong lead-in.

The FOX Director is a veteran, but the struggle between showing the field and using in-car cameras has been rough. Normally, TV waits until the field gets strung-out to use the in-cars in order not to miss any incidents or key passes. FOX has been going early to the in-cars and has been forced to replay a lot of action for the TV viewers.

Joy has been handling a big commercial and promo load of show elements that he reads from the booth. That has taken away from his commentary duties. It should be interesting to see if the FOX movie promos and the in-race videos continue. While the Digger presence is less, the commercial elements inserted into the races have been distracting this season.

The pit road reporters Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren are going to be key today. Action at Vegas happens quickly and often involves more than one car. Information needs to be passed along and interviews conducted with drivers out of the race. There may be more than a few.

In a Sunday morning update, The NASCAR Insiders passed along from the track that NASCAR was putting pressure on the "start and park" cars to stay on the track and even do pit stops. You may remember that Dave Blaney's S&P car was taken last week after the race with NASCAR claiming it was a "routine inspection." See if FOX addresses this topic during the pre-race or the live race telecast.

The pre-race show begins at 2PM and the green flag flies at 3:16PM. The telecast is scheduled to run until 6:30PM ET. This post will serve to host your comments during the NASCAR on FOX broadcast of the Sprint Cup Series event from Las Vegas.

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.

Ready To Get Pizzi With NASCAR On FOX?

It was mid-September when the FOX Sports website rolled out an online show called Cubed. Produced by FOX, the original episode featured profanity, nudity and stunned most media members. FOX had promoted it as the next big thing. It was tasteless, demeaning and hateful toward women.

Here is a report from JeffPearlman.com about what happened next:

FoxSports.com’s Web series “Cubed” may have pushed the line too far with its debut episode. The Web site pulled the launch episode of “Cubed” and replaced it with a much more politically correct version. Female nudity was at first pixilated and then later removed entirely. Also, some of the raunchier segments were deleted, including a discussion among the show’s three main characters about whether they would rather watch the WNBA or gay porn.

Fox Sports said in a statement, “The entire concept was always described as experimental as it is quite simply, a world first. In an experiment, things happen which are not always predicted. As one moves down the experimental pathway, it is normal to make changes and adjustments, hence the changes in the Cubed version now available.”

The most disgusting of the three cast members on Cubed is named Chris Pizzi. If you think FOX Sports backed off this concept, just click right here and make sure the kids are out of the room. It's now part of the catchy Lunch with Benefits webcast series.

Thursdays, Lunch with Benefits offers Pizzi and porn star Nikki Benz in Cubed. Fridays, it offers Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds in 3Wide. Click here to take a peek.

Pizzi and the NASCAR on FOX gang then get together on Sundays during the Sprint Cup Series pre-race shows. A Slice of Pizzi is the hot new feature being pushed by Fox this season. Click here for an example with guest Jeff Gordon.

Pizzi is from Philly and his father is the CEO of the Tasty Baking Company. The elder Pizzi preaches ethics in business as the key to his success. "I don't want to be associated with anyone who doesn't have integrity," Pizzi told a local newspaper. "Because I really believe that the number-one thing we leave this earth with is our reputation."

Jeff Gordon fans were not too pleased that their driver, already suffering with a chronic bad back, was made to tote an obese FOX Production Assistant around the studio while his pants fell off. Apparently to Fox, that was NASCAR comedy.

Now in the tenth year of covering the sport, the Hollywood Hotel act has grown old. The Digger cartoon has been retired. Apparently, Mr. Pizzi is the new flavor of the month where adding a spark to the telecast is concerned.

So, get ready for more Pizzi videos. FOX is here with the next big thing...again.

TDP welcomes your comments on this topic. 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 and participating.

Mondays On SPEED About To Change

We finally received what is supposed to be the final revision of SPEED's expanded Monday night NASCAR block of programming Here is the official info:

NASCAR Race Hub will air at 7:30PM ET.

Nightly NASCAR show, set in the center of the NASCAR racing community (Charlotte, NC), pools the talents of SPEED’s extensive stable of on-air personalities to deliver a 30-minute casual visit with the sport’s hottest stars and most influential players.

Fast Track to Fame will air at 8:00PM ET.

It’s the wildest collection of talent ever assembled at NASCAR tracks. Singers, dancers, comedians and a whole lot more perform in front of three judges. The judges will be Riki Rachtman, a former rocker and host of radio's NASCAR 24/7; Hollywood talent manager Kathy L. Carter; and a weekly guest judge culled from NASCAR's many personalities. The show will be hosted by Michael Waltrip and Fox/FSN on-air talent Charissa Thompson. Fans looking to be contestants on the show should sign up for an audition at www.fasttracktofame.com.

The Racing Chef with chef Nicky Morse will air at 9:00PM ET.

Host Nicky Morse is a colorful, entertaining and talented five star Chef who will take viewers beyond the basics of grilling and tailgating. Each week, Nicky will find a variety of people to share stories, food and cooking tips. The Racing Chef will visit local establishments, prepare signature dishes and share the general love of NASCAR racing and food with the drivers, teams and fans.

Sounds of NASCAR hosted by Steve Byrnes will air at 9:30PM ET.

This all access show will give viewers the opportunity to see and hear the stories behind the race. This show will capture conversations with drivers, crews and officials not only during the race, but also during practice or qualifying sessions. It will be insightful and entertaining as viewers experience the perspective of those who participate in NASCAR. Although the racing radio conversations will present the most dynamic moments, it is the routine conversations behind the scenes which will give the show a unique texture.

NASCAR in A Hurry Monday Edition will air at 10:00PM ET.

This show recaps the highlights of Race day from the early morning through the victory lane ceremonies. It’s all the best moments edited into a fast paced review of the day. If you missed the race day, NASCAR in a Hurry get’s you caught up in 30 minutes!

What’s the Deal will air at 10:30PM ET.

Jimmy Spencer answers the often asked question around NASCAR racing, “What’s the Deal”. In a fun and sometimes teasing way, there are always a variety of events or moments which prompt you to ask “What’s the Deal”. As the saying goes, “it’s just one of those racing deals”, so goes this show. For Jimmy Spencer, it is easy to have an opinion and this show will provide a platform for him to talk to viewers/fans about NASCAR racing and other topics. Jimmy is passionate about NASCAR racing and he came from the “school of hard knocks” as he worked his way through the sport as a driver. Jimmy represents the fans who want to see their drivers put it on the line every race. His style is simple: be yourself and speak your mind.

SPEED released this information late on Friday morning. This perhaps suggests conversations continued this week about how best to put this line-up together.

TDP will update this post if any other information is available. In the meantime, what are your thoughts after reading about these new TV series on SPEED? To add your opinion on this topic, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, so please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by.