The week started off with a bang in TV land! Our friends at SPEED are changing things up this season for the January Daytona testing.
Here is the schedule from SPEED. It includes a mix of Internet streaming and TV:
Thursday, Jan. 20
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. (same-day delay) (SPEED TV)
Friday, Jan. 21
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED TV)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
Saturday, Jan. 22
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. – (SPEED TV)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. – (SPEED.com)
Here is the official info that came out Monday afternoon:
SPEED and SPEED.com are presenting 23 hours of live testing coverage from Daytona Jan. 20-22 as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series engines roar back to life in the month of January for the first time in three years.
“The most important thing we do at SPEED is cover the NASCAR season from the minute the cars first hit the track until the champion makes his acceptance speech at the banquet each year and everything in between,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “We’re psyched that we get to start a little earlier now that Daytona testing is back, and based on what we heard from drivers at the Goodyear tire test in December, this is one test session you won’t want to miss.”
John Roberts and Jeff Hammond host SPEED’s on-air coverage from the studio above Victory Lane at Daytona. Steve Byrnes, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip will offer analysis throughout the practice sessions with reporting by Bob Dillner and Krista Voda. SPEED.com is presenting live streaming of all on-track activity with the exception of 3-5 p.m. ET Thursday, and will feature a rotation of on-air personalities.
Daytona testing coverage gives fans their first extended look at the new race surface at Daytona International Speedway -- a surface the racers expect will add to the level of excitement in February.
“It’s basically like going to a new track,” said four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, following the recent tire test. “What our engineers can do now with the cars is a lot more aggressive and totally different from what we have had in the past ... Now, it is all about speed, and I think it will make for more exciting race, more aggressive racing. I think you will be able to see us race three-wide lap after lap after lap.”
It looks like SPEED is trying to balance a Barrett-Jackson auction and Daytona testing with just one TV channel. This streaming is a great experiment and it should be interesting to see how mainstream NASCAR fans react to this approach.
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44 comments:
Fabulous news! Hope this is the beginning of many such streaming shows!
Awesome! I was hoping to wake up this morning and find this out! However, I do have classes in the morning and early afternoon so I am going to miss the streaming :/ I wonder how much of it will be replayed or highlighted on Speed TV the nights of the tests'. But anyway, this is GREAT to hear. But long over due.
Oh and one more thing, this just hit me. Why would Speed not cover this live on TV? That makes no sense whatsoever. If it was then I'd be able to record it and watch it later in the day. But no. Seems to me like Speed thinks that the Barret Jackson replays are far more important than their NASCAR coverage.
Testing is a big Yawn no matter where it's played. There is zero importance to it what so ever to the fan. Just have good coverage for the actual racing at Daytona, including qualifying. But testing? Yawn.
John, why would you say that? This is the first time cars on the new pavement, lots of top drivers and personalities to answer questions and great behind the scenes access that fans don't get on race weekends.
My view is that this is exactly what the sport is lacking.
JD
good news about the streaming updates. Welcome to the 21st century, NASCAR!
I guess it's just a difference of opinion. Who would want to watch testing? It's boring. Watching qualifying at Daytona is bad enough - I can't see wasting one second on watching testing. I guess I just want to watch quality racing on Sunday. But I'm sure it's great for the fans that want to watch it.
Thanks for keeping us updated!
I am excited to see the track surface in action for myself, even if it's on my laptop screen at work.
Could this lead to practices and qualifying being streamed on Speed this season? Hoping everything goes well with the process!
JD
Do you know what does Speed have to pay Turner for the online streaming versus having to pay (I assume Nascar) for the TV broadcast? Do they pay less if it isnt live on TV?
Bill H
Bill, because it's testing there is no issue.
I can hardly wait to see what truck, NNS and Cup races are streamed.
My big interest is whether or not SPEED will begin to stream it's own support shows both on and off the track.
It's going to be a very interesting online year.
JD
It may be "boring" but it's great to have the boyz back after 2 months.
Glad they're providing so much online coverage
I'd like to know the purpose of NASCAR.com after this announcement. Other sites are miles ahead with news. Online tv and Sirius streaming has been a struggle. The main page is still unorganized and cluttered.
"I can hardly wait to see what truck, NNS and Cup races are streamed."
JD, I'll admit I don't get it. I could see watching a streamed race if one didn't have access to the appropriate network. Assuming one's cable or satellite has all the network partners, what's the advantage of watching a streamed race over a 'broadcast' one?
This is great news! I am so happy! This is great for the sport and it will give the hardcore fan somethig to help them get through the final few weeks of the offseason.
Palmetto,
It serves those who want to watch, but are not able to sit with a TV for the duration.
It's actually a huge market and is on the verge of dwarfing conventional appointment television.
JD
For me it isn't so much watching the testing as it will be about hearing what the drivers and crew chiefs have to say.
Considering how often I am doing something else on race day (for at least part of the time)I'd love to see the races streamed!
Not to beat a dead engine, but your description sounds like the functionality of a DVR. Is there some advantage that I'm missing?
I'm thrilled we're going to get some testing.
And can't believe SPEED is going to break into the B-J auction to put some of it on TV.
Thanks, SPEED.
Cars on the new pavement! I may actually make it through January now. LOL
Since Cup and Cup Lite have pretty much become "pre-determined", I'm more interested in seeing what's going on with the Truck Series. It's the only NAPCAR series that actually has some real racing left and doesn't put you to sleep.
JD, any word yet on whether or not Scrub will be back in the Truck Series next season as it was up in the air at the end on last season?
Thanks.
Palmetto: Yes, it was not going to be on TV. Remember the old review shows with little footage and old interviews? Live is where it's at, no matter how you deliver it.
This announcement is big, potentially huge.
It signals what could be the beginning of a totally new way for NASCAR fans to view and perhaps participate in the sport. It could open the doors to endless options for creative innovations. Imagine logging on to a screen with dozens of different camera angles (think RaceBuddy on steriods) and having the freedom to watch what you want without those pesky commentators. Can we say bye bye to those annoying commercials as we know them and hello to real-time, individually directed race experiences.
Woo boy howdy. Makes this old fan look forward to something except the same old, same old.
Race on!
NASCAR returning in any form is good news. I only have access to live streamming when I'm home. I'm thankful I'm still a working stiff. The sport needs any kind of exposure that will encourage sponsors to jump on board.
We hear you say that Darrell Waltrip will have his silly remarks in this so you can count us out. We don't see the excitment when he is involved.
Glad there is going to be some coverage, but since I'll be at wrok, I won't be able to watch. Guess I'll have to settle for whatever leftovers they choose to show on TV.
Im dissapointed by todays announcement. I only have classes on thursday so I could catch the friday and saturday coverage...but i have DSL so thats not gonna happen. There are millions like me who cant afford anything faster than DSL and I dont think any of the media outlets take that into account when they decide to move programming online.
Online streaming should only be used to supplement a broadcast, not replace one. Not to mention these streams wont be available on demand for viewing later. Not cool Speed. Put this on at night or make it available on demand.
Roland,
SPEED has the Barrett Jackson auction on and only one channel.
Online streaming is a great option. Broadband access anywhere, including a smartphone, should allow you to see this content.
JD
If you are talking about video streaming with the fan being able to pick the drivers they watch and listen to, like raceview, except live video that's awesome.
If you are talking about streaming the dog and pony show like a cup practice session, big deal - not.
Practices show mostly the teams that pay the big bucks to be mentioned and seen.
John P wrote:
Testing is a big Yawn no matter where it's played. There is zero importance to it what so ever to the fan. Just have good coverage for the actual racing at Daytona, including qualifying. But testing? Yawn.
Dude. If you really understood the intricacies of NASCAR you'd realize how crucial this test is- and get a glimpse into how teams work their butts off to disguise how good (or bad) they really are
Bray
Great news for my gadget possessing
race friends. A way to stay in
touch for everyone who is on the
move, however, the defining point
will be in the presentation. If
Jabber Jaws gets carried away I'm
out.
Just to play devil's advocate again--while smartphone use is growing, it's still only a third of the people...and frankly, I think a lot of those people would be better off spending their money on more sensible things rather than keeping up with the techie Joneses. But anyways, while testing in general is kind of boring (even in person), this is an important one because of the track paving. As it happens, I took the track tour last week. We did it road course style (clockwise), but I do have some interesting photos. There's kind of a transitional paving at the place where the banking meets the flat part (not sure if it was like that before.) But it's always interesting to be at the beginning of the season & hear what people have to say (then a few months later we'll all be tired of it, lol.) I only have DSL as well for the time being, so my online viewing is very limited; but to have it is better than not to have it....
@ Anom 8:19.
Bray, don't worry about me. Know all about caster/camber shocks, motors so don't worry about it.
I watch Nascar for racing. Period. Something Nascar has forgotten about. Racing! Not for all the little gosip teenager crap behind the scenes. Kinda a simply thought I do believe. And the racing occures on Sundays and sometimes on Saturday nights. That's what I pay attention to.
Since someone decided to come after me, and it was posted, I want to be clear on my point.
How Nascar gets to the Daytona 500 is not important to the casual fan. Read that - casual fan. Testing is not relevant except to the hardest hard core fans that will watch no matter what.
What matters is the TV production that is broadcast during the Daytona 500, and all the other 35 races of the 2011 season.
Without quality TV production they can stream and stream all they want. But the sport will still keep declining without good TV production. The interest in watching streaming starts with watching on TV first with family and friends. Not holed up alone on a computer or cell phone.
I think this is good for us to be able to see the track's new pavement and how it helps the racing. Then right after that is the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona then it'll be soon another racing season upon us. Wonder if the broadcasts will be any better in 2011????
I think it's unfair to refer to behind the scenes stuff as 'gossip teenager crap'. There are some new teams, as well as new crew chief/driver pairings out there, building chemistry (or not...), not to mention seeing how teams are reacting to possible changes in rules, and other things that happen to keep my interest in what people have to say about their upcoming season. I doubt there's going to be a lot of trash talking since the season has not even started yet. Since SPEED isn't the one bringing us the actually races (except for trucks) they still have an obligation to provide us with quality companion programming. While I think much pre-game/pre-race stuff goes on ad nauseam, I will watch certain programs I believe contribute to my interest/knowledge about the sport (and I don't particularly care about whatever shock packages they're using either.) While I'm not a 'casual' fan, I think you could possibly capture a few this way. If FOX/ESPN/TNT fixed every single thing I don't like about how they cover races, it would not change my desire to see interesting companion programming.
John P -
Just so you know you're not alone, I agree with you 100%. I have been following NASCAR almost 50 years and I'm a retired engineer. I understand what's going on at a testing session, and I still don't care.
Particularly at a restrictor plate track, teams aren't showing you all they've got. It's more like watching a poker game or a chess match. Chess and poker do not interest me, and neither does testing.
For those of you who want access to testing, press conferences, etc, I'm happy that the on-line world seems to be opening up the NASCAR world. For many of us who have been devoted fans for many years, it is indeed a big yawn. I watch NASCAR to see racing competition. Let me know when they start awarding prize money and points for winning a practice or test session.
I find it ironic and wickedly funny that many of the people who want access to testing/practice/press conferences are the same people who are asking for races to be shortened. My days as a fan go back before the fuel crisis of the 1970's resulted in many races being shortened. I have never had the feeling, then or now, that races should be shortened. It fascinates me that people will watch testing, qualification, practice, etc. but then complain that the races are too long. It makes me think of someone who goes to a restaurant and fills up on breadsticks only to ignore the main meal.
John P and I are fans of RACING, and I have never expressed an opinion wishing to have a race shortened. If that makes me a casual fan, I'm good with that.
I want the best of both worlds. I want good racing and a good broadcast of the race (and I can do with less bells and whistles and more substance), but I also want to be able to follow along using the up to date technology of streaming. Of course, I can't access that at work since we have a ban on it.
Guys, IMHO it's not about the content, it's about the access.
The past four seasons have proven one thing beyond the shadow of a doubt. This sport is not working on TV. Something has to change.
IMHO what has to change is NASCAR to step into the real world and simply expose the parts of the sport online that have not been made available before.
The other pro sports leagues are miles ahead in online streaming.
NASCAR needs to offer all the current TV programs/shows online and expand to new offerings like this testing session, garage cams at the race weekends and live coverage from the media center.
Step back and take a look at the big picture. TV is not going to change. FOX, ESPN and TNT are firmly in their trenches for 4 more years.
I don't care if it's a live Hall of Fame cam, a RaceBuddy style application or simply extra content like testing but something has to change and I think the Internet should play a key role in it.
JD
But JD, How can watching online help Nascar's fan base go up? That's for the fans that already follow the sport and are dedicated to the sport. Yes, absolutly it will enhance the experience for the existing fans. But it won't create new fans. The fans come from watching on TV gathered around a group of family or friends watching on TV and having fun. Then the interest is gained and people watch online. Thinking online will create fans is putting the cart in front of the horse. The TV production has to be fixed. Wow - for the first time I'm really the odd man out on this blog. But that's what it's all about :)
@Anon 12:50 Thank You - I'm starting to feel lonely here. And well said to boot. Long term fans already know about the setups and testing and don't need to hear about it over and over. Kinda like watching the tech center on FOX with them explaining to me about a shock and caster/camber. Known that for years. Yawn.
John,
You keep referencing the past and that is not the issue.
Getting more online access for NASCAR is not intended to serve just one fan base.
Certainly, hardcore fans upset at NASCAR's lack of modern Internet technology will respond, but so will those who try it online and like it.
What casual fans know are the personalities, not the tracks or the details. Getting the faces of the top drivers online in any setting or program is going to help.
The argument that testing is BS does not fly at all. You cannot dismiss cars at speed at Daytona as not being valuable to the sport. It's even better when they get to run in packs.
Racing used to be a spectacle. Now, it's judged on who passed who and it if met the criteria of being "exciting" to the fans.
As Allen Bestwick likes to say, you put cars at speed at Daytona and it's exciting no matter what is going on. Add some commentary, online access and interviews and it's a winner.
I like to include in life and not exclude. I understand others are diffferent, but my experience in sports media has taught me not to judge how fans react before something new is done.
I hope SPEED and NASCAR.com continue to chase fans down the road with more online free offerings and expand this category.
JD
JD, you said it well.
Whether you've been a fan for 10 minutes or 50 years (or 51), you still might want to see things not everyone else does. I enjoy racing too, but that doesn't mean to the exclusivity of everything else. Yes, I know the difference between tight and loose or whatever lame thing the tech garage might sometimes cover, but occasionally, they hit something new (not to mention, technology (or lack thereof....) does change. The reason you may already know about it is you were either involved in racing, or someone on TV already explained it to you.
I don't have or want a smartphone, but when people travel, or have no TV access for whatever reason, this type of access certainly helps and is part of the modern age. I don't think it takes the place of watching races on TV, but there's nothing wrong with an 'add'.
Now available online! That's right, now the whole world can see NASCAR racing and what a shock it is going to be for everyone to experience the sport when they hear the voices behind the action.
The bottom line is we all and now the World have to be subjected to the announcers redneck misuse of the English language instead of someone without a NC slang drawl that could actually pronounce words and peoples names instead of making it up on the fly.
If NASCAR wants to make the sport popular again especially with a higher profile audience, debut to the World the sport, then ax the goobers and get someone with talent to announce.
Who do you folks think should go? My vote is no nothing about modern racing, ole spray tan, macho man Jeff "The Hollywood" BIG Star. What a redneck and what a torturous way to start the season having to hear him already. England and France will laugh their derrières off at us.
This is fantastic news for true NASCAR fans who are living abroad (hopefully). After moving the England, I've discovered the NASCAR coverage is poor to non-existent with only the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 getting live flag-to-flag coverage on Sky Sports (the UK's Fox Sports Affiliate).
I would be ecstatic, and willing to pay outrageous amounts of money for SPEED or FOX or NASCAR.COM or any of the above to offer live full race streaming coverage of the full season, similar to what is offered at NFL.COM or MLB.COM (also sports not that big in England).
Please keep moving for the 21st Century Speed!!
Nikolas, thanks for making that point. I had completely overlooked the advantage this will bring to international NASCAR fans who don't have access to US television networks.
judcurerRight now I have cable interned so getting a broadcast isn't going to be a big problem --- BUT --- when I'm on satellite i am limited to the amount I can download so streaming is going to be unrealistic for me after April.
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