The TV coverage from Nashville starts at 5PM and continues through the live Camping World Truck Series race at 8PM ET.
SPEED starts the day with Rick Allen, Darrell Waltrip and Phil Parsons calling the truck series qualifying at 5PM ET. Ray Dunlap and Hermie Sadler will handle the reporting.
Waltrip has been hit or miss in the truck series TV booth. He has been informative and supportive of the trucks at times, but has launched into his over-the-top NASCAR on FOX personality at others. It should be interesting to see how this day progresses.
Mike Massaro is hosting NASCAR Now on ESPN2 at 6PM. Massaro has been hosting gangbuster shows this week with outstanding content. ESPN has really stepped-up the quality of NASCAR studio programming and it is a welcome change.
Brad Daugherty has been turned loose from the Infield Pit Studio and is working in the ESPN TV booth at Nashville with Ricky Craven and Marty Reid. This trio is on the air at 6:30PM on ESPN2 with Nationwide Series practice. It will be nice to see exactly what Daugherty can bring to the table in this role.
No one does a better pre-race show than Krista Voda and the truck series. Not too many voices, no phony props and no acting. Voda dishes the news, sets-up the interviews and introduces the features. There is more racing content in a thirty minute truck series pre-race show than in the hour shows on FOX and ESPN combined. Voda is on the air at 7:30PM ET with The Setup on SPEED.
The trucks 8PM and the live race coverage should be the solid product we are used to seeing from this veteran crew. Straightforward coverage with the focus on the racing, updates on the teams and excitement from Allen in the booth.
Let's hope the truck series puts on a good show in the middle of struggling with quality teams and limited budgets. This is a viable series that only needs a couple more personalities driving the full season to make it come to life.
On the TV side, the struggle for air time between Allen and Waltrip will be the key. Simply letting Allen set the tone and maintain his regular rhythm will result in a nice payoff for Waltrip in the long run with fans and the SPEED TV team.
There are no NASCAR on FOX guys in Nashville. Waltrip is simply a loaner for his younger brother to a group that has been producing very successful truck series telecasts for a long time. Let's hope the thoughtful, veteran former driver shows-up instead of the carnival barker.
This post will serve to host your comments on the Friday TV from Nashville on ESPN and SPEED. 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. Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by The Daly Planet.
Happy Race Day Planeteers...hate nothing on until 5 but can't complain too much, at least they're showing it :).
ReplyDeleteHappy 200th race on SPEED to the Pick 'em Ups <3.
Instead of bring another Waltrip, why doesn't Speed try Krista Voda in the booth? She is knowledgable and artculate. Also she doesn't have any products to push.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is the right time to ask the question, "Why does one need 3 people in the booth?" Lots of races have been done with 2, and some of the best broadcasts right now are the F1 ones, with 2. I can understand the rationale to have a PXP, a crew chief, and a driver. I don't need a crew that big but I understand it. When you change the crew to 2 drivers, or a driver and an owner with the PXP, one wonders what purpose is served (and it would certainly be cheaper to limit the personnel).
ReplyDeleteBTW - forget who came up with 'Waltards' but I LOL'd at that one.
Wow - No one is a better Pre-Race host then Krista Voda? What about Bestwick?
ReplyDeleteboyd, i'm with you!
ReplyDeleteJD, if the carnival barker persona displays itself early in the broadcast, i'll be gone. and that's a shame cuz I really like the trucks on speed,
I don't think Voda or any other non-driver will get a shot at the booth on FOX or Speed for a while. The suits at those networks seem to think that ratings will only rebound if they focus on the driver's perspective (I think Hill said something like that in January).
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, some of their best on-air people, who are non-drivers, sit and wait.
Krista's role would be more of a play by play person and not a color commentator. I would rather see her in the booth the Airhead Allen.
ReplyDeletewhen did they announce the Richmond nns would be on speed? Never saw it till today.
I can't see why Speed keeps cramming the WAltrips down our throats? You say DW is hit or miss, I must have missed the hits as I've only seen misses. Too bad DW's on the air now as NASCAR NOW is doing a story about Aric Amirola, or as DW puts it Aric Amarillo.
ReplyDeletejust wait till richmond. both waltrips in the booth for the nw race.
ReplyDeleteLiking the combo of Ricky Craven and Brad Daugherty on the air for ESPN.
ReplyDeleteMarty Reid...still kinda lost.
Trucks are on the air from Nashville.
ReplyDeleteMr Editor -
ReplyDeleteYes ...Brad worked well, but Marty seems more removed than ever ...maybe he needs a refresher or did Mike Dunn and was it the NHRA broadcast team that boosted his stock ...that and much tape delay and editing, huh? ...maybe DW will be tolerable tonight, since it's a Friday night show
Walter
Same guy, same issues. I thought we had him trained for a while there. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeletebryan, theres 3 people on f1... varsha, matchett, hobbs.
ReplyDeletecake in the face. Krista didn't see that coming.
ReplyDeleteMr Editor -
ReplyDeleteIs it me, or does SPEED respect the fan's interest and ESPN holds that the fan must be educated? If that's the case, ESPN's teaching contract would never be renewed.
Walter
is it just us diehards? :) Or those of us with no life?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if that was Matt's idea--but I bet he knew it was okay to do.
That's a nice way to say it Walter.
ReplyDeletehow's that to show something ESPN lacks ...personality ...that little bit speaks volumes, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteand the lead story is Kyle Busch. Bored already
ReplyDeletetrying to get the sound to come up on truckbuddy. Obviously I've forgotten where to find it! LOL
ReplyDeletehelp! please.
Racebuddy - Truck #1 Kyle Busch
ReplyDeleteTruck #2 Johnny Sauter
ha, I figured it out. somehow it's just not as obvious as doing the pitcommand I usually use
ReplyDeleteRaceBuddy is so much daggone fun. Just a reminder it is free at NASCAR.com!
ReplyDeleteDoes DW think he's being paid by the word ...can he ever stop at one sentence? ...I guess after being exposed to Mikey, we should expect as much
ReplyDeleteIt is, JD. I'm really glad they are using it for the trucks.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for it to be back in ALL it's glory when TNT takes over.
I can hear the trucks racing right now. And no one is nattering.
Allen and Parsons seem to be taking over the braodcast. Hope that continues. Motor Mouth seems to still butt in with stupid comments though.
ReplyDeleteI like Allen & Parsons!
some good racing between the 3 and the 30 trucks.
ReplyDeleteWell good gravy! Posted in the wrong thread :p
ReplyDeleteGuess DW scared everyone away for realz :( & the sucky command didn't help either but I did enjoy Pastor Church Revival again :)
First time trying the Race Buddy thing. Very nice, wish there was a leaderboard though. Also maybe an audio feed from the radio.
ReplyDeleteThis is very nice!
Anon, I agree, would be nice to have a leaderboard and pit reporter, but since it's FREE and a big concession from Turner, i'll take what I can get.
ReplyDeleteWho is driving Truck #2 on Race Buddy?
ReplyDeleteand DW is explaining loose and pushing. wow considering most truck fans are the hardcore group, it hardly seems necessary.
ReplyDeleteNASCAR.com is hoping to get some more money to add more bells and whistles to RaceBuddy for the future.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Sauter and Kyle Busch are the in-trucks.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to see other trucks ...those not handling well ...KB and JS just out for a leisurely drive ...no real effort through the turns ...neat to see and to better understand how well the trucks can be made to handle
ReplyDeletehey...i dont have to listen to dw on racebuddy....yay me
ReplyDeleteWow. They showed the debris. Missed the contact coming to pit road tho.
ReplyDeletegotta wonder about bodine sometimes
ReplyDeleteJamie!!!! Shhhhhh.....it's a secret.
ReplyDeleteJamie just said what I've been thinkin'
ReplyDeleteSpeed is doing a great job as always showing and calling the race. Rick Allen keeps it exciting! They seem to be keeping DW toned down.
ReplyDeleteI dont know if this has been asked before. Why does the Speed and Fox broadcast look like its being shown in "Letterbox"? I dont have a HDTV or Dish HDTV. When Fox does the race broadcast its the same way except for when I switch over to my roof top antenna with my HDTV converter box then its full screen. Is it because Fox and Speed only broadcast in HD? Its imposable to read the race ticker.
Thanks, enjoy this site...
Yep, it's HD and put into SD mode.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving Allen & Parsons keeping Waltrap limited ~ heck even the pit reporters a chipping in to minimize his comments!
ReplyDeleteJohn
It's their show ...they're not about to surrender it to an interloper
ReplyDeleteobviously I missed something - why are they under caution?
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced Allen went into the race with the notion that he was not gong to let Waltrap ruin their show!
ReplyDeleteJohn
H-m-m-m, DW's quiet ...wonder what he's twittering?
ReplyDeletedunno, I unfollowed DW. He's too busy tooting his own horn or is that tweeting his own horn? LOL
ReplyDeleteDW definitely not as annoying as I expected. Allen & Parsons are holding their own.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Waltrip when to John Madden's Announcer School Of The Obvious!
ReplyDeleteJohn
Allen & Parsons have developed their skills ...DW has only "his" skills ...like he's never been a contributing member of the team - just too used to calling the shots, I guess
ReplyDeletespeed has been in commercial a LONG time
ReplyDeleteis it regional, or does everyone get the 'Cougar life' ad? That's just creepy....
ReplyDeleteAre the other announcers keeping Waltrip more quiet on this show or is the Viccodin from my surgery earlier today making it seem that way!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty good broadcast so far, DW has been adding good information for the most part.
ReplyDeleteThose grandstands are pitiful. I hope the Fairgrounds gets all their drama under control so Nashville Superspeedway can return to the soil.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why attendance has always been bad for the place. Must be a bunch of Fairgrounds die-hards protesting or something. I went to an ARCA/Truck doubleheader there a few years ago and it was great. The racing was decent. Ticket prices were reasonable and it was easy in and easy out.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was amazing! Lots of lucky people, including Austin.
ReplyDeletewould like to have heard Brendan Gaughan's radio on that one
ReplyDeleteDW is doing a great job of playing second fiddle to Phil.
ReplyDeleteRWar24 - Marketing. Dover Motorsports is terrible managing their tracks and advertising. They've already closed Memphis and Gateway over the last 3 years.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why DW can't be like this when he does the Cup races. This is a DW that can be tolerated, informative and really add to a broadcast.
ReplyDeleteHey, ultimately we all do what we are being told to do by our bosses.
ReplyDeleteYa know?
Mr Editor -
ReplyDeleteYou betcha that Robert Glenn Johnson Jr gave the orders and DW followed them for sure
Walter
JD, what a terrible thing it is then, for Fox to do that to DW. I prefer him when he's more relaxed - then I get the most information and he has a lot of it.
ReplyDeleteyeah this Easter weekend trucks / Nationwide doubleheader won't cut it. They come back in June too.
ReplyDeletedid Phil really mention Eric Amarillo just then?
ReplyDelete15 Laps to go.
ReplyDeleteAmarillo by morning
ReplyDeleteYou think it's weird what FOX does to DW? Look what they do to Chris Myers? 25 year TV pro who is made to act like an idiot.
ReplyDeletespeaks volumes for the production team, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI don't it's Fox's production that does that to Chris Myers.
ReplyDeleteDW fits well tonight ...nothing sounds forced ...shame on FOX for making he and Chris Myers caricatures of themselves
ReplyDeleteDang I was hoping Hornaday would hold Busch off
ReplyDeleteYou watch this truck race and it looks so easy to do a good job.
ReplyDeleteFox and Espn just don't get it.
That was pretty good, but Kyle winning is getting like JJ winning!
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of you who might be heading out! See you tomorrow afternoon, not night!
2PM ET for NNS in Nashville.
Good job to the Speed Channel group as usual. The wide shots were beautiful to watch. DW did great in the booth speaking when necessary. Happy 200 to Speed & lets hope for 200 more solid broadcasts!
ReplyDeleteAs for the race, same old same old. Trucks & Nationwide will have no other storylines besides Cuppers vs. regulars until they all just get out.
I HATE HIM!!! Weed has ruined the only series that was worth watching these days...:(
ReplyDeleteSaid after a few Fri nite drinks, gang. But I knew when they said he won the pole that he would stink up the race.
Mr Editor -
ReplyDeleteDW a real plus tonight ...always a strong broadcast from SPEED ...the 'old man' made it a show there near the end ...makes me nostalgic for Hornaday, Jack Sprague and Mike Skinner battling it out ...what a treat it would have been to see KB going at it with those three
Walter
Had to add one last comment ...drop down menu at finish large, easy to read ...good to have shot of field crossing finish line with several tight finishes called by Rick Allen ...pleasing to hear Nelson Piquet Jr get emotional in post-race comments about 2nd place finish ...seldom, if ever, have I seen a current or former F1 driver show such emotion ...obviously he respects what NASCAR has to offer
ReplyDeleteAll right peeps....and troll. Good night!
ReplyDeleteMRN delivered a great broadcast tonight. I didnt want to hear DW tonight but Im glad to hear that all was well on the Speed side of things. It was great hearing Eli Gold call the action and Glenn Jarrett in the pits, just like the old TNN days! Even though I had the speed broadcast muted I could tell this was a good broadcast for several reasons. There were no digger cams, losers named pizzi, pizza hut boxes covering half the screen on restarts, and the ticker actually moved faster than the speed of smell for once. I was very pleased with tonights TV and radio broadcasts, which is probably a first for me this year.
ReplyDeletecorrection, Kyle winning is like if JJ went down to NW and began winning a bunch of *those* races with his Cup crew and lots more money than most of the teams...
ReplyDeleteThe guys in the booth try very hard to sound enthused about that when they must know we are not....not easy. Gotta give 'em credit.
It feels really strange to not have anything worth complaining about with the broadcast. Wish they were all that way.
ReplyDeleteWhoa the Preacher Man wailed and
ReplyDeletehe was heard in Heaven. And the the body...ooops I mean the anthem
wooo hooo.amen.
No Chuck YOu dont aks questions u
ReplyDeletejust give the command.
Sat announcers _ When are you
ReplyDeletegoing to shut up ? Anytime soon ?
We thank you ..what a pathetic
group. Except for Craven. I hope
he doesnt pick up the bad habits
All I can do is pray amen