Allen Bestwick will have Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty alongside when he opens the pre-race coverage on NASCAR Countdown at 8PM tonight from the Texas Motor Speedway.
Wallace will then move to the broadcast booth to join Marty Reid and Andy Petree for the Nationwide Series race at 8:30PM. Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch, Jamie Little and Dave Burns will be the pit road reporters. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Garage.
This is a great opportunity for ESPN to showcase the Nationwide Series in primetime on a Friday night. The track looks great and the field is fast. While there will still be a smattering of start and park cars, the race itself should be solid.
Reid and Wallace are not the best combination of personalities in the TV booth. Reid has very little NASCAR experience and Wallace is not the type of person who can help out his play-by-play partner.
Once the race is underway, the role of Bestwick and Daugherty at this track is to site and watch. Unless there is a long caution period or a red flag, we may not hear or see too much of the infield team.
TMS is fast and the restarts require two things. First, the TV network has to be out of commercial break so viewers can see the green flag fly. Secondly, Reid has to reset the field as to who is restarting where, what cars took a wave around and who was the lucky dog.
This race should be a good snapshot of where this production team is this season in terms of revamping the disastrous coverage of last year. So far, there have been a lot of changes for the better and hopefully that can continue.
ESPN offered no coverage from TMS except qualifying, which was done from the infield pit studio. Let's hope the pit reporters are up to speed on stories other than just those of the Sprint Cup Series cross-over drivers as we have seen in the past.
Danica is gone and the real racing is different this season. One group of fast cars is racing for the owner's championship while another group is racing for the driver's title. The challenge for ESPN is to update both.
This post will serve to host your comments on the ESPN2 coverage of the Nationwide Series race from the Texas Motor Speedway. 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.
116 comments:
Friday night under the lights in Texas!
Tonight's S&P count:
24 Lepage
44 Green
49 Setzer
68 Carter
74 Yeley
75 Long
79 Andrews
Wow! Tow to TX, get the cash, go home early. Weird.
Like to see someone other than Carl Edwards as the Nationwide Series in-race reporter tonight.
Maybe a driver going for the driver's championship?
Couple of notes from today:
1 Its amazing the difference in quality of coverage between qualifying on Espn and Speed. Espn took 5+ minute commercials and missed half the cars, not to mention the overload of pointless graphics on the screen.
2 Between Speed and Espn Ive heard about 7 Carl Edwards interviews in the last 3 hours, mostly from espn. And hes the in race reporter too. How bout you interview some of the Nationwide regulars for a change.
3 Marty Reid + Rusty Wallace = PRN
I think that is a great idea JD. Let a Nationwide contender be a in-race reporter.
Rusty is a walking conflict of interest. Can't believe ESPN kept him for the next four seasons.
yay...another race to watch cup drivers practice for tomorrow, and watch the nationwide teams, with no cup affiliation or funding, get their butts kicked. Yup, it's really fun to watch this kind of incommensurate, so-called-racing. I miss the days of the old busch series when it was actually more of an even playing field and actually entertaining to watch. The good old days.
Anon, stop using those big words I have to Google! Hehe...
We need some more night races!
Hey JD nascar.com finally got the Nationwide scanner to work on Google Chrome. Its Awesome! Got the scanner and a stream of PRN plugged into my surround sound. Gonna be a fun night!
You know, they keep telling us that they need all those Cup drivers to get fans to watch the Nationwide races. Judging from the people in the stands, I'd say it isn't working out quite that way.
Thanks for telling me that Roland, I have been beating those guys like a rented mule!
Sally, time for a change but NASCAR can't really figure out what that change should be. All we know is that this ain't working for the NNS series.
wow the grand marshall actually said drivers and not gentlemen..good job! Can't forget about jen jo cobb
I am trying to get the scanner to work. Anyone else having a problem.
Time to make the donuts! Here we go.
you need to buy the subscription..kind of a ripoff...especially since they only offer the scanner for a limited amount of races. Once again the nationwide drivers get screwed...man these guys cant even catch a break with this! what a joke. It's just too bad.
No, the NNS scanners are free. You just sign-up for NASCAR.com and use your password.
Nothing to buy, no charge. Nationwide pays the bill on this one.
Scanner worked last time. Can't get it to work today.
ya but u have 2 give them ur credit card info...and its only a 14 day trial...isn't it? i've done this b 4 and forgot 2 cancel after 2 wks and i got charged an absurd amount of money that took me quite a while to get back..it really sucked!
No annon. you get to listen to it free and no credit card. It is a different scanner.
Stenhouse is hauling the mail for the "regulars."
This is NNS and Nationwide pays the bill. No credit card info and it is lots of fun to use! Try it.
They're trying, but Texas doesn't provide edge of your seat racing.
Got to stop following the leaders and go back through the field like radio.
This audio replay stuff is BS!
Hate to sound like a broken record but does the scanner work for anyone.
If so I know to trouble shoot here, if not that I know it is nascar.
May have to add Morgan Shepherd to the S&P list. Way off the pace all weekend.
is this through nascar.com because on their website it is telling me to start my 14 day free trial for $2.50 a month? what am i missing?
Look right under the main picture on the main page of Nascar.com. Under carl edwards car and you will see where it says - Free Nationwide Scanner.
Charlie, scanners working fine for me. Was listening to officials and Brad K!
At the top, click on Nationwide Series. Scroll down to the free scanner link.
You are on Trackpass, which is for Sprint Cup races.
The free scanner is a link on the Nationwide Series page. Scroll down to the link for free scanners!
Thanks JD. Guess it is me.
But why is ESPN showing the cup guys so much, it's just so discouraging trying to watch our favorite NW regulars, we get a glimpse of them that's IT!
How does Brad Daugherty still have a job?
Buschseries - Brad still has a job like the weathermen still have jobs - they can be wrong 90% of the time but still get promotions and even get raises!
I think Brad is still there because his in tall.
NASCAR VP Steve O'Donnell is taking cell phone pics of the pit road speed technology and posting them on twitter so fans can see when a penalty happens.
I'll give him credit on that one.
JD & Planeteers
I cannot hear a bit of the PxP, but each time, sitting here in this anonymous airport in this well known city, each time I get hold of the remote and look in the pictures are more pleasing than usual. Too much tight down the FS, but I get the sensation of speed coming out of the corners and down the FS if the shot pulls out.
I am wondering, why cannot they do this on Sundays? The sensation of speed is why I am here after all...
Darn keyboard.
I think Brad is there because he is tall.
There.
So true Vicky. He's been there for over 4 years, co-owns a Cup team, and still offers nothing but catchphrases.
Marty Reid - Were back to green flag racing.
Ok, compared to red flag racing or yellow flag racing. I get it.
I'm really sick of watching the Cup drivers get extra practice while making a mockery of the NNS. I'm done.
Sally, the broadcast booth never mentions that these cup guys in this race have so much more practice than the full time NW drivers. No wonder they are up front!
ok i figured out how to get the scanner working, it a pain in the butt to get to the right page to access the scanner , and to actually get it to boot up. Man, it shouldnt take so much work to listen to a scanner which is limited to just a handful of races this season. GEE WIZ!
What a call by Bestwick! Thank you Tim Schendel for making this race somewhat intersting.
Try the officials channel! It rocks!
Anon at 9:41 I don't have enough energy to try that on nascar.com for the scanner!
Got a little Kyle Busch attitude going!
Halfway!
Anybody know a radio station that's streaming the event? I can't handle ESPN anymore.
howdy y'all...what lap are we on...I just got home and checked the tv. Can't read number of laps.
PRN tonight, it's a Bruton track. I think they have affiliates listed on their website!
Just passed halfway, Larry!
LAP 50 - Rusty's confused
LAP 100 - Marty's confused
hah...lap 150 or so...viewers are confused...
Thanks for the quick response. I'm working my way down the list and haven't found one that's both online and carrying the event.
Let me see if I can get an online one from a Twitter user.
Missed the KB wreck originally because we were on a frickin' incar. When will they learn!?! And, only 1 replay was wide enough to see the whole incident.
What the heck is Marty Reid talking about?
The most enjoyable thing about watching this race is having a small piece of Nascar racing with no DW nonsense.Don't need a mute button,radio or anything else...just sit back and enjoy.
LAP 119 - JD's confused
Tim, here ya go from Twitter.
http://www.wyshradio.com/wysh.asx
I just had to fuzzle with a seatmate to get control of the remote to see Kyle Busch's interview. Did not see what happened, but, Oh is he not a gentleman now?
Oh yes he is. Yessiree.
BTW for those of you who can see it, I liked they ran the interview SxS with the action.
Thanks for the help, Mr. Daly. They must all be blocked after the race starts.
Should be open, try it from the station homepage.
And it's JD!
JD - Thanks for posting the link, it's definitely a breath of fresh air to hear competent coverage.
thanks for the link...this is good!
Brewer = useless.
Here's a piece of tape, back to you Marty!
Interesting when they do show some racing outside the top 10 it just so happens to be where Rusty's cars are located.
Have we seen any in-car with Kenny Wallace?
I haven't seen any but I am not watching this all the time.
I know he has a camera in his car. He talked about it on twitter.
Must just be my system then. Thanks again, JD.
There ya good - it's Kenny in-car
Man this blog has a lot of power
One of those things where they know they have to get the obligatory sponsor mention tech garage in.....so Mr. Brewer talk about Bondo tape. Talk about contrived!
Charlie, we get around! LOL!
Thanks Brewer. Interesting, but totally unnecessary.
At least they are paying some attention to Stenhouse since he's the point leader.
Man, that kid never lifts! I mean Stenhouse, not Brewer.
LAP 163 - Marty & the viewers at home are bored.
Marty thinks of something to say - starts it and then halfway through he is trying to think of what his next thought will be, before he finishes his first.
JD
Brewer lifted or was lifted, long long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
... oh, my, wherever am I going with this? Noplace good thats for Shirley...
Nev-er-mind.
Why don't they let the pit reporters do the 11th and back cars to.
20 Laps to go.
LAP 180 - Dave Burns is confused
15 Laps to go.
Busch, I sense a theme there...I think.
You can't watch the lines of the cars using a bumper cam.
Marty Reid just cannot make it interesting.
This may disappoint some of Ya'll, but as we sit here in theis anoymous airport in this well known city The People's Revoultionary Racing Libseration Front is triumphing.
10 laps to go and everyone is off the golf on ESPN and are asking me "what is this?"
I say, "it's racing."
A couple early on asked to go back to golf. They were howled down.
Maybe, my friends, we DO complain too much sometimes.
JD, sometimes RW doesn't make any sense at all!
JD, once it's past halfway, Marty is done.
Camera work was better.
"One and a half miles to go here at Charlotte."
Um, Marty...........it's Texas.
Where are you Motor Mouth Marty...
TEXAS Marty, TEXAS!
And PLEASE JD tell us Crusty won't be in the booth for the rest of the year?!?
please...
LAP 200 - Marty is thinking about his flight home.
what a surprise! Carl Edwards wins, are u kidding me!?!? I wouldnt have guessed that in a million years. I hope u can sense the sarcasm. What a joke this series is becoming. At least Kyle got crashed out, so that was pretty nice...at least one cup driver got what he deserved
Rusty was captain obvious tonight: "I really think these guys are trying to learn some stuff for tomorrow night's race"
Brad K. talks about tires.
Marty is like he just goes through the motions. Uses a lot of the same phrases throughout a race "We can tell ya" "we can tell ya"....and he used the same phrasing on every restart, "we're back to green flag racing here at Texas".
Overall: Good camerawork, boring booth, terrible race.
Hope you guys come back tomorrow night. Not looking forward to an in-car camera festival but the cars were flying today in practice.
Have a great Saturday everyone!
Billy, DJ is just on vacation. I should have the rundown on Monday for the next couple of races.
the new roush yates motors are pushing some serious horsies and torque. They are going to win a lot of races on the 1.5 and 2 mile tracks. They've been waiting a LONG time for this new engine, and it is and will be paying off for the remainder of the season and perhaps beyond...
Not to many post race interviews this time.
Okay, so ESPN is not perfect and not everyone loves the personalities behind the microphones....BUT everyone has to agree that if FOX would follow some of the current ESPN model, especially in regards to camera work, we would have a much better telecast tomorrow night.
Goodnight folks! See you tomorrow!
JD
that's because they were running late, and espn doesn't give 2 sh%^s about nascar and continually disrespects it. That's why u didn't c all that many post race interviews. ESPN sucks ass!!!!!
hopefully tomorrow night's race is about 100% better so that it's worthwhile to watch...although can't stand DW and his unique and hillbilly version of what i guess is supposed to be the english language. He makes racers everwhere look like a bunch of stupid ass rednecks...not good. we def need a better representative for our sport!
Well, on one hand, Marty doesn't say "while all this is going on" too much anymore.
On the other hand, Rusty STILL can't manage a "Kez-low-ski" without putting a "za" in it.
I listened primarly on the radio, but the few times I turned up the volume on the tv, they were only showing the cup guys. How do the NW sponsors expect to get any air time?
I still think if they banned the Cup regulars from the NW series it would make things better, and whil e they are at it, take away some fo the money from the Cup series and pass it around and that way in these lower series the regulars have a better chance to win and put on a better show for us, and please FOX get rid of DW.
WhatTheHeck is wrong with brother
Stewart ?? Too fast on pit road ..
losing his only shot..i give up.
The boys on Fox are starting to get way too analytical aka talking
way too much...
And cant they talk in a normal
voice ?? I am calling Fox and
lay out for " them boys " good nite
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