The topic today is supposed to be racing but instead it is tires. Goodyear and NASCAR made a change in the tire compound used at Martinsville and the results have been nothing short of a mess.
NASCAR told the drivers this morning in their meeting that they would be cleaning the track all day under the caution flags. This is a result of seeing what happened in the truck series race on Saturday. Any truck that got out of the single groove on the track got into the rubber "marbles" and was done.
This morning, NASCAR VP Robin Pemberton told ESPN's Marty Smith that this issue was going to result in "old school racing" where teams would simply have to conserve tires and decide on strategy based on wear. Pemberton said he hoped Goodyear might test over the summer at Martinsville before the next race.
Chris Myers will lead Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond in the NASCAR on FOX pre-race show from the outdoor studio set-up on the Martinsville backstretch. It should be interesting to see how Waltrip handles the Goodyear topic.
Myers has been challenged to leave his tired act of being the confused clown and step-up to the plate as a sophisticated broadcaster. Now well into the season, Myers can make a big difference in the telecast if he allows the on-air presence he uses on other programs to emerge.
Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds are up next to call the race. McReynolds has been pushed into the background by FOX, starting with the network stopping his "Reach up and pull those belts tight" comment before the race. It's clearly all Waltrip all the time and that is what we should see again.
Waltrip has a long history at Martinsville and there should be plenty of personal references to his own success at this track. Now in his tenth season of NASCAR on FOX, Waltrip has started to put the spotlight on himself more than the drivers in the race. Perhaps this is a function of age, but it is clearly about him a lot more than it has been in the past.
The FOX challenge today is going to be commercial breaks. With short laps at Martinsville under green, every two or even three minute commercial break is going to seem like an eternity. Without RaceBuddy or a side-by-side commercial format, look for viewers to get hot early and stay hot about this issue.
Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda and Dick Berrgren are the pit reporters. Tires should be a primary issue, but pit strategy is going to be another race key. Martinsville is also famous for upset drivers, so keep an eye on which drivers that have fallen out of the race are interviewed.
Without using the high cameras on top of the tower, Martinsville makes little sense on TV. In-car cams and low angle shots under green do not show the positions on the track or what cars are racing for what positions. Aerial shots of this track also work very well showing positions, especially on restarts.
The finish line issue continues to be a hot one. Last week it was the winner only, although the second and third place cars just happened to sneak into that shot. At a short and flat track like Martinsville, accidents are known to happen long after the winner has crossed the line as the rest of the field battles to the finish.
FOX has been put in the position before or having to actually playback the lead lap cars finishing after putting the cameras only on the winner, his crew chief and his pit crew as the race finished. Keep an eye on this issue.
This post will serve to host your comments on the NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from Martinsville, VA. To add your TV-related comment, 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.
403 comments:
1 – 200 of 403 Newer› Newest»Come on sunshine! We need some heat in the track and some rubber in the corners.
I have no intention of listening to DW wax on about hisself today. I will have the TV on, so I can see the wrecks in replay. But I will be listening to an exciting race on the radio!
I predict every on track incident will be missed and will have to be viewed in replay. I predict DW Clampit will run on and on about what he did back in the day and neglect discussing what happens on the track today. I predict Mike Joy will become weary from being talked over and have his cues ignored by the bulk of the broadcast team. I predict I will become disenchanted by watching a broadcast that is increasingly irrelevant to anything that occurs at the speedway today and go mow the lawn. I predict I will see more of today's racing tonight on Speed and later this week on YouTube than can be seen on the broadcast.
Lots of replays last race. You think that might spark a change.
Hey everybody!
Anybody else notice the 4 guys and 1 girl standing behind the FOX crew? Hate to say it, but they looked planted to me. I'll bet they work for FOX, who dressed them up and told them to stand behind Chris, Hammond and DW, and wave like they were real fans. And did you also notice after the first set they were gone?
Just saying...
DW, it would change if Fox didn't feel that, as long as you see the 'action', even if it's long after it happened on the track, we should just 'shut up and watch'.
robbie,
They got moved fast! Looked like track fans to me. Wonder how they wandered over behind the set.
What I think is that they are track yahoos that were "asked" by Fox to get OUT!
Good to know the tire problem will fix itself. No tire problem at Martinsville.
So your saying FOX planted fans then had security remove them? They spent the whole segment trying to shoot around them.
I hope this is good! Happy raceday everyone
No, it won't spark a change. Nothing will. We are wasting our breath. David Hill thinks the sun rises & sets in DW's behind & anyone that doesn't? "tough" as I remember. When the weather finally gets nice in MI (God willing-it's a rain/snow mixture rite now) even my driver's scanner won't keep me here live! And this is the only sport I follow. It's taken alot to get me fed up, but I am.
is anyone else having trouble with NASCAR.com? I click on it and it comes up for a second, but then I get a white screen.
Jim I just tried Nascar.com and I to get the white page.
no problem here w/Nascar.com here.
Dang! Going to be hard to watch Race buddy!
That "Revved-up" deal is a little rough around the edges.
Jim, no RaceBuddy for Cup. Just dots running around the track and some scanners.
That's strange. Tried to enter NASCAR's site, and I got a message stating that I haven't accumulated enough points to qualify...
Trace is singing!! Good stuff!
What?!? No Race Buddy!?!?!? I guess I will just have to listen to good old MRN, and watch TV with the sound off. Keep up the good work JD!
Well lets hope today is better! I can hope before the race "coverage" starts, right?
Once again another horrible National Anthem from NASCAR. Why don't they just stick with professional singers and/or military/college bands?
Jim, got turned down again for RaceBuddy on all the FOX and ESPN cup races. Will not see it until TNT this summer.
Radio is a good choice. DW is on a roll. Too many Mountain Dews perhaps.
Anon 1:04PM,
Adkins was there for a Goody's and BC headache powder promotion with Richard Petty.
Part of this deal was singing the anthem.
Let the sun shine!
@JD, I'm really worried about the tires after the truck race yesterday...
Hope it gets nice and warm so the track rubbers up...
I'd rather listen to Trace Adkins doing the anthem that 95% of the other yahoos they have! Love that Bass voice that doesn't get screechy!
Jim
Nascar.com goes white using Firefox but works ok using Internet Explorer.
At least that is what I found.
liked Trace's anthem-very respectful. didn't try to own it.
nascar.com is white here to, on FF4 so I'm gonna try IE.
Wow NFL music
NASCAR.com and FF do not get along!
This is the first time I have had problems with FF and nascar.com.
Maybe Nascar doesn't like the adblock Firefox uses so they decided to make FF useless to those that have it. Just a guess here.
NFL theme music is back! It may seem out of place but I love it.
Charlie, the most recent upgrade does not work with the site. Big problem for the Turner guys trying to keep all the parts and pieces compatable with all the different browsers out there.
Yea, they were probably stray fans who wandered behind the FOX set before security knew they were there and had a break in the broadcast to remove them. But...knowing how FOX likes to do things...
Weird how it left and then returned, Roland.
Firefox worked yesterday with racebuddy
46, 87 and 60 are S&P. Something about the 66 as well. Updates to follow.
What was all the smoke coming from Pit road in that last camera shot.
Weird huh?
hey everyone! like pammmmmm, i have tv on mute and my laptop doing extra-time today. will catch up on twitter & comments here for a while then join the fray!
FYI, I checked on both of my computers, one running Windows 7 and the other Linux Mint 10. NASCAR.com also giving a white screen with Google Chrome as well as its Linux counterpart, Chromium. Is it a conspiracy to drive everybody to IE9 after Firefox 4 kicked its butt in downloads last week? ;-)
Lots of empty seats still...
Got a line out to NASCAR.com but no answer yet.
Sorry I forgot - thanks to all for letting me know IE is the "correct" browser now...
In car cams started in lap 3 and keeps on going.
Kurt Busch slapped the wall off turn 2. FOX was already in-car.
Charlie said...
What was all the smoke coming from Pit road in that last camera shot.
A Wienner Roast?
Grandstands look really good. Too bad FOX has already found their bumber cams.
Lots of people asked about the smoke. Nothing from the pit reporters.
In-car cams already making us miss action. FOX missed the Kenseth violation on the start as well.
Tight shots and in-cars! Get ready folks.
Looks like your watching practice.
Bumper cam / focus on single driver / in car / replay. Repeat.
Why are they focusing on single cars when there are battles on the track?
Missing RB about now for sure.
With the best way to pass here being the bump, and cars moving forward, something has to be going on wirth putting on screen. But NO, we get Jamie with a big lead.
I must be getting a different feed then some, I don't see all the empty seats that some are seeing.
Happy Race Day Planeteers <3
I liked Trace's anthem :(. Lots of mixed reivews again. Some loved it, others hated it. :(
Poor Sweetpea! Busted already!
Commercials lap 16-26 27 gonna be a rough ride today. At this track we really need side by side commercials.
WTF? SPEED was off yesterday, but their presentation was better than this crap. FOX isn't even trying to find the battles. The cars run around in circles while the booth talks about a driver.
Pretty good crowd today, especially after the cold weather. Reporters said the "walk up" crowd was solid.
Zoom in, zoom in. See that fender smashed upped. When I watch a race that is what I want to see.
This is already a horrible race telecast and there hasn't even been enough time for DW to irritate me yet. One-car shots, Digger cam, and bumper cams already leave no sense of what is really happening in this race. I doubt that I'm going to last much longer before I turn on my radio to listen to MRN and put my TV on mute and change the channel to some other sport.
I've come to the conclusion Fox is the "Kyle Busch can do no wrong" network. He bumps someone a couple of times it's "just racin".....someone bumps him a couple of times it's "excessive".
Buschseries, it's two agendas clashing. The actual racing vs. the in-car and tight shots.
Look what they missed already. Just plain weird sometimes.
This coverage has convinced me to adjust the valves and change the oil on my motorcycle. Will be back before the "exciting" end.
Harvick and Menard have dropped liked rocks. Haven't heard anything from the booth.
Same old, same old on Race Day and the Fox pre race coverage. There has definitely been an effort to improve the rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Yesterday and today, they don't show in the banner who the leader is. If you're walking in, it can take a few minutes to see who's leading waiting for the banner to scroll by. I actually expected more empty seats. This short,flat track is not one of my favorites. The Cup cars are just too powerful to get a grip on it in my opinion. The tire problem this weekend isn't helping
Look at all the rubber on the outside of the groove with just 43 laps in.
Hope we get some stories from the pit reporters on the cars they are assigned.
So far, this is kind of awful.
Looks like a pretty good crowd there in Martinsville! I just have to say this I thought NB looked terrible on NN this morning it looked like she just came in from working out! OH no, already bumper cams on lap 3! I need to see my fav, c'mon Fox!
JD, this battle of agendas is terrible. SPEED presented a race yesterday. We could see the battles and intensity. FOX is presenting a practice session.
So Nascar.com did something to make Firefox 4 not work today. Worked fine yesterday.
First cut tire of the day. And we missed the caution. surprise.
Disjointed camera shots, Waltrip's
constant jabbering.... I'm going to turn on MRN and watch the grass grow. Best of luck to Mike Joy
didn't watch the pre-show, did they talk about the potential tire issue?
And here go the tires. Good thing FOX ignored the obvious issue.
Gee, I wanted to see my fav but not doing a penalty pass through. Dang! Poor Matt.
Someone's asleep at Nascar.com. The race status has stayed green throughout the yellow caution flag. Oh, now at lap 55 they woke up,
@Vicky - at least you got to see your driver - Tony is at the back & invisible!
Vickers to the back...too fast.
Where would Fox be without replays.
Show tight shots and if anything happens, show the replay.
I would have to conclude at this time that FOX has an agenda and that agenda is to mask the event in an effort to produce a television show that they believe is more entertaining than the race.
I am seeing beautiful pictures from Martinsville Speedway on my HDTV that bear no relevance to the competition occuring today. How can that many intelligent people so misunderstand the concept of a motor race and remain clueless to such a large degree concerning the purpose of the contest and its value to the spectators?
No wideshots on restarts, in-cars while the field is still bunched, zoomed in to two or three cars.
What new fan would stay to watch this?
"with the conditions the way they are" come on dw.. it's with the tire that goodyear brought..it ain't the track.
I think I'd rather watch the little circles on Pit Command than these tight shots. FOX YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE
Don't think anyone is going to watch follow the leaders and in-cars for the next three hours.
No pit reporter updates, no field rundowns....nothing.
They've been occaisonally posting above the banner, the top three--neat! Some folks aren't going to like it, but that Busch kid looks like he's going to be a threat.
Can the ticker possibly move any slower?
JD, like I have been saying here for quite a while now, this style of Fox coverage is doing nothing to refute the perception among the younger generation that NASCAR is nothing but turning left. The old ESPN, TNN, and CBS coverage did so much to dispel that notion and look how the sport exploded in popularity. The new style of coverage comes along and ratings steadily plummet. Oh well...NewsCorp knows best, right? :-(
JD, maybe this is a 3 hour advertisement for SPEED practice sessions. Gotta advertise now since NASCAR Now won't.
You would think a shake-up would be in order, but pretending nothing is wrong is the way this season.
SPEED's coverage is very different and even ESPN is coming around.
This is just a frustrated director playing games with technology and no one telling him to cut it out.
The stories of this race that are being relayed on Twitter by the teams and the reporters at the track are not being told on TV at all.
When you see the available info and then see how much FOX is passing along, it is startling.
hey...rooty is 5th...i guess his sponsors didn't buy any mention time...
Fox is getting better at tight shots. They are zooming so close you can only see half the car.
If you were at the track, in the stands, would you use big powerful binoculars to focus on just one car?
I'm trying to watch the ticket to see where Kenseth is running and everytime they get close to the end, they stop and restart it. Fox is driving me nuts today!
Any mention that BLab is running in 9th? No love fot Big Brad?
Many of you that post here are too young to remember when we only got to listen to NASCAR racing on the radio and there was not a TV broadcast.
It was great when they first started showing the races on TV.
We welcomed that day.
Now you complain about the announcers and the camera shots long with comments about the empty stand.
Well, if you love this sport so much, and you hate the TV broadcasts so much, then get of your hind quarters and try going to the race tracks and supporting the sport some.
The TV broadcast is FREE and it is a privilege to watch it not an assumed right that you think you have.
Every time I check by this forum all I see is a bunch of whining about what you are hearing or seeing as you sit in the big easy chair and nit pick the race broadcast without ever offering up any positive feedback.
So, what else do you expect for nothing?
Maybe you should switch channels or turn the Boob Tube off and find a better way to spend your time.
Then if you want to complain about something, save if for your wife or husband, then ask them to bring you another beer or make you a sandwich and see what happens.
Respect the Race Show some and you may enjoy it a little bit more.
I think they do a great job so if you want to hear race cars and no voices, head to the track. I do!
Just need to treat all the teams equally and go back through the field. Not hard to do.
It is amazing to me that with all of the technology available today, that the best coverage is still on the AM radio with Barney Hall & the gang.
Did anyone catch Mile Joy's comment at the start of the race that there is an online over and under on the hot dog mentions?
I wish with the ticker they'd put a pylon style with just car numbers of the top 10 in the upper left corner, like ESPN used to do. And keep the top scroll showing the overall running order.
@Vicky D...I use http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/cup/raceTrax for my race ticker...real time...almost
ROFLMAO!
How about avoiding the issue by yelling at us about everything but the problems.
How about updating your opinion on the TV coverage today like everyone else?
BTW, I worked on the ESPN coverage of NASCAR when we first cranked it up in the 1980's. Just so we are on the same page.
JD
I didn't get to comment on the truck race yesterday and Speed's telecast wasn't the greatest either. David Starr hit his jackman on pit road and we never saw it or heard anything about it.
Fox comes back from commercial (a promo for Digger merchandise...ugh) and does nothing to set the story for those who might have just tuned in. Maybe my professors in college were wrong but I thought that was something one was supposed to do in a sports telecast to keep viewers on your station so they know what in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is going on.
Cut here, cut there, tight shot, missed action...that's it for me today. I've only stuck around this long because the comments here are so interesting to read. I'm going to listen to the rest of the race on MRN. Any of you that sit through this whole thing, even with online supplements, deserve a medal.
And I always looked forward so much to seeing the Cup cars race at Martinsville. Instead, all Fox gives me is a friggin' one-car-at-a-time parade. >:-(
Anon 1:57PM,
If Turner offered live video online, we could put the video in a box on the page and let fans put together a custom scoreboard with their favorites.
Eventually, putting this coverage online and integrating other elements is going to save the sport.
Check 2014 on your calendar.
About 45 laps and a tire blows.
Nice shoutout to BLabonte & Reut. Guess that'll be it frm FOX today for those guys!
"Resepct the race show" lol we can't see the race!
Best thing to do is record and go out to enjoy weather. Then can just FF tonight or if heard same ole same ole winner then just not watch at all. You can't tell what is going on anyway watching fox. Only way can tell were others are running is trying to read that SMALL print at the top.
These are lousy camera shots. There's so many in-car shots I'm getting nauseous.
Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 1:57PM,
If Turner offered live video online, we could put the video in a box on the page and let fans put together a custom scoreboard with their favorites.
Eventually, putting this coverage online and integrating other elements is going to save the sport.
Check 2014 on your calendar.
A little inside info?
There are no problems with race TV.
The viewers are not feeding quarters into a slot on their televisions.
And, if you throw an antenna up it's free to watch.
I never have a problem with anything that is given to me or free.
Even a bad Christmas gift is appreciated.
The broadcast is a gift so enjoy it and quit tearing it apart.
The early ESPN broadcast were a lot wost than what we are watching now.
It has come a long way now with Digger Cams and many more cameras capturing the action.
So todays broadcast is great and the announcers work hard at making it interesting even at Martinsville where the cars are just going around and around a little track.
Hmmm, seems were not welcomed here if we like the fox coverage?
how did bower get in front of kyle?
Well, look at this mess. It has to change. We already lost the young kids and now we are losing the hardcore fans. It's technology that is going to get folks to come back.
The NCAA online stuff for the tournament was from the very same guys at Turner that run NASCAR.com.
You don't think they are a little frustrated?
jerry, just say what you want to say. That's all it takes.
We open the door to all. Speak up.
Let's see if anyone compliments Fox for grabbing that wreck live.
It's not just Fox that you all seem not to like. It is any race broadcast. Ever try Golf?
Bleacher Creature - I can't see the battles on the track because FOX focuses on a single car. Ratings are still in the tank. Fans were upset that they could not see their driver finish last week. You can't say there are no problems with the broadcast.
Hey Creature,
Wake up pal. SPEED, ESPN, TNT are all cable TV. FOX is the last broadcast network in NASCAR.
Fans pay for cable TV through the nose. While the original telecast on FOX is over the air, the estimate is that over 96% watching today are doing that on cable TV.
That argument left years ago.
If you were watching NFL or MLB you would not for one second stand for bad TV.
The ongoing tension between FOX and the fans is nothing new.
When any network delivers comprehensive coverage (like ESPN last weekend) it is applauded.
Tell me you have a clue to what is going on right now in this race from the TV coverage.
I do agree with the turner multi media deal. Nascars online prescence is years behind and following further behind everyday. Hot pass stuff should be available on smart phones and tablets.
As I set here watching the Twins game on my IPad and the race on Tv.
Whe is the turner deal up?
Hmmm - so now I know who's been deleting all the critical Fox entries on Wikipedia...
Did we just see a blimp shot??!!!! More please!
@jerry - TV deals up in 2014, not too soon.
@Bleachercreature
These broadcasts aren't a privilege. TV networks dont broadcast races because of the goodness in their hearts. This is a business. TV networks broadcast races (and anything else for that matter) to sell commercial spots to make money. Thats why theres sponsor flying across the screen every 5 seconds. It appears to me TV networks do the bare minimum to keep people watching every week so they can sell more sponsorships and more commercials and make more money. What we do is offer feedback, good or bad, to help make the product better. If the broadcast is better, more people will watch, Fox will make more money, Fans will be happier, win-win situation. But they choose not to listen to us.
If youd be so kind as to give us all several thousand dollars so we can attend all the races that would be great. In case you havent noticed theres a little thing called a recession going on.
JD, Im riled up again!
@bleacher Creature...I'm old enough to remember from back in the Wide World days. I used to plan my entire weekend around watching the races on TV, and never left to TV during a race. I know that the recent coverage, especially since the 'chase' has made watching a race optional on the weekends. I've been to the tracks live, and know I can see action wherever it is, not just according to what the producer chooses to show me. This is NOT a good representation of what fans at the tracs see.
Mr Editor -
Sorry to be late joining the chat ...OMG! No kidding, I forgot to mute the sound and caught opening moments of pre-race show ...Chris Myers is worse than I remembered or anyone described ...picked a good time to take a 60-min walk in nice weather ...got back in time to see Fox is morphing into ESPN style fan abuse mode ...glad to have missed early laps ...Barney, Joe and MRN team provided professional updates ...speaking from personal experience, better view of entire track from top row of grandstands than anything Fox has presented ...maybe Fox needs to try ESPN deal w/o PXP ...just background audio or drop in some team radio traffic ...gee, thanks FOX for same-ole stuff ...50+ years as a fan and I find Fox not worth listening, barely worth watching
Walter
jerry,
The current TV deal (like the IndyCars) denies online live video for the races in the top series.
ESPN is currently streaming online its signal to select households. If that continues, I believe Turner will put the ESPN races online again like they did last season in stealth mode.
2014 is the new contract, expect things to heat up next season as NASCAR tries to sort itself out for the future.
I know online video will be a key player. Which TV nets want to play under those circumstances might be interesting to see.
Buschseries61 Is the Race over at your house?
That was last week. If you want to see all the cars cross the line then go to the track. Ever been to one?
Who here has? probably just a few as most seem to just complain and not contribute to the fun and excitement of 43 cars racing side by side.
You cannot have it all when it's free.
Daly Planet man, I know what is going on at the race. I can see the ticker. What else is there to know?
Walter,
Did you see Chris Myers on FOX as an NFL reporter? On top of his game, covering breaking stories and conducting live interviews.
This NASCAR deal is a total act. Why? We have no clue.
this broadcast is somewhat better im actually enjoying this here on top of things somewhat today! Just my take though, happy to see the NFL theme back! The casual NFL fan may hear that and stay! They are showing the whole pack now I like this! this is better
I like McDowell. Just wish he drove for a race team...
I know what's going on, I can see the ticker!!!!!
That might be the best line of the season.
It's so hard to pass here that this could be a boring race....until the very end. Emphasis will be on passing in the pits. DW is trying my patience....
there**
Love to see some laps from that aerial shot like other networks used to use here.
Really great angle for M'ville.
Mr Editor -
Yes ...Chris Myers was top of his game on NFL work ...I heard him quite often on Fox Sports Radio and enjoyed his work ...don't know what comes over him on NASCAR broadcasts ...unless he holds the average NASCAR fan in such low regard that he has to play to a 'dumbed down' audience ...that's ok Chris, "We kid because we care" about how you present yourself.
Walter
Bleacher Creature - I've been to Pocono Speedway 6 times & my local track Riverhead over a dozen. TV is supposed to bring that experience into your living room. But in car cameras and single car shots don't. Racing to the finish is the most intense part of the race, and FOX doesn't even show that. Doesn't matter if it was last week, it has been an issue for FOX all season long.
Is that field turf a.k.a. fake grass between the track and the inside pit wall? I think I have officially seen it all now. Unreal.
So Turners online deal ends the same year as the TV deals? interesting.
Would be nice to have SNR on the iPhone/iPad app.
Myers used to host an interview show on the Tennis Channel. It was so good, I used to DVR it.
Shame to see him have to act on this coverage.
priority shift today:
#1 = phillies live vs houston
#2 = watching replay of 2nd half of philly union vs la galaxy match from last night
#3 = martinsville race on fox.
will get my updates via twitter and leaderboard/foxtrax.
They painted the grass at the track.
Pretty, eh.
Jerry, it is the new TV deal that will change it all. The Turner agreement with NASCAR is pretty strong.
They are pretty deep partners and I expect NASCAR to continue with Turner, just turn them loose to offer all the online video they want.
If anyone was skeptical, the NCAA March Madness on demand package should have solved that. Awesome.
Charlie, I was told yesterday they painted the grass but did not believe them. Sure does look that way today.
I miss the flowers!
@RWar -
back in the day, that was real grass ...an with the race being about a month later, the azaleas were in bloom all around the track ...and the duck pond was an attraction ...when your seat was on the backstrech, you always stood up to wave at train crew as the train made its way slowly past the track ...sorry, I'm reminiscing too much
Walter
@Charlie...too bad they took out the azalea bushes when they put in the SAFER barriers. Really nice to see them blooming as the cars went by.
And really this race isn't free. We're buying the products from the commercials we see. Well some of us do. I don't because of how Fox presents a race. But while I can't guarantee I'll buy any of these race-sponsor products, I'd at least consider it if Fox presented a race broadcast to my liking.
Sounds like we all miss the flowering bushes!
Yep the March Madness app was awesome, and is something that all the US sanctioning bodies could learn from.
Could we have some blimp shots & wide angle coverage during green?
Who needs track blowers? Lower the splitters.
Great, so far only one person has ever been to a race track to see a race live and support the sport.
The rest are too busy mowing their grass and watching free on TV.
As for the Editors comment on free or not. It is a choice if we are talking about todays race to have cable or an antenna.
It is also a choice of either to watch or not. I choose to because I love the sport and I do not knock down any of it. Even what TV is doing. It is my sport and I am proud of it. Ever try watching Baseball. Talk about boring.
oh wait: rangers are playing flyers on network tv as well.
martinsville race just dropped a spot (& i don't need no stinkin' ticker to tell me that!)
missed restart.
I get it. Because we love the sport, we should all just be happy and accept the crud being shoved down our respective throats, and smile and ask for more?
Great missed a whole lap off of a restart. Absolutely unacceptible
Hey creature, how many races have you been to.
They tried to say that was the restart. If so, NASCAR must've decided not to use a double-file restart. LOL
Hey BC, I've been to hundreds of NASCAR races and most of the folks here are also hardcore.
You need to man-up and tell us about today's broadcast.
We want your thoughts on DW, the camera angles and what you think of the overall production?
hey bleacher? if it makes any difference, i go to dover twice each year but have had to pass so far this year because of health issues. with any luck, i'll make the dover fall race AND richmond (or be too sick to care.)
i also go to my local dirt track at grandview as often as i'm able when i'm healthy and have done so for years. and yes, it's a nascar home track.
so get off your high horse and stop assuming you know it all, ok? you're ticking me off with your assumptions.
i watch the race on tv to see the race and i do not get that from fox.
and while we're at it: following the ticker alone at a track like martinsville is nonsense: w/21 second laps, NO ticker keeps up with the passing. nor does it inform you about why a pass worked or failed. i use it as part of what i've been forced to do by poor broadcasts so that i can keep informed as to what's happening.
Some of us can NOT travel due to medical challenges. Others can't due to financial, etc.
I'm enjoying TV & radio today.
WHY? Gave up NASCAR & watching BASEBALL :-)
Yes, I miss NASCAR but it's just not WORTH the aggravation. Will watch SPEED tonight so see what i've missed.
I knew there'd be same old problems.
Hope they get the tire issue dealt with.
Now back to the HR hitting of Reds & Brewers:)
Don't even mention Digger. Not missing him on this one.
Creature...I used to support the sport with significant infusions of cash. I even drove stocks in the 1950s...I'm one of the hard-core fans that has been turned off from watching because of nascar and tv non-coverage.
Bleacher - there are a lot of us who have been to the track - who are you to tell us we must report to you? David Hill?
It is a privilidge for NASCAR & Fox to be allowed to show this junk on my TV. Only REAL fans would stick with this.
The object of a good TV broadcast is to inform in an orderly fashion, to keep us informed, and bring the excitement to us. Fox is NOT free, every month they get $$$ from cable companies, yes even for the "free" channel.
If you can still put up an antenna & get analog TV you are the only person in America who can.
Guess I can see the argument about fox missing the racing action. I'm watching from hotpass and there is a lot of stuff going on back in the pack.
For the booth I don't complain a whole lot, I like them guys. DW can be over the top but I lime that emotion.
I can admit I'm bias because DW was my favorite as a kid. You too watch him dominate at the Nashville Fairgrounds all the time. He will always get the benefit of the doubt with me. Even when I know he's pimping a product on air.
Charlie, thanks for asking how many races I have been to. So many I cannot count. Every track except Kansas and it's on my list of to do's. I support the sport by attending, I respect my sport by being positive and if I watch on TV I enjoy it instead of complaining about everything that happens. I have had a lot of self help courses during my Rehab and learned it is always better for me to be uplifting all the time. I love racing and I am proud of it. I also think that this is a great race today and the TV people are doing a great job. I am sitting back, sipping on an Odoul's and happy!
@TheBleacherCreature ... some of us live too far away from a racetrack to see a race live. And with gas, airline, and hotel prices what they are, I can't afford to go to a race. So I am relegated to watching the race on tv.
I get more information from the media I follow on twitter who are at the race track than from the tv broadcast. And the networks don't seem to care what the fans think (otherwise we would get more than zoomed in shots and in-car shots).
I generally have the tv on with the volume so low I can't even hear it. I listen to the radio broadcast online. And I pay to listen to in-car audio.
My love of the sport has kept me from throwing in the towel completely. But believe me ... it's a fine line right now.
Hermie got a flat! Caution.
Every commercial break has got to be interupted when a CAUTION comes out.
Have to break into the commercials.
Have the FOX reporters updated the condition of the tires of the leaders?
It looks like we have a "competition caution" every 50 laps because of tire problems. They don't want to acknowledge "tire problems", so as long as no "important" drivers have a blown left front, we can ignore the coincidence...
They will never break out of commercial for a caution, just like during horrible weather they never overlay the Weather graphics over the commercials even locally. This broadcast today is a joke, the camera angles are horrible and you can't tell who is running where..
Long way to go!
Track temp is approaching 90+ and with the race still less than halfway, the track has started to rubber up a little. Good news for Goodyear. Maybe it'll turn out to be a decent race after all. Some are starting to pass on the outside.
Typical FOX coverage, not a favorite but at least the sound is good.
I feel theres been a better mix of cams today still to many in car cams but thats Fox for you I guess we will deal w it still though they have shown the blimp cam and show more than just the leaders better coverage today in my book than last week... Still could be better but I feel the quote try watching baseball so true this is 100 times better than boring baseball zzzz
Deja vu from yesterday. Wow!
Replica of the Jefferey Earnhardt wreck from yesterday. Yikes.
Todd, I always pay. I am a loyal fan since 1959. I reflect that loyalty by being respectful of all aspects of racing including the privilege of watching on TV.
Being that said. This coverage is good today and I like all networks that are so nice to cover racing.
There was a day that they did not.
It is probably the hardest sport to cover and may be the most expensive to produce. Football you have 2 teams, baseball you have 2 teams, hockey you have 2 teams, racing you have 43. Lot's to keep up with and they all do it well.
You gotta love it.
Did anybody see the Mark Martin wreck coverage? Perfect
Wow. Milf Magnet and The Other Junior.
Love to see a restart and like ten laps from the blimp.
BC, I'm a newer fan. Only been watching 10 yrs-since Big E died. I would have NEVER gotten hooked on it if the coverage was then as it is now. Wouldn't have been able to follow what was going on. And I've never been to a race. I have no idea how that is relevant to the race coverage on TV. I realize I'm missing the excitement, but I can't do crowds. Glad you find this acceptable. I don't.
I agree. Some overhead shots would be good. Can't believe we're not half way yet. Gonna be a long afternoon. My wife has given up on this one.
Speaking of TV coverage, what is the song in the new NASCAR commercial? I like and I want to look it up.
Toyota - moving forward, even when you don't want to...
Creature, did mark martin wreck. When, how did it happen. Did you see it on your Tv or are you at the track. Ticker shows him 26th.
CREW CHIEFS - CREW CHIEFS
Red Flag means Pit Reporters...not Myers and Hammond
That interview didn't start very well.
Mark Martin got a penalty for switching lanes before the start finish line. Lost a lap or two.
SO FAR NOT GOOD COVERAGE! Do they have other cams other then in car on the bumper or on the wall or the best one the goofer cam? You cant tell whats going on! They almost didnt have a good shot of Turex and Kahn wreck. This has been a tough one to watch. Wow that was an strange interview with Turex, Dick was a little off.
this is nice sorta like a half time, now i can thaw my chicken and not miss a beat nice! :)
Mr Editor -
interesting to see 'experts' Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond chattering ...hmmm, while hearing MRN interview multiple crew chiefs, drivers and heaven forbid, Goodyear tire guy explaining their duties at track on race weekend
Walter
Dick Berggren hasnt been a good interviewer this year.
Bleacher, we normally go to Martinsville twice a year. First spring race we've missed in ages. We also go to Daytona, Richmond (twice a year)' have done Bristol, Indy, and recently, the truck race in Darlington. We also go to our local short track (unfortunately, it closed this season). So yes, we pay for racing.
To be honest, last fall's race in Richmond wasn't too exciting. Sometimes, the live action is just not what you want, and the tv coverage can't make up for that. Other times, it's a wild race and the coverage kills it on TV.
Nice interview with MTJ and KK from the care center.
Like we said, FOX shows you the actual incidents on replay.
In-cars at the time.
There you go, great coverage on the wreck, good information from Jeff and Chris and no one has anything positive to say? Tell me please.
I wonder how much Fox is paying their astroturfers nowadays...
Am I the only one driven crazy by the sound of Chris Myers voice? He's been with us for years, but every time I hear him speak, I say "what is he doing on this broadcast?" I must be getting cranky in my senior years. Sorry....
There's got to be more important things going on in the pits right now.
Hey BC, what are you watching?
FOX on in-car cams at the time, as they always are. Caught another incident long after it was over and the cars had stopped.
Replays are the only way FOX shows fans the action.
It's great that you are clean, but that does not mean that reality changes and everything is suddenly rosy.
We have been here for five seasons talking about all kinds of NASCAR TV issues with multiple networks.
Happy to have your comments. Not happy to have you tell others what to say or think.
JD
Have another hotdog Mike Joy!
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