ESPN has pulled out all the stops for the Brickyard 400. Allen Bestwick is in as lap-by-lap announcer. There is a new graphics package. Nicole Briscoe is hosting the infield studio. Dual-stream technology will allow two in-car camera views from the same car. The "Bat-cam" that runs 80mph on a wire above pit road is back.
The big question is will all that make a difference if the production of the race is once again horrible?
Since 2007 ESPN has struggled with this event. It's really not clear why. The network produces all different kinds of live sporting events around the world. What is the challenge at Indy?
Briscoe will kick-off the coverage at noon ET with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty alongside. Wallace is coming off a disjointed Nationwide Series telecast on Saturday night that saw him pick his brother Kenny to win the race and then watch as his son Steven destroyed both of the RWR cars in a violent wreck of his own making.
Daugherty has become increasing isolated on these telecasts, especially once the actual racing begins. At one time, Bestwick called Daugherty "The voice of the fans." It may well be that next season Daugherty is a fan on a full time basis.
Tim Brewer will once again be in the Tech Garage. It should be interesting to see how ESPN gets him into the telecast if long green flag runs are the order of the day.
Putting Bestwick in the booth was a hint to the reality of the continued struggles of Marty Reid in that position. There was never a mention by ESPN that any change was coming, it just did. Over the past five seasons, Bestwick has been the best thing that ESPN has going for it on the NASCAR trail.
The pressure on Bestwick is to balance the reality of this "no passing" style of aero-driven racing with the spectacle of the Brickyard. He has been in these situations before and makes no bones about being a pro-active supporter of the sport.
The two items that Bestwick repeats over and over again are simple to understand. NASCAR cars racing at speed on any track are not boring. Secondly, every race is not over until the checkered flag. When some media folks offer boring racing as a problem, Bestwick disagrees. His checkered flag scenario has proven itself time and time again.
This is a big shift for ESPN. Bestwick is not "their man." The loyal soldiers Jerry Punch and Marty Reid were used long before ESPN took a glimpse at Bestwick. The only reason this move happened is because ESPN realized the coverage was at risk with Reid at the helm.
The big story overshadowing this race is the status of Carl Edwards. Lee Spencer of FOX Sports reported Edwards is going to the #20 for JGR with a huge signing bonus and contract. Now, media outlets are reporting that Ford Motor Company is trying to out-bid JGR and keep Edwards at Roush. It's no secret the Roush sponsorship picture is not a pretty one for next season.
The vast majority of passing will be done on pit road. Jamie Little, Punch, Dave Burns and Vince Welch will be the reporters. Bestwick is a stickler for information, so look for him to ask a lot of questions and want details from the four TV veterans patrolling that area.
Saturday night, it only took ESPN about ten laps to return to the problems of last season in terms of directing the coverage. Rather than open the cameras and show all the racing on the track, ESPN zoomed-in tight and showed two-car battles all night long.
Late in the race, the network went to commercial with Justin Allgaier's car on fire and still circling around the track. By the time the coverage returned, Allgaier was gone and the entire complexion of the race had changed. ESPN missed everything.
The top challenge for the network today is to keep the larger perspective in frame for the fans, especially if passing is at a premium. Just like ESPN does for the Indy 500, use the wideshots and aerial views to continue to keep fans interested.
This post will serve to host your comments on the ESPN coverage of the Brickyard 400. To add your TV-related opinion, just click on the comments button below.
446 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 446 of 446Wonder if the finish line format is different?
Gordon is chargin real hard
Here comes Big Daddy!
Paul's heart has got to be beating 200 mph
GIVE us FULL SCREEN racing please!!
This is comin down to a dramatic finish!
Let's see who runs out of gas
WOW! SURPRISE WINNER!!
I like this. Didn't even use twietter.
Watched the race! :)
One car finished. To bad. They had done such a great job during the race and messed up the finish.
Wow, after all that only one car shown finishing.
Bad mistake.
Daggone it, I seriously thought jeff was going to get him. Quite a drive for an OLD man, huh
Congrats to Menard though, he did a nice job.
What a great finish BEST RACE PRODUCTION this year
ah, they blew the finish shot, but the rest was pretty good coverage
JM
I gotta register someday
They did a great race until the finish. Terrible job on the finish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where did all the cars go? Did they finish? Pulled into the garage before the race ended?
Congrats to Paul Menard & 27 team!
Ahhh #*&% they blew off the rest of the field.
Great finish and a nice story. Too bad ESPN didn't show more of the field finish...that's a big fail. A great overall improvement but some issues will need to be addressed.
Great way to start AB's return. Perhaps Menard will actually smile?
Except for blowing the finish, that was the first race this year that has kept me interested from flag to flag. Great job ESPN. I can't believe I just said that.
JD
Do you know if this was an all guns out broadcast since it's Indianapolis?
Or will ESPN actually give us this good of a broadcast via camera work every week.
I'm impressed..this might bring me back to live viewing of the races!
Seriously.
JD, ya know what? given that he's a first-time winner, i'm ok w/just showing him cross. it's not as if he's a contender every week. i know we've slammed EVERY network for doing just that but, well, i think if there is to be an exception, this was a great one.
I can't believe I watched the whole race. Thank you Mr. Bestwick.
PS yea, the gyp of finishing at the end stank..think they got caught up in the Menard fam history.
Be nice if they show a replay after break w drop down graphic, for sure.
And for the 5th of 5 Crown Jewel Events....a first time winner. I called it :)
Daytona 500 - Trevor Bayne
Southern 500 - Regan Smith
Firecracker 400 - David Ragan
Brickyard 400 - Paul Menard
It's too bad the World 600 couldn't produce one, but what can you do.
Congrats to Matt and Jeff. Jeff gave him a run.
Amazing finish. Bestwick did a fantastic job making those last 20 laps on the edge-of-your-seat drama. Love it!
What a great race! What a great broadcast! I think NASCAR, IMS, and ESPN needed a day like today. To everyone saying Indy is boring and stock cars don't belong there eat your words now!
Will we ever see the end of this race?
Other than the finish, I think they pretty much nailed it. Bet Bestwick talks to them about that.
With this track being a sometime boring race Espn did a great job until the end.
Keep it up.
I believe AB made a big difference.
Mr Editor -
Split screen w/John Menard watching son Paul win would have been a plus ...instead we have to imagine the 42 other cars were a vision today ...kudos to AB for his 'old style' call of the race ...oh well, can't let lack of finish line coverage diminish an otherwise strong broacast
Walter
By Far the Best coverage on TV in NASCAR Cup Race in a number of years ! I hope ESPN gets the message and continues/
J.T.
What is your obsession with the finish line. Shut up you have the telecast you want now shut up.
Wow... You guys had fun watching this race on TV today, don't see that to often, somebody did something differant today. Always got to like a first time winner too.
Mike
red, what did it add? Nothing IMHO.
I do not like sitting and watching a three hour race when I do not get to see the entire field of race cars take the checkered flag. I think the producer who made that call should be facing a secret fine from NASCAR for this egregious decision. Pinkard, Bowden, whatever his name is, he screwed this up royally.
The in race ESPN X Games promos while racing is going on & they go full screen above the track has to be the most annoying trick they use....weak ESPN weak--
You always say let the cameras tell the story. The story was Paul Menard winning his first race on fuel strategy and beating a hard charging Jeff Gordon. Not showing the other cars cross the line was moot.
can't disagree, jd. cannot really disagree. i'm talking the emotion of the moment and you're talking the reality: race finish should have been shown.
i can't argue with your first rule of race broadcasting: show the finish.
Like others have said, they really blew the end but you know the race was so much fun to watch and listen to that I really hate to gripe about the finish line shot.
I knew that everything would not change overnight but it almost did.
Dare I say congrats to ESPN. (did I really say that)
What a great race and what a great broadcast.
Just wish that my guy could have got to the lead at the end.
Adam, good for you, that's a pretty good bunch of choices for the first time winners.
I'm happy for menard but all networks should show the end of the race. I tuned in all race and enjoyed the broadcast and then don't get shown all the cars crossing the S/F line?
And my guy was even in the camera shot!
I'm still waiting for the finish of the race, ESPN. C'mon, man.
Surprised someone hasn't called Petree out for his love of Mernard.
TV Police post is up if you are moving out. Thanks for hanging with us.
This post will be open until ESPN goes off the air.
All this postrace coverage instead of sportscenter? Remarkable...
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