This is an all Fox and SPEED weekend because the Nationwide Series has the weekend off. SPEED is shifting the Martinsville NASCAR programming around the Barrett-Jackson auto auction, so some on-track action will not be live.
Friday on SPEED kicks-off with one hour of Truck Series practice at 11AM Eastern Time followed by three hours of the auction. At 3PM, SPEED returns with the Go or Go Home show looking at the teams outside of the Top 35 in points. This is going to be a very important issue as the 2008 points have now begun to set the field.
At 3:30PM, the NASCAR on Fox crew presents Sprint Cup qualifying action for approximately ninety minutes and then SPEED continues right into the final Craftsman Truck Series practice session.
At 7PM, the network wraps-up the day with a Trackside show featuring Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray. Those three drivers have a lot to talk about from recent weeks, and perhaps McMurray will be the biggest story after qualifying. The show is hosted by Steve Byrnes with Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond and Larry McReynolds alongside. It will be live at the SPEED Stage outside the Martinsville track.
This page will serve to host your comments about SPEED's coverage of the Friday action at Martinsville. To add your opinion, simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. This blog is TV-related, so please keep your comments focused on the TV coverage of the sport. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
51 comments:
I can't believe they're not going to air practice live.
Thanks for nothing, SPEED.
The anonymous comment on the previous post, saying that the auction gets Speed a 1.0 in some time periods, was amazing, and why I read this blog.
Any chance we can get more regular access to ratings on NASCAR partners? I've found it hard to find that info anyplace on the web.
Wow again JD.
On my way to Martinsville. But I bet Trackside will be very interesting if Jamie McMurray misses making the race. Yes, Sophia, I also have set the "VCR"for this. Is this a great country or what. NASCAR and the top 35 rule. I hope it comes back to haunt them.
Lou
Kingston, NY
SPEED ought to be shamed that they promote their wall-to-wall weekend NASCAR coverage up the you-know-what...until something with better ratings comes along.
[i]Then[/i] they throw NASCAR under the bus.
I posted this angry response to Speed's decision to pre-empt Cup practice for the car auction in yesterday's post but I figured I'd re-post it here in case some of the "powers that be" only read the in-progress posts and don't read the mid-week posts:
A CAR AUCTION INSTEAD OF LIVE CUP PRACTICE ON FRIDAY AAAAAAND SATURDAY????????????????? A CAR AUCTION?????????? Boy I can't wait for the drama of whether a car will sell for $100,000 or $150,000. How compelling, how dramatic, how thrilling, wooohoo! Give me a break with this crap. A CAR AUCTION??????
Screw you Speed Channel. The Nascar Channel or Speed2 can't get here soon enough.
This has a 2007 ESPN feel to it all over again. Get ready race fans, when the lower-tiered series are on the track the TV cameras are there to cover every second of the action live! But when the Cup cars are on the track.... no TV coverage for you!
What a major major major letdown.
Anonymous said...
The anonymous comment on the previous post, saying that the auction gets Speed a 1.0 in some time periods, was amazing, and why I read this blog.
Any chance we can get more regular access to ratings on NASCAR partners? I've found it hard to find that info anyplace on the web.
March 28, 2008 9:23 AM
Hi, I wrote the comment with that info. I found it on Google in a SPEED press release. I like ratings information too!
But SPEED, ESPN, TNT don't release ratings on a weekly basis for programming - other than Sprint Cup races - unless the ratings are exceptionally good. (Nationwide Series ratings are sporadic; sometimes they're publicized sometimes they aren't. A NASCAR Media Group official said this week to scenedaily.com that Nationwide ratings on ESPN/ABC are "relatively flat" but no numbers were provided.)
When NASCAR RaceDay, (the former) Inside Nextel Cup or the Truck Series get unusually high ratings, a press release "bragging" about those ratings will be issued. But if the ratings aren't higher than normal or they are low, it's difficult to find information because they won't release it to the media or public. ESPN often only releases detailed ratings information quarterly, and often only for its highest rated or improved in ratings programming.
There are services available where one can view online or call by phone to get all TV ratings every day/week, but they are expensive and usually subscribed to by companies and not individuals. Reports on different networks are also issued regularly for their business partners/prospective business partners, and sometimes those or articles about the networks have ratings within them that can be found on Google with some searching.
So in a nutshell, ratings information for programs like NASCAR Now, RaceDay, Countdown to Green on TNT, Trackside, NASCAR Countdown often aren't available - unless you are paying to get them, you're pretty much at the mercy of whether someone at the networks gives out the info.
Boy nothing sums up the pain NASCAR fans feel better than what just happened at 12:06 PM EST.
We get a nice wide camera shot of the Cup cars lined up on pit road just seconds before getting the green flag to start practice. The anticipations begins to build for the NASCAR fans waiting for the session to begin..... Then John Roberts says "Let's go to Barret-Jackson. If you like classic cars that's the place to be." Then a fancy video opening with soundbites like: "This is something very special." "This is an American art form." "There's the new owner". "That was history". "Whoa!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!???????
..................
..................
Oops, sorry for that pause, I just got back from running to the bathroom and throwing up from this.
I don't mind missing the first Saturday practice as much as missing qualifying practice. Today is the first time with the new top 35 and big names like Petty and McMurray having the potential of not making the race. It would have been interesting to see how they stacked up in practice.
Well I did not even bother setting the VCR (forgot about the 11am frankly) but it seems SPEED IS becoming more like 2007's ESPN.
First SPEED RUINS INC with their hybrid show I will NOT even mention by name as a few of us think it's atrocious.
Now, this stupid AUCTION (which speed carries too often, anyway) is cancelling a HUGE POTENTIAL friday in NASCAR.
I have to say, I am losing interest in the tv watching. I read online and keep up on what's happening with the drivers (Tony finally cut his hair big news) but honestly, it's just not the same for me this year.
I love the RACING but between all the COT/tire issues, gripes from drivers, it's annoying.
THEN we have the young man I first leaped on here for his ARROGANT response to NNow that he never even THINKS about the Top 35 rule, never been a problems for him....wow. ALways thought Jamie was a nice guy but his whole attitude in that interview spoke volumes.
I was truly hoping to see practice/qualifying live so I could see his engine blow up and he could miss the race. THEN he could see how Waltrip, Schrader and many OTHERS FEEL as opposed to totally dismissing what is is like to be on the other side of the fence.
DisappointedcrankySophiaon yetanother SUNLESS day in the midwest
I guess I tend to look at the big picture. I enjoy watching practice. Especially happy hour. You can get a feel for who is going to be fast and who isn't in the race.
I also like classic cars, and enjoy watching Barrett Jackson. Would I rather watch an hour of practice instead of an hour of Barrett Jackson? Sure I would. But to me, it's not the end of the world. I can still watch the live leader board or Fox Trax for practice on the computer.
We are all rabid racing fans or we wouldn't be here or on the NASCAR board's. But in the big scheme of things, there are a lot more casual fans who don't watch practice and don't even know they can. We are basically, a minority.
At the risk of being labeled a "old timer" ( which I guess I am), I can recall when a race was on TV, it started with the green flag and ended with a brief chat with the winner. No practice, no qualifying and no pre-race show. We have it a lot better now, so if I miss a few practice sessions, I'm good with that.
If the car auctions get better ratings, then Speed is doing what they are supposed to do. Make money. They don't owe me anything.
40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms in Martinsville this afternoon around qualifying time. But small track = quick drying time if needed.
Heard (not on TV) that Sadler hurt his back a little during aconditioning workout and made it worse later that day doing some type of sport (they didn't say but knowing Elliott it was golf.) Dennis Setzer is on standby today and maybe Sunday. Said they don't know if Sadler will be able to race and it will be a Sunday decision.
You know, everybody is complaining about no practice, but Truck series practice was on and there is NOT A SINGLE COMMENT about the content of it- except one complaining that they left truck practice to go to Barrett Jackson.
There usually aren't many comments about any type of Friday practice on this board. Maybe three or four posters at most. Saturday practice gets more posters.
Actions speak louder than words. Don't complain about missing something that you weren't going to watch in the first place.
During truck practice on Speed, Sadler said that Setzer will practice the car today and tomorrow, and if he still feels like he does today, he will start the race Sunday and then put Setzer in the car.
Geez at 12:38PM,
You're just being way to reasonable. What's wrong with you? Come on. Start complaining. :>)
Stricklanfan82,
You crack me up. Even when you rant it's funny. Can we get your normal Friday rundown of what Speed must do for qualifying in order to please you? I love that one. :>)
I kid because I care.
You know, everybody is complaining about no practice, but Truck series practice was on and there is NOT A SINGLE COMMENT about the content of it- except one complaining that they left truck practice to go to Barrett Jackson.
There usually aren't many comments about any type of Friday practice on this board. Maybe three or four posters at most. Saturday practice gets more posters.
Actions speak louder than words. Don't complain about missing something that you weren't going to watch in the first place.
Hmmm. I can think of two reasons this happened:
1.) there was nothing worth critiquing in the practice coverage (I watched and that's the case with me)
2.) maybe, just maybe, there are people that watch Cup practices and don't watch Nationwide/Truck practices?
Out of curiosity anonymous poster, are you watching the car auction on Speed right now?
stricklinfan82,
I felt the same way. Speed did a good job on truck practice and there was noting to say about it.
Ans yes I am watching the auction. That red and white Fairlane was a beauty. :)
Watching Truck Practice this morning, I wish SPEED would show the practice speeds for all of the drivers in the upper ticker instead of constantly cutting the list short. It is very frustrating if your favorite driver is not near the top of the speed list.
EzEd
Milford, MA
Stricklanfan82,
You crack me up. Even when you rant it's funny. Can we get your normal Friday rundown of what Speed must do for qualifying in order to please you? I love that one. :>)
I kid because I care.
Yeah, how silly of me to use this blog to critique the NASCAR TV coverage and use this forum to make suggestions about what I feel would make the broadcast more enjoyable.
I must have thought this was a blog designed for fans to give their comments about the TV coverage of NASCAR or something.......
I guess I should just say "Speed's coverage stunk" and leave it at that instead of making specific lists of what I liked/disliked and how they could improve upon them... a simple "you stink" would be much more insightful and useful to the NASCAR TV people that read this blog I'm sure.....
Thanks for the very logical and sensible comment!... and yes, I also kid because I care :)
Strick #3 DVR/VCR so can watch when returning home from work. Seems a little silly to comment then unless something jumps out at me
[b]Actions speak louder than words. Don't complain about missing something that you weren't going to watch in the first place.
Hmmm. I can think of two reasons this happened:[/b]
Hmmm, I can even think of a third reason:
3. We're at work right now, but have it DVR'ed and plan to watch tonight. So being able to comment on something I wouldn't otherwise be aware of for another couple hours is pointless.
Personally, watching practice is on a level with watching paint dry. I DVR practice because I like to see who they interview. I can usually watch the DVR'ed version in about 5-10 minutes - I stop only at the points where my driver is on the track and onscreen, and any interview I might find interesting.
So if they don't show practice, that doesn't bother me. What [b]does[/b] bother me is the promise of all the NASCAR coverage I can handle, only to have it yanked away at the last possible second for something non-NASCAR related. Don't promise what you can't (or won't) deliver!
Unless Barrett-Jackson is currently auctioning off a solid gold '35 Studebaker and the lowest bid starts at 100 million, I see no reason why SPEED couldn't wait to show the auction until later tonight, like they normally do.
2.) maybe, just maybe, there are people that watch Cup practices and don't watch Nationwide/Truck practices?
And maybe, just maybe, there are people who don't watch Cup practice?
Why is Cup practice so much more important than Nationwide or Truck Practice? Those series have devoted fans too. Are their complaints less valid than yours when ESPN skips Nationwide practice AND qualifying? (They skipped qualifying last week and are going to skip practice and qualifying next week.)
Sounds like a "If it's important to me, it's important, otherwise it's not" point of view. How sad if the majority of the world operated that self-centered way.
The Nascar Channel or Speed2 can't get here soon enough.
A NASCAR channel is a horrible idea. I can hear the complaints now "The announcers are so biased towards NASCAR." People already say that and NASCAR doesnt even have their own channel!
What [b]does[/b] bother me is the promise of all the NASCAR coverage I can handle, only to have it yanked away at the last possible second for something non-NASCAR related. Don't promise what you can't (or won't) deliver!
Barrett Jackson has been on the SPEED schedule for a long time. If people weren't aware it was going to be on that's not really anyone's fault but those who didn't check the schedule.
Just so everyone knows this same thing with B-J is going to happen on SPEED Oct. 16-18. (Martinsville weekend with race on Oct. 19) Mark your calendars. You can't say you haven't been told.
Not get too far off topic, but I believe weather issues have hampered the Nationwide numbers. Plus, I think the series suffers from the lack of any storylines and identity. We really don't get to see any of the personalities of the Nationwide series develop. The personalities we see during Nationwide broadcasts are the same drivers we see race on Sunday.
Mike @ 2:13 PM,
Very true. Nationwide has become Sprint Cup Light.
The few times I have watched parts of the BJ auctions I have found them either compelling or sleep inducing - and nothing in between. Watching the auction of Carroll Shelby's personal Cobra was riveting. Anticipating the auction of a museum quality Pinto made me go to another channel at warp speed. The BJ auctions are better than Unique Quips painting show, and I have a hard time complaining IF they really do pull much larger numbers - BUT I sure would like to see a delayed broadcast of Cup practice tonight.
Did anyone happen to see Erik K's informed response this AM on M & M when Golic asked him about NASCAR rules on driver weight in relation to Danica's reported complaining about, I take it, new IRL rules on the effect of driver weight on the weight of IRL cars?
Nationwide/Busch ratings were down quite a bit on ESPN last year too, from previous years on other networks. For instance, the Busch series finale at Homestead in 2007 got a 1.2 rating (not much more than Barrett Jackson!) while the Homestead Busch finale in 2006 got a 1.9 rating on TNT. So the ratings are actually worse news this year because they come on top of a fairly steep decrease last year.
Pretty much like Sprint Cup ratings decreasing sharply for the past two years, except they've reversed it so far this year with FOX. However, FOX usually gets the best ratings of all the partners even when the overall NASCAR ratings are lower. So that may mean ESPN/ABC and TNT ratings may not increase or may not increase as much. We'll have to wait and see.
Let's certainly hope Speed Channel uses the TiVo style format in qualifying today so we can see every car's entire qualifying run. With laps in the 19-second range in practice we will definitely miss A LOT during commercials if they do true-live qualifying.
That's the least Speed Channel could do for us after the practice blackout this afternoon.
There are a ton of compelling stories in qualifying today. The first race using this year's top 35. Big names like Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney, and Kyle Petty are in legitimate danger of missing the show. Fan-favorite Ken Schrader and the BAM Team are making their first appearance with a Toyota and major sponsorship money from Microsoft. Teams like the 01 and 40 could be one DNQ away from having to cut back to a partial schedule or folding altogether due to sponsorship troubles. The difference from 1st to 45th in practice was less than 3-tenths of a second and the difference between 1st and last was about 5-tenths of a second. So this is hardly as easy as scratching off teams like the 34 and 08 as having no chance before qualifying starts or pencilling in the 26 and 22 as no-brainers to be in the top 7 among the go-or-go homers in qualifying like it might be on a superspeedway.
This is going to be a very dramatic and important qualifying session so let's hope Speed ensures that we can see it all.
JD, have you seen the show "Best Damn NASCAR Moments" on FOX SPORTS NET? it seems very good.
Great job of focusing on the go-or-go-homers in "Go or Go Home". It was definitely good to hear from several go-or-go homers, as well as from some of the guys that are experiencing being in the top 35 for the first time either ever or in several years like Reutimann and Vickers.
Fantastic job with this show, let's hope this carries over to qualiyfing.
DW said Mark Martin better watch out for Almirola wanting that ride full time (Aric is 2nd right now).
No, what DEI needs to do, and soon before he digs too much of a hole -is get rid of Regan Smith and give that ride to Aric full time. Put David Stremme or Sauter in the 8 when Mark's not driving it. DW made it sound like the car is bad when Mark is driving it, and it's not. Aric simply deserves a fulltime ride instead of 12 races.
It's a shame that we've missed several drivers' entire qualifying runs already. That doesn't make it seem promising for the go-or-go-home portion of qualifying that's for sure. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that either John Andretti or Tony Raines will qualify for the race, and we'll miss it on TV because BOTH will have their entire runs skipped.
It's also interesting that I don't think I've ever heard Speed mention the word "Coors" during any of the Coors Pole Qualifying shows. They never had a problem mentioning Bud when it was always Bud Pole Qualifying, I guess Budweiser is a sponsor of Fox's and Coors isn't eh?
Stricklin -
You are exactly right, all year I've been waiting for them to mention the 2009 Coors Light Shootout at Daytona for the Coors Light pole winners.
To my knowledge, it has NOT been mentioned ALL YEAR.
"Things that make ya go, hmmmm"
Enjoyable coverage today. Steve Byrnes did a good job with Darrell and Larry, very good conversational tone with lots of information and good interviews on pit road.
65 poles for Jeff Gordon. He's so good it's almost easy to forget how good he is.
A very humbled Jamie McMurray in that interview after making the field. Big difference from the Jamie McMurray on NASCAR Now a few weeks ago when he said he didn't ever even think about being outside the top 35 and completely dismissed the question about it like it was beneath him.
I'm glad he's realized what it's like on the other side and maybe he'll remember how it feels if he comes out this week - as he probably will -in the top 35.
Too bad for Kyle Petty, tough way not to make a race (tied on time but losing on owner points), but good job for Franchitti.
Another letdown of a qualifying session on Speed Channel. We missed the entire qualifying run of several cars, including 2 go-or-go-homers (would have been 3 if Brian Vickers hadn't been excused and forced to qualify during the go-or-go-home group). It sure would be nice to add some extra time in their programming block to allow for the extra time necessary to show everyone's entire qualifying runs. I do understand that it's not always possible to do that because of other programming commitments, but when that's the case and it's absolutely impossible to show every run they really need to use up the commercial inventory early in the session so we don't miss any go-or-go-homers at the end of the session.
And still the lack of a lap tracker that just shows where the go-or-go-homers stack up against one another made it nearly impossible to follow the go-or-go-home drama. When Franchitti ran next-to-last in the order, I watched the green dot and he didn't make it there so I thought he missed the race. It sure would have been nice to see that he put himself on the bubble, but instead we just saw an overall position that gave no indication at all whether he still had a chance to make the field. If they're not going to use a seperate ticker, then how about highlighting the dots on the lap tracker that represent the other go-or-go homers? I just want something that will let me see how the current run is on pace to stack up against the go-or-go homers. One green got for the spot needed to definitely lock in isn't enough information for any car other than the very final car that runs. That point was never better illustrated then on Dario Franchitti's run today.
Also, they never mentioned until the last few seconds of the broadcast that Franchitti and Petty actually tied for the final spot in the field. It can't get any closer than that obviously, and that drama was completely lost until it was finally brought up as an after-thought as Speed was signing off the air.
Thumbs down again, I sure miss the several years of Fox and Speed qualifying coverage that used the TiVo style to show us every car's entire qualifying run.
Although I did not see it during qualifying, I really think the Gopher Cam could be very interesting this weekend at Martinsville.
A great placement would be on the inside of the curb, actually planted in the grass / dirt. Proper placement could provide a shot of tires actually getting UP on the curbing.
But still no need to "over use" it.
Each week it seems that they leave the air with stories that are left untold.
Isn't there any kind of journalsitic responsibility at all?
For instance- Kyle Petty. I realized he missed the race, but that is still part of this day's story. I know they are disappointed, but lets hear from him. Better yet, lets hear from King Richard.... whats his reaction?
And if time is short on TV, stick with the story and join Truck practice "in progress".
Just seems like they leave the broadcast with more work to do.
I just don't get that Barrett Jackson stuff. Why do they need to put it on during times when they should be focusing on Nascar? After all, those shows are going to be repeated, ad nauseum, for the next 12 months. To the ones who say they like the auctions, just put it in your Tivo wish list and you'll get more repeats of that same auction than you'd ever want. I want to see all the cars qualify, regardless if they're from powerful Hendrick or from CNC Haas. Yes, Speed has taken on the ESPN personna from last year and ESPN is improving daily.
They could've finished up on the qualifying stories and joined Truck practice in progress. This practice session now is tape delayed from earlier in the day.
I was wondering why I was hearing DW during truck practice and not Mikey, and earlier wondered if Dunlap had gotten into trouble again. Then it dawned on me, that this is the 2nd of 2 Truck races on Fox, and that they re-arrange the broadcast crew some.
Ok now I'm mad it appears my Comcast provided DVR froze last night and now everything I DVR'd for today never happened. No go or go home no qualifying nothing. Usually Speed replays those thing but nooooo so I can't even try to catch it later.
OK, the audience on Trackside is out of control and someone needs to get them back under control. A few people are literally shrieking and screaming at a really high pitch level while JGordon is trying to talk. It's so hard to hear what Byrnes and Gordon are saying, and Byrnes looked like he was distracted, like he had to think of what he was saying b/c of the people shrieking behind him. I want to watch this episode, but isn't there an audience coordinator or security people who can shut the audience up? If there is please do it during the commercial break!
I don't ever remember it being this bad before on Trackside. Maybe everybody is already drunk. Probably a good time there, but it doesn't make for a good TV watching experience.
well, I had to TURN OFF TRACKSIDE but would've liked to have seen Gordon filling in.
Once again the drunken crowds shrieking their heads off so we could barely hear the trackside panel.
IDIOT OUTSIDE events are NOT conducive to viewers.
Another thumbs down to SPEED today.
It's a shame that the crowd is so obnxious and over-the-top during Trackside. The mood on set seemed really low key and all the guys on the program tonight seemed so comfortable and were having fun. The more I see of Clint Bowyer, the more I like him. It's too bad it was hard to hear them at times and you had to try to filter out the screaming and bellowing idiots in the crowd.
where is NASCAR Now?
NN ran couple minutes late because Marty Reid and Co had to ask Danica about her SI swimsuit layout.
I assume my post was removed because I mentioned that Ryan Briscoe who is racing tonight is Nicole Manske's boyfriend. That is not a secret, it has been mentioned by some of her SPEED collegues when talking about the IRL on speed's website.
Can't ignore it anyway. What if he wins an IndyCar race? Are you going to ignore Nicole in Victory Lane? It is what it is.
SPEED and NASCAR have a real opportunity to make an exciting show on Fridays with the Go-or-Go-Homers portion of qualifying.
I know NASCAR wants to downplay the top 35 situation, but the fans have a lot of interest in who makes the race. Along with the pole winner and a few other guys, this is what folks tune in to see. So:
-SPEED needs to have a ticker just for these guys. Nobody cares 'where' they're going to start, they care 'if' they're going to start.
-Arrange the commercials so that they are limited during this portion of qualifying.
-Try to have more than a minute and a half of wrap-up before moving on to something irrelevant like truck practice.
SPEED has a real problem with redundant, boring programming, be it NASCAR or otherwise. They need to show potential (and former) viewers they're doing more than just phoning it in.
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