This is one of the biggest races of the Chase. Lowe's Motor Speedway is the home track for almost every Sprint Cup Series team. It's a night race under the lights and in primetime on ABC.
Allen Bestwick starts the night with the NASCAR Countdown pre-race show at 7PM. He will be joined by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Tim Brewer will be in the Tech Center. Handling the interviews are Jamie Little, Shannon Spake, Vince Welch and Dave Burns.
The pre-race show is thirty minutes and then the NASCAR on ESPN team takes the air. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will handle the live action.
Last night, ESPN started the night off with a great pre-race show for the Nationwide Series race. Bestwick handed the race off to announcer Marty Reid and the action began on a great note. The first thirty minutes consisted of wideshots of racing, aerial views of the speedway and interviews with drivers out of the race.
Then, ESPN turned the page and started down the road fans know all too well. Extremely tight shots of one or two cars. Recorded soundbites played back during the live race under the green flag. Bizarre oldies music blaring while the announcers threw to commercial. It was the same bad dream again for NASCAR fans.
Marty Reid and Dale Jarrett repeatedly told the producer and director that there was "three wide action further back in the pack." It did not matter. Stories like Mike Bliss and Dave Blaney carving their way through the field were poorly covered.
It was all Sprint Cup drivers all the time. It has been that way since Daytona with the exception of the short-track race this summer from Indy.
On this Saturday night it should be interesting to see if ESPN learns from the Friday night struggles or just repeats the same TV production pattern. One thing is for sure, we will all learn the answer to that together.
To add your TV-related opinion of this broadcast, 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.
756 comments:
1 – 200 of 756 Newer› Newest»well i knew it was just a matter of time: i was faced with having to decide between dinner at friends' house or be there for the start of a race covered by espn.
i've chosen dinner.
will catch up with everyone when i get home.
have fun red, this is going to be good and fast.
Sophia, Dot, trackpass and all that junk is free tonight...
@ David, thanks. I read that.
I have enough multi tasking to do just being here! I think it's desgraceful that a race fan has to use multi media and the internet to get decent coverage of a race when the networks are supposed to be doing that all in one place...on my TV!
Sally, been that way for a while now. Wish ESPN had a RaceBuddy deal going with an online reporter and interactive talent.
Sally
so true. I am tired tonight & will be tough tto keep up with here, Twitter and tv tonight...not sure about radio if it's PRN guys...will try it
It's EXHAUSTING tho
Rmember when you could lay on the couch/recliner, bed or comfy chair and ENJOY THE RACES & the camera work.
Only happens with TNT now. :(
At least you are keeping up with only 1 race. I'm working on keeping up with 2.
Amen! Trying to keep up with what's being said here (MUCH more entertaining than what dribbles out of my TV) and watching the (limited) race coverage on TV...oh, for the good old days when the TV was more than enough!
PRN as Lowes ia a Bruton Smith track
OK, does everyone have NASCAR right now on ABC? Tell us if no please.
Lord help me, I'm so sick of all this chase hype!
The people there look more kike they're going to a football game than a racetrack!
ABC started on time as College Football ended. Good thing race is not on NBC as Notre Dame/USC has a long way to go.
I got NASCAR. What elae would be on?
Seattle started Countdown show on time.
--KarenB
I am happy to report that my local ABC affiliate (WDAY in Fargo, ND) is actually airing the pre-race show rather than the local newscast. I'd like to think that I had a hand in that since I sent them a strongly worded email earlier this week voicing my disappointment that they weren't going to.
They told me that they would "experiment" with not showing the news this time and not to expect that they'd make this decision again. I'm glad this is the last night race of the season.
Oh, fball was on prior.
Thanks Becky! Thanks everyone for checking in, you never know in the local station world.
I have the race here in PA but can't get Raceview to load. I pay for Pit command anyway and that works fine.
It may just be me but isn't there just something wrong with Nascar drivers needing coats and hats.
no NASCAR pre race show in pittsburgh, pa
Dot, this is not cable TV. ABC is carried on local stations and we have had trouble in the past with some of them covering the pre-race with local news.
Tehy even have a marching band! It really does look like a football game.
Let me know if you guys have any NASCAR.com problems. Everything is free tonight, so the load is heavier...be patient.
My local ABC station in Flint, MI was right on the race at 7 PM.
Sorry phg guess I need to clarify. Philly area in PA
I have 4 Js up TX, NY and VT have the Pre-Race and CO has the news.
Good part of the race being on ABC - they use 3 1/2 hr. blocks for football instead of the ESPN/ESPN2 3 hr. block and the game barely ended in time for NASCAR.
Bad part of the race being on ABC - rain in the forecast, and since I won't be home later I'll probably miss the ending when it gets dumped off of the station I'm recording :(
@ JD, oh. I forget some places would rather show local stuff rather than the pre race. I'm fortunate in LV. Except when they didn't show Together :(
Got a couple of stations covering the pre-race...I knew it!
Sally, you're in MI too? Me, Ann Arbor area. Detroit ABC was rite on time also.
AJ's home went straight to pre-race show. 75 and sunny here bet the fans in stands would want that instead of cold. JPM has his race face on but AB said he's cold.
Just got home from the Texas-Oklahoma game. Life is good!
Fort Worth/Dallas ABC has the pre-race.
Dot, usually happens in the Central or West timezones on these night races.
In 2007, Clint Bowyer's home station in Kansas left the end of the Richmond race that Clint was set to win with only a couple of laps left to start the local news.
No one answered the phone at the station....nice huh?
Reporters Twittering from track say the crowd is very sparse. I wonder if ESPN will say anything about attendance.
--KarenB
Sally, I looked it up...that's the N.C. A&T Marching Machine...always like to see the bands get credit. I should be at a field band competition tonight but it's just too dang cold.
JoeGibbsRacing Dealing with some sprinkles here. Nothing major....
PammH, Sally, MI here to, upper peninsula is where I reside.
Pittsburgh is the major market with local news right now, no NASCAR.
Thanks Glen. As a former marching band member, they definitely should get their props.
Hey Pammm! Glad to have another Michigander here tonight!
@Charlie...is it snowing up there yet? It's cold enough to snow 'down here' already.
OK a commercial for the banquet in Vegas that different. Only dates no details though
You can see the drizzle in the lights. 10% chance of rain, eh? With the temps, maybe it will snow instead. Shades of Bristol!
Any mention of Reut being sick? Been doing some major floating around between windows.
Pitt and San Antonio showing news and now it is raining at the track.
Just turned into the free PRN radio feed on NASCAR.com. Not a problem so far, but I'm probably not going to run the other stuff at the same time. The local radio station I had been listening to keeps on fading in and out.
Mel, no and it's very weird. Hoped to see Blaney interviewed.
I think that's the first ad I've seen for the LV banquet.
Charlie-you've had snow already..ugh! I bet those fans at the tracks are freezing their butts off. May make a diff for the pit crews also. Can I just say not surprised TE got booed at the track? Not feeling the energy on pre-race tonite.
J.D.,
My friend Brian is sitting across from the entrance to pit road and he's getting sprinkled on, and wet.
WCK
jane, hack around a bit. Your local station is probably streaming online.
Wonder how many lug nuts fall off tires because of the cold tonight?
Dot -
How about this ??
The script reads that Homestead comes down to Kimmie / Mark / Monty all with a chance to win ... and the championship's determined by who's got the coyotes to "escort" the other two out of the way ... LOL ;-)
Karen, this race always has horrible attendance. Always.
The new stands in turn 4 are completely useless.
@Dot--I'll check with Mike to see if he's still going to be showing it he's been running it 24/7 on his channel but didn't say when he'd take it back down.
@Bevo--my friend Lisa is a big OU fan :). Hope you had a great time.
Good evening from Monroe, GA
I see rain
We had snow here already. Didn't stay around to long.
it is raining in Charlotte...
You could see the rain on the screen. Those girls must be freezing!
dancers and national anthem don't mix
The band could use a different arrangement of the anthem.
Too skimpy outfits in that cold weather!
Wow. What a crap anthem. First time I've ever heard that out of a marching band.
Ick.
--KarenB
anthem kinda flat even w/o any singing
Thanks JD. I knew Blaney wouldn't be interviewed. Surprised (well, not really) that it wasn't mentioned.
Bet those girls are cold.
Does the anthem sound a little slow?
Also Reut is going to try and "gut it out" and stay in the car
Karen, you took the words right outta my mouth. Blame the weather?
@ Tia, you're probably right.
Hubby said some of the instruments were out of tune. Also, what's wrong with Reut?
J.D. and Jane.
WTQR-FM has a good strong stream.
WCK
I will update the JPM Channel as well as Terry Labonte until they park. I believe we may only be relegated to Sterling and Terry as start and parkers today
Now Ella with her hand on her heart was was just too cute. By the way Jeff and his wife acted Ella did it on her own.
Well, Nemecheck too..
Hey Carl, welcome aboard and just dive right in.
@ VickyD, flu.
That was bad anthem for a band. I'm disappointed.
you can't tell what a band sounds like on TV compared to being there. The mikes don't always pick it up right. I thought they were fine (though I'd have preferred the dancers go to position together.)
Vicky he has the flu or something similar. There must be some special creeping crude going around that garage area. Boy wash those hands!
Some of the brass instruments WERE out of tune ...
Too slow ... too flat ...
They should've had Trace Adkins do it tonight ... instead of last night ...
@ David
Blame the arrangement. It shouldn't be a freakin' dirge.
I don't know why I get bent out of shape over poorly-performed anthems, but I do. Even ones from countries other than mine. :-)
--KarenB
Pamm, we're prabably spoiled hearing the U of M marching band play the anthem!
Who was that anthem>
Just put flannel sheets on some of the impatiens.
Band was HORRIBLE like out of tune and not playing together.
Never heard such a horrible instrumental version.
and brass bands are USED to cold weather!
Thanks NRF
Why does every performer have to 'personalize' the National Anthem? It's a National Anthem, not a Personal Anthem.
I recognized parts of the National Anthem there occasionally.
Do we know who the cursed driver is tonight?
It's been raining here (east of Atlanta) lightly all day even though it doesn't show on the radar. And all moving east. I'm thinking it's going to be a long night.
...it looked like Ingrid realized Ella was doing that on her own and wanted Jeff to see...very sweet.
If we can't have Pastor Joe love Coach too :)
CO--news is over they went to commercial and did a quick "NA$CAR is up next" and went to commercial. Now they've joined the network no invocation/anthem for folks in Colo Springs area.
@Gymmie-beautiful day for the game and a lot of unhappy Sooners :)
J.D.,
I was not aware that the National Anthem was a funeral dirge.
The NASCAR radio feed seems to be 24 seconds behind the Comcast feed.
WCK
Should I do it once again? I volunteer to be the "NASCAR National Anthem picker" for next season.
They surely need one...
Wow@ How long has it been since we've seen Teresa Earnhardt at the race track?
No pink pins on the guys.
sail it in. Oh boy, here we go.
oh boy....sailing already.
DJ has the pink tie, though!
Already JP says "sailed" and the race hasn't even started. And I wonder if they'll take the green flag.
just read commnets BAND WAS OUT OF TUNE??
Need to check that before playing. SHEESH
Lame start your engines too...apathetic and no energy
oh no, JP,race has not started and JJ is sailing his boat in to turns on track. this is going to be a long race
Goodness people are sailing already pulling up PRN :(
OH NO, It's my boy. Pray for me.
Dot it's Marcos sorry
Alrite already have the radio on after JP's first sailing into the corner. Sally, yep-U of M band knows how to play that song for sure. This one not so gd. Ella was soo sweet! Marcos is the cursed one, I see. Damn..
ESPN better hold my attention tonight, too many good football and hockey games waiting in the wings.
Wow ! Was that that a LAME National Anthem or What ? How about the invocation > I think the Pastor from Last Night got replaced. Joe Gibbs appeared to me to be a last minute high profile fill in. Good Job though.
Sorry Dot! We'll pray for you both!
Sailing! Jeez. Do you know how fast the average sailboat sails? 8mph. Perfect analogy for race cars.
Thanks for the kind thoughts.
WTQR-FM should not have the race - they just have MRN. Might try WSJS-AM or Barf radio, WBRF-FM, to get PRN feed.
Poor MA has the task of being the in-car reporter. Hope he has a great race and passes a lot of those chasers (along with my guy, Matt).
If they want to know what it's like running in the cold, just go back to the notes from Rockingham in February!
Remember how pumped up we were last night with Marty Reid at the start of the race?
Given JP's lack of excitement during afternoon races, what's it going to be like with him up past his bedtime?
I am using the Free scanner tonight from Nascar.com. Should make the race a bit more interesting.
Let's hope that the anthem didn't set the tone.
Maybe that's what we should all do...listen to the race in Spanish! We couldn't be more in the dark than we were last night, even in English.
I wonder if the Spanish PxP announcer is more excited than JP.
that was my exact thought Tripp...i was thinking of what it would be like for a sailboat to go 180 mph.
I'd be willing to bet on it.
Dang it! SAP has the English audio tonight, last week it was just the track sound.
Well last nights race started out Hopeful then crashed and burned 20 laps in (CAMERA wise)
So I have NO HOPE for tonight and other stuff to channel surf.
No energy to bake from scratch & kicking myself for not picking up a brownie mix...cold house and I need chocolate...as usual. :-)
Too tired for wine..but if annoyed enough with TV & PRN (MISS MRN!!) ya never know.
Has anyone ever complained on ESPN's RaceCast chat w/Ryan McGee? If so, any response or how was it received?
@haus... Very, very scary!
radio just said they will be keeping track of nate ryan & others on Twitter & bringing us any juicy tidbits! can you imagine? trying to be interactive when nascar doesn't even want to hear from us..hmm.
oh Dot
Sorry about Marcos :-(
Ok muting TV & PRN saying rain passed the race track?!? Hope so
Sophia,
I thought it was highlights, but brownies sound better.
Hotpass has who i think is the LMS track announcer and this guy is good..
JD, i am trying out the nascar.com stuff tonight...
On the other side of things, I am already concerned about the direction of the ESPN broadcast.
The story lines tonight about the cold and nighttime and how these crews are going to handle it is ridiculous. Once again ESPN is treating us as if we have never seen a night race in the cold.
Alright here we go!!! Hello to everyone im soooo ready for this, can not wait! Saturday night and i feel alright and ready for some racing! have fun all
Come on now, it isn't that cold. 51° F (10.6° C)
PRN guy just said another announcer is NOT allowed to say "IF THE RACE ENDED NOW".
Ha...that was funny :)
what audio is playing on Hot Pass? not PRN - sounds like track PA announcer.
Beyond all belief. No taste at all. What is Nascar thinking? The
ladies wearing black bikinis ..
tried to sing the anthem.
Then more of a disaster when the
band tried to do it. Actually the
only thing missing was a POLE and
A Stage for the girls to dance on.
Truly one of theeee tasteless
moments in Nascar History.
And during the weekend of the first Hall of Fame nominees. Has
Bill France lost it completely ??
shut up on the start of the race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shut up shut up shut up
shut up we dont need a play by
play!!!!
Patrick
Over did it today..no energy to mess with hi lites.
WOW did they even COMPLETE the track B 4 In car cam virus hit
&^%$#@!~*~
rock,
That is an HBCU school from the general area. Marcus Smith at LMS is the guy to talk to.
All I know is those girls looked cold!
If the race ended now, JJ would be 7 pts ahead.
DOH HORNISH
That didn't take long. Let's see if there's a driver's switch, and if ESPN covers it...
--KarenB
Got PRN on Montoya channel here
Thanks Dot. I needed that.
I missed the girls in Bikinis? was not looking at tv when I heard the horrible out of tune anthem.
They sounded like a wound up battery band that needed to be wound up...just running out of steam.
hey rock, it's going to be a long night. Save your energy.
Amazing use of brakes, steering and throttle control to keep Hornish off the walls.
@ KCarl, Credit goes to Dan.
Well, Junior made it past the first spinout without getting collected. That's a plus.
rocknroll amen to that! Espn never never lets us hear any of the cars go by. straight talk from the start of the green flag. but there not the only ones who do this, speed and tnt seem to never let us hear the cars either. thats why I love fox we get to hear it at the start and during crank it up... heck i even thought the crank it up pits version was cool as well. why dosent anyone else do this????? what we get full throttle that hurts my ears, 43 spotters talking over each other NO GOOD,,, how about ESPN Sounds of the race???? Something
thats the track announcer on HP while PRN is in commercial -sounds like he worked XFP games previously.
So, I pay for RaceView and PitCommand. And on the night its free for the world, mine isn't working right. No visual, but the audio I started (#88) is still working. Weird.
OMG, they actually mentioned Blaney!
I just fell out of my chair.
--KarenB
XFL games thit is.
or may WWE
oh no 00 DR must of caught what Kyle had
Charlie said...
Come on now, it isn't that cold. 51° F (10.6° C)
October 17, 2009 7:48 PM
I hadn't checked the actual temp, but if it is 51, those crews will be sweating half way through the first pit stop...once again ESPN pulling story lines out of thin air
Dude on HotPass is sort of the Antipunch :)
xfl lol ha
*hugs* Dot and Marcos :(
@Pam--I did the same! Couldn't get it up fast enough with that first sailing sigh!
I was busy updating those on Ben's channel who didn't pull up another window that I didn't realize they had "dancers" with the Anthem? Who thought THAT was a good idea?
When I asked about Full Throttle, they said it was imnpossible to get the front six or even ten cars isolated with their radios that quick.
So, it was all or nothing. We got rid of Draft Track, music videos and Brent Musburger.
Hopefully, they can let us listen to the sounds without the talking.
That is why I get bent out of shape when they play music under green going to break. We want the car noise.
Jeez, Sam, just park it.
--KarenB
sorry jd, thats it, caution comes out and jp takes us to a commerical. going to hotpass. during the commerical break you all missed about some drivers who went to the pits.
I do like the way the cars look at night on track. hope they keep up w/the wide coverage on track.
Is JWT in the 77?
Go Sam Go
Lets hope the 3 spin rule is in place for the 77
I need sam to keep running. on my fantasy team lol
LOL Dot!
When you spin twice in 10 laps, just give up before you ruin someone else's night.
--KarenB
And this is the week I chose to use Hornish on my fantasy team?
Guess JP forgot what make Sam was in, big pause before that Dodge.
ok..I gotta figure out HOTPASS
PRN is a good solid MINUTE behind the race..so not working for me...must be slow to get the feed to Ohio!! ;)
I am reading a long bizarre story of the balloon boy's father planning this entire HOAX.
Hope the family REPAYS all the money for the responders.
JERKS
now back to the race..sort of..as I lost interest
@ JD, we may have been instrumental in getting rid of Digger, too. Maybe 2010 will be our year with BSPN.
JD is that track announcer as annoying in personn as he sounds on hotpass
JD- any rumors about Versus and DirecTV making nice?
Sorry David, but he's a moving chicane. Hopefully the next time he spins (and there *will* be a next time), he doesn't take anyone else out.
--KarenB
Dot - you're killing me.
Does Sam drive the 66 car in Nationwide by chance? (kidding)
LMBO at Dot! And hugs-sorry about Marcos. Wide shots so far-pretty good.
Montoya was told on the radio that weather was about 25 minutes out.
@ David, sorry that I keep bagging on your drivers. Who don't you like?
We finally get the field reset as the green flag drops! Gee. Thanks
I know I mention this before but when Nascar is on fox I unplug my Direct tv HD box and plug in my HD atena and you can hit the sap button and one of the modes has no announcers. Crank it up all race. For some reason the atena dosent pick up the abc hd feed so not sure if it works for abc. just thought id let everyone know. if anyone gets abc through there hd atena try it and let me know.
Unfortunately, DirecTV and Comcast/Versus are not even talking.
Are we all taking a drink everytime he says "sailing"? I don't want to fall behind.
Gee, I always thought they just put stuff on cars for the heck of it. Thanks to the Tech Garage I now know those parts are important.
Um....what the heck is that?
what is what?
No S&Pers yet. Spinnin' Sam the only one a lap down.
--KarenB
@Jonathan- did that last week and had just the track sound. Tonight I get the National Weather Service :) On DirecTV just get the English.
Why didn't Reut get out already? How's he feeling? (sorry)
hotpass not working to see if their PRN is closer to tv.
rats
So many comments already!
@JD- Thanks! Just thought there might have been some whispers about progress with hockey starting up.
The split screen with no graphics.
NWS on Sap during a nascar race??? hmm yeah w direct tv it dosent work you need to unplug that and plug the atena
hp not working?
sure it is sophia
Weed's trying to infiltrate JJs house on the CUP side.
We have JPM hotpass and the race audio is very low but the driver's/spotter's audio is loud so we are just hearing the spotter mainly and radio is in the background and we can barely hear it.
Just between us girls bevo, the Comcast Sr. management is not a nice bunch of guys. As in..not nice.
Marcos switched ignition boxes. See, always to the in race reporter.
PRN just had prez of LVS on, talking about the package for the fans for the banquet. said they can buy tickets to a roast of the champ.
@Patrick--odd mine seems to be working *after* I figured out I had to click the Watch Live button :rolleyes: I almost upgraded to get that should have done it. They don't seem to be offering the special anymore. I have Trackpass/Radio free because of the cable dealio they use to have.
can't get the PRN to load...might be FFox issue..may try on Opera...but I seem to be getting disctracted during the race anyway
SURPRISE! (sarcasm)
Post a Comment