Update: Sprint Cup Series qualifying has been cancelled due to rain. Trucks still set for 3:30PM but weather continues to be a problem. Will update as needed.
With the Nationwide Series taking the weekend off, ESPN2 is adding yet another college football game to the line-up. In the world of NASCAR TV partners, Saturday is going to be a match-up of the ESPN networks vs. SPEED.
The Sprint Cup Series qualifying coverage goes head-to-head with college football on ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN2 at 12PM ET. Steve Byrnes gets the task of leading the NASCAR brigade with Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond alongside. Bob Dillner and Wendy Venturini are the reporters.
SPEED does the best coverage of qualifying hands down. Every car is seen, the emphasis is on the action on the track and interviews are not intrusive. Qualifying at Talladega does eventually tell a story, but in many ways it is meaningless to most teams. Flat on the floor, no drafting partner and only two cars going home.
It will be the Camping World Trucks that take to the Talladega track next. Krista Voda and her pre-race show, The Setup, will hit the air at 3:30PM. This is exactly the moment when the next set of college football games begin on the ESPN networks.
It will be teams like Boston College, Wake Forest and Michigan up against the dynamic duo of Ray Dunlap and Adam Alexander. These veterans have covered the entire pit road with just two voices for a very long time. There is simplicity and focus in SPEED's truck series TV production so using only two pit reporters actually works quite well.
Calling perhaps one of the most exciting CWTS races of the season will be Rick Allen, Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip. When Waltrip shows up with his analyst face on instead of his huckster personality, he is a valuable asset to the telecast.
There is a wide gap in experience between the top trucks in the field and those just hanging on or trying to simply start and park. It looks like there will be a smaller number of trucks pulling off early in the event. The CWTS needs a good showing at this track and with the Nationwide Series off, this Saturday afternoon may mean a whole lot to the fate of this series beyond 2010.
SPEED's stripped-down old school approach to the CWTS TV package is well known. No infield studio, cutaway car or kiddie cartoons. No Tech Garage and no animated colors from Draft Tracker. The focus is on the teams and drivers, not who is calling the race for the TV network.
TDP will live blog the truck race, so feel free to add your comments during qualifying to this post. We also hope to hear your opinions on the other topics and personalities mentioned above. To add your comment, just click on he comments button below.
This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by The Daly Planet, see you tomorrow for the truck race live blog.
50 comments:
Kenny Wallace saying he is dressing up too spotting for Chrissy. Should be a really fun CWTS broadcast!
Count me in the crowd that could care less for college football. Talladega completely overshadows it. Now, to make sure I wake up in time after work!
I'm looking forward to the costumes. And, the race of course.
Too bad BSPN couldn't loan out Rusty to be in the booth. Make it a family affair.
Wishing for clear skies.
Same here not into football. If it's on I might take a looksie but no special effort to do so.
Same here Dot! Tried to keep the rain here in TX :(. Guess not enough people washed their cars :(
This is going to be one bad a weekend lemme tell you!!! I could care less about football Nascar all the way here. I sooooooo wish I could be in the TALLADEGA infeild to see how nutz its going to be. id do anything to be able to be there but oh well i guess in front of the tv is 2nd best. thats where I will be all sat and sun watching me some good ol racing from Dega!!! College what???? Who the *#*@ cares about that???? NOT ME
Unfortunately for the trucks, they may be racing on Monday and we may also see Sprint Cup qualifying rained out for the first time since the fall 2002 race.
They'll get it all in.
Today: Rain, mainly before 7am. High near 62. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67
Kenny will have to dress up as a mountain man to keep warm high up at Talladega. Those guys and gals will be freezing by the end of the race. I'm only interested in one football team today, GA Tech, and that ought to be starting later today. Yes they'll be two groups racing today, the haves and have nots.
JD: Only 1 car is going home.
Back to raining at the track.
No facts needed here…It’s the writer's ____opinion___ that 2 cars go home…
Qualifying cancelled wonder if Speed will do rain fill or ?
The #37 team has withdrawn to allow the #78 team to race.
The only start-and-park teams tomorrow should be the #87 and the #66.
Wish SPEED would put a crawl in saying the truck quals were washed out.
How is only one car going home on the Cup side? I thought it was two!
JD
I thought only 44 cars entered for the cup race to begin with so just 1 to go home, that's what Jayski has been saying all week. I'm glad the 37 withdrew so a run the whole race car gets in, but I'm guessing they made some money on the deal.
@JD, the 37 withdrew.
JD...we watched Truck qual yesterday....
Truck quals weren't washed. They ran last night. Cup quals were.
Only 44 were entered with the 37 on that list, Im guessing the 78 team made a deal with the 37, 37 withdrew.
MV, Joe ran this full race in the spring, might try again?
I'll be checking out the football but watching the race (if it happens...) But my prediction is, that's not going to help their ratings nationwide. There are some good games today.
Bummer no SPEED today...repeating yesterday I see.
WILD weather in Ohio. Last night the band I listen to played OUTSIDE in Ohio! In the 70's! Then a few hours after they finished it was in the 50's. Hi today, 53. crazy.
Dega a big track to dry out...was looking forward to the trucks since the CUP race will listen to on MRN....really not interested in getting bent out of shape over tv work.
So I guess today College football won't be an issue if nothing is going on at the track.
Waltrip will ruin the Truck telecast as usual, so I'll have to turn off the volume and listen on MRN while I watch. I'll also have to fast forward when the Huckster manages to squeeze his mug onto the camera frame which he makes a point of doing whenever he gets the chance.
Opps. Let's try this...
Thanks to SPEED for finally putting up a msg about the rained out Cup quals!
I see a little wheeling and dealing took place at the tail of the field with withdrawls for cash.
That's a new concept on me.
JD
JD a withdrawl that gets the 78 in the race happened earlier this season I am fairly sure I just don't remeber specifics
Wow! A fake darbar. That's when you have really made the bigtime!
Hey, I am not so sure that Mikey will be in huckster mode. That is what can ruin a race.
The recent events in his life have hopefully helped him to put things in perspective. When he bring his real sense of humor and his NASCAR knowledge to the trucks, he can be fun.
But, I agree that if he shows up and starts to talk over everyone, shill for NASCAR an promote his sponsors it could be a mess.
Too bad about the weather, the trucks really needed this race to be live on TV today and great to watch.
JD
The reporters are saying some cashola changed hands among the tail enders. Hope we have full fields next season.
NRF, 2nd time this year, same circumstances. Im thinking Loudon might have been the race, maybe Dover.
37 may have been involved too if i remember right.
I was wondering about "dar"
Thanks for clarifying JD.
Jet dryers on the track at Talladega. Hoping for trucks on time at 4PM.
I need to score a hard card. No insider info and I got the $$ for starting spot story right =)
David, you and Tommy Logano will always have to stand in line....just like me!
I'm not Mikey's biggest fan, but I thought he was somewhat helpful for most of qualifying yesterday. He actually brought up a few insights...
so who was in the gorilla suit?
I'll stand in line, it'd just be nice to have.
JD hear about some of the names on that 88 car? Apparently some fake names made it on there referring to Obama. Someone even used Morgan Shepherd. lol, creative little devils.
re: Regan
Pay to race has been going on a long time. I remember one race when Kenny Schrader ran strong at Daytona and then couldn't qualify for the second race of the year, and they bought the guys car and ran it with all of the sponsors on it.
For all the newbies, Kenny Schrader used to be a real racer, and still is. Didn't matter what it was, if it had a seat and steering wheel he would race it!
No clue on the costumes. The truck pre-race is supposed to start the Halloween fun and then Trackside tonight has all kinds of stuff going on.
Rutledge Wood doing his MW impression just had me howling.
boyd, this is true. I remember a few years ago PPI bought the 34 car's entry spot, rewraped it as 32 with the tide colors and everything and stuck Bobby Jr in the car.
This situation is a bit different where your paying a guy to withdraw so you can actually race your own car vs. buying someone else's ride entirely. Red Bull has had a deal with Nemecheck all year that should Scott Speed miss a race, he would get in the 87 since Red Bull supplies the cars for NEMCO
No good football on right now. Can't believe that I'm watching the same practices that I watched last night.
the wheelin' and dealing is just part of the deal. I'm just glad Regan is in, he's a local guy and in a different economy, I think he'd have a better ride. We know he knows how to race here...well, he knows even better now...
I missed most of first session so that part wasn't a rerun. Now it is.
We have solid fields for both races this weekend.
There should be 3-4 S&P's in Trucks
and 1 S&P in Cup.
Would they run the trucks under the lights if it continues to rain?
boyd- No lights at 'dega.
@ hotaru-raganbaby_6
Duh...I forgot that. Thanks.
quite honestly, I'm surprised they haven't lit 'dega yet, except it would cost a small fortune...defintely not going to happen in this economy.
Anyone get a status update for the truck race? Saw the jet dryers were still working.
I know the Truck costumes BUT I won't spoil it for everyone! I think you guys will enjoy it.
Jet dryers still out but looks good.
This year you would have gotten your dollars worth to be the Offical Supplier of Umbrellas for NASCAR.
Is it actually raining @ the track right now? I don't see anything hitting the puddles, but Boyer had an umbrella.
I was also wondering about "dar" I was like I thought dar was always blue and she definitely wouldn't say something like that about JD
Yes bummer no lights. When things get back how nice would it be if they could and have them running at night? I think it would look awesome.
boyd...that was pretty good. Not to mention, rain slickers, windshield wipers...someone said if you're in a drought this year, just invite NASCAR to town. I think the top guys had a huge advantage because of that.
Promo for 'dega on the Iowa/Indiana game.
NASCAR_trucks just tweeted that driver intros are still on for 2:30 CDT
There is a new post up for the Camping World Truck series coverage on SPEED at 3:30PM.
Please move your comments to that post. Thanks.
JD
@David - The deal at Talladega in 2005 with Bobby Hamilton Jr. involved 3 cars as the unsponsored ride PPI wanted to buy was a Ford. The #92 Chevy which was going to run as #00 with Aaron's as the sponsor was redecaled as the Tide car and the #34 Ford was renumbered as #00 and ran the Aaron's decals.
@David and NRF - The previous 2 times that the #78 car bought its way into a race, it was the #64 Gunselman Motorsports team that withdrew.
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