ESPN: NASCAR Now - Midnight at Daytona

Leave it to Jeff Burton, speaking to reporters at the Media Center, to be the sole voice to discuss the single most pressing issue after the Daytona 500. Why did NASCAR violate their own rules by not putting out the caution flag when cars began spinning on the frontstretch at Daytona?

Regardless of the drivers involved, regardless of the track, and regardless of the race, NASCAR owes it to the integrity of the sport to remain true to their own rulebook. The sanctioning body likes to describe itself as a rival to sports like the NFL. Does any sports fan believe that the NFL would not call a penalty because the final pass of the game was in the air? Would they watch the clock run out but let the final field goal be kicked? This is exactly the type of quandary that NASCAR finds itself in all too often. They chose entertainment over safety, and then put pressure on the media to deflect the topic. And ESPN buckled like a snowman on a hot summer day.

During its last appearance at Daytona, ESPN used Kenny Mayne as the infield studio host, a person who had absolutely no understanding or experience with NASCAR. Now, six years later, the network brings Chris Fowler to Daytona with exactly the same level of NASCAR knowledge. Why? Fowler was a grinning and head-shaking host who occasionally acknowledged his basketball partner Brad Daugherty, who once again interacted with, and interviewed, no one.

ESPN Analyst Rusty Wallace said "there was nothing to gain by throwing the caution" about NASCAR's decision to delay the yellow flag. Luckily, he said that to race winner Kevin Harvick who was seated on ESPN's NASCAR Now set. Perhaps, Mark Martin, Ryan Permberton, Bobby Ginn, and the remainder of the 01 team might have disagreed with Wallace had they been present.

Tim Cowlishaw has worked hard to build-up his TV credibility with his Around the Horn appearances, but during his NASCAR Now post-race segment he avoided any journalistic issues, as if he had been told to tow the company line. Cowlishaw, like Daugherty, has no defined role on this program and never raised one hard news issue during the entire Daytona SpeedWeek.

ESPN has tried to put ten pounds of TV announcers in a five pound bag. Mysterious figures like Angelique Chengelis and Jeremy Shapp appeared from no where, only to report briefly and never be seen again. Who is Ms. Chengelis and why is she a "NASCAR Insider?" Why is former "Insider" Marty Smith now a pit reporter type? What did he do to lose his "Insider" membership status?

Hopefully, ESPN will tone down their on-track presence to a manageable number of experienced anchors and reporters. This sport does not need the TV hype of College Gameday and the high-profile of ESPN anchors. The network needs to concentrate on the reality of the daily grind that ten months of hard work and travel demand from hundreds of NASCAR teams and crew members.

At Daytona, SPEED Channel rolled out their successful Raceday and Victory Lane programs with overwhelming fan response. ESPN is playing catch-up to an established and appreciated SPEED and Fox combination that played a significant role in the current success of NASCAR. No matter how insulated things are in Bristol, Connecticut, ESPN needs to re-tool their NASCAR Now effort prior to the next race in California.

Fox Sports: Daytona 500

Every season Fox Sports sets the racing chat boards and forums on fire with their chosen NASCAR philosophy of following the leader...literally. This season's Daytona 500 proved to be another example of how this practice leads to missing the racing action and all the excitement that goes with it. Time and time again, the cameras zoomed-in on the single file leaders, even as the pack battled three wide behind them. Welcome back to NASCAR on Fox.

The broadcast network breaks out all the technical toys, including the new High Definition in-car cameras and 3-D animated replays for Daytona, treating the race with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, even with the quality announcers, a sold-out speedway, and a beautiful day, things began for 2007 as they had ended in 2006.

The group with whom I watched the race continually yelled "No" at the screen when the director instructed the camera to zoom-in once again on the first and second place cars. Fox continues to be baffled by the fact that leading a NASCAR race means very little until the end, and that is especially true of the Daytona 500. Frustration boiled over during the final twenty laps, when the Fox Director melted down into a confusing series of camera angles and in-car shots that proved to be disorienting for both the viewers and the announcers.

The final lap of the race was a well-deserved climax for Fox as the cameras missed the action, the announcers talked over each other, and for a period of several minutes it was impossible for fans at home to have any understanding of what had just happened. The meltdown was complete. Random shots of crashed cars, drivers walking away, other cars on the back stretch, and even one seemingly parked against the pit wall served to confirm how out-of-control this telecast had become. For one last time, Fox Sports had to roll-back replay after replay to explain to the viewers what they had missed. Only, in this case, "they" refers to the NASCAR on Fox production team...the replay kings.

SPEED: Craftsman Trucks at Daytona

The Chevy Silverado HD 250 was the debut race for SPEED's 2007 coverage of the Craftsman Truck Series. After several years of experience, the network continues to provide outstanding pictures and sound that rivals the broadcast networks coverage of the NEXTEL Cup Series. From a truly technical standpoint, this event was a home run in terms of production and engineering.

Partnering with the production crew were booth announcers Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, and Michael Waltrip. They were supported on pit road by veteran Ray Dunlap and newcomer Adam Alexander. As with the 2006 season, Allen continues to struggle with his fit in racing, his terminology, and his style. His laid back commentary is more suited for baseball than racing, and his attempts to describe exciting on-track action and racing incidents leave him struggling to deal with fast-moving events.

Its clear that Phil Parsons should be given the opportunity to call a race in the play-by-play position with Michael Waltrip in the booth for color commentary. Phil balances Michael's commentary very well, and it is clear that Waltrip respects the former driver. Along with a strong pre-race show anchored by Krista Voda, Parsons and Waltrip could offer a stronger line-up to the racing fans than SPEED currently offers with Rick Allen. This is the only national NASCAR Series that SPEED produces, and it is time for Parsons to be rewarded for his hard work and dedication over the years.

This commentary would not be complete without a tip of the hat to both Krista Voda and Mark Martin for anchoring a pre-race show, in freezing temperatures, with class and dignity. Martin was surprisingly well-spoken on many topics, from current racing rookies to the untimely passing of both Bobby Hamilton Sr. and Benny Parsons. Krista Voda is continuing to prove over-and-over again that she is the only correct person to resurrect the network disaster that is the weekend SPEED Report. The network desperately needs her to restore credibility to their only national news program.