SPEED Banking On "Fast Track To Fame"

Over the years, SPEED has tried a wide variety of TV programs related to NASCAR. Some, like the ill-fated I Wanna Date a Race Car Driver were laughable while others like Beyond the Wheel are still sorely missed.

Monday night at 8PM, SPEED throws another original offering at the TV wall to see if it sticks. Michael Waltrip says Fast Track to Fame was his idea. Click here for a video where he discusses what the show is all about.

Already described as NASCAR's version of American Idol, the show sounds like a collection of race fans showing off their singing and juggling skills on the SPEED Stage. The facts are a bit different.

Click here for the audition information on the new series from the Actor's Pages website. Those wishing to get noticed can travel to the auditions from anywhere in the nation.

Like many other talent shows on the air, Fast Track to Fame is open to almost all kinds of acts. Click here to read about NBC's America's Got Talent series and the auditions for that entertainment program. It certainly sounds familiar.

Fast Track to Fame has all kinds of connections to FOX Sports in LA. FOX's David Hill is listed as an Executive Producer and the actual company doing the production is LA-based FiveBinks Inc.

It seems ironic that Waltrip is hosting a talent show produced by FOX on the very same night that This Week in NASCAR used to inhabit. For many years the lone NASCAR program on Mondays, TWIN was surrounded by lifestyle programs created by SPEED. The management of the network was firm in saying that NASCAR-related programs do not work on weekdays.

Apparently, something has changed. SPEED now has a daily NASCAR news show and just added a three-and-a-half hour block of NASCAR themed shows on Mondays. Following Fast Track to Fame is a NASCAR cooking show, two different highlight programs and then Jimmy Spencer's What's the Deal series.

It's always interesting when entertainment types get involved in NASCAR. Perhaps this line from the Actor's Pages audition listing says it best. FOX and the LA-based production company are: "Looking for talent that will appeal to those who attend auto races." You can take if from there.

This post will serve to host your comments before, during and after this debut episode of Fast Track to Fame airs on SPEED at 8PM ET. To add your opinion on this topic, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by.

Your Turn: Sprint Cup Series From Las Vegas on FOX

It was Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond who started the day in the Hollywood Hotel. They had a one-hour pre-race show that contained a wide variety of features and interviews.

Waltrip moved to the booth and joined Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds. On pit road were Krista Voda, Matt Yocum, Dick Berggren and Steve Byrnes.

This race took place under sunny skies after a rainy week. The track was fast and the TV crew had no technical issues. The race had no big wrecks and ran quickly on TV.

This is your opportunity to post your opinion of the NASCAR on FOX telecast now that the race is over. This is the most widely read post of TDP during the week, with many in the industry reading your opinions. Make your comment count.

To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for stopping by with your comments on this event.

Live Blogging Sprint Cup Series In Las Vegas (2PM - FOX)

The good news is that the weather has cleared and it is going to be a beautiful day in the Las Vegas area. The bad news is that the rematch of USA vs. Canada in Olympic hockey is on NBC up against the NASCAR race.

The NASCAR on FOX team has been having a hit or miss season. They missed in Daytona but rebounded in California. This week, Darrell Waltrip has been on SPEED many times covering practice, qualifying and as a panelist on the Trackside show. His behavior had been nothing short of erratic.

On Trackside, Jeff Hammond actually changed chairs to sit next to Waltrip and could be seen trying to quiet him down while fellow panelists tried to ask questions of guest Danica Patrick. When Juan Montoya arrived as the next guest, Walrip again talked constantly.

Mike Joy is a well known commodity in the NASCAR world. He can deliver stirring play-by-play and knows how to tell the stories unfolding on the track. Joy's booth partner Larry McReynolds provides information on race strategy and crew chief issues. It is left up to Waltrip to deal with the driver topics and call the replays.

Waltrip will begin the day in the Hollywood Hotel with Hammond and host Chris Myers. This week, the Slice of Pizzi feature continues with driver interviews conducted in an embarrassing fashion for the sake of comedy. The pre-race show has been struggling and the race today really needs a strong lead-in.

The FOX Director is a veteran, but the struggle between showing the field and using in-car cameras has been rough. Normally, TV waits until the field gets strung-out to use the in-cars in order not to miss any incidents or key passes. FOX has been going early to the in-cars and has been forced to replay a lot of action for the TV viewers.

Joy has been handling a big commercial and promo load of show elements that he reads from the booth. That has taken away from his commentary duties. It should be interesting to see if the FOX movie promos and the in-race videos continue. While the Digger presence is less, the commercial elements inserted into the races have been distracting this season.

The pit road reporters Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren are going to be key today. Action at Vegas happens quickly and often involves more than one car. Information needs to be passed along and interviews conducted with drivers out of the race. There may be more than a few.

In a Sunday morning update, The NASCAR Insiders passed along from the track that NASCAR was putting pressure on the "start and park" cars to stay on the track and even do pit stops. You may remember that Dave Blaney's S&P car was taken last week after the race with NASCAR claiming it was a "routine inspection." See if FOX addresses this topic during the pre-race or the live race telecast.

The pre-race show begins at 2PM and the green flag flies at 3:16PM. The telecast is scheduled to run until 6:30PM ET. This post will serve to host your comments during the NASCAR on FOX broadcast of the Sprint Cup Series event from Las Vegas.

To add your TV-related opinion, 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 The Daly Planet.