Live Blogging Sprint Cup Series From Daytona (12PM - FOX)

The NASCAR on FOX team comes out of the gate in 2011 trying to get different results from exactly the same personalities in front of and behind the cameras. It's going to be a tall task to get the momentum flowing in the right direction where NASCAR fans and TV are concerned.

As you can tell from the picture above, the theme of this one is going to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. trying to win the race on the 10th anniversary of his father's passing. Fans will once again hold up three fingers on lap 3 of the race. Keep an eye on how FOX handles this topic during the event.

Chris Myers is back in the Hollywood Hotel and it should be interesting to see if he continues the same act of being Mr. Confused. In fact, Myers is now in his second season of hosting Inside NASCAR on Showtime. Myers has a long history in TV as an informed and sophisticated on-air professional.

Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond join Myers for the pre-race show. Hammond has been outstanding this season with focused TV comments and an informed presence. Waltrip has been overused by SPEED and the result has been a tired guy who is talking too much. A well-rested Waltrip is going to be needed for this race that promises to have a very different dynamic.

Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds join Waltrip in the booth for the race. This mix has been effective for many years, but Waltrip's non-stop chatter last year at this event set the tone for what was to be a rough season. If the producer allows Joy to take charge and direct traffic, things should be fine.

Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren are the top of the heap in terms of pit road reporters. A diverse group of professionals with other interests and TV projects, FOX has failed to effectively use their talents for several seasons. Hopefully, a new focus on information will allow them more air time.

There is no RaceBuddy for the FOX races this season. That means during TV commercials fans have nowhere to continue watching the race. NASCAR.com has a live leaderboard but no free scanners. Basically, FOX and the radio are the only two information sources for the event.

FOX has not embraced social media and there is no focused location for tweets or Facebook conversation with fans during the telecast. Darrell Waltrip has an active Twitter account, so it should be interesting to see if he will be interacting with fans from the TV booth during the race.

The network has FLIR technology, new in-car camera angles and a race where two cars can pull away from the pack. It's an interesting combination of elements where making TV is concerned. FOX has a long history of overusing in-car angles, trying to build drama and focusing on the winner instead of all the finishers.

There are four years left in the current TV contract. In reality, FOX may well have only four more cracks at covering the Daytona 500. After last season's pothole issues and the erosion of TV viewers, the pressure is on to deliver a memorable and informative telecast.

We will use this post to host your comments on the TV coverage of the Daytona 500 on FOX. 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 taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet for the fifth season.

Live Blogging Nationwide Series From Daytona (12PM - ESPN2)

The ESPN boys had all winter to lick their wounds and recover from the thumping they took in the media and with the fans about the TV coverage of both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series down the stretch last season.

Now, instead of making changes in the broadcast line-up, the only news is that Rusty Wallace's TV contract has been extended through 2014. That is the current end of ESPN's NASCAR agreement to cover the sport. The fact that Ray Evernham quietly stepped away wasn't even a blip on the radar.

In ESPN's world, everything is always fine. In reality, it certainly is not. Marty Reid struggled with the sport and his play-by-play down the stretch was off-balance. He returns to this role today with the Nationwide Series race from Daytona.

Alongside of Reid are Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. It should be interesting to see if Jarrett takes this role and expresses his opinion or continues to be just a bit too polite and far too politically correct. Jarrett still has tremendous credibility and he could be the key to returning ESPN to a position of authority in the sport.

Consistency has defined Andy Petree but the faces around him have continually changed. He started with Rusty Wallace alongside, then the next season Jerry Punch left and Reid came aboard. His original producer is gone and this year he again is cast in the role of the third guy in the booth.

Allen Bestwick will lead the Infield Pit Studio group. Wallace and Brad Daugherty are alongside and assuming their normal roles. Wallace gets agitated and intense, while Daugherty speaks in broad and general terms about any topic in the sport. While Bestwick is the best in the business on TV right now, he is surrounded by a less than stellar cast but still makes the best of it.

There really is nothing to say about Tim Brewer and the Tech Garage. He is cast in the role of making guesses about incidents on the track and is often completely incorrect. His updates on the very basics of the sport make fans feel stupid. In his fifth season in this role, it should be interesting to see how he is presented.

Jamie Shiftan is the new ESPN producer. He is popular with the crew, a homegrown production veteran and maintains good relationships with almost everyone in the sport. The reaction when he was named to this position was overwhelmingly positive. Now, it is his turn to make the TV donuts beginning with the biggest race of the Nationwide Series season.

This blog will host your TV-related comments as we watch the pre-race and race coverage from Daytona. 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 taking the time today to stop by The Daly Planet.

Live Blogging Trucks in Daytona (SPEED - 7PM)

The familiar feel of the Camping World Truck Series TV package comes back tonight in Daytona. One face is gone, however, and a new one steps in.

Adam Alexander has left the truck TV package to anchor the new SPEED Center show back in Charlotte, NC. It will be Hermie Sadler stepping in to fill his shoes for the entire season. Sadler will also continue his reporter duties on the RaceDay show for the network as well.

Krista Voda kicks off another season as the host of the pre-race show and sometimes a pit road reporter. Voda's style has always meshed well with this series and she has proven her value to NASCAR and SPEED for many years.

Rick Allen will call the race with Phil Parsons. These two have been the core of the TV package in the booth for a long time. Tonight, Darrell Waltrip steps in because younger brother Michael is racing.

Yes, Michael has an in-truck camera and it should be interesting to see how the producer manages the contact between the two Waltrips. These two have been on a self-promotion tour this week and frankly, it's getting to be too much.

Ray Dunlap will be returning to anchor pit road along with Sadler. Watching these two this season should be fun. This is the first opportunity for Sadler to put his personal stamp on something for the entire season. This assignment is quite different than the scripted RaceDay program.

The same producer and director return as well, two guys who strive to produce old school television coverage that focuses on the racing and the drivers instead of fancy TV gizmo's and announcer personalities.

The field is packed with a ton of personalities from Kyle Busch to 18 year-old Johanna Long. No two-by-two drafting in this series. The trucks should put on a good show.

This post will serve to host your comments on the Camping World Truck Series race from Dayton on SPEED. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by.