Special: IndyCar Cancels Weekly TV Series

NASCAR fans may remember back in 2007 when ESPN supported its new NASCAR TV contract by launching a daily show called NASCAR Now. In a word, it was horrible. Two hosts with no NASCAR experience, a hype-driven agenda that was embarrassing and a complete lack of respect for the sport.

Now, five years later, NASCAR Now is a flagship motorsports series. Good hosts, solid reporting and updated information that is passed along seamlessly. That series has become a part of the NASCAR TV landscape.

After much poking and prodding, SPEED finally jumped into the same mix and created NASCAR Race Hub. Expanding on the Monday one-hour show the network produced for years, SPEED finally flexed some TV muscle. Again, it took several tries to get it right. Now, Steve Byrnes is firmly entrenched as the host and the show is running at full speed.

Last weekend many NASCAR fans took the time to cross-over and watch the open-wheel gang run the Indy 500. Here at TDP, we hosted a live blog that resulted in many positive comments about the series and the racing. The Indy 500 is to IndyCar what the Daytona 500 is to NASCAR. It's a spectacle that attracts all kinds of new fans.

Needless to say, the drama of the final laps came to a head when JR Hidlebrand hit the wall on the final turn and Dan Wheldon just got past him before the caution lights came on. It was a big win for Wheldon, who only had a one-race deal for this season. Hildebrand was a gracious loser on TV.

The IndyCar series has a handful of races on ESPN and ABC, including the Indy 500. The bulk of the season is carried on VERSUS, a cable network with an identity problem that can best be described as disjointed. VERSUS grew out of the Outdoor Life Network and has tried to be all things to all people. It's not working.

This season, IndyCar also put a toe in the TV water with a new series called Open Wheel Weekly. It aired on Tuesdays in what we like to call the "DVR Theater" timeslot. That is 4PM on the East Coast, 1PM out west. The programs were also made available online to registered IndyCar.com members and re-aired on VERSUS at 11PM Pacific Time.

The picture above is driver Tony Kanaan goofing around off-air with fellow driver Bruno Junquiera and the Open Wheel Weekly announcers. Robin Miller is well-known to most fans because of his work with SPEED. Kevin Lee and Lindsay Thackston co-host the program.

After a sparkling Indy 500 that attracted a lot of news fans, the only weekly TV series that focuses on the IndyCar Series was abruptly cancelled. The official word is on hiatus but that is just a TV term that means Open Wheel Weekly may possibly return in the future. There was no show on Tuesday.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that perhaps the week after the biggest race of the season might not have been the best time to cancel the series. With no race this weekend, the exposure that a TV show airing nationally and available online would bring was fundamentally important.

Sure, it was on at 4PM for the East Coast. Sure, it's a blip on the radar in the big picture, Sure, it's not critical to the survival of the series. But having a long-form TV show where IndyCar could put it's best foot forward only days after the biggest race of the year in many ways is priceless.

Put it on YouTube. Plaster it on Facebook. Tweet to every IndyCar fan on Twitter that the show is available online. Make it a front page link on the IndyCar website. Social media and Internet users have a habit of taking something small and making it very big.

ESPN is so desperate for TV exposure for its IndyCar races, the series is included in the NASCAR Now program. Drivers are interviewed, races are promo'ed and the ongoing Danica story is always updated.

If the ultimate goal of IndyCar is to coordinate a future TV package with Comcast using NBC and VERSUS as the key networks, the sanctioning body had better get hopping on returning a "support show" to the air.

Despite the issue of cost, history supports the fact that a series like Open Wheel Weekly needs time to develop and mature just like NASCAR Now and Race Hub.

Had I watched Open Wheel Weekly this Tuesday and heard from Miller, Wheldon and Hidlebrand it would have reinforced my interest in the series. Had I been shown some behind-the-scenes video and sound from the race it would really have been a treat.

Instead, I am only planning to watch the Indy500 next season. Those memories are still fresh. After all, I saw it all on TV.

We welcome your comments on this topic. 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.

The Stick-And-Ball Implosion Continues

At the beginning of the year, it appeared that NASCAR would once again take it on the chin. Where TV ratings were concerned, it had been a four year steady decline.

In 2010 the NFL had wiped NASCAR off the map where September through November ratings were concerned. Since then LeBron James had made his "decision," took his talents to South Beach and drove NBA ratings through the roof. It was not looking good for the left turn gang.

But a funny thing is happening as June approaches. The landscape of the many sports we classify as "stick and ball" is changing. It is not a change for the better. The list of ongoing problems and developing situations is amazing. The latest crisis just hit Monday afternoon.

Here is a brief overview of some current issues:

NFL: No end in sight to an ugly lockout by the owners. At the present time, there will be no NFL games come September. The argument is over approximately nine billion dollars in revenue to be divided between the teams and the players. The owners say they are prepared to sacrifice the entire season if needed.

NBA: Commissioner David Stern has stated 22 of his teams are on track to lose an estimated total of $300 million this season. There is little doubt that the NBA and the players are also headed for an extended lockout after the season is over.

MLB: Teams in the two largest TV markets, New York City and Los Angeles are in crisis. The New York Mets are on track to lose over $50 million dollars this year and may face bankruptcy. Commissioner Bud Selig was forced to take over the day-to-day operations of the Los Angles Dodgers. Team owner Frank McCourt recently had to take a $30 million dollar loan from LA-based FOX (TV) just to meet payroll.

Golf: Tiger Woods is on crutches. His lower left leg is in an orthopedic boot and he is unable to hit a golf ball. He failed at the Masters, pulled out of the Players Championship and has just withdrawn from The Memorial. There is no firm date for his return.

NHL: An outstanding playoff game seven between Boston and Tampa Bay drew very high viewership in those two TV markets, but only slightly over two million total viewers nationwide. While Comcast/NBC has secured the NHL rights for the long term, several years on the VERSUS TV network has left the sport in a lurch.

The most recent bombshell may start a very fundamental change in the perception of major college athletic programs. Click here to read the Sports Illustrated feature article detailing the amazing happenings within the Ohio State University football program.

Highly-regarded head coach Jim Tressel, who is pictured above, resigned on Monday. Reports suggested his only other alternative was to be fired. Tressel was trapped within a corrupt and unworkable system that major college football coaches around the country deal with every season.

Tressel basically ran a business that made millions of dollars for the university and gave only scholarships to the players. Decades ago, this might have been a trade that made sense. In today's reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

"Big-time college athletics appear to be spiraling out of control," says Pete Thamel of the New York Times in a Monday story. "Tressel’s resignation is the headline in a year that has had major investigations of the national champions of football (Auburn) and of men’s basketball (Connecticut)."

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, NASCAR has had three very different stories unfolding over the past two weeks.

First, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading on the final turn of the final lap of the most recent Sprint Cup Series race in Charlotte. His running out of gas made local sports TV highlights nationwide and was the lead story on ESPN's SportsCenter.

Secondly, superstar bad boy Kyle Busch was clocked at 80mph over the speed limit in a hot car with his hot wife in his own neighborhood. He wound-up with just a ticket, but news of the incident went viral. In a flash, the story was global. Imagine that, a NASCAR driver speeding down a two-lane Carolina road.

Finally, former Formula-1 driver Kimi Raikkonen decided he would like to sample NASCAR. His huge international fan base watched Raikkonen hold his own in a Camping World Truck Series race in Charlotte and finish 15th on the lead lap. The next weekend, he returned for a rent-a-ride in the Nationwide Series. Suddenly, rumors are swirling that "The Iceman" is coming to NASCAR with Red Bull in tow for 2012.

What an incredible swing of momentum for NASCAR through an amazing set of circumstances. You just can't make this up. The NFL is on strike with the NBA set to join them. The world's top golfer is injured, hockey can't get TV viewers and the Dodgers and Mets are essentially bankrupt.

As if on cue, NASCAR's top series heads to a sellout crowd at Kansas Speedway next Sunday afternoon. Saturday's truck series race may not have Raikkonen, but it is also sold-out. It will be fascinating to see if the sport can continue to build momentum, increase attendance and continue to slowly push up TV ratings.

Sometimes, things just happen. If there was ever a weekend for NASCAR to put on a good show, this might be it. You just never know what the ultimate reward for that might be.

We invite your comment on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

TV Police: NASCAR On FOX From Charlotte Motor Speedway

On Memorial Day weekend, who better to investigate the long and complicated saga that was the Coke 600 on FOX than a Marine. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs does not mess around. The former Marine gunnery sergeant leads a cast of colorful characters who always seem to respond to even the most difficult challenge. Gibbs speaks few words and his "look" is enough to get any one's attention.

The NASCAR on FOX gang began with an interesting pre-race show. Rather than focus on the racing, the program ran through a wide variety of topics. Memorial Day and military themes were featured, including Jeff Hammond parachuting into the track.

Michael Waltrip appeared to announce that his book was being made into a movie and Darrell Waltrip got "Revved Up" about NASCAR and the US Armed Forces. Chris Myers played his normal role and everything was tongue-in-cheek funny. Unfortunately, what FOX did not do was preview the race.

That was left to Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and eventually Waltrip from the TV booth. Despite McReynolds and his muted role this season, his explanations and race set-up were outstanding. It should be interesting to see what role he plays next season for FOX.

Pit reporters were Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren. Not much to do at times, but once again solid information relayed by personalities who know the sport. FOX has lots of talent waiting in the wings for new challenges while reporting on tires and fuel.

We are familiar with the FOX telecast production style. Hyper-tight shots, in-car cameras live on restarts and accidents. Single and double-car shots that show an individual battle without a race perspective. FOX loves it.

More aerial shots appeared, perhaps due to the solid amount of fans at the track. The low angle shots worked to reinforce speed and the split-screen effect is well-framed. The triple-split was rarely held for a full pitstop, but the info was solid in terms of positions leaving pit road.

FOX again had those strange in-race ads on an animated video board for a new movie. After watching the Indy500 with side-by-side commercials, it was tough to stomach that and the full-screen FOX breaks. Perhaps, that will change for 2012.

Late in the race, FOX snuck-in another side-by-side commercial. Instead of cutting the race, the video box only showed a tight shot of the leader. You could not even tell what turn he was in the camera was so tight. Even when innovating, it's always a struggle with this crew.

The racing picked up toward the end of the event despite the fact that several caution flags for debris resulted in no pictures of that debris making it to TV. In the end, the final 50 laps provided good racing and a solid storyline.

Waltrip in the booth is always interesting, but this season he had taken over the telecasts. On this Sunday, Joy stepped back into the lead role and actually directed traffic. He handled Waltrip effectively and called the action.

The problem was that Joy was consistently in front of the cameras where incidents were concerned. Joy would call out the corner, the issue and the cars before the cameras found the incident. By not following the best racing on the track and shooting hyper-tight, the NASCAR on FOX team has leaned on replays for incidents since Daytona.

It came down to fuel mileage once again and Waltrip admitted he did not know the fuel strategies of the teams on the track in contention with 20 laps to go. Ultimately, chaos ensued and it made for good TV. Video of the three RCR cars pushing each other was priceless. Junior ran out and Harvick stole the victory.

It was unfortunate that a profanity from Chad Knaus was aired live, but FOX is ultimately in control of what goes out over the TV. Using live team radios at a critical time can often result in just that type of moment.

It was a long day of motorsports capped by a long night of Sprint Cup Series racing. FOX has one race remaining with Kansas on the schedule next weekend.

This post will serve to host your comments on the FOX coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. To add your TV-related race summary, just click on the comments button below. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet on this holiday weekend.