Friday - NASCAR TV Live Blog Daytona Testing

Friday should be a very interesting day in Daytona. NASCAR is talking about trying some new drafting techniques after once again the day closed on Thursday's practice sessions with the two-car "tandem style" drafting going on between teammates.

It will be 9AM ET again for the online portion of the coverage at SPEED.com. There is a link on the webpage specifically for iPhones and iPads, so thank you SPEED. John Roberts hosts the day while Rick Allen and Jeff Hammond will call the early session. Steve Byrnes, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds will handle the afternoon 1PM ET session on SPEED TV.

The difference on Thursday between the online and TV coverage was striking. The casual and less formal online style really seemed to serve NASCAR, while the standard one segment of program and then another commercial style on SPEED TV was solid on information, but tough to take after the non-commercial streaming show.

There is also a link to the live streaming over on NASCAR.com and for those of you on Twitter, the announcers are taking questions and offering behind the scenes pictures and comments before, during and after the sessions.

Friday will be a good day for TV and media-related comments as NASCAR tries to come to grips once again with a possible season of "tandem racing" on the restrictor plate tracks. What NASCAR might change and how the teams may react will be playing out live during this coverage.

Big thanks to SPEED for stepping up and hosting this testing "combo platter" of online and TV coverage once again. The network has a new interim president in FOX veteran Scott Ackerson and he should be making his presence felt in the NASCAR programming and production category this season.

We will use this post for your comments on the Friday coverage and all the media and NASCAR happenings coming from Daytona. To add your comment, just click the comment button below. This blog auto-opens on android and iPhones, no app needed! Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday - NASCAR TV Live Blog Daytona Testing

The off-season is over and NASCAR is back on TV and the Internet from Daytona as testing gets underway for the Sprint Cup Series teams.

Three days of testing have the same format. The 9AM to noon session will be streamed online at SPEED.com and the afternoon 1PM session will be on SPEED TV.

John Roberts hosts the testing coverage. Rick Allen and Jeff Hammond have the AM session with Wendy Venturini and Bob Dillner reporting. Steve Byrnes has Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip in the TV booth for the afternoon session. Randy Pemberton and Hermie Sadler are the reporters.

The idea of covering this by SPEED is to accomplish several things. First, to point out the new driver, team and crew chief combinations. Secondly, to update fans on news from the off-season by speaking to the personalities involved. Finally, to explore the new rule changes for Daytona by watching the action on the track and in the garage.

It is very clear from the radiator and cooling changes that NASCAR is still trying to break-up the "tandem racing" that fans saw at Daytona and other restrictor plate tracks last season. This will be a key element of the coverage.

This post will serve to host your TV and media related comments as the coverage rolls along. Please feel free to add an opinion, ask a question or give a review of just how you feel the Daytona activity is being translated online or on TV by SPEED.

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet, now in our sixth year of providing daily NASCAR TV and media coverage.

NASCAR's Dress Rehearsal Starts Thursday

Following one of the most tumultuous off-seasons in years, the survivors of NASCAR's sponsorship woes are finally heading to Daytona. It's testing time for the Sprint Cup Series teams.

SPEED is going to handle all the activity and will split the morning and afternoon sessions between online and cable TV coverage. Thursday through Saturday at 9AM SPEED will stream coverage on the SPEED.com website. There is no charge and the video stream should open on portable devices as well.

Rick Allen and Jeff Hammond will be up in the booth talking about the on-track happenings while Wendy Venturini and Bob Dillner will be covering the ongoing stories in the garage area. There should certainly be a lot of things happening live.

After lunch, the 1PM sessions will feature the big boys up in the TV booth on SPEED. Steve Byrnes, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds will be talking a lot about the new rules package and what effect it will have on the "tandem racing" we saw last season. Hermie Sadler and Randy Pemberton will be the reporters.

John Roberts will be hosting all of SPEED's coverage and should provide a solid presence from the infield, even without the SPEED Stage. Daytona weather is always changing and the current forecast does contain the threat of rain and also changes in temperatures during testing time.

NASCAR has made it very clear that the newest set of rule changes in radiators and cooling systems is clearly aimed at stopping the two car "tandem racing" that fundamentally alters the dynamic of racing as we knew it. Teams adapted quickly to this style and poured resources into this type of racing.

SPEED returns after a hiatus that saw the NASCAR news continue at a frenetic pace on social media and racing websites. Unfortunately, the only designated motorsports-themed cable TV network stepped aside and despite one off-season special following Kurt Busch's departure from Penske, there was silence on SPEED where NASCAR was concerned.

One week after the testing coverage is over, SPEED returns the Monday through Thursday RaceHub program anchored by Steve Byrnes. Right now, the original air time is still listed as 6PM but perhaps the network might reconsider and move this important show back to the original 7PM ET timeslot.

West Coast viewers used to get the RaceHub repeat at 9PM Pacific, but SPEED also changed this time in mid-season. The 11PM timeslot meant many viewers had to record the show and try to catch it a day later. Returning the re-air to 9PM Pacific would certainly help the series and the sport at a time when both need it.

Thursday really starts the NASCAR TV season, this will be our sixth since opening the TDP blog. Next up is the Hall of Fame induction and then things get underway in Daytona for real. We will keep updating the media listings on the left side of this page.

We also encourage you to take a moment and join Twitter. This easy to use and free service will put information from your favorite drivers, teams, tracks and media personalities right on your computer or phone. You don't have to type anything or disclose any information. It's just a great way to stay plugged into the NASCAR scene with the most up to date information. We are at twitter.com/thedalyplanet.

There will be a live blog open for testing each day, but please feel free to add your TV and media-related comments to any of the topics mentioned above. To add your opinion, just click on the comment button below. As always, thanks for stopping by.