We remember what happened at Talladega during the spring. The race ended with carnage on the final lap, which included several injured fans. This race, however, was just as dramatic, and the carnage stayed on the race track. When it was all said and done, Jamie McMurray stayed out of the most trouble and pulled off his first win of the season. It was also his first win since that dramatic finish at Daytona in July of 2007, when he beat Kurt Busch by 5 thousandths of a second.
McMurray stayed out of trouble, which seems to be the goal at Talladega nowadays. It’s not about trying to win the race…it’s about trying to miss the big wreck. As the ABC announcers pointed out, if you were trying to miss the big wreck, you would frequently find yourself starting the big wreck anyway. A couple of big wrecks involving Ryan Newman and Mark Martin each flipping upside down really added to the level of danger these restrictor plate races present. ABC’s camera crew was able to spot the flips instantly, despite the drivers traveling at over 200 miles per hour in a sickening pack of cars.
As far as implications in the chase, ABC ended up filming a lot of disappointed drivers. I admire the pit reporters for having the courage to go and interview Ryan Newman after his nasty flip and after being trapped in the car for well over 5 minutes while it was upside down. They dealt with his frustrations of having to wait to be rescued from a pretty nasty crash which saw him slide for numerous yards down the back straightaway and came to rest in the grass.
I have to give ABC a 9. It was a solid broadcast, bringing into perspective that this was anyone’s race, by far the most exciting set of circumstances. However, notice that they had no audio for the end of the race! (Video below) They were able to get drivers excited about the race, including McMurray, and some frustrated drivers, including Mark Martin, who also flipped over at the end of the race. The camera work seemed rather easy since the pack was all together. It just fell into ABC’s lap for excellent ratings and a sound technical presentation.
Johnson has extended his point lead to infinity, it seems. It’s 184 points as we head to Texas…the Lone Star state. I’ll go out on a limb and say that Johnson is going to win again. Last time I said this was at Charlotte, and Johnson pulled together a win. ABC will need a great broadcast to try and get viewers into the race as Johnson pulls away further and further to his 4th championship.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
HAMLIN FINALLY PUTS A NEW FACE IN VICTORY LANE
Martinsville didn’t really have the beating and banging we hoped for…but the good—no—the EXCELLENT news is that someone without the first name of Jimmie and the last name of Johnson was able to win. The bad news…Johnson increased his points lead by 28 points over Mark Martin. The points leader finished 2nd after getting passed by Hamlin with 139 laps to go.
Hamlin won the race because his car was incredibly strong on long runs. There was a short run with 12 laps to go, a run which the ABC announcers pointed out would be a concern for Hamlin since it took him a number of laps for his car to “come in.” Fortunately, a picture perfect restart by Hamlin helped him get out front…then another caution with 2 laps to go forced Hamlin to get another great restart…and it worked.
It was another race that proved that the drivers in the chase belonged there. Juan Montoya picked up his second 3rd place finish in 2 weeks, a point of emphasis for the AB crew. Dr. Jerry Punch was impressed with how well Montoya has been able to adapt to a track when he had been so awful at the same track earlier in the season. Juan Montoya was the worst Martinsville driver, always burning his breaks and flatspotting his tires. Montoya showed tremendous guts and made the race fun.
ABC gets a 9 out of 10 this week. The producers made many attempts to try and find ways to limit the conversation about Jimmie Johnson. Naturally, this race got more viewers and a higher rating than any of the other chase races. The announcers continued to talk about how dominant Jimmie Johnson would be for the final four races of the chase, but nowhere near the extent that would drive viewers away.
Talk about a change of scenery, the NASCAR guys will take a trip to Talladega, Alabama—from the smallest track on the circuit to the LARGEST and FASTEST track. To be honest, I have no idea where to even start for a prediction. All of the cars will be equal for this race, and it is truly the wild card, as ESPN’s Rusty Wallace pointed out during the Martinsville broadcast. Hang on for some blazing speed next weekend!
Hamlin won the race because his car was incredibly strong on long runs. There was a short run with 12 laps to go, a run which the ABC announcers pointed out would be a concern for Hamlin since it took him a number of laps for his car to “come in.” Fortunately, a picture perfect restart by Hamlin helped him get out front…then another caution with 2 laps to go forced Hamlin to get another great restart…and it worked.
It was another race that proved that the drivers in the chase belonged there. Juan Montoya picked up his second 3rd place finish in 2 weeks, a point of emphasis for the AB crew. Dr. Jerry Punch was impressed with how well Montoya has been able to adapt to a track when he had been so awful at the same track earlier in the season. Juan Montoya was the worst Martinsville driver, always burning his breaks and flatspotting his tires. Montoya showed tremendous guts and made the race fun.
ABC gets a 9 out of 10 this week. The producers made many attempts to try and find ways to limit the conversation about Jimmie Johnson. Naturally, this race got more viewers and a higher rating than any of the other chase races. The announcers continued to talk about how dominant Jimmie Johnson would be for the final four races of the chase, but nowhere near the extent that would drive viewers away.
Talk about a change of scenery, the NASCAR guys will take a trip to Talladega, Alabama—from the smallest track on the circuit to the LARGEST and FASTEST track. To be honest, I have no idea where to even start for a prediction. All of the cars will be equal for this race, and it is truly the wild card, as ESPN’s Rusty Wallace pointed out during the Martinsville broadcast. Hang on for some blazing speed next weekend!
NASCAR BANKING 500 WATCHES JOHNSON BREAK THE BANK
I’ve come to the decision that I should be psychic! If I may cite my last blog, I noted that I would be “incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race.” This guy continues to set records; his most recent feat? The first NASCAR driver to win 3 of the first 5 races in the chase format, which was adopted in 2004.
To no one’s surprise, Jimmie Johnson was the fastest driver in all 3 practice sessions before the race, and proved to be the strong horse in the race, beating Matt Kenseth (surprisingly) by over 2 seconds in the final 17 laps. Once again, Jimmie Johnson accomplished the almost unthinkable feat of becoming the first driver to win the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway from the number one starting position since Harry Gant did it in 1982.
The turning point of the race, which Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett revealed at lap 125 involved Mark Martin and Juan Montoya (who finished 2nd and 3rd the prior week) ended up with damage on their cars during a restart. One of the concerns early in the season involved trust with the lead driver on a double file restart. The announcers pointed out that Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a very slick race track, which had a tendency to be inconsistent with grip. Jeff Gordon caused an accordion effect while bringing the field to the flag, resulting in two driver’s chase hopes being tarnished.
The ABC crew gets an 8 out of 10 this week. A lot more action in this race as compared to the California race, but unfortunately many fans probably turned the race off once Jimmie Johnson assumed the lead for good (including my mother, who is an avid Jeff Gordon fan like myself). They couldn’t stress the implication of the wreck on lap 125 enough, but pointed out that many of the chase drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch still rounded up top 10 finishes.
On we go to the paperclipped half mile: MARTINSVILLE! The only short track race in the chase will bring the beating and banging back into the chase, especially with double file restarts at the track for the first time! I think Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin will have another battle to the finish. I will be optimistic and say Gordon will win it (without alluding to the fact that I’m a Gordon fan). Can’t wait to see if this chase turns around!
To no one’s surprise, Jimmie Johnson was the fastest driver in all 3 practice sessions before the race, and proved to be the strong horse in the race, beating Matt Kenseth (surprisingly) by over 2 seconds in the final 17 laps. Once again, Jimmie Johnson accomplished the almost unthinkable feat of becoming the first driver to win the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway from the number one starting position since Harry Gant did it in 1982.
The turning point of the race, which Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett revealed at lap 125 involved Mark Martin and Juan Montoya (who finished 2nd and 3rd the prior week) ended up with damage on their cars during a restart. One of the concerns early in the season involved trust with the lead driver on a double file restart. The announcers pointed out that Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a very slick race track, which had a tendency to be inconsistent with grip. Jeff Gordon caused an accordion effect while bringing the field to the flag, resulting in two driver’s chase hopes being tarnished.
The ABC crew gets an 8 out of 10 this week. A lot more action in this race as compared to the California race, but unfortunately many fans probably turned the race off once Jimmie Johnson assumed the lead for good (including my mother, who is an avid Jeff Gordon fan like myself). They couldn’t stress the implication of the wreck on lap 125 enough, but pointed out that many of the chase drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch still rounded up top 10 finishes.
On we go to the paperclipped half mile: MARTINSVILLE! The only short track race in the chase will bring the beating and banging back into the chase, especially with double file restarts at the track for the first time! I think Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin will have another battle to the finish. I will be optimistic and say Gordon will win it (without alluding to the fact that I’m a Gordon fan). Can’t wait to see if this chase turns around!
WATCH THAT 48 DOMINATE
“Wow” is all I have to say this week. The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship seems to once again be morphing into the “Chase for Jimmie Johnson.” Same song, 4th verse? Seems like this is getting old. However, Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team played their cards correctly once again, and used quick pit work and a lightning quick final restart to secure yet another victory in 2009.
We had to expect this from the Lowe’s team, as they had won 3 previous times at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Now that he’s got win #4 in the bag, he continues to motor to a 4th championship. Plus he held on for the win with 4 laps to go. His car number is a multiple of 4. Each DIGIT on his car number is a multiple of 4. Something tells me this is foreshadowing a pretty bright future in this chase for JJ.
Despite an unusually high number of caution flags (7) including a huge wreck near the finish, lots of the chase drivers were able to lock in excellent finishes. Jeff Gordon ended up 2nd, Juan Pablo Montoya continues to impress with solid runs, finishing 3rd and FORMER points leader Mark Martin ending up 4th. Tony Stewart ended up 5th with Carl Edwards 6th and Kurt Busch ending up 8th to round out the chase drivers in the top 10. ABC continued to keep the viewers updated on all the chase drivers, however sometimes it was overload. The cookie cutter 2 mile tracks allow for the announcers to fill a lot of time, especially when the racing gets boring.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I have to give this broadcast a 7. It’s not so much the fault of ABC, but they consistently made a huge deal about how dominant Jimmie Johnson is. Every week, the announcers say the same things: “Jimmie Johnson is unstoppable.” “Somebody’s going to have to get up there and challenge that 48 car.” It’s just become a dull chase for fans of other drivers…and I feel that it’s been a dull chase with one car dominating everything.
Next week, another similar track awaits the NASCAR guys as they travel back across country to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. I will be incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race. He’s just too strong, especially at Lowe’s. However, Mark Martin needs to keep pace with his Hendrick teammate since Martin is now 2nd in points. Despite Martin’s 4th place finish, he’s now 12 points behind. Can someone stop the Lowe’s team at Lowe’s Motor Speedway? Until Saturday!!
We had to expect this from the Lowe’s team, as they had won 3 previous times at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Now that he’s got win #4 in the bag, he continues to motor to a 4th championship. Plus he held on for the win with 4 laps to go. His car number is a multiple of 4. Each DIGIT on his car number is a multiple of 4. Something tells me this is foreshadowing a pretty bright future in this chase for JJ.
Despite an unusually high number of caution flags (7) including a huge wreck near the finish, lots of the chase drivers were able to lock in excellent finishes. Jeff Gordon ended up 2nd, Juan Pablo Montoya continues to impress with solid runs, finishing 3rd and FORMER points leader Mark Martin ending up 4th. Tony Stewart ended up 5th with Carl Edwards 6th and Kurt Busch ending up 8th to round out the chase drivers in the top 10. ABC continued to keep the viewers updated on all the chase drivers, however sometimes it was overload. The cookie cutter 2 mile tracks allow for the announcers to fill a lot of time, especially when the racing gets boring.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I have to give this broadcast a 7. It’s not so much the fault of ABC, but they consistently made a huge deal about how dominant Jimmie Johnson is. Every week, the announcers say the same things: “Jimmie Johnson is unstoppable.” “Somebody’s going to have to get up there and challenge that 48 car.” It’s just become a dull chase for fans of other drivers…and I feel that it’s been a dull chase with one car dominating everything.
Next week, another similar track awaits the NASCAR guys as they travel back across country to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. I will be incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race. He’s just too strong, especially at Lowe’s. However, Mark Martin needs to keep pace with his Hendrick teammate since Martin is now 2nd in points. Despite Martin’s 4th place finish, he’s now 12 points behind. Can someone stop the Lowe’s team at Lowe’s Motor Speedway? Until Saturday!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
SMOKE ON FIRE AT KANSAS
The race to the chase is now three races old…and the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway almost looked to be another “Jimmie Johnson steals the show” yawner. However the fans who packed the stands at the Kansas Speedway were treated to by far the most competitive race in the chase in 2009.
After a few rather subpar runs to start the Chase, it was Tony Stewart who finally broke into the win column. Stewart had a quiet afternoon, not really making any noise until the final segments of the race. He didn’t make any noise in the past six races, finishing no better than 9th. Fortunately, “Smoke” rose to the top of the leaderboard and never looked back. Watch Smoke take the lead on the video below.
While it was a fight at my parents’ house to watch either the race or the Cleveland Browns football game, I was still able to watch majority of the opening stages of the race. What really caught my eye was the outstanding use of surroundings by Dave Burns, one of the pit reporters. On lap 78, after a round of pit stops, Burns was in the pit of Juan Pablo Montoya reporting that Montoya’s tire was going flat. Much to the surprise of the announcers, Dave Burns placed his microphone right next to the leaking tire, emphasizing how loud and obvious it was. This was the first time that any of the announcers in the booth had heard this effect, and it won major brownie points with me as a viewer.
I would rate this broadcast a 9 out of 10. I think ESPN has a wonderful team running all of these races. The only thing that hurts this from being a perfect score is camera placement. For the second time, a camera was placed on the helmet of a crew member on the #7 Robby Gordon team. The angle where the camera was placed was not as consistent as it was before. Fans noticed a dizzying display of work on pit road when the camera was pointed too high above the target it was aiming toward. It was a minor issue, but it was definitely a dizzy angle.
Next weekend, we motor on to Auto Club Speedway in California. Being a Jeff Gordon fan, I highly anticipate a win from that team this weekend. Their intermediate program has been incredibly stout this season. He may have the best performance out of the chase contenders. Watch out for Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle too…they perform well here historically.
Sunday at 2:30 on ESPN…don’t miss it!
After a few rather subpar runs to start the Chase, it was Tony Stewart who finally broke into the win column. Stewart had a quiet afternoon, not really making any noise until the final segments of the race. He didn’t make any noise in the past six races, finishing no better than 9th. Fortunately, “Smoke” rose to the top of the leaderboard and never looked back. Watch Smoke take the lead on the video below.
While it was a fight at my parents’ house to watch either the race or the Cleveland Browns football game, I was still able to watch majority of the opening stages of the race. What really caught my eye was the outstanding use of surroundings by Dave Burns, one of the pit reporters. On lap 78, after a round of pit stops, Burns was in the pit of Juan Pablo Montoya reporting that Montoya’s tire was going flat. Much to the surprise of the announcers, Dave Burns placed his microphone right next to the leaking tire, emphasizing how loud and obvious it was. This was the first time that any of the announcers in the booth had heard this effect, and it won major brownie points with me as a viewer.
I would rate this broadcast a 9 out of 10. I think ESPN has a wonderful team running all of these races. The only thing that hurts this from being a perfect score is camera placement. For the second time, a camera was placed on the helmet of a crew member on the #7 Robby Gordon team. The angle where the camera was placed was not as consistent as it was before. Fans noticed a dizzying display of work on pit road when the camera was pointed too high above the target it was aiming toward. It was a minor issue, but it was definitely a dizzy angle.
Next weekend, we motor on to Auto Club Speedway in California. Being a Jeff Gordon fan, I highly anticipate a win from that team this weekend. Their intermediate program has been incredibly stout this season. He may have the best performance out of the chase contenders. Watch out for Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle too…they perform well here historically.
Sunday at 2:30 on ESPN…don’t miss it!
JOHNSON TAMES THE MONSTER
Dover…The MONSTER mile. I think it is one of the coolest looking tracks in all of NASCAR. They also call it “White Lightning” since it’s totally made of concrete on the racing surface. The Triple A 400--Race number two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup-- was surely full of surprises…except for the winner of the race.
In the spring, Jimmie Johnson dominated Dover, and simply carried his momentum into Delaware to pull off the season sweep. Most of us race fans knew that he would win based on his communication with his crew chief Chad Knaus. When a driver feels as if his car can perform even better than it is, yet he’s pulling away lap after lap, the competition is in MAJOR TROUBLE.
Speaking of major trouble, the ESPN crew did a brilliant job in camera work and reporting on an incident which was seemingly impossible to occur at Dover. 19 year old Joey Logano got bumped from behind by Tony Stewart and it sent him on a wild wild ride.
Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett don’t get overly excited when this happens live. They do, however bring the whole accident into perspective. Punch mentions that the banking of the track is 3 stories high. Also, reporter Shannon Spake asked a great question in Logano’s post wreck interview: “In your 19 years of racing, how did this compare to anything you’ve been through?” Big props to the reporters and the cameras once again for bringing the whole incident into perspective.
This broadcast deserves a 10. All strategies were painted well, and the whole crew had to find time to fill throughout the delayed portions of the race since track cleanup took so long. Any time those guys can fill an extra half hour or 45 minutes (in addition to the 4 or 5 hours they spend on the telecast), they deserve a high rating like this. It’s an art to cover this sport and these guys proved it.
Next week…Kansas. Again, Jimmie Johnson should have the car to beat. However, I’ve read that Greg Biffle has built a brand new car SPECIFICALLY for this race. New cars generally have major implications on a race. Biffle should hover around the top 5 all day. On to race three of the chase for the sprint cup!
In the spring, Jimmie Johnson dominated Dover, and simply carried his momentum into Delaware to pull off the season sweep. Most of us race fans knew that he would win based on his communication with his crew chief Chad Knaus. When a driver feels as if his car can perform even better than it is, yet he’s pulling away lap after lap, the competition is in MAJOR TROUBLE.
Speaking of major trouble, the ESPN crew did a brilliant job in camera work and reporting on an incident which was seemingly impossible to occur at Dover. 19 year old Joey Logano got bumped from behind by Tony Stewart and it sent him on a wild wild ride.
Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett don’t get overly excited when this happens live. They do, however bring the whole accident into perspective. Punch mentions that the banking of the track is 3 stories high. Also, reporter Shannon Spake asked a great question in Logano’s post wreck interview: “In your 19 years of racing, how did this compare to anything you’ve been through?” Big props to the reporters and the cameras once again for bringing the whole incident into perspective.
This broadcast deserves a 10. All strategies were painted well, and the whole crew had to find time to fill throughout the delayed portions of the race since track cleanup took so long. Any time those guys can fill an extra half hour or 45 minutes (in addition to the 4 or 5 hours they spend on the telecast), they deserve a high rating like this. It’s an art to cover this sport and these guys proved it.
Next week…Kansas. Again, Jimmie Johnson should have the car to beat. However, I’ve read that Greg Biffle has built a brand new car SPECIFICALLY for this race. New cars generally have major implications on a race. Biffle should hover around the top 5 all day. On to race three of the chase for the sprint cup!
Monday, September 14, 2009
CHASE THIS!
Richmond International Raceway…a short track. A track with more prestige than ever because it wraps up NASCAR’s version of a “regular season”. This race dictated who would be a part of the top 12 teams in the hunt for a Sprint Cup Championship. In a race requiring precision and guts from those who were outside the top 12, the only disappointment belonged to those who just didn’t have lady luck on their side.
As far as lady luck is concerned, she took the front seat with Denny Hamlin…who considers Richmond to be his home race track. Much like in football or basketball, home field advantage is always special. Many race car drivers don’t even have a race track to call “home.” Denny Hamlin’s victory at Richmond marked his territory not just at home, but also in the chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009.
The ESPN crew points out that it was the race off of pit road on a late set of pit stops that allowed Hamlin to assume the lead and run away with the show.
After many articles raved about Kyle Busch and the impact he would have on the chase, his Richmond performance proved that his team had overcome adversity. 5th place doesn’t look bad on the stat sheet…but despite the top 5, the M&Ms crew will have to race for 13th place in the points instead of contending for the title.
Throughout the 400 mile affair, ESPN’s director pushed his crew to concentrate on the drivers who were on the bubble (Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch). Viewers were consistently updated with where each of these drivers was running on the track, especially at the end of the race. It seemed as if the leaders and the race for the win was completely overshadowed by a race between two drivers who were battling back between 5th and 7th place to make “the big dance.” It turns out that this in-race strategy’s presentation paid off and it had relevance to it, since Busch and Vickers were separated by only 8 points when the checkered flag flew.
As usual, after 26 races (Richmond being #26), the drivers in the top 12 are “seeded” based on wins. This means that even though Tony Stewart led the point standings for most of the season, he will be behind Mark Martin, who won 4 races, and thus acquired 40 bonus points. Stewart will be 2nd in points, 10 behind with his 3 race wins. The chase will also include Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya, and Greg Biffle.
This means next weekend’s race at New Hampshire will begin the countdown to the cup…12 drivers, 10 races, ONE MISSION. Look for chase contenders Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle to be strong at this race track, especially with the added incentive of additional points for winning a race. I’m excited to see who is going to be the headline and who will start off the chase either a contender or pretender! LET’S GET CHASIN’!
As far as lady luck is concerned, she took the front seat with Denny Hamlin…who considers Richmond to be his home race track. Much like in football or basketball, home field advantage is always special. Many race car drivers don’t even have a race track to call “home.” Denny Hamlin’s victory at Richmond marked his territory not just at home, but also in the chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009.
The ESPN crew points out that it was the race off of pit road on a late set of pit stops that allowed Hamlin to assume the lead and run away with the show.
After many articles raved about Kyle Busch and the impact he would have on the chase, his Richmond performance proved that his team had overcome adversity. 5th place doesn’t look bad on the stat sheet…but despite the top 5, the M&Ms crew will have to race for 13th place in the points instead of contending for the title.
Throughout the 400 mile affair, ESPN’s director pushed his crew to concentrate on the drivers who were on the bubble (Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch). Viewers were consistently updated with where each of these drivers was running on the track, especially at the end of the race. It seemed as if the leaders and the race for the win was completely overshadowed by a race between two drivers who were battling back between 5th and 7th place to make “the big dance.” It turns out that this in-race strategy’s presentation paid off and it had relevance to it, since Busch and Vickers were separated by only 8 points when the checkered flag flew.
As usual, after 26 races (Richmond being #26), the drivers in the top 12 are “seeded” based on wins. This means that even though Tony Stewart led the point standings for most of the season, he will be behind Mark Martin, who won 4 races, and thus acquired 40 bonus points. Stewart will be 2nd in points, 10 behind with his 3 race wins. The chase will also include Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya, and Greg Biffle.
This means next weekend’s race at New Hampshire will begin the countdown to the cup…12 drivers, 10 races, ONE MISSION. Look for chase contenders Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle to be strong at this race track, especially with the added incentive of additional points for winning a race. I’m excited to see who is going to be the headline and who will start off the chase either a contender or pretender! LET’S GET CHASIN’!
Monday, September 7, 2009
AWESOME ATLANTA AMAZES AGAIN!
Great to be back in the driver’s seat for the Borts is Burning…Rubber blog! After a summer of high excitement and downright off-the-chart racing action, the chase for the championship field is almost set. The NASCAR superstars set their sights on one of NASCAR’s fastest racetracks—the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The first race at this track under the lights did not disappoint; tons of side by side racing, a pass for the win inside of ten laps to go, and even fast pitwork to repair an axle for one of the top ten finishers!
Kasey Kahne pulled off the win, ensuring that a lot of hard work on Labor Day weekend would not go unrewarded. Kahne passed the shell/Pennzoil Chevy of Kevin Harvick on a short run inside of ten laps to go and zoomed away to his second victory of the season. Again, a racer proves that the fastest car doesn’t always win…but if you have the fastest car in the end, you’re almost guaranteed to contend.
Since our last blog at Talladega in April, we have motored from network to network…FOX, to TNT for their summer series of six races, to my personal favorite network—ESPN. I’m a man with a sense of humor, but ESPN has the true balance of fun and fact in their broadcasts. ESPN’s crew of announcers, including Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree, Allen Bestwick, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty and Tim Brewer have noticeable enjoyment doing what they do. They are informative but also fun. For example, Ray Evernham said that statistically a caution would fall with around 15 laps to go. Lo and behold, at the very instant he says this, a car spins into the infield, bringing out the caution with 15 laps to go! The whole crew could’ve spent the whole end of the race praising Evernham for his amazing “fortune teller skills”, but the crew had their laugh and got right back to business.
One of the grand strengths of ESPN is their ability to put any situation that occurs with a race car into a simple comparison with an everyday vehicle that we drive. In the Atlanta race, Brian Vickers’s car suffered a broken axle. The crew chiefs—Andy Petree and Tim Brewer—explained that repairing an axle and staying on the lead lap would’ve taken quite a long time. However the Red Bull crew somehow was able to change the car’s axle and stay on the lead lap! Plus, the crew went to their “Craftsman Tech Garage” to fully explain what was involved with changing an axle. The 83 team possibly made a chase-saving move to keep them in contention for making the chase with only one race remaining. Unfortunately for the 48 car, same problem, but no quick repair…
And while on the subject of one race remaining, it’s off to Richmond! Dale Jr. fans should definitely perch themselves in front of the TV for this one…he’s been on a roll lately, and while the finishes don’t reflect that, he’s run very well the last three or four weekends. Kyle Busch must do everything in his power to win the race to make the chase. Only 12 drivers will contend for the championship, and the ¾ mile Richmond International Raceway will provide all the action that could be asked for!
Kasey Kahne pulled off the win, ensuring that a lot of hard work on Labor Day weekend would not go unrewarded. Kahne passed the shell/Pennzoil Chevy of Kevin Harvick on a short run inside of ten laps to go and zoomed away to his second victory of the season. Again, a racer proves that the fastest car doesn’t always win…but if you have the fastest car in the end, you’re almost guaranteed to contend.
Since our last blog at Talladega in April, we have motored from network to network…FOX, to TNT for their summer series of six races, to my personal favorite network—ESPN. I’m a man with a sense of humor, but ESPN has the true balance of fun and fact in their broadcasts. ESPN’s crew of announcers, including Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree, Allen Bestwick, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty and Tim Brewer have noticeable enjoyment doing what they do. They are informative but also fun. For example, Ray Evernham said that statistically a caution would fall with around 15 laps to go. Lo and behold, at the very instant he says this, a car spins into the infield, bringing out the caution with 15 laps to go! The whole crew could’ve spent the whole end of the race praising Evernham for his amazing “fortune teller skills”, but the crew had their laugh and got right back to business.
One of the grand strengths of ESPN is their ability to put any situation that occurs with a race car into a simple comparison with an everyday vehicle that we drive. In the Atlanta race, Brian Vickers’s car suffered a broken axle. The crew chiefs—Andy Petree and Tim Brewer—explained that repairing an axle and staying on the lead lap would’ve taken quite a long time. However the Red Bull crew somehow was able to change the car’s axle and stay on the lead lap! Plus, the crew went to their “Craftsman Tech Garage” to fully explain what was involved with changing an axle. The 83 team possibly made a chase-saving move to keep them in contention for making the chase with only one race remaining. Unfortunately for the 48 car, same problem, but no quick repair…
And while on the subject of one race remaining, it’s off to Richmond! Dale Jr. fans should definitely perch themselves in front of the TV for this one…he’s been on a roll lately, and while the finishes don’t reflect that, he’s run very well the last three or four weekends. Kyle Busch must do everything in his power to win the race to make the chase. Only 12 drivers will contend for the championship, and the ¾ mile Richmond International Raceway will provide all the action that could be asked for!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
TALLADEGA TRIUMPH AND TURMOIL
Every time the NASCAR drivers head to Talladega, they expect the same thing: white knuckle racing, three and four wide every lap, the big wreck, and a fantastic finish. The Aaron’s 499 had all of this and even provided a freakish flashback to 1987, when Carl Edwards wrecked in the tri-oval and his car hit the catch fencing above the wall. I don’t want to say that Edwards’s wreck on the final lap was predictable, but with the rules NASCAR implements at Talladega and Daytona, it was bound to happen to someone.
If you were persuaded to put money on Brad Keselowski winning his first Sprint Cup race at Talladega, you may have had a blank look on your face. Keselowski won in a James Finch owned car (essentially a single-car operation with very little funding). The FOX announcers clearly stated that anyone can win here…practice sessions before the race at most other tracks give you an idea of who the contenders are. When Carl Edwards and Keselowski ended up being the drivers duking it out at the end, I think the whole NASCAR nation was shocked that they ended up in the right spot at the right time.
NASCAR’s TV coverage at Talladega is always difficult to organize. The crew cannot give a sequential update on drivers based on running order since it tends to change every 400 yards. During the prerace show, the announcers banked on the big one happening at some point during the race, but I don’t think any of the announcers envisioned it happening on lap 7. On the parade and pace laps, FOX gives race tendencies, including when the first caution flag waves, the longest number of consecutive green flag laps, and even a pit window. They consistently do this well, and most of the time they are correct—with the exception of this week’s big wreck (see below).
On a scale of 1-10, the race coverage gets an 8 once again. FOX’s announcers failed to mention that the “out of bounds” rule that was implemented has its hazards. The focus on the final lap was on Carl Edwards along with Brad Keselowski. When Keselowski made his move, he could not dive below the yellow line, which was what Regan Smith did last year since he was blocked down there. The same exact accident would’ve happened last year had Smith done the same thing that Keselowski did to Carl Edwards. (see both video clips below)
Getting ready for Richmond on Saturday night, the drivers should feel a bit of relief since we’re heading back to one of the most competitive short tracks in NASCAR. Watch for Denny Hamlin to dominate—he almost lead every lap here last year! Look for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch to possibly rekindle a rivalry which saw each driver wreck the other in both races last year. Best of all, it’s under the lights! Happy short trackin’!!
If you were persuaded to put money on Brad Keselowski winning his first Sprint Cup race at Talladega, you may have had a blank look on your face. Keselowski won in a James Finch owned car (essentially a single-car operation with very little funding). The FOX announcers clearly stated that anyone can win here…practice sessions before the race at most other tracks give you an idea of who the contenders are. When Carl Edwards and Keselowski ended up being the drivers duking it out at the end, I think the whole NASCAR nation was shocked that they ended up in the right spot at the right time.
NASCAR’s TV coverage at Talladega is always difficult to organize. The crew cannot give a sequential update on drivers based on running order since it tends to change every 400 yards. During the prerace show, the announcers banked on the big one happening at some point during the race, but I don’t think any of the announcers envisioned it happening on lap 7. On the parade and pace laps, FOX gives race tendencies, including when the first caution flag waves, the longest number of consecutive green flag laps, and even a pit window. They consistently do this well, and most of the time they are correct—with the exception of this week’s big wreck (see below).
On a scale of 1-10, the race coverage gets an 8 once again. FOX’s announcers failed to mention that the “out of bounds” rule that was implemented has its hazards. The focus on the final lap was on Carl Edwards along with Brad Keselowski. When Keselowski made his move, he could not dive below the yellow line, which was what Regan Smith did last year since he was blocked down there. The same exact accident would’ve happened last year had Smith done the same thing that Keselowski did to Carl Edwards. (see both video clips below)
Getting ready for Richmond on Saturday night, the drivers should feel a bit of relief since we’re heading back to one of the most competitive short tracks in NASCAR. Watch for Denny Hamlin to dominate—he almost lead every lap here last year! Look for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch to possibly rekindle a rivalry which saw each driver wreck the other in both races last year. Best of all, it’s under the lights! Happy short trackin’!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Logano Strums The Ol' Banjo in Nashville!
Hope you all had an amazing Easter weekend! It felt a little strange without a Sprint Cup race this weekend, but the NASCAR Nationwide series satisfied those pre-Easter chocolate cravings on Saturday afternoon! These guys always seem to put on a great show, primarily because drivers from the Sprint Cup Series frequently enter these races for some “extra practice.” But the Nashville Superspeedway is one track unique only to the Nationwide and Camping World truck series—which means LOTS of first-time winners! The race was competitive, with more lead changes than anticipated and even some weird, uncommon occurrences.
How about Joey Logano? I was guilty of not remembering that he is a full time Sprint Cup Series driver! So we are still waiting for a driver who races solely in the Nationwide Series to win a race in 2009. It almost looked as if Kyle Busch was going to win yet another race, but Logano kept the pressure on in the final 10 laps of the race. ESPN covered the race this weekend, and their “in-race reporter” was Justin Allgaier, a rookie who had so many good runs that he was the focus of this race to possibly get win #1. However it was Logano who drove to his own tune and took home the guitar!
This race coverage was a great change of pace. ESPN really took NASCAR to a new level in the 90s, and I was sad to see them go. But after 3 seasons with the Nationwide Series, I think they’ve taken their recognition to a new level. Marty Reid (who was in for Dr. Jerry Punch this week), Andy Petree and Rusty Wallace have a totally different flavor than the Fox crew. While they aren’t as entertaining, they are EXTREMELY knowledgeable. They also have a tech garage where former crew chief Tim Brewer explains parts of the race car or car problems in less than 30 seconds AND in terms everyone can understand! They pointed out all the major details, including Joe Gibbs’ 3rd 1-2 finish in the Nationwide series. The announcers also got into it when the big wreck happened near the end, when Joe Nemechek flipped over! (Check out the video coverage below!)
Overall, this broadcast gets an 8 out of 10. It was professional, well put together, and focused. I honestly did not feel like I was watching a Nationwide race with the stereotype that the coverage wouldn’t be as strong. It was still great coverage!
The Sprint Cup series returns to action this weekend at Phoenix. The first night race of the season is going to be fun! Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will be contenders…Kyle Busch may be able to get back on track. Also, watch for Jeff Burton—he won here a lot when he raced with Jack Roush in the early 2000s…can he do it again? We’ll find out together Saturday night!
How about Joey Logano? I was guilty of not remembering that he is a full time Sprint Cup Series driver! So we are still waiting for a driver who races solely in the Nationwide Series to win a race in 2009. It almost looked as if Kyle Busch was going to win yet another race, but Logano kept the pressure on in the final 10 laps of the race. ESPN covered the race this weekend, and their “in-race reporter” was Justin Allgaier, a rookie who had so many good runs that he was the focus of this race to possibly get win #1. However it was Logano who drove to his own tune and took home the guitar!
This race coverage was a great change of pace. ESPN really took NASCAR to a new level in the 90s, and I was sad to see them go. But after 3 seasons with the Nationwide Series, I think they’ve taken their recognition to a new level. Marty Reid (who was in for Dr. Jerry Punch this week), Andy Petree and Rusty Wallace have a totally different flavor than the Fox crew. While they aren’t as entertaining, they are EXTREMELY knowledgeable. They also have a tech garage where former crew chief Tim Brewer explains parts of the race car or car problems in less than 30 seconds AND in terms everyone can understand! They pointed out all the major details, including Joe Gibbs’ 3rd 1-2 finish in the Nationwide series. The announcers also got into it when the big wreck happened near the end, when Joe Nemechek flipped over! (Check out the video coverage below!)
Overall, this broadcast gets an 8 out of 10. It was professional, well put together, and focused. I honestly did not feel like I was watching a Nationwide race with the stereotype that the coverage wouldn’t be as strong. It was still great coverage!
The Sprint Cup series returns to action this weekend at Phoenix. The first night race of the season is going to be fun! Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will be contenders…Kyle Busch may be able to get back on track. Also, watch for Jeff Burton—he won here a lot when he raced with Jack Roush in the early 2000s…can he do it again? We’ll find out together Saturday night!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
FINALLY…GORDON GETS 82nd WIN IN IRONIC FASHION
Yee haw! The Texas Motor Speedway was the perfect break from all the beatin’ and bangin’ from short track racing at Bristol and Martinsville last week. Speaking of breaking, while Texas broke the short track streak in the schedule, this weekend’s winner broke a streak of his own. Jeff Gordon pulled off an ironic victory on Sunday: not only did he stop his winless streak of 47 races without visiting victory lane, but he also won for the first time at Texas. The Great American Speedway may not have showed the most competitive race in recent memory, but the intensity on pit road ended up being the turning point…and the most exciting part…of the race.
Indeed, fast pit stops by the Dupont/National Guard crew paid off in the end. Gordon’s crew was not the quickest in the race, but on the final pit stop, the crew bumped him up from 3rd to 1st. At one point in the race, FOX revealed audio from Jeff Gordon’s radio indicating that “it would be nice to be able to get out of the pits first.” And boy, did he need to. Darrell Waltrip reiterated early in the race that Gordon’s car “fell off dramatically” around 10 laps into a run. Gordon maintained his gap on the final run to the checkers, driving the wheels off his car.
The TV coverage was fantastic this week! The cameramen were on point all race long, spotting the action and getting that compelling shot. I was also intrigued by the end of the race shot from the flagstand as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line 1-2. This race also had flawless reporting from the guys and girls who run up and down pit road. They didn’t permanently fixate themselves on a few drivers…they went to every front runner’s pit at some point in the race and gave them some excellent air time.
This week, I give the FOX crew a 9.5 out of 10. It also drew attention from more people in a month than any other race FOX has broadcast this season so far. With the release of this week’s Nielsen ratings, Fox earned a 4.2 share, which was Sunday’s highest-rated sports event. I also think the prerace show settled down a little bit…a perfect balance of humor while FINALLY finishing a “Gas ‘N Go” segment ON TIME!! (Check it out on our video coverage)
NASCAR of FOX: Gas 'N Go - Texas
NASCAR’s off next weekend, and I think the 2nd break of the season could not have come at a better time! After two intense contests at Bristol and Martinsville, along with blinding speed at Texas, Easter break is a time to get revitalized for Phoenix! The valley of the sun should see its share of contenders—never count out Jimmie Johnson or Kyle Busch. Jeff Gordon won there 2 years ago, and Kevin Harvick has to rebound after a bad BAD run at Texas. It’ll be a night race full of side by side racing, and it happens April 19th on FOX!
Indeed, fast pit stops by the Dupont/National Guard crew paid off in the end. Gordon’s crew was not the quickest in the race, but on the final pit stop, the crew bumped him up from 3rd to 1st. At one point in the race, FOX revealed audio from Jeff Gordon’s radio indicating that “it would be nice to be able to get out of the pits first.” And boy, did he need to. Darrell Waltrip reiterated early in the race that Gordon’s car “fell off dramatically” around 10 laps into a run. Gordon maintained his gap on the final run to the checkers, driving the wheels off his car.
The TV coverage was fantastic this week! The cameramen were on point all race long, spotting the action and getting that compelling shot. I was also intrigued by the end of the race shot from the flagstand as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line 1-2. This race also had flawless reporting from the guys and girls who run up and down pit road. They didn’t permanently fixate themselves on a few drivers…they went to every front runner’s pit at some point in the race and gave them some excellent air time.
This week, I give the FOX crew a 9.5 out of 10. It also drew attention from more people in a month than any other race FOX has broadcast this season so far. With the release of this week’s Nielsen ratings, Fox earned a 4.2 share, which was Sunday’s highest-rated sports event. I also think the prerace show settled down a little bit…a perfect balance of humor while FINALLY finishing a “Gas ‘N Go” segment ON TIME!! (Check it out on our video coverage)
NASCAR of FOX: Gas 'N Go - Texas
NASCAR’s off next weekend, and I think the 2nd break of the season could not have come at a better time! After two intense contests at Bristol and Martinsville, along with blinding speed at Texas, Easter break is a time to get revitalized for Phoenix! The valley of the sun should see its share of contenders—never count out Jimmie Johnson or Kyle Busch. Jeff Gordon won there 2 years ago, and Kevin Harvick has to rebound after a bad BAD run at Texas. It’ll be a night race full of side by side racing, and it happens April 19th on FOX!
Monday, March 30, 2009
MARTINSVILLE MEYHAM
For the lack of bumping and banging that Bristol Motor Speedway lacked to offer, Martinsville Speedway picked up the slack. Ever since NASCAR put Bristol and Martinsville back to back, the thought from the fans was: if the tempers fly at Bristol, retaliation is almost imminent at Martinsville. We didn’t see much retaliation, but we saw a lot of banging and rubbing at the paper-clip shaped half mile!
Even winner Jimmie Johnson found the bumper useful at Martinsville. He took the lead late in the race by “rattling the cage” of Denny Hamlin out of the way. FOX’s announcers originally didn’t make Jimmie Johnson the favorite, but they also never anticipated JJ to pull an “Earnhardt-esque” maneuver either! However Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip all seemed to agree that Johnson’s crew consistently makes his car strong at the end of the race. He’s now won 5 of the last 6 Martinsville races! Take a look at the pass below!
I’m extremely surprised that seemingly 25% of the words out of FOX’s announcers’ mouths talked about Martinsville’s famous hot dogs. I watched the race with my cousin, who has been to the track and claims their hot dogs are “awful.” FOX even did a segment about midway through the race featuring many of the drivers sharing their opinions about the hot dogs. I believe it was Kevin Harvick who rounded up the montage saying the hot dogs weren’t supposed to be red. As a producer, I think I would’ve tried to end the montage with one of the drivers saying something POSITIVE about the delicacy. Not only did it make the announcers look bad, but it also hushed the hot dog talk for a LONG TIME.
A few more mistakes in this broadcast than in the past. I noticed some miscommunication with the camera which were focusing on the pit stalls: two cameras would either focus on the same car or be panning all over the place while on the air. Plus, as mentioned before, my race focus was disoriented due to the hot dog discussion. On a scale of 1 to 10, we’re going to give it a 7. Just a few technical errors on a network which expects perfection hurt the rating this week.
Next week, we say “YEE HAW!” as the NASCAR stars head down to Texas Motor Speedway. It’s a mile and a half track which is exactly like Atlanta except a lot newer. The Jack Roush/Robert Yates Fords should dominate here, with Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth being heavy favorites. Can’t wait! 1:30 on FOX next Sunday!
Even winner Jimmie Johnson found the bumper useful at Martinsville. He took the lead late in the race by “rattling the cage” of Denny Hamlin out of the way. FOX’s announcers originally didn’t make Jimmie Johnson the favorite, but they also never anticipated JJ to pull an “Earnhardt-esque” maneuver either! However Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip all seemed to agree that Johnson’s crew consistently makes his car strong at the end of the race. He’s now won 5 of the last 6 Martinsville races! Take a look at the pass below!
I’m extremely surprised that seemingly 25% of the words out of FOX’s announcers’ mouths talked about Martinsville’s famous hot dogs. I watched the race with my cousin, who has been to the track and claims their hot dogs are “awful.” FOX even did a segment about midway through the race featuring many of the drivers sharing their opinions about the hot dogs. I believe it was Kevin Harvick who rounded up the montage saying the hot dogs weren’t supposed to be red. As a producer, I think I would’ve tried to end the montage with one of the drivers saying something POSITIVE about the delicacy. Not only did it make the announcers look bad, but it also hushed the hot dog talk for a LONG TIME.
A few more mistakes in this broadcast than in the past. I noticed some miscommunication with the camera which were focusing on the pit stalls: two cameras would either focus on the same car or be panning all over the place while on the air. Plus, as mentioned before, my race focus was disoriented due to the hot dog discussion. On a scale of 1 to 10, we’re going to give it a 7. Just a few technical errors on a network which expects perfection hurt the rating this week.
Next week, we say “YEE HAW!” as the NASCAR stars head down to Texas Motor Speedway. It’s a mile and a half track which is exactly like Atlanta except a lot newer. The Jack Roush/Robert Yates Fords should dominate here, with Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth being heavy favorites. Can’t wait! 1:30 on FOX next Sunday!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Typical Bristol? How about "Typical BUSCH?"
Another race at Bristol…another 500 laps of close racing in the books…and another win for Kyle Busch. Once again, the younger Busch brother DOMINATED a race which saw less beating and banging than the average fan expected. FOX commentator Mike Joy painted the picture of Bristol by describing it as “the world’s fastest conveyor belt.” It was definitely a quick race, but Bristol today is not the same as the “typical Bristol” we saw.
It seems pretty much that Kyle Busch can be put in the pool to win ANY race. FOX’s announcers are always prepared to talk about him, and it seems like they never run out of facts about him. We know everything about Busch except his shoe size! Nevertheless, love him or hate him, FOX pointed out that Kyle will indeed win a bunch of championships during his career.
You would think for Bristol there would be a lot of temper tantrums and finger pointing, but it was overall a clean race. Then the end brought some drama. FOX color announcer Darrell Waltrip noticed that Kyle Busch’s teammate’s engine had blown, forcing the caution flag to fly. Check out the quick camerawork in the following Youtube clip:
The only real peeve I had about this broadcast was the lack of coverage on Carl Edwards. Yes, he ran in the middle of the field all day, but no one seemed to know why! 43 cars and 43 drivers should equal 43 different stories for raceday. We heard a lot about Ryan Newman, who was trying everything to stay in the top 35 in owner’s points. FOX’s announcers and producers knew that several drivers were on the bubble, including rookie Joey Logano. They didn’t emphasize it a ton, but enough to keep the viewers aware of the situation.
Overall, I rate the broadcast an 8 out of 10. All of the camera shots were incredible, and they created a superior atmosphere…we felt like we were truly there! Bristol holds more than 170,000 people, and it’s only a half mile racetrack! Amazing panoramic shots and excellent decisions by the director regarding shot selection made the broadcast full of variety. Any time NASCAR takes to the short tracks, the races are unpredictable: it’s not always “follow the leader”, but FOX and the crew can be commended for keeping up with everything: 15 second laps go by in a heartbeat, and it takes a bunch of alert crewmembers to follow all the action.
Next weekend is more of the same…MARTINSVILLE! It’s a half mile track shaped like a paperclip, and I anticipate FOX will give major coverage to Jimmie Johnson (last year’s winner), Jeff Gordon (last year’s runner-up), and Denny Hamlin, who finished 2nd at Bristol last week and has won at Martinsville before! Watch out for more quick action from the cameras, as the action here is quick also! Prerace begins at 1:30 on FOX Sunday, March 29th!
It seems pretty much that Kyle Busch can be put in the pool to win ANY race. FOX’s announcers are always prepared to talk about him, and it seems like they never run out of facts about him. We know everything about Busch except his shoe size! Nevertheless, love him or hate him, FOX pointed out that Kyle will indeed win a bunch of championships during his career.
You would think for Bristol there would be a lot of temper tantrums and finger pointing, but it was overall a clean race. Then the end brought some drama. FOX color announcer Darrell Waltrip noticed that Kyle Busch’s teammate’s engine had blown, forcing the caution flag to fly. Check out the quick camerawork in the following Youtube clip:
The only real peeve I had about this broadcast was the lack of coverage on Carl Edwards. Yes, he ran in the middle of the field all day, but no one seemed to know why! 43 cars and 43 drivers should equal 43 different stories for raceday. We heard a lot about Ryan Newman, who was trying everything to stay in the top 35 in owner’s points. FOX’s announcers and producers knew that several drivers were on the bubble, including rookie Joey Logano. They didn’t emphasize it a ton, but enough to keep the viewers aware of the situation.
Overall, I rate the broadcast an 8 out of 10. All of the camera shots were incredible, and they created a superior atmosphere…we felt like we were truly there! Bristol holds more than 170,000 people, and it’s only a half mile racetrack! Amazing panoramic shots and excellent decisions by the director regarding shot selection made the broadcast full of variety. Any time NASCAR takes to the short tracks, the races are unpredictable: it’s not always “follow the leader”, but FOX and the crew can be commended for keeping up with everything: 15 second laps go by in a heartbeat, and it takes a bunch of alert crewmembers to follow all the action.
Next weekend is more of the same…MARTINSVILLE! It’s a half mile track shaped like a paperclip, and I anticipate FOX will give major coverage to Jimmie Johnson (last year’s winner), Jeff Gordon (last year’s runner-up), and Denny Hamlin, who finished 2nd at Bristol last week and has won at Martinsville before! Watch out for more quick action from the cameras, as the action here is quick also! Prerace begins at 1:30 on FOX Sunday, March 29th!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
OLDER BUSCH BROTHER BEATS EVERYONE...BIG
Make no mistake about it…Atlanta Motor Speedway provided any NASCAR fan with his or her fair share of entertainment AND surprises this weekend. One of the fastest tracks in NASCAR, Atlanta Motor Speedway hasn’t lost any excitement, even with tire package which made the cars look like they were out of control every single lap. Constant replays from Fox’s coverage supplied the proof that those drivers were one slight turn of the wheel away from losing their racecars. We expected this, but definitely not to this magnitude.
Congratulations to winner Kurt Busch! He still hasn’t lost his touch behind the wheel. How quickly we forget that he won the championship in 2004! Granted back then, he drove for Jack Roush. But he was charging through the field in his Dodge Charger—how ironic— in the Kobalt Tools 500 and won convincingly, but in exciting fashion! He started 2nd, and he consistently pulled away by insurmountable margins on every long run.
So what happened to everyone else? A lot of drivers were in trouble early in the race for a reason that not even the Fox broadcasting crew could predict! A pit crew member from Marcos Ambrose’s team chased after a tire which rolled out of their pit stall early in the race. He was so close to the cars that were moving at 185 miles per hour that NASCAR had to slow the field down. Larry McReynolds, one of the color commentators for Fox clearly pointed out that “NASCAR is not going to be happy with that crew member at all.” This incident trapped almost everyone except for 6 drivers a lap down. Whenever other possible contenders were mentioned, Fox’s commentators had to trace whether or not this action by the crew member affected his race. (see the video below)
Fox’s broadcasting crew has won various Emmy awards in the past for NASCAR coverage. Atlanta’s coverage was extremely topical and interesting with a little humor between Larry Mac and DW in the booth too. I would love to be a director for a NASCAR TV broadcast because it looks like everyone has fun and works hard. Every camera shot capturing accidents, hand activity on the steering wheel, and even the crew member pleading his case after his suicidal chase after a tire were worthy of awards.
Overall, with the excellent camera shots, the interviews at the end of the race with Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards, I’d have to rate the broadcast a 9 out of 10. The announcers at the end of the race maintained an unbiased enthusiasm for all 3 contenders in the green-white-checkered scenario. Edwards had 2 tires, and Busch and Gordon each had 4, providing for excitement in the final 2 laps of the race. All on the broadcast crew should be congratulated!
Wow, what are we going to do with a week off? Guess we have to catch our breath before we head to BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY! It’s the world’s fastest half mile, and having gone there last year, it’s 500 laps of flat out beating and banging! Watch both Busch brothers—they love this race track. So does Carl Edwards…and Jeff Gordon’s trying to break his winless streak…Gordon finished 2nd at California and Atlanta! Until Thunder Valley!
Congratulations to winner Kurt Busch! He still hasn’t lost his touch behind the wheel. How quickly we forget that he won the championship in 2004! Granted back then, he drove for Jack Roush. But he was charging through the field in his Dodge Charger—how ironic— in the Kobalt Tools 500 and won convincingly, but in exciting fashion! He started 2nd, and he consistently pulled away by insurmountable margins on every long run.
So what happened to everyone else? A lot of drivers were in trouble early in the race for a reason that not even the Fox broadcasting crew could predict! A pit crew member from Marcos Ambrose’s team chased after a tire which rolled out of their pit stall early in the race. He was so close to the cars that were moving at 185 miles per hour that NASCAR had to slow the field down. Larry McReynolds, one of the color commentators for Fox clearly pointed out that “NASCAR is not going to be happy with that crew member at all.” This incident trapped almost everyone except for 6 drivers a lap down. Whenever other possible contenders were mentioned, Fox’s commentators had to trace whether or not this action by the crew member affected his race. (see the video below)
Fox’s broadcasting crew has won various Emmy awards in the past for NASCAR coverage. Atlanta’s coverage was extremely topical and interesting with a little humor between Larry Mac and DW in the booth too. I would love to be a director for a NASCAR TV broadcast because it looks like everyone has fun and works hard. Every camera shot capturing accidents, hand activity on the steering wheel, and even the crew member pleading his case after his suicidal chase after a tire were worthy of awards.
Overall, with the excellent camera shots, the interviews at the end of the race with Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards, I’d have to rate the broadcast a 9 out of 10. The announcers at the end of the race maintained an unbiased enthusiasm for all 3 contenders in the green-white-checkered scenario. Edwards had 2 tires, and Busch and Gordon each had 4, providing for excitement in the final 2 laps of the race. All on the broadcast crew should be congratulated!
Wow, what are we going to do with a week off? Guess we have to catch our breath before we head to BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY! It’s the world’s fastest half mile, and having gone there last year, it’s 500 laps of flat out beating and banging! Watch both Busch brothers—they love this race track. So does Carl Edwards…and Jeff Gordon’s trying to break his winless streak…Gordon finished 2nd at California and Atlanta! Until Thunder Valley!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Viva Las Vegas--NASCAR style!
The Las Vegas Motor
The only man hitting the jackpot in the desert this weekend was Kyle Busch. After moving Clint Bowyer out of the way in the final laps, Busch pulled away from the field. This gave FOX’s announcers plenty of topics to bring up…Las Vegas is indeed Busch’s hometown, so the audience could understand the significance of this win. Look out…Busch has momentum! They also added drama by making a big deal out of Busch moving Bowyer out of the way! He still would’ve passed him…awesome win!
FOX also feasted on contender’s misfortunes…what happened to Matt Kenseth? He could’ve been the first driver to win the first 3 races of the year! On the first lap, FOX’s crew was all over the report about his engine sounding funny (see what happened on the first video). As for Jimmie Johnson...he led a bunch of laps once again, but ended up sliding through his pitbox, went a lap down, and ended up wrecking. (See FOX’s analysis of the wreck in the 2nd video)
I think the radio coverage needs some criticism. I had to listen to the final 30 laps of the race on the road. The Performance Racing Network covered the race—at least I think they did. Honestly, it sounded like no one was aware of what was happening, particularly in the final 10 laps. The victory lane reporter mistakenly said that Kyle Busch’s younger brother Kyle congratulated him in victory lane. What he meant to say was “his OLDER brother KURT congratulated him in victory lane.” Definitely hurts their credibility. I can’t wait for when the Motor Racing Network broadcasts again in a couple of weeks…they are definitely more professional.
I also think the “digger” cartoon character which appears weekly on FOX’s broadcasts should have a limited amount of airtime. FOX’s crew decided to make a whole entire segment featuring the fictional groundhog they call “digger” (for those unfamiliar with “digger”, it’s the nickname of the hidden camera in the apron of the track’s turns.) I mean they’re selling “digger” Tshirts! PLUS, every time they switch to the “digger camera” during the race, that little animated gopher pops up on the bottom left of the TV screen. I rate the TV broadcast a 7.5 out of 10. Digger is fun, but distracting. He’s the novelty act of the coverage, but NOT THE STAR! The producers and directors should work on this and bring back the FOX coverage we know and love.
Hopefully, the rainy weather from the Daytona 500 a few weeks ago will stay out of the east coast this week as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Listen for FOX to make engine failures a prime topic of discussion: it is NASCAR’s fastest track. They will give Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch lots of airtime. My sleeper pick has to be Bobby Labonte. He had an awesome 5th place run at Vegas, and has momentum on his side. And you know he’s hungry for a victory. I know I’ll be watching FOX on Sunday at 1:30 for
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
