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’!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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!
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