ESPN

ESPN2 Airing 11 Hours of NHRA U.S. Nationals Coverage

The biggest event of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season will have 11 hours of coverage on ESPN2 this weekend with the running of the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Expanded qualifying and eliminations telecasts will culminate with five consecutive hours on Labor Day Monday, the final day of competition.

ESPN2’s coverage of the first event in the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs begins Sunday, Sept. 5, at 10 a.m. ET with a one-hour qualifying program. At 11 a.m., NHRA RaceDay presented by Lucas Oil brings viewers up-to-date with the latest NHRA news and sets up the rest of the day’s action. Immediately following at 11:30 a.m., ESPN2 will telecast 2 ½ hours of U.S. Nationals qualifying. More qualifying coverage airs for two hours starting at 5 p.m.

Monday’s non-stop action kicks off at 1 p.m. with eliminations and finals. In addition to the ESPN2 telecast, fans can watch the entire day of eliminations for all classes live on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s live sports broadband network at www.espn3.com.

Each Labor Day weekend, NHRA racers and fans descend on O’Reilly Raceway Park for the biggest, oldest, richest, and most prestigious drag race in the world. They say that no career is truly complete without a win at drag racing’s grandest event. The fabled strip is regarded by many as one of the smoothest on the circuit, and the stakes are indeed high. As it did two years ago, this event now serves as the kickoff for the Countdown playoffs and the six-race run to the Full Throttle championships. In 2009, the facility improved the fan experience with the debut of more permanent grandstands.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay.

NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series Live in Prime Time from Atlanta

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races for 500 miles in prime time under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night, Sept. 5, and ESPN will have a live telecast of the event presented by Pennzoil. The NASCAR Countdown pre-race show kicks off the evening at 7 p.m. ET with the race telecast at 7:30 p.m. The race’s green flag is at 7:46 p.m.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series also races under the lights at Atlanta this weekend and season-long coverage on the ESPN networks continues. The race airs on ESPN2 beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4, with the race telecast at 7 p.m. and the green flag at 7:16 p.m.

Marty Reid will call the action with analysis by Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Dr. Jerry Punch.  

NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion driver Rusty Wallace, three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty, a team owner in the series. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

NASCAR Now Surrounds NASCAR Sprint Cup Event at Atlanta

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will surround the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend with episodes before and after the event. Nicole Briscoe will host the two programs.

The one-hour preview show presented by 5-Hour Energy airs at 9 a.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 5, while the weekend wrap-up edition airs at 11:30 p.m. Shannon Spake and David Newton will report from the speedway, while Ricky Craven will join Briscoe in the studio for analysis.

Briscoe also hosts half-hour editions of NASCAR Now airing late-night this week due to ESPN’s coverage of U.S. Open tennis from New York. Programs airs Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 1 a.m. (late Tuesday night); Thursday, Sept. 2, at 1 a.m. (late Wednesday night) and Saturday, Sept. 4, at 12:30 a.m. (late Friday night). There will be no program late Thursday night due to U.S. Open coverage.

Also, the Monday roundtable edition of NASCAR Now is taking Monday, Sept. 6, off due to ESPN2’s all-day coverage of the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Mike Massaro, Nicole Briscoe, Allen Bestwick and Shannon Spake and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, and Ricky Craven, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

ESPN.com Offers RacingLive! During Atlanta Race

NASCAR fans looking for an online gathering during ESPN’s telecasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now have a place to go on ESPN.com.

RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Sunday night, Sept. 5, RacingLive! Atlanta will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET to coincide with ESPN’s telecast of the 500-mile race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.

– ESPN Communications, Press Release

ESPN on ABC

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series appears on ABC for the first time this season when it races for 500 laps in prime time under the lights at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Saturday night, Aug. 21. The NASCAR Countdown pre-race show kicks off the evening at 7 p.m. ET with the race telecast at 7:30 p.m. The race’s green flag is at 7:43 p.m.

Also from Bristol, coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying airs Friday, Aug. 20, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Marty Reid will call the action with analysis by Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.  

NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion driver Rusty Wallace, three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty, a team owner in the series. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series also races under the lights at Bristol this weekend and season-long coverage on the ESPN networks continues. The race airs on ESPN beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. on Friday, with the race telecast at 8 p.m. and the green flag at 8:13 p.m.

Rusty, Ricky, Ray on NASCAR Now Roundtable

ESPN analysts Rusty Wallace, Ricky Craven and Ray Evernham will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 1 a.m. ET (late Monday night) on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Mike Massaro will host the weekend editions of NASCAR Now airing around the Saturday night, Aug. 21, live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The one-hour preview show airs at 9 a.m. Saturday while the weekend wrap-up edition airs Sunday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m. Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis will report from the speedway, while Craven will join Massaro in the studio for analysis.

Massaro also hosts half-hour editions of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday and Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m. There is no program on Friday due to live NASCAR programming.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Mike Massaro, Nicole Briscoe, Allen Bestwick and Shannon Spake and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, and Ricky Craven, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

ESPN.com Expands Coverage with RacingLive!

NASCAR fans looking for an online gathering during ESPN’s telecasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now have a place to go on ESPN.com.

RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Saturday night, Aug. 21, RacingLive! Bristol will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET to coincide with ESPN’s telecast of the 500-lap race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.

NHRA Lucas Oil Series Action Airs Sunday

Highlights from the recent event at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag racing Series will air in a one-hour format at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 22, on ESPN2.

The series features Sportsman drag racing cars.

- ESPN Communications, Press Release

ESPN

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., this weekend and ESPN will have a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the Carfax 400 on Sunday, Aug. 15. The NASCAR Countdown pre-race show kicks off the day at noon ET with the race telecast at 1 p.m. The race’s green flag is at 1:16 p.m.

Marty Reid will call the action with analysis by Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.  

NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion driver Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a team owner in the series. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

Following the race on Sunday, additional reports, analysis and interviews from Michigan will air on ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter as will be the case for all 14 races airing on ESPN this season.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series also races at MIS this weekend and season-long coverage on the ESPN networks continues. The Carfax 250 airs on ESPN beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the race telecast at 2 p.m. and the green flag at 2:16 p.m.

ESPN.com Expands Coverage with RacingLive!

NASCAR fans looking for an online gathering during ESPN’s telecasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now have a place to go on ESPN.com.

RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Sunday, Aug. 15, RacingLive! Michigan will kick off at 1 p.m. ET to coincide with ESPN’s telecast of the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.

Keselowski, Craven, Chengelis on NASCAR Now Roundtable

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski will join ESPN analyst Ricky Craven and NASCAR Now reporter Angelique Chengelis as panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Monday, Aug. 16, at the special time of 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Shannon Spake will host the weekend editions of NASCAR Now airing around the Sunday, Aug. 15, live coverage of the Carfax 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Michigan International Speedway. The one-hour preview show airs at 9 a.m. while the weekend wrap-up edition airs Monday at 1 a.m. (late Sunday night). Chengelis and Marty Smith will report from MIS, while Craven will join Spake in the studio for analysis.

Spake also hosts half-hour weekday episodes of NASCAR Now airing late night this week due to ESPN’s coverage of the Little League World Series. Programs air Wednesday, Aug. 11, at midnight (late Tuesday night); Thursday, Aug. 12, at midnight (late Wednesday night); Friday, Aug. 13, at midnight (late Thursday night) and Saturday, Aug. 14, at 1 a.m. (late Friday night).

NASCAR Now is hosted by Mike Massaro, Nicole Briscoe, Allen Bestwick and Shannon Spake and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, and Ricky Craven, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in Minnesota

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series races this weekend in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway and ESPN2 will air highlights of qualifying and eliminations. Qualifying action airs Saturday, Aug. 14, at 11 p.m. ET, and coverage of eliminations airs Sunday at 10 p.m.

NHRA’s version of a weeklong campout, this event is a popular stop due to the area’s recreational opportunities. Avid fishers often spend the days before the event trolling the area’s many lakes for walleye, bass, and northern pike, and a huge on-site campground provides nightly camaraderie for racegoers who sit around fires discussing the day’s action. A 700-foot concrete launchpad, one of the longest on the tour, helps boost performances at the last event at which teams can secure positions for the Countdown to 1 playoffs.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay presented by Lucas Oil on Sunday at 10 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

- ESPN Communications, Press Release

Road racing returns this weekend as the Cup and NNS cars head up to Watkins Glen.  While they are turning left and right, and doing backwards pit stops, the truck series takes on the Nashville Superspeedway.  As we work through another week, here are more reader questions and answers.  If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

1. From Garry:

How often do you AND your driver practice the exact routine of the car pulling in and out of the pit stall? How many times does it take to be perfect? When you are working with a new driver or at a tougher track (like Bristol) do they allow you extra time to practice a lot? Is it true that “pit mates” (drivers in ajoining pit stalls) try to coordinate their stops, to stay out of each other’s way? It seems so many things can go wrong. Do you have any good stories about bad blood rivals who are battling and then winding up next to each other? ( e.g if Horse face and lil Brad wound up next to each other. It might make things interesting)

You won’t find most drivers at the shop driving the pit stop car for practice.  Some teams will use their development drivers or just a shop guy to do the driving.  Once most guys get to a certain point in their career, practicing getting into and out of the pit stall just isn’t necessary I guess.  And the only real example of a track that sticks out where we might do some extra practice is for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen because the pit stops are backwards.  Other then that, the rest of the tracks get the same amount of prep usually.  In terms of pit road neighbors, you try as much as you can to coordinate stops, but often it just isn’t possible.  The hope is that the guys around you are either on a different lap or fall out early, so your driver has a clean path in and out.  And there are plenty of times where teams end up pitting next to each other and things get ugly.  There have been instances where crew members have thrown lugnuts and other objects at an opposing driver as they come by, pit boards have been hit by drivers, there have been plenty of shoving matches, and there is always going to be a ton of yelling when things go south. – T.C.

2. From Bill:

Why not let the cars that make the chase all race together and have another race for the other cars. Nascar asks the other cars to move over and not race the chase cars. This makes for poor racing and the other cars cannot win.

I’m not really sure what the question is here, but NASCAR doesn’t ask other cars to roll over for the Chasers. In fact Jamie McMurray, a non-chaser, won the race at Talladega during the Chase last season. – Journo

3. From Michael:

Regarding Tool sponsorship. Mac, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc. Are the tools given to the teams, discounted, or on loan? Or is each team contract different with each vendor?

The contracts can be different, but for the big teams, when the team itself needs tools, they are usually given or highly discounted.  Remember though, the guys who work in the shop use their own tools and must pay for all of their own equipment.  With the shop guys, they are usually given a discount, but nothing is free. – T.C.

4. From Marty:

After watching the wide array of tire strategies at Pocono I offer you this question… Has anyone ever taken 3 tires in a pit stop? How about just 1 tire?

Not that I’ve ever heard of.  Getting one tire takes the same amount of time as it does to get two, as does the time for three versus four.  So it wouldn’t really make sense.  Plus, it would give the car really odd handling characteristics to have grip at one corner, but not the others. - T.C.

5. From Jackie:

On Sunday’s race, I noticed that start and park teams would come in and then go back out on the track – Why? Do they not want to be listed as last or are they trying to better their position? At what point in the race do the start and park teams say enough is enough and call it a race?

Most are trying to just be able to finish a little better.  Remember most don’t have pit crews, so if they are going to run longer then a tire/fuel run, they’ve got to do something to change tires and add fuel.  A few minutes in the garage can do the trick.  And the agendas will vary by team.  Some of the bare bones operations will just run a few laps because they are fine with last place money.  Others might be attempting to make more money, and score more points, so they may stay out longer. – T.C.

6. From Debbie:

While watching the Pocono race a driver, I want to say Denny Hamlin, but don’t quote me on that, said his tires were over rotating. How can that be and what does that mean? Thanks!

I’ve never heard a driver say his tires were over-rotating.  I have heard them say that about their car though.  If a car is over rotating, it just means it’s loose in the corners. – T.C.

7. From Kevin:

First off, the 48 dumped the 2. Everybody who has ever watched a race with bump drafting knows you dont do it unless your wheels are straight. The 48 was turning left the entire time and clearly turned the 2. No question about it. Kurt should have gone and kicked some ass. I am sure he will in coming weeks. Secondly, how great was the racing at the end of the race? For about 20-40 laps there we saw some of the best racing of the season. All through the pack. I am so tired of the people complaining, if they didn’t like the racing right after the rain stoppage then they should just quit watching, b/c it won’t get much better. Finally, do you think the recent success of two tire stops is due to the flat nature of the last two tracks? I imagine someone taking two tires at say, Vegas, will suffer a lot more due to the speed all the way around the track. I do enjoy the mixing of strategies though.

To your first point, I don’t think Jimmie dumped him, I think Jimmie got sloppy and made a poor decision. To your second point, I couldn’t agree more. I think we have had stellar racing this season. And to your last point, the two tire strategy works when everything comes together right. Certainly tire wear is a factor, but how many laps are left, who took four versus two, and how many all  play a role. It has played a role the last two weeks. – Journo

8. From steve:

Any idea what was going on with Brian Pattie and Montoya, especially Pattie’s barb that Montoya needs to come to Charlotte to practice pit stops? How redfaced do you think ESPN is that they had zero cameras on Sadler? But for his crash sneaking into the Busch coverage, they would have had nothing at all on one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR this year.

Montoya screwed something up, and they had a 17 second stop (I would imagine he messed up getting into the box), so Pattie called him out. Montoya was then upset that Pattie called him out, and he was upset about losing track position because they got four tires. JPM is notorious for his ability to express his feelings. To your second question, I think it’s the nature of the beast. This sort of thing is the nightmare of every sports television director – missing that key play (or in this case a wreck) because they didn’t have a camera – but it happens because you just can’t have cameras everywhere. I’d be willing to bet there have been some serious discussions this week about how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. – Journo

9. From Lost in Texas:

Anything new in the Jeremy Mayfield case?

I haven’t heard anything new. The last I heard was that Mayfield’s legal team had asked Judge Mullen to reconsider his ruling, a formal step before they can appeal to the 4th Circuit Court. – Journo

10. From Kipp:

T.C.- This is a great outlet and source of information and discussion. Thank you for you and Journo’s efforts. With the recent fine given to Denny Hamlin, have you worried any about potential fines or punishment coming from NASCAR for operating on this forum?

Thanks Kipp!  Glad you are enjoying what we do.  And no, neither myself nor Journo is worried in any way about being fined or punished by NASCAR.  We operate a very fair website, and if they ever took exception to something we wrote, all it would take is a simple request, and they could post a rebuttal here.  Also, I think it’s important to note that NASCAR didn’t fine somebody in the press, it was drivers.  If they did ever try and penalize a media member, it would come to light pretty quickly.  And, as our regular readers know, we’ve been very critical of NASCAR at times (see Tuesday’s blog post), and they have yet to even bother contacting us. – T.C.

11. From derek:

Why does a crew member use a propane torch to heat the tire up and then scrape it?

The crew guy is using the torch and the scraper to clean off any build up on the tires so the tire specialist can get an accurate reading of the tire’s tread depth after a run.  When a car is running around the track, especially under caution and heading to pit road, the hot tires will pick up rubber and all sorts of other things.  Cleaning them allows the teams to figure out how much rubber was actually worn off over the course of a run. – T.C.

12. From M. Sauter:

With the season winding down, and sponsors signing or leaving, when should Kahne fans begin to panic?Right now, he has no ride and no sponsor.

There isn’t a point you should start panicking. Kasey will be in a car next season. Where that’s at is still yet to be seen, but Kasey will absolutely be driving somewhere next season. Rick Hendrick didn’t sign Kasey to sideline him. Don’t worry! Everything will be worked out…eventually. – Journo

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

TheNASCARInsiders.com

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As NASCAR continues to look for ways to improve the sport, both on and off the track, one area I believe they are missing a huge opportunity is with their online content.  While there are plenty of articles, blog posts, and video clips available at NASCAR.com and the many other racing related websites, NASCAR is trailing most of the other major sports with their live streaming options.

NASCAR’s current online presence is controlled by Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting Systems, and has been since 2001.  In 2008, the two entities extended their online deal through the year 2014.  This puts Turner in direct control of NASCAR’s official online footprint.

Currently, outside of the six races that TNT’s RaceBuddy is available online, NASCAR.com’s online offerings are pretty scant.  TrackPass offers scanner audio, timing and scoring data, limited MRN/PRN broadcasts, and some weird virtual racing animation called RaceView.  There are also some short feature shows and racing highlights available each week.  There is however, no way to watch races streaming live online, view archived race footage, or even listen live to MRN and PRN broadcasts and shows.

And compared to the other major American sports, NASCAR is still in the digital ice age.  For example, while they don’t offer live streaming video of games online, the NFL does have live online streaming audio for all 32 teams.  Major League Baseball has their MLB.TV package that allows fans to watch every regular season game live online, and they’ve been doing so for years.  The NBA offers League Pass Broadband that allows viewers to watch 40 games a week live online including full DVR features, plus every game from the season is archived and available at any time to watch in full replay.  Even the NHL has Gamecenter that offers live online games, plus they just added a new archive of old and classic games that are available for download.  Everyone else seems to get it, except NASCAR.

The biggest obstacle appears to be that NASCAR has several partners in terms of broadcasting, and getting them all to agree on a fair package might be difficult at best.  But the one key factor that could change everything is NASCAR.  It’s their product in the end, and if they wanted it done, it could get done.

Just to give you and idea about what the networks think, earlier in the season when asked about streaming races online, FOX’s David Hill said that they would not do it, so as to protect their local affiliates.  After reading that, and knowing the difficult situation that network television is in, I can understand his position.  What’s interesting to note however, is that while he’s not okay showing NASCAR races online for fear of harming his local affiliates, he’s certainly okay “harming” them by allowing Major League Baseball to stream every single game online with it’s MLB.TV package while FOX continues along as part of $3 billion TV contract with MLB that runs through 2013.  Good one David.

What NASCAR needs is a comprehensive online package that would allow fans to pay a subscription fee for everything mentioned.  Allow them access to live audio and video of press conferences, practice sessions, qualifying, and races online.  Make RaceBuddy available for all 36 races.  Give them access to listen to all of the MRN and PRN broadcasts and shows.  Want scanner audio for every driver you?  You got it!  Offer several different packages at different price points, and let them choose what they want.  There is so much activity going on during the week and at the races on the weekend, and it could all be available for consumption, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right on NASCAR.com.  Cha ching, cha ching!

NASCAR needs new ways to connect with their fans, and they are always looking to expand the sport’s reach.  They have a golden opportunity lying right in front of their faces to accomplish both, and they have chosen to ignore it.  Somebody please explain this to me.

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ESPN

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series goes road racing this weekend at historic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and ESPN will have a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the race on Sunday, Aug. 8. The telecast is presented by GoDaddy.com. The NASCAR Countdown pre-race show kicks off the day at noon ET with the race telecast at 1 p.m. The race’s green flag is at 1:18 p.m.

Also from Watkins Glen, coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying airs Saturday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. on ESPN, while ESPN2 airs coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup “Happy Hour” practice on Friday, Aug. 6, at 4 p.m.

Marty Reid will call the action with analysis by Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Vince Welch.

NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion driver Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a team owner in the series. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

Following the race on Sunday, additional reports, analysis and interviews from Watkins Glen will air on ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter as will be the case for all 14 races airing on ESPN this season.

ESPN continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend as the series also races at Watkins Glen. The event airs on ESPN beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the race telecast at 2 p.m. and the green flag at 2:18 p.m.

NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs Saturday at 9 a.m. on ESPN2, while final practice airs Friday at 2 p.m., also on ESPN2.

Craven, Said, Blount on NASCAR Now Roundtable

NASCAR on ESPN analyst Ricky Craven, driver Boris Said and ESPN.com motorsports writer Terry Blount will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Monday, Aug. 9, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Mike Massaro will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Nicole Briscoe hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m. following ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Happy Hour coverage from Watkins Glen International. Briscoe also hosts the one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now airing Sunday, Aug. 8, at 9 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race, as well as the weekend wrap-up edition airing Sunday night at 11 p.m. Shannon Spake and Angelique Chengelis will report from Watkins Glen, while Craven will join Briscoe in the NASCAR Now studio.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Mike Massaro, Nicole Briscoe, Allen Bestwick and Shannon Spake and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, and Ricky Craven, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN the Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

- ESPN Communications, Press Release

To use the words of the late David Poole, Dale Earnhardt saved Elliott Sadler’s life on Sunday.

What happened to Elliott Sadler on the backstretch (between turns one and two) late in the race at Pocono isn’t exactly clear to those of us who didn’t happen to be in a car and on the backstretch at the time (thanks Kurt Busch and ESPN). What we do know though is Pocono needs to make safety upgrades, like yesterday, and the COT and HANS Device saved Elliott Sadler from serious injury or death.

From what I saw of that wreck, it was one of the worst in recent memory. After hitting the inside Armco barrier, Sadler was propelled back out onto the track – a distance that’s probably a good 50 feet. In the slow motion replay on ESPN, Sadler’s whole body can be seen lurching forward. That tremendous amount of force ripped the car apart. See the engine being towed back to the garage. Sadler was luckily able to walk away with nothing but the wind knocked out of him.

For all of the criticism its gotten and complaining that’s been done about it, the COT has been a wonderful safety innovation. It has no doubt saved lives. Ask Micheal McDowell. Now ask Elliott Sadler.

Add to that the proliferation of the HANS Device and the SAFER barriers and NASCAR has become a much safer place to compete.

In the days leading up to the race, Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky, grandson of the Drs. Mattioli, addressed plans for some much needed safety features, including SAFER barriers between turns 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, and a much needed catch fence. It’s about time.

Looking around on the net Sunday night some were suggesting Pocono shouldn’t be on the schedule. I couldn’t disagree more. It’s a unique facility with great fans (though two races seven weeks apart is ridiculous). I do think though the track needed to have made these upgrades before other things were done – say for instance a $16 million solar farm.

It’s certainly easy to play Monday morning quarterback on this – but I think anyone who has ever seen the facility can see there are a lot of upgrades that need be done. As usual I digress.

Who knows what would have happened to Sadler had he not had the benefit of the current safety features. I shutter to think. Through all the complaining about ESPN missing the moment (big deal), the biggest story here is what didn’t happen and what we fortunately didn’t see.

What NASCAR has done since February 2001 truly has made the sport safer. There have been no serious injuries and no deaths. And thankfully on Sunday we were able to keep that record intact.

TheNASCARInsiders.com

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