0 Live Blogging Trucks From Phoenix (SPEED - 7:30PM)

Here comes SPEED with another chance to show ESPN and FOX how to produce compelling live NASCAR TV coverage.

Krista Voda starts off the telecast with The Setup pre-race show. Simple, effective and focused describes the way Voda delivers her information. Fans have come to know her and enjoy her Midwestern style for years now on SPEED.

Rick Allen, Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip will call the race with Hermie Sadler and Ray Dunlap on pit road. This is the team that fans will be seeing all season long on SPEED. Waltrip rejoins the telecast after racing at Daytona in the truck series race and winning.

It should be interesting to see how Waltrip deals with the issue of his spoiler breaking on the final lap and the controversy that has dogged him since that time. NASCAR has already fined and penalized his crew chief and truck series owner, so Waltrip may simply choose to remain mum.

PIR works well for the trucks and it should be interesting to see if any teams towed all the way to Arizona only to start and park. Keep an eye on the ticker in case Allen decides not to include that info on the telecast.

SPEED left the air after qualifying without posting the rundown of the full field. It was a very strange error for a veteran TV crew. Perhaps this telecast will include some explanation of why this happened.

This post will serve to host your comments about the SPEED coverage of the Camping World Truck Series race from PIR. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

Detail: Live Blogging Trucks From Phoenix (SPEED - 7:30PM)

0 TV Police: FOX Handcuffed In Daytona

The substantive changes in the NASCAR on FOX telecast of the Daytona 500 were apparent from the start of the pre-race show. Then, the green flag dropped.

FOX impressed for the entire hour before the race as the network unveiled a new infield set that allowed Chris Myers, Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip to leave the sterile confines of the Hollywood Hotel and get out among the fans.

Myers dropped the act he has perfected over the years playing the fool and instead brought his professional TV presence to the program. It made all the difference. Waltrip was not in charge this time and Myers did a tremendously effective job of directing traffic before the race.

As this is the first race of the season, FOX again mixed some features designed to provide an update for casual fans with news and some entertainment. The entertainment is part of the Daytona TV deal. The features worked to remember the history of this race and the anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s passing.

This was the most effective and focused NASCAR on FOX pre-race show in four years. Not only for Daytona, but for any race covered by the network. The power of having happy fans shown on national TV at a NASCAR race cannot be underestimated.

Martina McBride delivered a tremendous version of the national anthem and the Thunderbirds on the flyover made it almost perfect. Then, FOX encountered the issue that many believed was going to deeply affect the race this season. Even after attempts by NASCAR, the only way to race was in teams of two and that was the order of the day.

Despite bringing super slo-mo and a thermal imaging cam, FOX was thoroughly handcuffed by the actual racing on the track from the drop of the green flag. The two car drafting partners completely changed the scoring, call of the race and the ability of TV to choose the pictures.

Darrell Waltrip continues to be a powerful presence, but his on-air comments are now often wrapped in personal emotion and contain opinions based on family, friends and politics. Waltrip had a very long week working for SPEED, but to his credit he stayed focused on the endless on-track issues as the saga unfolded.

Mike Joy continues to be a presence in the booth that brings a balance to this team. Once again this year, he allowed the comments of others to be heard in full while filling-in the details and providing the commentary that the sport has come to know so very well.

The FOX production team tried early on to repeat the pattern of in-car cameras and tight shots, but the racing on the track made that impossible. Wideshots were the order of the day, simply to be able to see the two-car groups gaining speed and then passing each other.

The pit reporters were muted, only because tires were not an issue and there were many chances for teams to get fuel. Updates on drivers out of the race were done in a timely fashion and the questions were on target. It was not an easy task to explain to the viewing public exactly what was going on.

As expected, the close of the race was a mess on the track. TV followed the chaos, it was explained as it happened and the final portions of the event were commercial free. We may never really know what FOX had in mind for this event, because the two-car drafting handcuffs were placed on them early and never removed.

After every race we take an opportunity to allow you to offer your comments on the Spint Cup Series telecasts. This is a rather unique post because of the nature of the racing, but here we go. Happy to have your comments on the NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Daytona 500.

To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

Detail: TV Police: FOX Handcuffed In Daytona

0 Here Comes Travis Pastrana

If you think Danica Patrick came to NASCAR with lots of fans already in tow, get ready for a very interesting weekend in Phoenix. Travis Pastrana and his public relations juggernaut is chugging into NASCAR land.

It's only a K&N Series race, but Pastrana in his Boost Mobile Toyota out of the MWR shops looks to be a major story. When is the last time a K&N Series driver was interviewed by satellite on SPEED's Race Hub in only their second race? Pastrana will join host Steve Byrnes on Thursday at 7PM.

“I can’t wait to get back in the race car this week," said Pastrana in a press release. "We had a very successful debut at Irwindale last month and I learned a lot during the race. I don’t think our goals have change from our debut. We want to go out there and make laps and learn as much as we can. I haven’t been able to test at Phoenix so I am going to have to spend most of the practice time just learning the best way around the track."

Pastrana has been over in New Zealand performing with the Nitro Circus. Click here for a little taste of that extravaganza. It is from this background that Pastrana comes to NASCAR.

Now 27 years old, Pastrana has the ability to bring an entirely new group of fans to the sport and the PIR weekend should be interesting to watch. Although he will not make his official Nationwide Series debut until Indy in July, Pastrana is the same type of marketing machine as Danica.

When Ms. Patrick walked into the sport, it was TV that rushed to document her every move. Now that moment is long gone and Patrick looks a lot like just another struggling open-wheeler who doesn't get it. Even after a push to the front at Daytona, it was clear that Patrick hasn't come close to mastering the stock car skills needed at this level.

Pastrana has no such problems. Much like Trevor Bayne, Pastrana has no bad habits to break and no luggage from another series to carry as he arrives. An 11-time XGames gold medal winner, Pastrana's background is speed mixed with safety. He showed that in Irwindale, where he took home sixth place in the Toyota Shootout.

Click here to visit the Pastrana website, that will give you a much better overview of the successful and sophisticated athlete that has targeted NASCAR as his next goal. It should be interesting to see just how much media Pastrana generates and how often he appears on SPEED, ESPN and even FOX during the PIR racing weekend.

Please feel free to share your opinion on another high-profile star coming to NASCAR with money, a good car and a big marketing agenda. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

Detail: Here Comes Travis Pastrana

0 Trevormania: The TV Aftermath

The irony of the quick interview of Trevor Bayne by FOX's Krista Voda in Victory Lane was made clear once the race telecast was over. Actively or passively, Bayne subsequently appeared on more media outlets than any Daytona 500 winner in history. He was a media dream.

After handling the liveshots for various TV shows in Victory Lane once FOX was done, Bayne then worked his way through the Victory Lane show on SPEED and NASCAR Now on ESPN later Sunday night. By then, it was clear that the camera just loved this driver.

Monday morning saw the Daytona 500 highlights and soundbites from Bayne featured on cable news networks, local TV stations and ESPN's various channels. Still smiling, Bayne then handled the satellite interviews from Daytona USA as the 500 car was put on display.

The next stop was ESPN and a turn in the company car wash. That is the current term used to describe a person who is whisked through the media giant's TV, radio and online channels in one day and then spit out into the parking lot with a handshake.

Instead of a babbling mess, Bayne walked through the various ESPN programs with maturity and good humor. He delivered a positive message for NASCAR that sports TV viewers had not seen or heard in a long time. Here was a smart, young person who was excited about racing.

Rusty Wallace had some airplane issues and was unable to fly into Bristol for the big Monday one-hour NASCAR Now show. It might have been kismet. Instead, Bayne sat with just host Allen Bestwick and reporter Marty Smith for the entire hour.

This long-form program allowed Bayne to talk about all kinds of diverse issues. It clicked. The always structured Bestwick led him through the topics that race fans wanted to hear while Smith leaned back and brought some outstanding questions from the journalism side of the aisle.

Along the way, Bayne never faltered. He was never mean, never grouchy and never made an on-air joke at another's expense. In speaking with David Pearson by phone on the show, Bayne reported to him that he had followed Pearson's advice and simply tried to be careful in order to finish.

It should be noted here that for once ESPN's SportsCenter put together an outstanding edited feature on the race, Bayne's win and what it means for the sport. Brian Williams of the NBC Nightly News made his contribution with a very nice story on the impact of an outsider and fresh face taking one of the biggest prizes in the sport.

Despite the continuing lunacy of stick-and-ball curmudgeons on shows like Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption, ESPN in general handled the subject matter quite well and gave the Daytona 500 and NASCAR unprecedented exposure.

The polar opposite of Allen Bestwick is Steve Byrnes. Casual on the Race Hub set in Charlotte, Byrnes used his unique style to have fun with Bayne in an interview taped via satellite from Daytona USA. Bestwick keeps it professional, while Byrnes makes it personal.

Bayne again sold himself, the Wood Brothers, Ford and NASCAR with little effort. His enthusiasm and previous interactions with Byrnes made it clear to SPEED viewers that this was the type of star lurking in the Nationwide Series and looking for a future.

For the race telecast, FOX reported an 8.7 cable rating which translates to 15.6 million homes. That's only one point higher than last season, but there was some interesting data released. Some of Nielsen's top ten metered markets turned impressive numbers.

In Chicago, viewership was up 61%, in New York 32% and in Los Angeles 46%. Needless to say, those are some key markets for NASCAR with tracks and races in two of those cities. Another good tidbit was that ratings started higher from the green flag and then peaked for the finish. That means a whole lot of people stayed put.

NASCAR.com passes along the incredible number of 11.2 million pageviews on Sunday, with 3 million additional pageviews from mobile devices. There is little doubt that the upcoming focus on the sport's media outreach will center on an increased online presence that is user-friendly and driven by video and social media content.

Update: Wood Brothers will be in Phoenix and Bayne will run in both series. Thank you for the information.

For one rather glorious 24 hour period, NASCAR got the kind of national media spark that it cannot buy, create or command. It should be very interesting to see how FOX, ESPN and SPEED handle the transition of Bayne back into mediocrity and what each network does to try and keep the NASCAR ball rolling in the right direction.

We welcome your comments on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

Detail: Trevormania: The TV Aftermath

0 Live Blogging Sprint Cup Series From Daytona (12PM - FOX)

The NASCAR on FOX team comes out of the gate in 2011 trying to get different results from exactly the same personalities in front of and behind the cameras. It's going to be a tall task to get the momentum flowing in the right direction where NASCAR fans and TV are concerned.

As you can tell from the picture above, the theme of this one is going to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. trying to win the race on the 10th anniversary of his father's passing. Fans will once again hold up three fingers on lap 3 of the race. Keep an eye on how FOX handles this topic during the event.

Chris Myers is back in the Hollywood Hotel and it should be interesting to see if he continues the same act of being Mr. Confused. In fact, Myers is now in his second season of hosting Inside NASCAR on Showtime. Myers has a long history in TV as an informed and sophisticated on-air professional.

Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond join Myers for the pre-race show. Hammond has been outstanding this season with focused TV comments and an informed presence. Waltrip has been overused by SPEED and the result has been a tired guy who is talking too much. A well-rested Waltrip is going to be needed for this race that promises to have a very different dynamic.

Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds join Waltrip in the booth for the race. This mix has been effective for many years, but Waltrip's non-stop chatter last year at this event set the tone for what was to be a rough season. If the producer allows Joy to take charge and direct traffic, things should be fine.

Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren are the top of the heap in terms of pit road reporters. A diverse group of professionals with other interests and TV projects, FOX has failed to effectively use their talents for several seasons. Hopefully, a new focus on information will allow them more air time.

There is no RaceBuddy for the FOX races this season. That means during TV commercials fans have nowhere to continue watching the race. NASCAR.com has a live leaderboard but no free scanners. Basically, FOX and the radio are the only two information sources for the event.

FOX has not embraced social media and there is no focused location for tweets or Facebook conversation with fans during the telecast. Darrell Waltrip has an active Twitter account, so it should be interesting to see if he will be interacting with fans from the TV booth during the race.

The network has FLIR technology, new in-car camera angles and a race where two cars can pull away from the pack. It's an interesting combination of elements where making TV is concerned. FOX has a long history of overusing in-car angles, trying to build drama and focusing on the winner instead of all the finishers.

There are four years left in the current TV contract. In reality, FOX may well have only four more cracks at covering the Daytona 500. After last season's pothole issues and the erosion of TV viewers, the pressure is on to deliver a memorable and informative telecast.

We will use this post to host your comments on the TV coverage of the Daytona 500 on FOX. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet for the fifth season.

Detail: Live Blogging Sprint Cup Series From Daytona (12PM - FOX)