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Dilner wins media title: SPEED's Bob Dillner' and his BDI Racing team took top honors in Wednesday's Sprint Cup Celebrity Challenge presented by SPEED in Charlotte, NC. The victory caps off a week when the team also won their first PASS South race with driver Zach Stroupe at Virginia's Motor Mile Speedway. Dillner (jackman), Matt "Duke" Kentfield (gasman), Bob Bachner (rear tire changer) and Dustin Archer (front tire changer) survived three tough rounds to take the overall team title, going up against teams made up of NASCAR media, local celebrities and dignitaries. Highlights of the Celebrity and Media Pit Crew Challenge will be shown during Thursday's Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on SPEED at 9:00pm/et Thursday.(Speed51.com)(5-15-2008)

ESPN Wins Seven Sports Emmy Awards AND Fox: ESPN won seven Sports Emmy Awards, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences last night in New York, including ESPN.com taking all three of the “New Approaches” categories for online and broadband entries. “The Sports Emmys we received reflect the rich diversity of offerings across ESPN and our ability to not only cover and report on sports, but to inform, entertain and inspire, both on television and online,” said George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports. ESPN.com was honored for “Ray of Hope” (Long Form), Fantasy Football Now (Coverage) and “Death Race 2007” (General Interest). NASCAR returned to ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 last year, and the three networks shared the Emmy for Technical Team Remote. ESPN won 17 Sports Emmys for its NASCAR coverage in the 1990s. Also, College GameDay was cited in the Studio Show Weekly category, Sunday NFL Countdown’s “Fear” took top honors among Short Features and Ali’s 65 won in Editing. ESPN has now won 14 Sports Emmys in the Feature category, including seven in the last six years. Overall, ABC has now won 160 Sports Emmy Awards since they were first given in 1980, while ESPN has won 123 in 21 years of eligibility.(ESPN)(4-29-2008)
AND FOX Sports led all broadcast networks with five Sports Emmy Awards, including two major honors for outstanding sports series and sports special. The winners were announced last night [4/28] during the 29th Annual Sports Emmy Awards by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at ceremonies held in New York. NASCAR on FOX won two statuettes, one for Outstanding Live Sports Series and one for Outstanding Technical Team Remote. In its seven seasons of coverage, NASCAR on FOX has been recognized for Outstanding Sports Series three times and this year’s recognition brings the series Emmy total to 12. Since its inception in 1994, FOX Sports’ has won 76 Emmy Awards.(Fox PR)(4-30-2008)

Jamie Little wins Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race: ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little held off Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner by .324 seconds in race-modified Scion tCs to win the 32nd Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday. "When you interview a winning driver after the race, they always tell you how they just try to get through that last lap," said Little after beating Skinner, a repeat winner in the Pro Category. "Well, now I know exactly what they're talking about." In a last-lap duel, Skinner made contact with Little coming out of the hairpin turn on the 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach to pull side-by-side, Little was able to get back on the gas and pull in front of Skinner as the two came to the finish line. "You go into the event with everyone out here wanting to help raise money for charity and have fun," said Little, who will give the $5,000 from Toyota to UCI Reeve/Irvine Center in California for spinal cord injury research. In the Professional category, Skinner never gave up the lead. After starting 30 seconds behind, he quickly made up ground and caught up with the tail end of the celebrities by lap 3. He then maneuvered through traffic, catching the leaders with just two laps remaining.(SceneDaily.com)(4-21-2008) Comment here

DW's Pipes To 'Idle' During Sprint Cup Off-Week: NASCAR on Fox lead analyst Darrell Waltrip, who lost his voice during last week's race at Bristol, was diagnosed with severely inflamed vocal cords on Wednesday of this week. This prompted a visit to Dr. Katherine Garrett (aka the "Voice Doctor To The Stars") at the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic where she treated DW with a steroid. Dr. Garrett, who has treated Charlie Daniels and other Nashville singing stars, has DW under strict orders to severely limit his speaking. He is expected to return to the booth March 30 in Martinsville. "It took eight years, but I finally figured out a way to get more air time," quipped DW's pre-race colleague and former crew chief Jeff Hammond.(Fox PR)(3-22-2008)

Gopher Cams at the Daytona 500: Gopher Cam, a small, stationary high-definition point-of-view camera buried underneath the asphalt track surface, inches below the yellow line at Daytona International Speedway will be used Sunday. There are four Gopher Cams in-place for the 50th Daytona 500, one in each of the track's four turns. This is the first instance where a camera has been installed below the surface of a superspeedway, and this is the first time that a sub-track surface camera is HD caliber. The cameras have also been paired with high quality condenser microphones, another first, for an unbelievably realistic audio/video experience. The camera hardware and electronics have been installed six inches below the asphalt, and is housed in a cylindrical stainless steel fixture. The lens is less than a half-inch in diameter, and camera is angled slightly to see oncoming traffic. The assembly is covered by a protective dome that is four-inches in diameter and rises less than one-quarter inch above the track surface. Cars rolling over them will have no idea of their presence. The cameras are connected to Fox's mobile production units outside DIS via copper wiring that was trenched in below the track and grass and run to where it meets up with the network's advanced fiber optic wiring system. Installation of Gopher Cam, with the cooperation of Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR's Competition and Media Group department's, was conducted over a three day period last week and tested during the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night. The wiring and stainless steel housing for Gopher Cams remain behind in-place after the race, but the actual cameras travels with Fox to be used at the next race location. A plate replaces the dome that is used on raceday. Gopher Cams are currently being installed in all NASCAR in Fox Sprint Cup race locations, including California Speedway in Fontana (Feb. 24) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 2). While most tracks will have as many as four Gopher Cams, similar to DIS, the number at any individual track may vary.(Fox Sports PR)(2-15-2008) Comment here

NASCAR NowReturns Monday for Second Season: NASCAR Now, ESPN’s daily NASCAR news and information program, returns to the air for its second season Monday, Feb. 4, at 6:00pm/et on ESPN2. The program includes highlights, opinion, debate, analysis and the latest news from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. The program airs for 30 minutes at 6:00pm/et Monday through Friday of the opening week, and the Monday edition will expand to one hour beginning Monday, Feb. 11. The show also has a one-hour edition at 10:am/et on the morning of each NASCAR Sprint Cup race and a Sunday night weekend wrap-up edition. NASCAR Now is hosted by Nicole Manske, Ryan Burr and Allen Bestwick and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include analysts Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Tim Cowlishaw, along with NASCAR insiders Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, David Newton and Marty Smith, as well as D.J. Copp, a member of Bobby Labonte’s team. NASCAR Now viewers also benefit from frequent contributions by the NASCAR on ESPN team including Rusty Wallace, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake, Dale Jarrett and ESPN Deportes’ NASCAR commentators Andrés Agulla and Alex Pombo.(ESPN PR) Comment here

Some Changes at SPEED; INC changes: In 2008, SPEED will use a wide variety of hosts for The SPEED Report, the network's signature Sunday motor sports news program, headlined by veterans Bob Varsha, Krista Voda and Leigh Diffey. The new format will begin Feb. 17 at 7pm/et, following the 50th running of the Daytona 500. In addition, the long-running Monday night Inside Nextel Cup will undergo a format change for 2008, as veteran NASCAR personality Steve Byrnes takes over hosting duties on the newly named This Week in NASCAR, set to premiere Feb. 18 at 8:00pm/et. This Week in NASCAR will move away from a Sprint Cup race re-cap and analysis show, moving into a "handoff" position between events, reviewing topical items from previous races in all three NASCAR national touring series, while also looking forward to upcoming events. Familiar faces, including Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle and Ken Schrader will remain as regular Monday night panelists, with NASCAR crew chiefs, including two-time champ Chad Knaus also joining the show.(SPEED PR)(1-30-2008) Comment here

Fox announces 2008 Cup broadcast schedule: As Fox Sports prepares to begin its eighth year of NASCAR coverage, the network revs its engine with the unveiling of 2008 NASCAR on Fox broadcast schedule. Prior to exclusive, live coverage of the 50th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, Fox Sports hits the gas on its coverage with night racing from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 9 (8:00pm/et) with The Budweiser Shootout. This 70-lap exhibition pits last season's Sprint Cup pole winners and past champions in an all-out "sprint" for the checkered flag. Mike Joy, with almost 40 years in racing, returns as race announcer, and is joined by NASCAR racing legend Darrell Waltrip and former champion crew chief Larry McReynolds, who return to provide race analysis for all NASCAR on Fox events. Prerace coverage is again hosted by Chris Myers with analyst Jeff Hammond, and returning to cover pit road are reporters Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum. In all, Fox Sports airs 13 Sprint Cup points races, highlighted by races from Las Vegas on Sunday, March 2; Texas on Sunday, April 6; Talladega on Sunday, April 27; Charlotte on Sunday, May 25 from Lowe's Motor Speedway and the NASCAR on Fox season finale from Dover on Sunday, June 1. In addition to its Sprint Cup coverage, Fox Sports presents two live Craftsman Truck Series races: Saturday, Feb. 23 from California Speedway and Saturday, March 29 from Martinsville Speedway.(Fox PR)(1-25-2008) Comment here

TNT Fuels Six Weeks of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coverage: TNT is gearing up for the network's 2008 Sprint Cup coverage, which includes telecasts of six consecutive Cup races beginning on Sunday, June 8th from Pocono Raceway. The NASCAR on TNT Summer Series will feature two marquee primetime races with the Daytona race on July 5 and racing from Chicagoland Speedway on July 12; both races take off at 8pm/et. Rounding out the network's schedule are races in Michigan (June 15), Sonoma (June 22) and Loudon (June 29). The Daytona 400 will feature the return of Wide Open Coverage, the highly lauded innovative broadcast format that provides continuous race coverage free of national commercial breaks and offers original branded content and on-screen graphic elements from sponsors. The production features 22% more unobstructed race action than that of a standard telecast. The network's 2008 race programming marks TNT's 24th year of televising Cup coverage, making it NASCAR's longest running broadcast partner. TNT's NASCAR coverage will include comprehensive pre-race coverage to provide viewers with analysis, updates, interviews and features and will include all of the TNT announcers and pit reporters who will provide analysis and commentary on the NASCAR season to date. Also, TNT will cover the drivers preparing for the race and all of the exciting moments leading up to green flag action.(Turner Sports PR)(1-24-2008)

Earlier Start Time for Races This Year? UPDATE: [Humpy] Wheeler [president of Lowe's Motor Speedway] said the start times for many Sprint Cup races this coming season will be earlier, a departure from the mid-afternoon green flags used to try and entice West Coast viewers. "I think we all yielded to pressure from the networks a little more than we should have," Wheeler said. "We paid the price for it, and we're getting back to sanity again."(NASCAR.com)
AND: Wheeler says, "It's not a fancy sport. It's guys with big hands and getting sweaty and getting out there and banging on each other and knocking each other around and all-American fans sitting there having a good time." Earlier and more consistent starting times is the first move to correct that. When NASCAR announces starting times on Tuesday, races beginning at 2:00pm or earlier will go from 15 to 18 on the 36-race schedule.(1-22-2008)(ESPN.com)(1-22-2008)
UPDATE: Broadcast times for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season have been announced, beginning with FOX’s broadcast of the non-points Budweiser Shootout at 8:30pm/et on Feb. 9 at Daytona International Speedway. The 2008 season marks the second year of an eight-year partnership between NASCAR and FOX, TNT, ABC, ESPN and SPEED. This year, in an effort to standardize the start times and better accommodate the fans, 18 races on the 2008 Sprint Cup Series schedule will have a 2:00pm/et Sunday start time, up from 15 in 2007. All Sprint Cup Series points events will be seen on FOX, TNT, ABC and ESPN. In addition, two other non-points events – the Gatorade Duel at Daytona (2:00pm/et on Feb. 14) and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (7:30pm/et on May 17 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway), will be broadcast by SPEED. FOX will broadcast the first 13 Sprint Cup events, beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 3:20pm/et) and ending with the June 1 event at Dover International Speedway at 2:00pm/et. TNT will broadcast the next six series events, beginning with the Pocono 500 at 2:00pm/et on June 8 at Pocono Raceway and ending with Chicagoland Speedway’s first night race, July 12 at 8:00pm/et. ESPN and ABC will broadcast the final 17 Sprint Cup events. ESPN will broadcast six, beginning with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at 2:00pm/et on July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ending with the Aug. 31 event at California Speedway (8:00pm/et). ABC completes the season with 11 broadcasts, beginning with race No. 26, the cutoff event for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 6 at 7:30pm/et. ABC will also air the entire Chase, encompassing the final 10 series events. The season ends with ABC’s broadcast of the Ford 400 at 3:45:00pm/et on Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(NASCAR PR), see the 2008 Sprint Cup Schedule with times page.(1-23-2008) Comment here

Sprint Cup Series Media Tour Starts Monday: More than 200 print and electronic journalists from 23 states and as far away as Germany will make their annual pilgrimage to the heart of NASCAR racing as Lowe's Motor Speedway hosts the annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour. An integral part of NASCAR's pre-season schedule, the 26th edition of this media event begins Monday morning, Jan. 21, and continues through Thursday afternoon, Jan. 24. Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Petty Enterprises, Hall of Fame Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing are among the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams scheduled to host events. Media members will also get their initial look at the new Windshear wind tunnel facility during an event co-hosted by Haas/CNC Racing. In addition, the Media Tour will also make its annual visit to the NASCAR Research and Development Center.(Lowes Motor Speedway PR), NASCAR and teams have typically used the media tour to make a variety of announcements for the upcoming season. (1-21-2008) Comment here

To 'Boogity' or not to 'Boogity': Long time readers of Darrell Waltrip's columns know that every year he likes to take an annual poll as he try to keep my finger on the pulse of fans, the media, the TV critics, and the racing community as a whole. DW would like to see where everybody is concerning one issue in particular: To "Boogity, boogity, boogity!" or not to "Boogity, boogity, boogity!" DW takes a lot of heat, and it seems like it's mostly from insiders, about using the "Boogity, boogity, boogity!" catchphrase before every race. DW has been told that the saying "is ridiculous," and that "it doesn't make him sound very intelligent." Every year he feels like he almost have to defend starting a race with those words, but he does travel a lot all over the country and talks to fans — from little guys that are five, six, seven years old, teenagers, old race fans, new race fans, senior race fans, perimeter race fans, you name it, but they always come up to me and say, "Man, I can't wait to get the NASCAR season started again and to hear those magic words..." and they are not talking about "Gentlemen, start your engines." The last three years the vote has been held and it's been 60-40 pretty much across the board, 70-30, 60-40. As long as it's above 50%, DW is going to keep doing it.(vote at FoxSports.com), it was at 15% as of Saturday evening, then the poll was removed due to technical difficulties.(1-12-2008)

Congrats - Wendy Venturini: Wendy Venturini and Jarrad Egert were married December 5 in Anguilla, British West Indies. Wendy is a pit reporter for NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED and for NASCAR Hot Pass on DirecTV. Jarrad works for Joe Gibbs Racing as the engine tuner for driver Tony Stewart in the Sprint Cup Series. After three years of courtship, the couple exchanged vows in a private beach ceremony witnessed by their parents and siblings at CuisinArt Resort and Spa in Rendezvous Bay. Mr. & Mrs. Egert hit the road for the 2008 season in February. Loyal SPEED & DirecTV fans can expect Wendy to keep her Venturini family name on both NASCAR Raceday and NASCAR Hot Pass.(12-21-2007)

Hermie Sadler joins TNA Wrestling announce team: Former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler makes his debut Thursday night, Dec. 6, as a professional wrestling broadcaster for iMPACT! (9 p.m. ET), airing on Spike TV. Sadler retired from the Nextel Cup series after the 2006 season and is now an analyst for NASCAR on SPEED and Direct TV Hot Pass. He also has been a wrestling promoter and in-ring performer for the past few years. Sadler joins Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling iMPACT! alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Tenay and color commentator Don West for a match between “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels and Senshi, which was taped at Universal Studios Florida.(TNA Wrestling PR)(12-6-2007)

Media Selects Dale Earnhardt Jr. Switching Teams As Top Story Of 2007: Dale Earnhardt Jr. announcing that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season and subsequently announcing he would be racing for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 was voted the sport's top story for 2007 by members of the media. Members of the media ranked the top highlights of the 2007 NASCAR season on NASCARMedia.com. A total of 141 votes were cast online between Nov. 26 and Dec. 4. Each highlight received 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, eight points for a third-place vote, etc. down to one point for 10th. Earnhardt's announcements garnered 64 first-place votes and finished with 1,243 points. Jimmie Johnson winning his second consecutive Nextel Cup Series championship earned 16 first-place votes and finished second with 1,028 points. The rest of the top 10:
• Gordon passing Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list;
• The close finishes at Daytona;
• The introduction of the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol
• Juan Pablo Montoya becoming the first Hispanic driver to win a race in NASCAR's top two series
• Clint Bowyer winning his first career race as the #12 seed in the Chase for the Nextel Cup
• Johnson outdueling Matt Kenseth for the win in the closing laps of the Dickies 500 at Texas
• The thrilling finish in NASCAR's first-ever national series race in Canada, and
• Ron Hornaday Jr. becoming the second driver in Craftsman Truck Series history to win three championships.(NASCAR PR)(12-6-2007)

TNT revises 'Wide Open Coverage' for Daytona in July: Turner Sports and TNT have greenlit a reprise of this past NASCAR season’s July 7 Wide Open Coverage race, a television first that featured no commercial interruptions but used branded content for 10 advertisers that appeared sporadically via a small on-screen window. Trish Frohman, executive vp of Turner Sports sales, said Sprint will definitely return for next year’s July 5 telecast, while talks are underway with the other marketers including Auto Zone, DirecTV, Ford, Goodyear, Miller Brewing Co., Principal Financial Group, Subway and Toyota. Coca-Cola has replaced Pepsi as the on-track sponsor of next year’s race, which will be known as the Coke 400. Turner is also talking with Coke about becoming TV sponsor of the race and buying branded spots in the telecast. All the branded spots, as in this year’s telecast, will be produced by Turner Sports Creative Sports Services, in partnership with the clients. Each will run between 30 seconds and two minutes apiece. The Wide Open Coverage concept was a hit with viewers because without national commercial breaks, racing fans got to see more than an hour of additional live coverage during the three-hour telecast. This year’s Pepsi 400 was not only ad-supported cable’s highest-rated program of that week among adults 18-49 and 25-54, but also the top-rated show on July 7 in those demos in all of television, including broadcast. The telecast drew 3 million adults 18-49 and 6.1 million viewers overall. Frohman said the number of advertisers will remain at 10, with the format basically remaining the same.(Mediaweek)(11-26-2007)

Dillner to Announce, Compete and Coach at Snowball Derby: In his more than 30 years involved in the sport of auto racing, Bob Dillner has done just about everything he has wanted to do. He has worked his way up through the ranks to become a noted NASCAR broadcaster on the popular SPEED channel. He has been to victory lane at tracks around the country behind the wheel of various different types of racecars. He has even taken the love of short track racing to another level by giving young drivers a chance to succeed on the track themselves in cars that Dillner owns and his BDI Racing team prepares. But never before has Dillner been able to do everything all in the same place during the same weekend. That will all change during the 40th Annual Snowball Derby Weekend, November 29th through December 2nd at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL. Dillner will be a special guest track announcer for the 300-lap Snowball Derby Super Late Model event on Sunday, December 2nd for the second straight year at Five Flags. The night before the SLM race, Dillner will be atop the pit box coaching his 15-year-old BDI Racing Development Driver Zach Stroupe in the Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model feature. Dillner's weekend will kick off though with a chance to compete on the historic Five Flags Speedway half-mile behind the wheel of the Speed51.com Bomber Stock car. Tickets and RV Parking spots for the 40th Annual Snowball Derby weekend are still available, but they are going fast. Four-day advance Reserved seats are only $70. For more information on tickets and RV passes, contact Five Flags Speedway at 850-944-8400 or order tickets online at www.snowballderby.com.(Speed51.com)(11-24-2007)

Another Episode of MTV Cribs with Dale Jr. Filmed: Six years after the first episode aired, MTV video crews were back near Mooresville, NC Thursday to tape another episode of CRIBS with Dale Jr. It's the last major media appearance for Junior as a part of the Budweiser family (even though it will air sometime early next year). This time it's an all-new ball game as MTV has the first exclusive look at Junior's Whisky River western town, the multiple karting tracks, the golf course, numerous priceless automobiles, the vintage gas station, the pool/jacuzzi/slice of tropical paradise and... oh yeah... his house.(fingerprint inc./Budweiser PR)(10-26-2007)

Rachtman taking the week off from racing: For the past few years Riki Rachtman has been all over NASCAR media. From weekly appearances on SPEED's "NASCAR Raceday" , his own radio show "Racing Rocks", and host of 24/7 Live on NASCAR.com. This weekend Riki will miss the first race of the 2007 season to stay in Hollywood to host VH1's "Rock of Love Reunion Special" This is one of the highest rated shows on the music channel. It follows Poisons Bret Michael's trying to find love among a bevy of beautiful rock chicks. Riki will be back to the track at Dover.(9-15-2007)

SPEED signs Randy Pemberton, expands Sadler's role: SPEED has added veteran NASCAR reporter Randy Pemberton to its stable of experts supporting multiple SPEED programs for the remainder of the season. Pemberton, who already has appeared on the popular Tradin’ Paint, will take an expanded role beginning in mid-August in Michigan, working on NASCAR Live!, Go or Go Home and occasional SPEED qualifying and practice sessions. In addition to adding Pemberton, SPEED also will elevate the role of NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler, who has driven the SPEED 1 demonstration car for the popular SPEED pre-race show NASCAR RaceDay. Sadler also will report for NASCAR Live! and Go or Go Home.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-26-2007)

TNT's Wide Open Coverage for the Pepsi 400 Propels Network to the Winner's Circle: TNT's debut of Wide Open Coverage for the Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race at Daytona, a unique television format that featured no national commercial interruptions, took the checkered flag by beating all programming on broadcast and cable for the night, ranking as television's #1 program in Saturday primetime among adults 18-34, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. TNT's Wide Open coverage featured only three local commercial breaks per hour and an innovative on-screen video box for sponsor branded content,. The Pepsi 400 also ranked as ad-supported cable's #1 program for the week among adults 18-49 (3,030,000) and adults 25-54 (3,457,000). It was also #2 for the week behind the TNT original The Closer among viewers (6,162,000) and households (4,242,000). For the week among all of television, TNT's Saturday night Nextel Cup coverage was a Top 10 program among adults 25-54 and men 18-49 and a Top 5 program among men 25-54. TNT concludes its Nextel Cup coverage from Chicagoland Speedway on July 15 at 2:30pm/et.(TNT PR)(7-12-2007)

Petty in-car analyst...oops: In what was billed as the first time a driver in a top-tier NASCAR race simultaneously served as a TV analyst on race coverage, TNT's #45-Kyle Petty took viewers a little too close to the action in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350. After early glitches — TNT's other announcers initially couldn't get through to Petty and when they did he said they were breaking up on him — the multitasking seemed promising. Said Petty, at the green flag, "Everybody is a passenger today." Too true. Driver #17-Matt Kenseth and Petty collided in the second lap in an accident that included driver #91-Marc Goossens. TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach speculated Petty "had no clue" Kenseth was nosing in on him. On a replay of the view out of Petty's windshield, the driver-analyst seemed to confirm that: As Kenseth came into view, viewers heard a clear exclamation of surprise that seemed to come from Petty — "What the f—-!" TNT's Bill Weber immediately apologized "for that language," and Petty, who stayed in the race and finished 39th, came back on-air to say that "was not the kind of excitement I wanted" and later apologized on-air for the accident. All 43 cars in NASCAR races are miked, TNT spokesman Jeff Pomeroy says, and the audio that pops up on-air can't always be identified: "We can assume that audio came from one of the three cars in the accident. But we can't be sure it was Kyle."(USA Today)(6-25-2007)

NASCAR gets big lift on TNT: TNT's new truck-mounted NASCAR set, making its debut Sunday at the Pocono 500, can be raised to the height of a 10-story building. It can rotate during races so analysts can swivel toward action on any part of the racetrack. During TNT's prerace coverage, it will slowly revolve.(USA Today)(6-9-2007)

TNT Fuels Six Weeks of NASCAR Coverage with New Show, New Set and New Innovative TV format: TNT announced its new programming lineup for the network's upcoming Nextel Cup Series coverage, which includes coverage of six consecutive Cup races beginning on Sunday, June 10th from Pocono Raceway. The NASCAR on TNT Summer Series will feature new race analysts, a new pre-race show that will provide extended trackside coverage prior to the start of each race, and a cutting-edge new television format called Wide Open Coverage which will make its debut Saturday, July 7th from the Daytona International Speedway. TNT's first race telecast of the season will include a tribute to the late Bill France Jr., who passed away earlier this week. The network's summer 2007 race programming marks TNT's 23rd year of televising Cup coverage, making it NASCAR's longest running broadcast partner.
TNT's new NASCAR announcing booth will include seven-year veteran TNT announcers Bill Weber (play-by-play) and Wally Dallenbach (analyst), who will be joined by current Cup Series driver, Kyle Petty. Petty, as previously announced, will serve as an analyst for all six of TNT's Cup races, calling the race in Sonoma, CA on June 24 from behind the wheel of his #45 Dodge. Veteran NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds will also join the TNT broadcast team, serving in a specialty role of analyst and reporter. From interviewing crew chiefs on pit road to conducting demonstrations on the TNT Ford Test Car, McReynolds' unique role will take him from the infield set position to various locations around the track to help bring viewers closer to the action.
The network's roster of announcers will be rounded out by veteran pit reporters Marty Snider, Matt Yocum, Ralph Sheheen and Lindsay Czarniak. On June 10th preceding the Pocono 500, TNT will debut "NASCAR on TNT Live!" Hosted by Marc Fein, the show will include all of the TNT announcers and pit reporters who will provide analysis and commentary on the NASCAR season to date. Additionally, the show will include a segment from TNT's six-part series on the roots of racing, entitled "The Pride of NASCAR." The weekly features will spotlight six racing legends and their contributions to the sport, including Richard Petty, David Pearson and Junior Johnson, among others. TNT's 90-minute pre-race coverage will also include the "Allstate Countdown to Green" show, hosted by Bill Weber, which will include the show's signature "Wally's World" segment featuring various celebrities taking a ride around the track with Wally Dallenbach. The network will utilize its new state-of-the-art mobile set for all of its pre-race coverage. Located in the track infield during all six TNT Cup telecasts, the fully-functioning rig features a retractable platform stage that can rotate a full 360-degrees and be raised seven feet off the base of the truck into the air. Once fully extended, the height of rig reaches a towering 26 feet tall.
TNT will debut its highly-anticipated new NASCAR broadcast format, Wide Open Coverage, during the primetime Nextel Cup Series race - the Pepsi 400 - on Saturday, July 7 from Daytona International Speedway. A groundbreaking new television format, Wide Open Coverage will provide continuous race coverage free of national commercial breaks and will feature animated national sponsor messages, including original branded content and distinct on-screen graphic elements. The unique sponsor graphics and vignettes will appear along the lower portion of the screen in place of traditional commercial interruptions, limiting the telecast to only three local commercial breaks per hour. In addition, the landmark production features 22% more unobstructed race action than that of a standard telecast. Autozone, Direct TV, Ford, Miller Brewing, Pepsi, Principal Financial, Sprint, Subway and Toyota are the initial sponsors for TNT's coverage of the race.(TNT PR)(6-7-2007)

Petree partners with ADI: Accelerating Developments International, LLC (ADI) announced the acquisition of the diagnostic testing division of Andy Petree Racing, Inc. (APR). APR has been at the forefront of designing, developing and servicing diagnostic equipment for the automotive and motorsports industry for the past seven years. Effective immediately, ADI will be responsible for all design upgrades, construction, sales and servicing of the APR rigs. "We're very excited about this new joint venture" said Andy Petree. "As the motorsports industry continues to evolve, it's important to be part of a team that can provide solutions with winning technology. I really enjoy being involved with the development of new technology and with this new partnership; I can stay involved to an even greater degree utilizing all the resources available at ADI". ADI is pleased to announce that Andy Petree has joined ADI as a member of the Board of Directors and will continue to be instrumental in the future development of all ADI products. Jeff Swan, a long-time technician working with Andy also joins ADI as a key member of the team. For more info visit www.acceleratingdevelopments.com.(ADI PR - hufcopromotion.com)(PR)(5-3-2007)

Hinder Remakes Rock Classic "Born To Be Wild" for TNT’s 2007 NASCAR Coverage: Turner Network Television announced that they have teamed with multi-platinum rockers Hinder to remake Steppenwolf’s classic hit single “Born to be Wild” as the network’s beat-driven anthem to promote its 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series coverage. The song will serve as the primary musical bed for all six of TNT’s races, as well as for the network’s multiplatform marketing campaign surrounding its exclusive race coverage. To accompany Hinder’s cover of the rock-and-roll classic, the network is also producing a full-length music video of the song for the band that will debut exclusively on NASCAR.COM on June 6.(TNT PR)(5-2-2007)

Sports Emmy's announced - NASCAR related garners 3 emmys: Winners of the 28th Annual Sports Emmy Awards were announced tonight by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at a special ceremony at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Prominent sports broadcasters, athletes and executives attended the star-studded ceremony.
NASCAR related programming emmy's went to:
OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SERIES: NASCAR on TNT & NBC
OUTSTANDING LIVE EVENT TURNAROUND: Beyond the Wheel, NASCAR Images / SPEED
OUTSTANDING LIVE EVENT AUDIO / SOUND: NASCAR on FOX, FOX
The Sports Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievement in sports television coverage. For over a quarter century, the National Television Academy has presented the Emmy as a reward for excellence in Sports broadcasting and as an incentive for its continued pursuit.(emmyonline.org)(5-1-2007)

NASCAR Looking to Expand TV Coverage to International Markets: NASCAR, which rose out of local race tracks in the South and Midwest to become a U.S. television juggernaut, is working on its next expansion. NASCAR is being watched in more than 150 countries and broadcast in 32 languages. Those numbers may jump further this month at the MIP international television market in Cannes, where ESPN International, which has a deal with NASCAR to distribute product outside of North America, will try to persuade more international broadcasters to export the chicken-fried motor sport to new markets. Although U.S. crowds at some races decreased by a third last year, and TV audiences were down during many of the races being telecast, global audiences seem to have made up for that loss. NASCAR now has established itself as the No. 2 racing series in the world, behind Formula One. To grow overseas, the U.S. racing organization first targeted Canada and Mexico, plus European markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom. In Asia, Japan and China were priorities, as was Brazil in South America. NASCAR now boasts more than 30 international broadcast partners.(TV Week)(4-11-2007)

Speed Channel sets lineup for coverage of Nextel All-Star Challenge: Speed will deliver a full week of special All-Star programming in support of the network's inaugural exclusive broadcast of the Nextel All-Star Challenge on May 19 at 7 p.m. ET. Coverage will culminate with 48 consecutive hours of NASCAR programming over the All-Star Weekend. Highlighted by exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Nextel Pit Crew Challenge, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, NASCAR Nextel Open and NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge, SPEED also will deliver special All-Star episodes of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, The SPEED Report, NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane. s part of a special three-hour NASCAR RaceDay All-Star Edition on May 19, SPEED will cover the inaugural Crew Chief Race from Lowe's Motor Speedway, an event featuring SPEED on-air personalities Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and Chad Knaus. In addition, SPEED is working with NASCAR Images to deliver a series of specials, All-Star Spotlight and All-Star Memories, taking a look at some of the most memorable All-Star events in NASCAR history.(Fox Sports)(4-11-2007)

Hunter Nickell Named President of Speed: Hunter Nickell has been named President of Speed, says by Bob Thompson, President of Fox National Cable Sports Networks, to whom Nickell reports. "Hunter has done a tremendous job at Speed since taking the reins less than two years ago," said Thompson. "Speed is the television destination not only for NASCAR fans, but fans of Formula One and a variety of shows for automotive enthusiasts. Speed has added well over five million subscribers since Hunter came aboard, and the channel's depth of automotive coverage is truly unparalleled." Nickell joined Speed in June 2005 as Executive Vice President & General Manager, guiding the network through milestone contract negotiations with NASCAR and Formula One, while helping Speed to record audience growth in 2006.(Speed Channel PR)(4-10-2007)

Dale Jarrett to Make Debut as ESPN NASCAR Analyst at Texas: Dale Jarrett will begin the transition to what may be the next phase of his career this weekend when he joins ESPN2 as booth analyst for live coverage of Saturday’s Busch race at Texas. Jarrett will appear on 10 of this season’s Busch telecasts while continuing to race fulltime in the Nextel Cup Series. Jarrett has indicated that 2008 will be his last year of driving and has hinted that a more expanded television presence may be in his future. “Over the last few years, TV was something that I have taken more interest in and looked more at because I want to stay involved in the sport,” he said. “This is the perfect chance that ESPN is offering me to see if it’s something that I really want to do and want to look at after 2008 to do maybe closer to full time. And to find out if it’s something I can do and if ESPN would be interested in having me.”(ESPN PR)(4-9-2007)

All Star Challenge in New York's Times Square: Speed will share its first-ever broadcast of the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge with visitors to New York's legendary Times Square on May 19 at 7 p.m. ET, as the network delivers its live and exclusive event coverage to the 1,400-square foot News Astrovision by Panasonic Screen prominently located at One Times Square.(Speed TV PR)(4-8-2007)

NASCAR Images up for some Emmy's: NASCAR Images, the internal production and creative services company of NASCAR, has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for the television program Beyond the Wheel. The 2006 Emmy Award nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences are for "Live Event Turnaround" and "Camera Work." Beyond the Wheel was also nominated in the Live Event Turnaround category in 2005.(NASCAR PR)(3-28-2007)

Cowher, other stars part of NASCAR Reality show: Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher will star in an ABC-TV reality show about NASCAR that begins filming this week and is set to air in June. Cowher will compete against John Elway, Tony Hawk, William Shatner, Laird Hamilton and his wife, Gabby Reese, Serena Williams, Jewel and others, reports WTAE-Channel 4, Pittsburgh's ABC affiliate. Participants will compete in speed, driving from zero to 100 mph, braking and pit crew skills.(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)(3-23-2007)

Fox's DW and Hammond honored with Emmy Nominations: During their legendary on-track careers, driver Darrell Waltrip and crew chief Jeff Hammond saw Victory Lane 43 times as a team. Now, as members of the NASCAR on FOX team, they still run circles around the competition. Earlier today, both men were honored with their first-ever Emmy Award nominations – Waltrip for “Outstanding Event Analyst” and Hammond for “Outstanding Studio Analyst”.
“On a race team, the driver gets all the glory, but he knows it’s really about the people behind him who are helping him and pushing him,” said Waltrip. “I am blessed to be with the greatest team in racing covering our sport.”
“I've been fortunate to be side-by-side with Darrell Waltrip when we have won races and championships together,” said Hammond. “Receiving our first nomination together is one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me!"
NASCAR on FOX, already the recipient of nine Emmy Awards for its coverage from 2001 to 2005, also received 2006 nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for “Outstanding Live Event/Audio,” and “Outstanding Technical Team Remote,” an award the series has taken home for three consecutive years. The 28th Annual Sports Emmy Awards will be presented on Monday, April 30, in New York.(Fox PR)(3-23-2007)

Vickers returns to INC: #83-Brian Vickers will continue adding his unique perspective to the driver panel of SPEED's popular weekly show Inside Nextel Cup in 2007. However, due to scheduling and other commitments, the 4th-year Cup driver for Team Red Bull will join INC host Dave Despain and the regular cast on a variable basis as the program’s “4th man,” rather than as one of the three regular weekly members of the driver panel. Vickers has been a regular participant on Inside Nextel Cup the past two seasons, offering viewers insight from one of the next generation of the sport’s talent.(Brianvickers.com)(3-23-2007)

New NASCAR Reality TV Show: Gillette is taking its “Young Guns” group of marketable NASCAR racers beyond the 30-second commercial and into reality TV. The razor maker is producing a prime-time reality show called “Fast Cars and Super Stars: Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race.” The show is slated to air on ABC in June leading up to the NBA Finals. The show will follow members of the “Young Guns,” such as Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch, as they train other celebrities, including skateboarder Tony Hawk and surfer Laird Hamilton, to become race-car drivers. The series will be made up of six 30-minute episodes and a one-hour finale. The show gives Gillette, which is a unit of Procter & Gamble, valuable branding throughout the series.(Boston Herald)(3-13-2007)

NASCAR on FOX Nextel Cup Coverage from Las Vegas: Everyone tries to leave of Vegas a winner and this weekend is no different for NASCAR's drivers. On Sunday, March 11 (4:00 PM ET) Nextel Cup's best drivers go all in for one of the circuit's most exciting and competitive races. FOX Sports' Emmy Award-winning coverage travels to Las Vegas to catch defending race winner Jimmie Johnson as he takes on current points leader Mark Martin and the rest racings' elite. Sunday's Nextel Cup coverage begins from inside FOX's renowned "Hollywood Hotel." This traveling prerace studio is hosted by Chris Myers, along with analysts Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip. Shortly after, the green flag drops with Waltrip, race announcer Mike Joy, and analyst Larry McReynolds calling the action. Some highlights: Chris Myers takes Kyle Busch to the photo finish; Mark Martin will be interviewed [wonder what they will ask him?] DW: Week Off Could Help Earnhardt & Toyota Get Back on Track.(Fox PR)(3-10-2007)

Larry Mac joins TNT UPDATE: Larry McReynolds is branching out from his role as a NASCAR analyst on Fox Sports and Speed, joining the team that will work six Nextel Cup races for TNT this summer. "We are excited about adding Larry's knowledge to our team," said Jeff Behnke, executive producer for Turner Sports said Monday. "We plan to use him in a multipurpose role." McReynolds, a former NASCAR crew chief, joined the Fox team as an analyst in the booth for the 2001 season. He continues in that role in this, the first year of NASCAR's second consolidated network contract. Fox will end its 2007 season after the Dover race in early June, with TNT taking over at Pocono on June 10 and broadcasting through the July 15 race at Chicagoland. McReynolds will work TNT's prerace show from a mobile set along with a host that is yet to be named. He will add commentary from that set during the races and also will be used to demonstrate things from a cutaway car and pursue stories in the garage as needed. Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach will be in the booth for those six races, with Kyle Petty joining them for five of those.(Thatsracin/Charlotte Observer)(3-6-2007)
UPDATE: Turner Network Television (TNT) announced a multi-year contract agreement with former NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds to serve in a unique multi-faceted analyst role for the network's coverage of Nextel Cup Series racing. Building on his 18 years of experience as a winning NASCAR crew chief, during TNT's race coverage McReynolds will provide in-depth race analysis and coverage from both the studio set position as well as roving locations around the track. From interviewing crew chiefs on pit road to conducting demonstrations on a cutaway car, McReynolds' unique role will allow him to traverse the track to help take viewers closer to the action. TNT's coverage of six consecutive 2007 Nextel Cup Series races begins on June 10 from Pocono Raceway and concludes July 15 from Chicagoland Speedway. McReynolds will serve as a race analyst alongside fellow analysts Kyle Petty and Wally Dallenbach and play-by-play announcer Bill Weber during TNT's race coverage, as well as during the network's pre-race show which will broadcast live from a new state-of-the-art mobile rig positioned in the track infield. Rounding out TNT's line-up of NASCAR announcers include pit reporters Marty Snider, Matt Yocum, Ralph Sheheen and Lindsay Czarniak.(Turner Sports PR)(3-8-2007)

FOX to Unviel new 'Hollywood Hotel' at California: Where better than California Speedway for FOX Sports to unveil its brand new, high-tech "Hollywood Hotel" traveling NASCAR prerace studio? Host Chris Myers and analysts Jeff Hammond and Darrell Waltrip move into the next generation mobile studio unit prior to FOX Sports' live coverage of the Auto Club 500, Powered by Q Motor Oil on Sunday, Feb. 25 (3:00pm/et). NASCAR on FOX's traveling prerace studio is the most technologically advanced mobile unit ever employed to cover sporting events. It captures the charged atmosphere and flexibility associated with on-location remote broadcasts, yet also includes the state-of-the-art equipment of a premier network center. The new and improved Hollywood Hotel was designed to provide maximum opportunity to accommodate guests. With plasma displays replacing the windows that adorned the back wall of the original Hollywood Hotel, the new mobile studio is no longer forced to occupy an area within the speedway's infield that offers an attractive view. This allows the new studio to set up shop each week in areas closer to the pits, garages, or drivers paddock in order to provide greater accessibility to the key individuals shaping the day's action.(FoxSports PR)(2-24-2007)

NASCAR on TV in Europe on hold UPDATE: Fears are growing that there will be no live Nextel Cup coverage for fans in Britain and the rest of Europe in 2007 as satellite TV station NASN struggles to reach an agreement with the series. NASN, whose parent company Setanta Sports has been bought by ESPN, has broadcast live or as-live coverage of every Nextel Cup race for the last three years. However their existing NASCAR contract finished at the end of 2006 and with barely a week to go before the 2007 season kicks off with the Budweiser Shootout [Feb 10th], fears are growing that fans in Europe will be blacked out. Even though ESPN have returned as a Nextel Cup broadcaster in the United States in 2007, their coverage isn't due to begin until the second half of the 2007 season with FOX and TNT covering the first 18 races, including the prized Daytona 500. Thousands and thousands of UK viewers alone have subscribed to the stand-alone NASNA platform over the past three years to watch unprecedented live coverage of the Nextel Cup action, with subscribers even getting to stay with the action as the domestic broadcaster in the U.S. goes to a commercial break.(crash.net)
from the NASN Site: Here’s the rundown on NASCAR Coverage: We are currently in negotiations with NASCAR regarding coverage for the upcoming season. As soon as there is anything to report on the situation, we will announce it here [at NASN.com].(2-3-2007)
UPDATE: LIVE NASCAR Nextel Cup returns to NASN on Sunday February 25th and will air on Setanta Sports Ireland (Sky Channel 434 in UK and 429 in ROI). Tune in at 8pm for all the exciting racing action from the Auto Club 500. Check back on nasn.com for further announcements about additional motor sport programming on NASN.(NASN.com)(2-21-2007)

SPEED teams with Dale Jr's Busch team: SPEED has teamed with JR Motorsports to develop SPEED 1, a fleet of race-ready demonstration cars to give viewers an unprecedented inside look at how cars will actually behave at each Nextel Cup Series event in 2007. The SPEED 1 fleet, including superspeedway cars, intermediate track cars and the Car of Tomorrow, will be driven by NASCAR drivers Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace, for features on SPEED's Nextel Cup Series pre-race show NASCAR RaceDay- Built by The Home Depot. The entire fleet will be on display at JR Motorsports and moved around the country by JKS Motorsports. The SPEED1 superspeedway car, complete with a Richard Childress engine, arrived in Daytona for the big race weekend, with Wallace breaking in the fleet. Broadcast Sports Technology (BST) will provide the on-board cameras and Sportvision will provide telemetry.(SPEED PR)(2-21-2007)

TNT Producer: Barry Landis, one of the FOX producers, will be the TNT producer for their six Nextel Cup races in 2007. Landis will continue to produce the races for FOX/FX also.(2-8-2007)

TNT looking at no commercial breaks in 2007? UPDATE 3 Pepsi 400..but: Sports Business Journal reports that TNT is floating a package to potential advertisers that would allow advertising during the race broadcast and eliminate commercial breaks. The advertising would take place on the screen during the broadcast and allow continuous race coverage. TNT will broadcast six Nextel Cup races next summer. The story reports that officials from Turner and NASCAR would not comment. The story also reported that TNT's Cup ratings are down 8.3% from last season.(Roanoke Times)(10-18-2006)
UPDATE: hearing that the Pepsi 400 at Daytona will be shown with no commercials by TNT [in primetime] and the coverage will be sponsored by...Pepsi, but the other five races, as of now, will be shown with commercial breaks.(1-4-2007)
UPDATE 2: TNT, for the prime-time July 7 Pepsi 400, wants to add some wrinkles. Trish Frohman, TNT executive vice president, hopes to enlist 12 advertisers — she says Pepsi, DirecTV and pain reliever 360 OTC are in — to air commercials, running up to two minutes, in about a quarter of the TV screen as race shots continue. Correction. Those "won't be commercials," says Frohman, but rather "branded content" that's "organic to the environment." Meaning, she says, that TNT's production staffers will work with advertisers to make ads — er, "content" — specifically for the race. TNT announcers, she says, will "absolutely" be "as engaged as anybody" in the effort. Which shouldn't surprise anybody. TV networks, paying millions or even billions for big-time TV rights, already seem like ad agencies for sports they cover. While Pepsi 400 coverage will still include local cable ads beyond TNT's purview, Frohman says the total time devoted to marketing messages will be less than normal NASCAR coverage.(USA Today)(1-12-2007)
UPDATE 3: TNT officials say the cable network will televise the July 7 Pepsi 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race without commercials, but that doesn't mean the telecast will be ad free. The network will put advertising on the screen while the race is happening, but it won't announce specifics until a later date, said TNT executive producer Jeff Behnke. Behnke was hesitant to talk much about it during a teleconference Wednesday to announce the hiring of veteran driver Kyle Petty as an analyst for its race coverage.(SceneDaily.com)(2-8-2007)

Petty to TNT? to run less races UPDATE 4 yep: hearing that Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Petty Racing Dodge, will be part of the TNT broadcast crew that airs six Nextel Cup races in June and July of 2007 and that Petty would not drive in some or all those six races, being replaced by another driver, no idea who that driver may be. Bill Weber will return as TNT's play-by-play announcer and Wally Dallenbach returns as a race analyst.(1-20-2007)
UPDATE: from a Clear!Blue/Dodge PR, Kyle Petty quotes during the Nextel Media Tour, day 2:
DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO QUIT DRIVING? "#All that stuff is back like it was last year. Wells Fargo has come back. We have a multi-year deal with Wells Fargo, with Marathon, with Tire Kingdom, with Coca-Cola. We had a huge promotion around the Nextel All-Star race last year with Coca-Cola. There is so much going on right now. I'm like one of those guys if you ever thought about cutting back, it just keeps getting busier with camp with Victory Junction with everything we do there. With everything that's going on at Petty Enterprises, that's good. I'm glad that's story keeps moving because last year about this same time this was a hot story."
DO YOU HAVE OPTIONS TO WORK IN TV? "I've talked to the TNT people about numerous options. I did four or five races for them last year in the Busch Series. We had talked a month or so ago and obviously with Benny's passing and with the way things have gone there hasn't been a lot of communication lately. If I have an opportunity to do some stuff with them I would more than welcome the opportunity to do something at some point in time. If that's this year, great. If it's in two years or 10 years, that's great, too. I just want to keep that option open. I could possibly do anything. There's a couple of years there I sat out 10 or 15 just because I wasn't fast enough. I can sit out any amount."(Clear!Blue/Dodge PR)(1-24-2007)
UPDATE 2: Kyle Petty said he's intrigued by the idea of becoming a broadcaster and might make the change, on a part-time basis, as early as this summer. Petty said he has talked to Turner Sports officials about a position. "They've got six or seven races right in the middle of the season; they've got NBA stuff; they've got golf stuff," Petty said. "If I wanted to go do something different and keep Kyle Petty's face in the public, what better place to do it than a place like that?" Jeff Pomeroy, senior director of public relations for Turner Sports, said there have been preliminary discussions with Petty, who has broadcast for the company in the past, but no final determination has been made.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(1-25-2007)
UPDATE 3: TNT will make a major announcement regarding its 2007 NASCAR coverage. TNT's coverage of six Nextel Cup Series races begins June 10 with racing from Pocono followed by races at Michigan, Sonoma, New Hampshire, Daytona and Chicago.(TNT PR)
AND: #45-Kyle Petty figures driving in a Nextel Cup race while he calls it on TV won't be that big a deal. So TNT will formally announce Wednesday that Petty will be an analyst on its six Cup races this summer, and call one — the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Calif. — as he races in it. "There's constant communication between drivers and their spotters and crew chiefs anyway," says Petty, 47. "Really, just pushing another button and talking to millions of people won't be a ton different. Maybe I'll have to clean up my language." Petty told TNT he didn't want to miss that race because he likes road courses. And, in planning to run all Cup races except ones he'll call for TNT, he says it's "still my #1 priority to drive cars. Or maybe I'd be begging for a seat in the (TV) booth." Kyle kept the idea of working on TV "at arm's length" and says he only appeared on some TNT Busch Series races this summer because TNT analyst Benny Parsons— whom Kyle says he's known "forever" — needed an occasional fill-in. Parsons was diagnosed with lung cancer in July and died last month after months of treatment that seemed to have been going successfully. Kyle says he's not a replacement: "I'll be really clear about this: Nobody can fill Benny's shoes. I'm not taking his place. I'm in his seat, but Benny will always be there." As an announcer, Petty says he'll avoid "guessing what drivers are thinking" and remember TV announcers "are just there for decoration." And, he says, he might want to pursue future TV work because it fits with his overall goal in life: "If I can float through and say I never had a full-time job, I'll see myself as successful."(USA Today)(2-7-2007)
UPDATE 4: Turner Network Television (TNT) announced today a multi-year contract agreement with Nextel Cup Series driver Kyle Petty to serve as an analyst for the network's Nextel Cup Series race coverage. Petty will take a five-week hiatus as driver of the #45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/Tire Kingdom Dodge car for Petty Enterprises, marking the first time a Petty will not be behind the wheel in the Nextel Cup Series for an extended period of time since his grandfather, Lee Petty, raced in NASCAR's Elite Series in 1949. Kyle Petty will join announcers Bill Weber (play-by-play) and Wally Dallenbach (analyst) for TNT's six consecutive Nextel Cup Series races in 2007, beginning on Sunday, June 10 from Pocono Raceway and concluding on July 15 from the Chicagoland Speedway. On Sunday, June 24, Petty will provide analysis from behind the wheel of his #45 Dodge throughout TNT's coverage of the Nextel Cup Series race live from Infineon Speedway in Sonoma, CA. Petty previously served as an analyst alongside Weber and Dallenbach in 2006 for five Busch Series races on TNT.
"This is great opportunity to join the TNT team. We've worked very closely with our partners Wells Fargo, Marathon and Tire Kingdom to make sure that the #45 Dodge is secure on the track while at the same time I can move into this new role," said Kyle Petty. "I started working with Turner last season and it was a great relationship from the beginning. I had a great time with Wally and Bill in the booth and it has led to this opportunity. Everyone at TNT has been great to work with, and I'm looking forward to something new in my career."
"We welcome Kyle to the Turner Sports family and look forward to continuing the long and positive relationship we have had with the Petty family during Turner's 23 years of broadcasting NASCAR racing," said David Levy, president of Turner Sports. "Kyle is a class act both on and off the track, and we are happy to be associated with him."
"Kyle is known throughout NASCAR for his outspoken personality and will bring TNT's coverage a unique 'straight from the car' perspective for our six Nextel Cup Series races this year," said Jeff Behnke, Turner Sports executive producer. "Pairing Kyle with Bill and Wally will provide fans with both an informative and entertaining booth."
Hailing from a long line of NASCAR racers, including grandfather Lee Petty and father and seven-time NASCAR Champion Richard Petty, Kyle has remained a prominent figure on the NASCAR racing scene for the past 27 years with eight track victories, 51 top-five finishes and 172 top-10 finishes. In recent years, his off-the-track activities have included serving as guest host of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and host of NASCAR Night at Turner Field for the Atlanta Braves. Petty has received numerous accolades for his charitable contributions, including the Victory Junction Gang which he founded in 1999 in honor of his late son, Adam, a NASCAR driver in his own right. Kyle was named "Most Caring Athlete" by USA Weekend in 2004 and "Person of the Year" by NASCAR Illustrated in 2000 and 1999. TNT's 2007 Summer Six-Pack of Nextel Cup Series racing: Pocono (6/10); MIS (6/17), Sonoma (6/24); NHIS (7/1); Daytona (7/7) and Chicago (7/15).(TNT PR), no driver has been named for the five races Petty will miss, have heard no rumors...yet.(2-7-2007)

Rusty back at the Indy 500: ABC will pull Rusty Wallace off his NASCAR broadcasting gig to put him back in the booth at Indy this May, he told the Journal Sentinel. The 1989 Winston Cup champion also will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July for the debut of the ABC / ESPN portion of the Nextel Cup schedule. "I've got an opportunity this year to do what I don't know that anyone's done," said Wallace, who worked the Indy Racing League telecasts last season. "It doesn't mean a lot to most people, but to me it's really important as a driver an now as a broadcaster that I can say, 'You know what? I got to call the IRL, I got call the Indy 500, I got to call the Chase for the championship, I got to call basically all of NASCAR and I got to come back and call the Indy 500 again.' "(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(2-5-2007)

First Five Drivers named to DIRECTV's Hotpass [in car]: In 2007, DIRECTV will take the NASCAR television experience to another level as it debuts the highly anticipated and exclusive NASCAR HOTPASS only on DIRECTV during the Daytona 500 on February 18 at Daytona International Speedway. DIRECTV announced the first five drivers for the debut of this new interactive television service that will enable fans to ride shotgun with their favorite drivers by literally taking them into the cars and pits of the top drivers and teams in NASCAR. NASCAR HOTPASS only on DIRECTV, will feature five channels (DIRECTV channels 794-799) completely devoted to specific drivers and their racing teams each week. The service will debut at the Daytona 500 with the following lineup of top Nextel Cup Series drivers: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.; #29-Kevin Harvick; #48-Jimmie Johnson; #20-Tony Stewart; and #55-Michael Waltrip.
To drive national awareness for this exciting and exclusive new package, DIRECTV has completed its first national advertising campaign for the service, featuring the sport’s most popular personality, Dale Earnhardt Jr. The spot is set to debut just before the Daytona 500 and is a continuation of DIRECTV’s “Fourth Wall” campaign where top actors and athletes recreate a scene from a famous movie or a noteworthy moment of sports competition. With NASCAR HOTPASS only on DIRECTV, each of the five dedicated driver channels will offer multiple camera angles, real-time car telemetry, in-car audio communication and a dedicated announcer team. The new service, combined with race day telecasts and nascar.com coverage, will give fans the most comprehensive and powerful NASCAR experience possible. DIRECTV customers can now purchase NASCAR HOTPASS only on DIRECTV. The full-season price of the package is $99, but customers can take advantage of an Early Bird offer by purchasing the package by Jan. 31, 2007 for $79. The exclusive service is also available on a pay-per-week basis for $29.99. More information is available on www.directv.com/hotpass.(businesswire.com)(1-30-2007)

Wally remembers BP at the Rolex 24 race: Wally Dallenbach's weekend at the Rolex 24 At Daytona has been an uphill battle, but he thinks the Robinson Racing car could last to the finish. If he needs inspiration, Dallenbach can look at the car and the name "Benny Parsons" that is on the side behind the driver's door. Dallenbach wanted to put a memorial to Parsons on the car. Parsons, who shared the TNT and NBC booth with Dallenbach the last six years, died Jan. 16. "The TV thing and all the other stuff is a big part of it, but the friendship that we had of going out after we left the race track and the stories, that's the stuff that meant more to us than anything," Dallenbach said. "He was just a lot of fun to be with. He'll be missed. We'll be thinking about him a lot this year." Parsons was the grand marshal of the 24-hour race last year at Daytona International Speedway. Dallenbach's team, which includes Champ Car driver Katherine Legge as well as his brother Paul Dallenbach and owner George Robinson, was 16th after eight hours. They had motor problems early in the weekend in qualifying.(SceneDaily.com)(1-28-2007)

SPEED sets Truck Series broadcast team: SPEED has announced its broadcast plans for the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series season - including the permanent addition of the popular pre-race show hosted by series insider and pit reporter Krista Voda. The pre-race show will get 'behind-the-scenes' with the drivers, crews and race teams prior to each live Truck Series race on SPEED, beginning with the 2007 season opener from Daytona Int'l Speedway on Feb. 16 at 7:30 pm/et. Long-time SPEED play-by-play announcer Rick Allen will once again lead each Craftsman Truck Series broadcast, as former NASCAR standout Phil Parsons and current Nextel Cup Series driver Michael Waltrip will provide color commentary. Every angle on pit road will also be covered as Truck Series expert Ray Dunlap and veteran Motor Racing Network (MRN) voice Adam Alexander will offer their unique insights. In the first four years it has been live on SPEED, the Craftsman Truck Series has experienced year-over-year growth in ratings.(NASCAR PR)(1-19-2007)

SPEED Adds 50-Foot 'Fan Tower' to help fans locate SPEED Change: Fans won't have any trouble locating the SPEED Stage this season, as the network has commissioned a 50-foot "Fan Tower" to ensure fans can find their way through the crowd. The rotating SPEED logo at the top of the tower will be lit in the evenings. The SPEED Fan Tower will make its debut at Daytona, directing fans from anywhere on the 480-acre property to the main SPEED Stage outside the Turn Four Tunnel. At Speedweeks, SPEED will have multiple additional stages, including one in the Fan Zone, one on top of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series garages and another on a barge in the middle of Lake Lloyd in the infield of Daytona International Speedway.(Speed PR)(1-13-2007)

Speed signs Voda to Multi-Year Deal: SPEED has signed veteran sports journalist Krista Voda to a multi-year deal that will include hosting the network's pre-race show for all of the Craftsman Truck Series races in 2007. Voda also recently signed with FOX Sports as a pit reporter for their Nextel Cup Series races in 2007. Voda began her work in NASCAR for FOX Sports and SPEED in 2002 as a reporter and host for Totally NASCAR. Over the last several years, Voda has worked on multiple programs for both networks, including SPEED's coverage of the popular Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series.(SpeedTV.com)(1-12-2007)

ESPN the Magazine allows fans to vote for next cover: Each year, ESPN The Magazine's trademark NEXT issue looks ahead and identifies those athletes whose talent and style will shape the landscape of sports in the years to come. This year, in addition to showcasing the innovations and trends that are changing the games we love, The Magazine has selected five finalists to vie for the prize of NEXT cover athlete: Dwight Howard, Calvin Johnson, Evgeni Malkin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jose Reyes. For the second year in a row, fans can log on to ESPN.com, from January 10-17, to vote on who should be NEXT. The winner of the poll will appear on the cover of The Magazine’s NEXT issue, on sale January 31. Previous NEXT cover athletes include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Yao Ming, Alex Rodriguez and Brian Urlacher.(ESPN PR)(1-12-2007)

Benny Parsons Health UPDATE 3: Benny Parsons is dealing with a complication stemming from his battle with cancer earlier this year. Parsons missed NASCAR’s postseason activities in New York after having breathing difficulty. His doctors performed a scan of Parson’s entire body and found no cancer. However, the original tumor found in his left lung was large and the radiation used to treat it was so extensive that the lung is now damaged and not functioning properly. Parsons’ right lung is healthy and strong, and doctors believe Parsons’ body will eventually adjust to having just one healthy lung. But until then, the former Winston Cup Series champion driver will need to use oxygen to assist his breathing.(Charlotte Observer)(12-15-2006)
UPDATE: The lung specialist put Benny in CMC the day after Christmas with blood clots in the right lung and behind his right knee. They have Parsons on complete bed rest and will not allow him to get up at all and Parsons will be at CMC from 5 to 7 days. The doctor has started Parsons on blood thinners to dissolve the clots, which were caused from the aggressive radiation from treating the lung cancer [is still cancer free](12-30-2006)
UPDATE 2: Benny Parsons is currently hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the Carolinas Medial Center in Charlotte, NC. Parsons, who became a popular television and radio personality after retiring from driving in 1988, entered the hospital Dec. 26 as the result of complications stemming from his battle with lung cancer. The cancer was diagnosed earlier this year and was recently reported to be in full remission. Parsons' family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from fans and the NASCAR community and they encourage everyone to keep Benny in their thoughts and prayers. Parsons is not allowed visitors at this time, but fans and associates can continue to send him messages, to email Benny, go to BennyParsons.com or goprn.com.(PRN PR)(1-5-2007)
UPDATE 3: Benny Parsons remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Carolinas Medical Center, but his condition has not changed since the weekend, his family said on Tuesday. Parsons, 65, is listed as critical, but his condition has stabilized. He continues to fight complications brought on by treatments for lung cancer. Parsons is not allowed visitors at this time, but fans and associates can continue to send him messages at bp@goprn.com.(NASCAR.com)(1-10-2007)

DW in the 'Nutcracker': Nashville Ballet's "Nutcracker," which signifies the beginning of the holiday season for many locals, opened last night in TPAC's Jackson Hall. As with any other holiday tradition, the comforting familiarity of the story and Tchaikovsky's music quickly drew the audience into "Nutcracker's" action. Clara's Christmas party, a dream that takes her on a fantastic journey with a prince, Drosselmeyer's magic, giant mice, toy soldiers and confections come to life are standard, well-loved fare that held even the youngest members of the audience rapt throughout the evening. Act II performance highlights included Christine Rennie and Eddie Mikrut as Dew Drop and Dew Drop Cavalier, Robert Gosnell as Chinese, and Eric Harris with Sadie Harris and Kimberly Ratcliffe as Marzipan. Darrell Waltrip played the humorous Mother Ginger with an engaging, understated demeanor that brought laughter from the audience, especially when he turned to reveal a racing logo on the back of his enormous skirt.(Tennessean)(12-19-2006)

DirecTV to take NASCAR fans inside the car: In 2007, NASCAR HotPass will debut on DirecTV at the Daytona 500 in February and offer fans at home the opportunity to watch a race from a driver's vantage point. Subscribers will have access to five channels dedicated to individual drivers, who will change every week. Each channel will have up to six cameras and two isolated announcers focusing solely on one driver for an entire race. Viewers will have access to in-car audio communication, real-time statistics and cameras covering every angle from inside the race car to the pit box and all around the track. HotPass is the brainchild of Fox Sports chairman David Hill. He tried the idea in 2005 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he had multiple cameras follow winning driver Tony Stewart from flag to flag. He liked the results but still felt the effort was missing perspective. So Hill tried it again at Las Vegas in March, adding two dedicated announcers to the Dale Earnhardt Jr. coverage. The announcers explained everything Earnhardt was doing, debated strategy, called pit stops and even chatted with the driver during cautions. Pleased with the effort, Hill took it to NASCAR, which awarded DirecTV a three-year contract. But with NASCAR's TV ratings declining, Hill knows HotPass is a risky venture. DirecTV must persuade fans to pay $99 for a season pass with no guarantees on which drivers will be featured. DirecTV isn't the only medium offering new access next season. Sirius Satellite Radio plans to offer 10 driver channels that will combine the overall race broadcast with driver-to-pit crew chatter in 2007. Dick Glover, vice president of broadcasting and new media for NASCAR, said the DirecTV and Sirius deals show how committed the sport is to providing new and exciting ways for fans to enjoy it.(ESPN.com/AP)(12-6-2006)

Headbanger Rachtman to get head shaved on NASCAR Raceday: In February, at the Daytona 500, TV and Radio personality, Riki Rachtman, was on stage at the Chevy fanfest in front of thousands of fans. As a fan of Nextel Cup driver #31-Jeff Burton, Riki told the audience that when the driver of the # 31 Cingular Wireless Chevy won a race he would shave his head bald. After a winless streak of 5 years, Jeff Burton scored a victory at Dover. That was Sept 24th. Live on “NASCAR Raceday” (Speed TV) host and NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace challenged Riki to come to the Phoenix NASCAR race and have his head shaved live on the show. “NASCAR Raceday” is the definitive pre-race program that gets fans pumped and ready for the adrenaline rush of each race. After taunts from the other hosts Jimmy Spencer and John Roberts, Riki reluctantly agreed. "You gotta respect a man of his word," said Chris Long, Speed VP of Production. "NASCAR Raceday” is the ultimate fan show and we love that Riki is going to honor his promise to Jeff Burton on our show and in front of the NASCAR fans."
“I have always been a fan of the program “NASCAR Raceday,” said Riki Rachtman. “At first I thought, how cool. I get to be a guest on the show. Then when it sunk in why I was going to be on the show, I got a little nervous.” Riki also claims he dug up some dirt on Kenny Wallace and he will reveal it on the program.
Who is Riki Rachtman ? The answer depends on who you ask. Many remember Riki as the host of the highly rated MTV show, “Headbangers Ball” [a huge Jayski Fave]. Today he is a regular on the music channel, VH1. Yes, many people still know Riki from the world of rock n’ roll. Riki has a passion for NASCAR as much as he has for music. In the spring of 2003, “Racing Rocks! with Riki Rachtman,” debuted. In October of 2006 United Stations EVP/Programming Andy Denemark, made the announcement from the network’s New York City Headquarters that “Racing Rocks with Riki Rachtman” had secured its 100th affiliate. “Racing Rocks with Riki Rachtman” is a two-hour weekly long-form program that provides rock fans coast-to-coast with news, exclusive insights, interviews and dedicated coverage from the world of NASCAR, primarily the Nextel Cup racing series. The show is driven by the star power of its host and NASCAR’S massive fan base.(PR)(11-10-2006)

SPEED reporter suspended; apologizes for remarks: SPEED officials have confirmed that reporter Ray Dunlap has been suspended one race for inappropriate on-air remarks. Dunlap has been a pit reporter for Craftsman Truck Series races at the network since 2004. Dunlap will not appear on during Saturday's broadcast of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. The remarks were made during a taping of the network's show "Trading Paint." It was reported that Dunlap made disparaging remarks toward Hispanics when he and Cup driver Michael Waltrip were talking about minority interest in the sport during the show, which was taped. "As a guest on 'Trading Paint,' you try to be edgy, controversial and entertaining," Dunlap said in an e-mail statement. "In a failed attempt at humor, I obviously crossed the line between funny and insensitive. For that, I am deeply sorry. "I am a huge supporter of NASCAR's diversity initiative and am very proud to work in today's more progressive garage area. I look forward to seeing the fans at the race in Atlanta." SPEED did not comment on the nature or content of Dunlap's remarks in an e-mail statement from SPEED spokesman Erik Arneson. "Ray Dunlap has been suspended for one race (Martinsville) for making comments on-air that the company found inappropriate," the statement read.(SceneDaily.com)(10-20-2006)

Good News for Benny: Benny Parsons, who has battled lung cancer this summer, got some great news Wednesday. Doctors say they are confident that recent chest scans show no sign of a tumor. Benny will undergo a follow-up scan in the coming months, however recent chemotherapy and radiation treatments apprently have eradicated the malignant mass.(PRN's Garage Pass radio show)(10-12-2006)
UPDATE: Lowe's named legendary race car driver and NBC broadcaster Benny Parsons the honorary millionth member of the Team Lowe's Racing Fan Club on Friday. With almost a million members, the fan club is one of the largest, if not the largest racing fan club in the world. "Benny symbolizes what is good about the sport of NASCAR and why we think our customers have joined the fan club and made it one of the biggest racing fans clubs around," said Bob Gfeller, senior vice-president at Lowe's. "It's a natural fit to select someone who has given so much to NASCAR as our honorary millionth member." Lowe's Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson and Rick Hendrick joined Parsons at the Team Lowe's Racing Fan Experience on Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway where Johnson presented Parsons with a framed cover of a special issue of Track Record - the quarterly fan club magazine. Lowe's also made a $10,000 donation in Parsons' name to the Blumenthal Cancer Center which serves western North Carolina as well as the southeastern United States. The Blumenthal Center has played a key role in helping Parsons in his fight with lung cancer. Parson's Oncologist Steven A. Limentani attended Friday's ceremony and accepted the check on behalf of the Blumenthal Cancer Center. "This is an honor for me," said the 65-year-old Parsons who owns 21 Nextel Cup victories over his 21-year career. "It's hard to believe a fan club in NASCAR could generate a million members and to be the honorary millionth member is gratifying. I certainly appreciate the support racers like Jimmie, fans, and sponsors have shown me over my career and especially in the last few months. Lowe's donation is certainly appreciated and I hope it will do a lot of good for people fighting cancer."
Parsons said Limentani gave him "the best news ever" this week. "Three months ago my family doctor called me into his office and told me I had lung cancer. So Rick Hendrick told me if I was going to fight cancer you have to get Steve Limentani. He helped Rick through his leukemia ten years ago. So we did. The last three months we have been battling the disease. Then Wednesday I had a scan and he called me Wednesday afternoon with the best news.....the cancer is gone...see ya." To watch a portion of Parsons announcement go to video.google.com.(GMR Marketing/Team Lowe's PR)(10-14-2006)

NASCAR RaceDay continues growth: Scoring an average Nielsen Household Rating of 1.08 (727,000 Households) last weekend at Michigan, NASCAR RaceDay continues to demonstrate tremendous growth as the definitive NASCAR pre-race show. The Michigan show peaked at 1.34 (899,000 HH) and year-to-date, NASCAR RaceDay is up 25 percent over last year's pre-race show on SPEED, with much of the growth coming in younger demographics. Fourteen of the year's 24 episodes of NASCAR RaceDay have enjoyed double-digit ratings growth, including five of the last seven. Ratings among Men 18-34 are up 43 percent from a year ago.(Speed Channel)(8-25-2006)

Wally to stay with TNT; Wally's World this week: TNT announced that it has agreed to a multi-year contract agreement with TNT/NBC NASCAR analyst Wally Dallenbach to continue his role exclusively with TNT beginning in 2007 for the network’s Nextel Cup coverage. Dallenbach, a TNT analyst since 2001, will join play-by-play announcer Bill Weber in the booth as TNT kicks off its new seven-year NASCAR package next June with six consecutive Nextel Cup Series races, a first in Turner’s 24 years of NASCAR coverage, including marquee races at Daytona, California (Sonoma) and Chicago. In addition to his role as an analyst, Dallenbach has established a popular pre-race show segment titled Wally’s World, where he has described how to drive the different tracks and has driven celebrities such as Will Ferrell, Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Lisa Marie Presley and Ben Affleck around the racetrack and exposed them to the excitement and intensity of NASCAR. In 2007 Dallenbach will also provide exclusive content to NASCAR.com, operated by Turner Sports New Media. “I’m looking forward to continuing my role as an analyst for TNT. As the sport of NASCAR continues to grow, it is wonderful to be a part of a team that is committed to bringing viewers the best coverage in the business," said Dallenbach.
Wally's Word: During the Countdown to Green pre-race show, TNT analyst Wally Dallenbach is scheduled to take Omari Hardwick, co-star of TNT's SAVED, for a spin around the track in the latest edition of Wally's World [no idea what happened last week with the Chef](TNT PR's)(8-23-2006)

NC County asks NCDOT to name section of highway after Parsons: Wilkes County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution yesterday asking the N.C. Department of Transportation to name a 5-mile section of U.S. 421 in honor of racing legend Benny Parsons. Parsons is building a home in the Wilkes County community of Parsonville, where he grew up. He plans to live in the county and open a vineyard. Work on this request has been going on for several months, and the timing wasn't linked to Parsons' announcement last week that he is being treated for lung cancer. The 5-mile section would take in a stretch of highway between the Maple Springs community and the Watauga County line. Wilkes is putting the request on a fast track by faxing the resolution to the state in hopes that the N.C. Board of Transportation can consider it during Thursday's meeting. A section of U.S. 421 in eastern Wilkes was named in honor of racer and team-owner Junior Johnson in May 2004. If the latest request is approved, drivers would travel on the Junior Johnson Highway on one end of Wilkes County and the Benny Parsons Highway on the other.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-4-2006)

Parsons comments on cancer treatment and Indy: Benny Parsons told listeners of PRN’s “Fast Talk” radio show Monday night that after almost a week of treatments for lung cancer he’s still feeling alright and will be in Indianapolis this weekend for NBC’s coverage of the Brickyard 400. Parsons, who has received over two-thousand emails from fans around the world wishing him well, said it’s been overwhelming and thanked everyone for their prayers and support. Among the emails are those from cancer survivors including a word of encouragement from seven time Tour De France champion Lance Armstrong who told Benny to keep fighting and that his foundation would help if needed. Parsons said; “They want me to be assured that they won, I can win. Everyone that I talked to in this disease...they all says attitude has so much to do with it. If you feel like you can, you’ve got a better shot than if you don’t feel like you can. The doctors told me that we feel like we can win so I’m trying.” Apparently Benny Parsons speaking out about his condition is having an influence on others. Reportedly when one race fan heard Benny had lung cancer he threw away his cigarettes.(PRN's Fast Talk with Benny Parsons)(8-1-2006)

Bill Weber Staying with TNT: With NASCAR's current TV deals expiring this season, networks with new deals kicking in next year are putting together on-air lineups. A piece of those puzzles settled early: TNT, airing six midseason NASCAR Nextel Cup races next year, will announce Monday that Bill Weber will be the host and call play-by-play on its races. Weber said he "talked briefly" to ABC/ESPN, which next year inherits NASCAR late-season coverage from the current joint venture of NBC and TNT that Weber currently hosts. But Weber says he always figured he'd stick with TNT. Turner Sports executive producer Jeff Behnke says Weber won't be allowed to appear on any other network's NASCAR coverage, given "he'll be the face of our coverage." But Behnke says its possible next year TNT will use announcers who also appear on ABC/ESPN or Fox, which next year will continue to cover early-season NASCAR races. ABC/ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys suggested Sunday that the Disney network probably will require exclusive use of its NASCAR announcers given that, in picking up all NASCAR Busch Series races and adding a daily show on car racing, ABC/ESPN will have "a year-round commitment to covering racing." (USA Today)(7-31-2006)

More on the Split-screen for TV: Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's managing director for corporate communications, touched off strong reaction on internet message board with a quote in the Long Island (N.Y.) Press about NASCAR’s opinion of the "side by side" approach ABC/ESPN uses with commercials on Indy Racing League races. "We've looked at a lot of options to enhance the fan/viewer experience but feel that a split-screen presentation of ads and racing serves neither the fan nor advertiser," Poston told the newspaper. On Friday [July 21st], Poston said he didn't mean for his comment to come off as though he was speaking for the fans. "We are open to it, if there is a better way of presenting it," he said. “But we haven't seen an idea that we think would work both the advertisers and fans." On its IRL broadcasts, ABC/ESPN present commercials with audio on part of the screen while showing an image from the track, with no sound, on another part. The method has produced no appreciable gain in IRL ratings for ABC/ESPN, however. Advertisers pay considerably higher rates for ads on NASCAR telecasts.(Thatsracin)(7-28-2006)

1973 NASCAR Champion Benny Parsons Battling Lung Cancer: Benny Parsons is all about winning. He's the 1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion; a Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 winner; and, in recent years, has emerged as one of NASCAR's leading television and radio commentators.Now, Parsons is calling upon that winning attitude as he battles lung cancer. Parsons, 65, had experienced difficulty breathing and, after consulting with physicians, was informed by his family doctor, Dr. Scott Moss of Charlotte, that he has the disease. His treatment regimen starts immediately. "Needless to say this was a huge shock," said Parsons. "I've got a great deal of faith in all of my physicians, including Dr. Steven Limenpani, who treated NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick during his battle with leukemia. I'm determined to pull through this and I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers during this time. The first thing everyone asks me is, 'are you a smoker?' The answer is that I smoked my last cigarette way back in 1978 and since then I've hated being around smoking. I don't even allow anyone in my foursome to smoke on the golf course."
Parsons is an analyst on NBC and TNT's coverage of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing and hosts "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" on the Performance Racing Network. He plans to continue his duties with NBC/TNT and PRN throughout his treatment. "Everyone I work with has been gracious and accommodating," said Parsons. "I plan to keep on talking about racing for as long as I can." Friends and fans wishing to send words of encouragement to Parsons can do so by e-mailing him at bp@goprn.com or on a special message board at NASCAR.com.(Turner Sports/NBC Sports PR)(7-26-2006)
NASCAR Statement - CEO Brian France: "NASCAR is saddened to learn about Benny Parsons' battle with cancer. As one who has seen this battle fought head-on in my own family, I am confident that with the support of his family and the entire NASCAR community, Benny will show all of us, once again, why he is a true champion. On behalf of the France family, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Benny."(NASCAR)(7-27-2006)

No Split-screen option? No says NASCAR: Fans hoping that NASCAR’s move to ABC/ESPN next year would improve their viewing experience may be in for a rude awakening. Although the networks employ a “Side-By-Side” split-screen feature for its Indy Racing League coverage that allows viewers to continue watching the action while commercials play, NASCAR has forbidden ABC/ESPN or any of its other TV partners from marketing that kind of advertising. “We’ve looked at a lot of options to enhance the fan/viewer experience but feel that a split-screen presentation of ads and racing serves neither the fan nor advertiser,” says Ramsey Poston, NASCAR’s managing director of corporate communications. “Our TV partners do an excellent job of immediately returning to significant track action when it happens during commercials. With replays and other technology, the networks make sure NASCAR fans get the best, most comprehensive race coverage anywhere.” But according to George McNeilly, senior director of communications for ESPN/ABC Sports, the networks would be interested in exploring the split-screen option. “We are engaging focus groups and other research in an effort to quantify the positive feedback we’ve received from people who’ve enjoyed the viewing experience,” McNeilly says. “[Allowing the split screen] would be a NASCAR decision. We’re in discussions about that and many other things.”(Long Island Press)(7-20-2006)

The Speed Report replaces Speed News: SPEED will replace SPEED News on Sunday evenings with a new show, The SPEED Report, beginning Aug. 6 at 8:00pm/et. In addition to the weekly 60-minute show, The SPEED Report will be the network umbrella covering everything from motor sports and automotive press conferences to a daily news ticker, updating viewers on the day's events. For the debut show on Aug. 6, SPEED will have reporters on-site at The Brickyard 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race, the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park, the Formula One race in Hungary and the AMA Superbike race at Mid-Ohio. Drew Johnson and newcomer Nicole Manske will anchor The SPEED Report desk, with veteran Ralph Sheheen reporting on-site from race venues. A state-of-the-art set is under construction at SPEED headquarters in Charlotte, NC.(Speed Channel PR)(7-20-2006)

Speed signs Roberts, Dillner and Venturini; Jenkins out: Chris Long, SPEED VP of Studio Production, today announced SPEED has signed popular NASCAR RaceDay host John Roberts through 2009. In related moves, SPEED re-signed veteran motor sports reporters Bob Dillner and Wendy Venturini to two-year deals.(Speed Channel PR), also hearing the veteran broadcaster, Bob Jenkins was not retained by Speed Channel and is looking for a new job.(6-23-2006)

FOX Producer back to ESPN? UPDATE: hearing that Neil Goldberg is leaving as FOX Producer and going back to ESPN. Pocono is supposedly his last race.
UPDATE: been told that Goldberg going back to ESPN isn't a done deal nor does he have a contract already signed with ESPN. Apparently, Goldberg and FOX are taking the next three weeks to look at all options.(6-9-2006)

Fox Sports Signs DW to extension: FOX Sports and Darrell Waltrip have agreed upon a multi-year contract extension that expands the top-rated NASCAR network's relationship with the sport's premier analyst into the new television rights contract that commences with the 2007 season. The announcement was made today by FOX Sports Chairman David Hill and FOX Sports President Ed Goren. "I love FOX Sports," said Waltrip. "I love being part of a big sports family. David Hill and Ed Goren have embraced me. I have said it before, it's like being part of a championship race team. They have surrounded me with the best of the best - Jeff, Larry, Mike, Steve and all the others. Plus, FOX also has the best folks that work behind the scenes. I love my job and now I get to do it for a long, long time!" Prior to joining FOX Sports in 2001, legendary stock car driver Darrell Waltrip compiled 84 wins and three Cup series championships in an outstanding NASCAR career. He was voted the Most Popular Driver twice (1989-90) and was the proud recipient of the prestigious Bill France Award of Excellence in 2000, honoring his lifetime of achievements. In 2003, Waltrip was elected into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame, an honor followed by an induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2004, Waltrip's autobiography, DW: A lifetime Going Around in Circles, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list. FOX Sports drops the green flag on its 2006 NASCAR on FOX season this Sunday, Feb. 26 (3:30pm/et) in Fontana, CA, with a live presentation of the Auto Club 500. Over 60 cameras and 100 microphones will be strategically placed in and around California Speedway as NASCAR on FOX presents the first of 14 Nextel Cup races in high definition and Dolby 5.1 audio. In 12 years of existence, FOX Sports has earned 63 Emmy Awards, including six in five years of NASCAR coverage, more than any other network during the same stretch of time. David Hill and Ed Goren are the Executive Producers of FOX Sports. Bill Brown is Senior Producer. Scott Ackerson is the Coordinating Producer of the NASCAR on FOX Prerace show.(FoxSports PR)(2-23-2006)

NASCAR TV deal near? UPDATE 4 OFFICIAL: NASCAR could announce as early as this week a TV rights deal that would see Fox broadcast the first half of the Nextel Cup season and TNT and ESPN/ABC sharing the back half starting in 2007, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. The sanctioning body could get as much as $550 million a year from TV rights, a 38% increase over the estimated $400 million a year it gets under the current arrangement with Fox, NBC and TNT. The story says industry insiders say the ABC/ESPN commitment alone is expected to be about $270 million a year. TNT and ESPN are expected to air six races each, reporter Scott Warfield writes, and ABC will air the final 11 races, including all 10 events [and Indy] in the Chase For The Nextel Cup.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter), so that would be 36 total races: ESPN gets 6, TNT gets 6, ABC gets 11, so Fox/FX would get 13 [plus Bud Shootout and Nextel Challenge].(11-29-2005)
UPDATE: look for an announcement Thursday, Dec 1st in NYC.(12-1-2005)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR CEO Brian France said Thursday that NASCAR was on the "final lap" of its TV deal, in which ESPN is expected to replace NBC for 2007 and beyond. An announcement is expected before the end of the year.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(12-2-2005)

UPDATE 3: Big Apple buzz included the TV partnerships for 2007. Apparently, NASCAR has signed an eight-year deal across the board that will include FOX Sports, TNT and a reunion with ESPN/ABC. FOX will get the rights to the first half of the season, including the Daytona 500. TNT, a NASCAR partner for more than two decades, inherits the next part of the schedule, and ESPN/ABC picks up the final portion of the season, including the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. ESPN2 will cover the entire Busch Series schedule, providing much-needed continuity. The return of ESPN promises fans a wide range of programming that was limited to Speed Channel under the current deal. We probably won't know for a while which announcers and analysts will end up where. For example, the NBC regulars can't discuss future opportunities until their contracts expire. Expect Rusty Wallace, who has lent his experience to TNT in the past, to find a role somewhere.(Sporting News)(12-6-2005)

UPDATE 4 - OFFICIAL Announcement: NASCAR announced the completion of comprehensive broadcast agreements that will benefit the industry and its fans for years to come. Under the new eight year agreements NASCAR races will be broadcast on a combination of networks that includes FOX, SPEED, Turner’s TNT and ABC/ESPN beginning in 2007. “NASCAR’s new network agreements mark a historic moment for the entire NASCAR community,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “This is a major accomplishment for the NASCAR drivers, teams and track operators that have made this sport what it is today. It represents a significant reward for the competitive side-by-side racing our fans have come to expect. It also validates the marketing and production enhancements our current media partners have brought to the sport. The new broadcast partnership is also good for the fans because they will have so much more NASCAR content from a variety of media and new media sources."
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“NASCAR is proud to continue its relationship with FOX, SPEED and TNT, while welcoming back ABC/ESPN into the family of broadcasters,” said NASCAR Vice President Dick Glover. “By signing deals with three of the largest and best media companies in the world, NASCAR will meet the growing nationwide fan demand for more NASCAR content into the next decade,” Glover said.

NASCAR expands its relationship with News Corp as FOX becomes the official home of the Daytona 500. FOX’s broadcast agreements for the NFL Playoffs, the Super Bowl, the Bowl Championship Series and American Idol provide an excellent opportunity for cross promotion around the Daytona 500 held each year in mid-February. The deal also includes a brand-new comprehensive multi-media distribution program which includes Internet, wireless and broadband platforms. “FOX is extremely excited to extend its relationship with NASCAR for another eight years, and come 2007 be known as the official television home of the Daytona 500, by far the most watched auto race in this country,” said FOX Sports President Ed Goren. “Our production team has done an amazing job over the last five years to put NASCAR broadcasts on par with America's most popular sports, and we look forward to pushing the production envelope further as we move forward.”

SPEED will increase NASCAR programming as the continuing exclusive home for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as the new home for the Gatorade Duels, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series All-Star Challenge.

NASCAR looks forward to continued great exposure and coverage of the sport from TNT, which will be entering its 22nd year with NASCAR, the longest continuous relationship of any media company with the sport. TNT will broadcast six consecutive races in the middle of the season including the July 4th weekend extravaganza, the Pepsi 400 from Daytona.

ABC and ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage of NASCAR on their numerous outlets. The final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN with the last 10, the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, on ABC. All NASCAR Busch Series races will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN 2. In addition, ESPN will bring NASCAR coverage to its full suite of media including its cable TV networks, ESPN360, Mobile ESPN, ESPN.com and affiliated international networks throughout the world. “This agreement totally embraces NASCAR’s multimedia future,” said George Bodenheimer, ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports president and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks. “NASCAR is a strong and growing property, and the ESPN of the 21st century – an array of new media platforms and content outlets reaching fans wherever and however they consume sports – will take the sport to even higher levels of exposure and growth. ABC Sports first exposed sports fans to the racing excitement of NASCAR in the 1960s, and ESPN and the sport grew up together in the 1980s and ‘90s. Our tradition is rich, and our future is bright. To NASCAR, its drivers and fans we say, ‘Welcome back.”
“NASCAR thanks NBC for its stellar coverage and commitment to the sport for the past five years and looks forward to another great year in 2006,” Glover concluded.

About the agreements:

Beginning in 2007, each NASCAR season will be launched on FOX with the telecast of the Daytona 500. FOX will also carry NASCAR “Speedweeks” events including the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona Pole Qualifying. FOX will also broadcast the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races following the Daytona 500.

TNT will broadcast six consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races (races 14 through 19).

The final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points races will be broadcast on ABC or ESPN. The final 10 races, the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, will be broadcast on ABC. The NASCAR Busch Series will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN 2, with no less than four events on ABC.

SPEED will be home to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the exception of two events, which will be broadcast by FOX.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying practice and “happy hours” will be broadcast on a combination of SPEED Channel, ESPN and ESPN2.

SPEED will broadcast the Gatorade Duels held each year during “Speedweeks” to determine part of the Daytona 500 starting order.

SPEED will also broadcast the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series All-Star Challenge and its companion all-star event, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge.
ESPN will launch specially NASCAR-branded news and information programming.

All broadcast partners will have new interactive rights, special “season preview” and “season end review” programming rights and other ancillary content. NASCAR fans will be able to receive NASCAR coverage from an expanded range of outlets including highlights and live streaming, content from and on each network’s Web pages, datacasts and newly-developed multimedia programming.(NASCAR PR)(12-7-2005)

AND see a column at ESPN.com: NASCAR agrees to 8-year deal with ESPN, ABC and from Speed Chanel: SPEED's Hunter Nickell Explains NASCAR Television Package

MSN Money/AP: Wall Street Pans NASCAR TV Deal.(12-8-2005)

So why no 5-second time delay on race coverage? Some wondered why the "five-second rule", implemented after Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s slip last fall [at Talladega after winning], is not still in force [on Sunday at New Hampshire when #7-Robby Gordon said the 'S' word. That was not explained, although cable-vs.-network may have something to do with it. NASCAR vp/communications Jim Hunter said NASCAR had no plans to call for such a policy. "We're going to tell our athletes not to use bad language when talking on television, that's all," he said.(Speed Channel)
NOTE: last October, NBC announced plans to use the 5 second rule for the rest of the season, and supposedly beyond, no idea if that was carried over to TNT, which is on cable. Fox never implemented the rule and when asked a few months ago, said they wanted to keep it live. MRN Radio and PRN Radio both have a 7-second delay. Also, since I get questions all the time on this when a driver says damn, hell or a*s, those words are not considered 'bad' by the FCC and are said daily on network TV during the day and primetime and have been for years.(9-19-2005)

So what is up with Ned Jarrett? Ned Jarrett's "World of Racing" is a two-and-a-half-minute daily commentary, airing Monday through Friday, 52 weeks. Hosted by two-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett, this program is the longest running daily syndicated racing radio program in the United States, airing continuously since 1978. MRN Radio bulk feeds Ned Jarrett's "World of Racing" each Thursday at 9:00 AM (ET) and again at 4:15 PM (ET) for replay in the upcoming week. There is a 10:00 AM local time playback window. Local availabilities are in adjacency slots.(MRN Site)

Fox races go High-Def: NASCAR on FOX hits the gas on its fifth season in grand style with razor sharp 720p high-definition pictures accompanied by crystal clear Dolby 5.1 audio. FOX's Emmy Award-winning coverage begins during SpeedWeeks at Daytona, returning to the airwaves on Saturday, Feb. 12 (8:00pm/et), with a prime time presentation of the Bud Shootout, live from Daytona International Speedway. Coverage continues from Daytona with the 2005 season's inaugural NASCAR Busch Series event on Saturday, Feb. 19 (2:00pm/et), and culminates with live, flag-to-flag coverage of the 47th running of "The Great American Race" — the Daytona 500 — on Sunday, February 20 (12:00pm/et). "We're thrilled to present the entire NASCAR on FOX 2005 season in 720p High Definition clarity and Dolby 5.1 audio," said FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. "Our HD broadcasts will ensure that fans at home are treated to the visceral experience that NASCAR action provides to those present at the speedway, which is precisely what we at FOX Sports aim to deliver as broadcasters." NASCAR racing legend Darrell Waltrip and former champion crew chief Larry McReynolds return to provide race analysis for all NASCAR on FOX Nextel Cup and Busch Series events, and Mike Joy returns as race announcer. Prerace coverage is again hosted by Chris Myers with analyst Jeff Hammond, and returning to cover pit road for FOX are reporters Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Jeanne Zelasko. In its fifth season as the home of NASCAR, FOX Sports airs 15 NASCAR Nextel Cup races. Last season, the average per-race audience for FOX's "regular season" NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule (Rockingham through Sears Point) was 9.03 million viewers, identical to the figures posted in 2003. NASCAR Nextel Cup racing has retained its status as the second highest-rated sport televised nationally, trailing only the National Football League. NASCAR on FOX' 2004 regular-season average rating of 5.6/14, topped the regular season average of the NBA on ABC by 133% (vs. 2./4/16), the biggest margin ever between those two sports. FOX's 5.6/14 for regular season Nextel Cup racing was also +22% better than ABC's 4.6/10 for the NBA playoffs. NASCAR on FOX is clearly the dominant player in the portion of the year formerly controlled by the NBA.(FoxSports.com)(12-3-2004)

NBC to use a 5-second delay: NBC Sports will institute a five-second delay in NASCAR coverage beginning Sunday from Kansas Speedway during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Banquet 400. "We're disappointed for our viewers to have to do this, but the delay provides a level of protection against anything inappropriate going out over the air," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. "We thought we could rely upon the precedent of NASCAR's disciplinary action taken earlier this year when two Busch Series drivers uttered profanities during radio interviews."
"Our initial hope would have been to broadcast on delay only during pre- and post-race coverage, but by using the delay during competition, our pit reporters won't be limited in interviewing drivers, crew chiefs and team owners as compelling stories inevitably unfold under the pressure and intensity of the moment."
"For more than a half century, most major American sporting events have aired live. While broadcasting on delay is extremely unfortunate, we've come to the conclusion that taking this step provides the additional safeguard needed in today's climate."
The radio communication between teams and drivers during actual racing has always been heard on delay during NASCAR telecasts on NBC. Coverage on NBC of Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods begins at 1:30pm/et with the "Discover Card Countdown to Green" pre-race show, followed by green flag racing at 2:00pm/et.(NBC PR)(10-7-2004)

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