We are nearing in on the final few telecasts of SPEED Channel. The Twitter handles have moved to one, the Facebook pages are on their way out, and very soon the reborn version of the country's first all motorsports network will come to an end in favor of the nation's biggest draw: ball sports.
Many pessimists view SPEED channel's demise as the failure of attracting enough audience to watch a 24 hour motorsport channel. I however, view this as a guide of what NOT to do when given a niche channel.
Let's take a popular network that closed up this year. G4. Last times I was watching G4 it seemed as if all they ever broadcasted was re runs of Cops. Sometimes there would be news about video games, but normally, just Cops and Cheaters re runs. Not exactly what I want to watch. Now let's look at SPEED. A channel for gearheads and motorsport fans. What did we get? Re runs of car based shows, terrible reality shows, and motorsports only on the weekends.
Sure there were re runs of Monster Jam and plenty of Lucas Oil based programming. But why was SPEED Center (which unfortunately has been cancelled beginning August 17th) not a daily show? Why was Race Hub the only daily show? If ESPN can ramble on about the same nonsense every single day on SportsCenter, who's to say SPEED couldn't have incorporated some elements of Wind Tunnel, Race Hub, SPEED Center, their failed NASCAR Nation, and SportsCenter to create a morning or afternoon news show?
SPEED had some great shows and it had some bad ones. Some of the good, Stacy David's Gearz, Hot Rod TV, Pass Time, and TruckU. The bad shows on the other hand, were much more obvious. R U Faster Than A RedNeck was and is an abomination to motorsport fans trying to not come across as hicks, Hard Parts: South Bronx had no general plotline at all, Wrecked: Life in the Crash Lane was cool for a few episodes but quickly lost appeal, Dumbest Stuff on Wheels was the absolute worst idea ever conceived, and few remember the awful Texas Hardtails. These terrible reality shows are exactly where Fox went wrong when creating programming for SPEED. It all began to go downhill quickly in 2005 with Texas Hardtails. SPEED should have stuck to programming about cars and re airing of classic races.
With all that said, all of us motorsports fans will still bid a somber goodbye as the channel created for us, whether we enjoyed it or not, airs for the final time on August 16th.
I feel like I've rambled on about this in my blog forever. But even with the aforementioned ramblings, there is some positive news looking our way. NBC Sports has been quick to get their hands on any motorsport contract up for grabs. They outbid Fox for Formula 1, they apparently took TORC and USAC races away from Fox, they want ARCA badly, and now they're in the hunt to grab up a NASCAR contract. So, NBC Sports alone will soon own the rights to Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, ARCA, Stadium Super Trucks, Motocross, Pirelli World Challenge, and the list will grow. If all Fox cares about is ball sports, NBC will be our saving grace providing us with premium coverage of every motorsport they find.
Now, will NBC rebrand Universal Sports or create a new all motorsports channel? That is unlikely seeing SPEED's fate. But, the ultimate hope for me at least is that we see the V8 Supercars and United Sports Car Racing on NBC Sports in the near future. It has already been made clear that most SPEED employee's, one big one being Bob Varsha, are riding out their contracts at Fox to soon join NBC Sports. Where Varsha will land is unknown at this point seeing as Leigh Diffey is doing a great job with IndyCar and Formula 1 coverage.
The only problem we face as of now is the endurance races. Fox is making it very clear that they plan on ignoring most of us motorsport fans when it comes to these. It is highly doubtful that we will see the full 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans be broadcasted. Even less likely is that there will be quality announcers on tap as they all leave for NBC. We could end up seeing a short highlight package be played late at night and headed by Darrell Waltrip for Daytona and Le Mans. They are stuck with the contract and must fulfill it. But I do guarantee you that once that contract is up, NBC Sports and their new NBC Sports Extra will be flooded to heavily for their coverage of the endurance races.
But what about the big dog, ESPN? I've talked a lot about Fox and praised NBC, but what about the network all the 'casual fans' and ball sport fans watch? They seem like they'll be transitioning to Fox Sports 1 come August for what they think will be 'better programming' when they'll get NASCAR and Danica shoved down their throats. ESPN has failed to recognize motorsport as a legitimate athletic sport since losing NASCAR, CART, Formula 1, and pretty much all of their original motorsport coverage many years ago. But it appears as if they want out of NASCAR. They don't treat NASCAR Now like it is a legitimate program, airing it at 1:30 in the morning. But their coverage is still some of the absolute best. They have good camera crews at their hand, a very appealing graphics package, and some of the best commentators in the business. Yet, they might either cut back on NASCAR, or cease broadcasting it at all. Yes, it is much more economical if ESPN covers the companion races and in the fall to have something to show instead of 7 hours of football pre, during, and post game, while they have but one NFL game...on Monday, but ESPN having motorsports at all is exactly what motorsports needs to gain traction and fans in the US. Fans flock to every NBA, NFL, and MLB game. Yet the average motorsport event fails to sell out. Albeit, most tracks are built to accommodate way more than they ever will, but ratings still take a hit.
ESPN gains publicity. If Danica changes her shoes, and ESPN has the right to cover it, it'll be the headline on SportsCenter. And even then, the SportsCenter anchors will always treat NASCAR and other motorsport like it is nothing more than fools turning left.
To wrap this post up, even with SPEED's future, there is still hope. As long as ESPN keeps NASCAR and NBC remains hungry for motorsport, SPEED won't be as massive of a loss as once projected.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Same Song, New Verse: IndyCar's Not Helping Itself
The majority of this post are based solely on rumors. But if these rumors prove to be true, it could be the beginning of the end for IndyCar.
The racing so far in 2013 for the IndyCar Series has been the same, if not better than the great action we saw in 2012. With May only a day away, it is looking like we could have some bumping on bump day if the rumors that Buddy and Jacques Lazier, Pippa Mann, Buddy Rice, Townsend Bell, Jay Howard and according to Robin Miller, John Andretti will be entering the 500. Finally, some IRL vets in Buddy and Jacques, and one darn good oval driver Buddy Rice will be back at the greatest race course in the world. Not only that, but you have Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves going for their 4th Indianapolis 500. Add on the fan favorites of Tony Kanaan, Takuma Sato, Simona de Silvestro, the always dominant oval drivers of Ed Carpenter and Marco Andretti, the defending IndyCar champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and the one off's of AJ Allmendinger, Conor Daly, Ryan Briscoe, and Michel Jourdain Jr, and you have a recipe for success. You also can't count out guys like Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, Alex Tagliani, and James Hinchcliffe to be up front battling it out. It is slowly seeming like the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be even better than last year's. And last year's was pretty incredible.
But with so much optimism going into the month of May, why would I headline this post the way I did? Simple answer. The swirling rumors around 16th and Georgetown. I have been reading more and more news about something I thought I'd never read. Apparently, after seeking consulting advice, we could see for the first time ever, a second race at Indianapolis. No, not another NASCAR event. Not another sports car event, none of that. A second IndyCar race. On the road course. If that doesn't have you already disgusted, or if it get's you excited, you are not alone either way. Fans all over hearing of this are divided. But the overwhelming response is no. Whether you would like it, odds are, tradition trumps all. I never understood the dislike of Indianapolis' road course. I always thought it was one of the better rovals in existence. Perhaps that's just bias talking, but that's a whole different can of worms. But, even with this, it simply should not happen. Some say tradition was killed once stock cars tested at Indianapolis. Others say it was gone once the split occurred. I say, it's still around. And we shouldn't kill what's left of it. I don't care how many series race at Indianapolis. The more the merrier I say. But where I draw the line personally is when IndyCar stages a second race at IMS. There should only be one race a year for the IndyCars at the greatest racecourse in the world. One more would just further detract from the track's history and sentimental value. Less people would flock to the 500, and even lesser would attend the second race. Now, no one knows how the DW12's will drive on the road course. Personally, I hope to never find out. But if IndyCar is serious about this, how about they try and revive the Indy Lights instead of letting it sit on life support with an ever dwindling car count.
The Indy Lights, or Indy Pro Series as it was called when they last ran the Liberty Challenge, put on one of the greatest shows I had seen on the road course. I attended the first event in 2005. It was held after Formula 1 qualifying for the US Grand Prix. I had also attended the first ever United States Grand Prix at the track in 2000 and the racing in the Liberty Challenge actually one-upped that of the Formula 1 cars. How is that even possible? Well, magically, it was. There is no video of it that I can find on the Internet, but I do remember the Lights cars drafting down the front stretch, then dive-bombing turn 1, and racing side by side through the first 3 turns, then repeating down Hulman Boulevard. It was awesome. Now tell me, why they discontinued the race? Then come up with this? I don't have that answer right now.
Now, on to something else the folks at IMS have done. They have gotten Indiana government approval of a new tax that will allow them to make facility improvements. Alright. There's one lesser known tradition down the drain. But, I digress. A few months ago, it was said that this was done to improve the grounds, add in newer big screens around the track, and improve seating. Alright. All good and fine. Oh by the way, they wanna add in lights too. Yes. Very soon, the long anticipated, debated, pondered, and disliked idea of Indianapolis Motor Speedway adding lighting fixtures around the track could be a reality. Now, there are a few pros and cons to this. The pros are simple. Make the Brickyard a night race. It is just too darn hot in July in central Indiana to have this race run during the day anymore. I know for a fact that the heat is one thing that keeps fans away from attending the Brickyard and resulting in the grandstands looking like an absolute joke. It has always bothered me that no one gets out to see the Brickyard. Since 2010, the racing hasn't been as bad as people say it is. You just can't watch it on TV to see the great racing that occurs in nearly every turn. But a night time Brickyard 400 could boost attendance. At least for the first two years or so. I mean, who wouldn't want to say they were a part of history and attended the first ever race at night at Indianapolis? Only the purists who boycotted the first 400 in 1994. The second pro is the possibility for a 12 or 24 hour endurance race at the grounds. Alright, there were mixed feelings on the first Brickyard Grand Prix. Personally, being in attendance and waiting out the rain, I enjoyed it a great deal. And the racing was really good. If the Indianapolis Road Course is included on the 2014 United Sports Car Racing schedule, I will cheer. And if those lights get put in and it becomes an endurance race, all the better. Many will argue with me on this fact, but just get out there and see it for yourself. The racing is always better in person.
Now here are the cons. First off, there is the possibility of the Indianapolis 500 being finished under the lights. Personally, I would rather those lights not be used on Memorial Day weekend (with the exception of the Freedom 100. I'm OK with that being under the lights) and I would rather they just reschedule it to Monday, seeing as it's a holiday, and many people will return as they have the day off anyway. I mean, if there are lights, it's inevitable that that will happen. But for now, just don't let it. Another con is the high possibility that IndyCar could use these lights to make the 500 a night race and compete head to head with the Coke 600. Seems incredibly far fetched and almost stupid, right? That's what I thought about them racing IndyCars on the road course, until I found out it is an actual rumor. Perhaps they will actually believe that they can drag people away from the Coke 600 by airing the 500 at the same time as NASCAR's race. On paper, yes, it should work if it is promoted well enough. But realistically, more people will just tune off both. I'm not saying it will happen, and it probably never will. But you never know sometimes. We didn't think the IRL would win.
Happy May.
The racing so far in 2013 for the IndyCar Series has been the same, if not better than the great action we saw in 2012. With May only a day away, it is looking like we could have some bumping on bump day if the rumors that Buddy and Jacques Lazier, Pippa Mann, Buddy Rice, Townsend Bell, Jay Howard and according to Robin Miller, John Andretti will be entering the 500. Finally, some IRL vets in Buddy and Jacques, and one darn good oval driver Buddy Rice will be back at the greatest race course in the world. Not only that, but you have Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves going for their 4th Indianapolis 500. Add on the fan favorites of Tony Kanaan, Takuma Sato, Simona de Silvestro, the always dominant oval drivers of Ed Carpenter and Marco Andretti, the defending IndyCar champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and the one off's of AJ Allmendinger, Conor Daly, Ryan Briscoe, and Michel Jourdain Jr, and you have a recipe for success. You also can't count out guys like Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, Alex Tagliani, and James Hinchcliffe to be up front battling it out. It is slowly seeming like the 97th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be even better than last year's. And last year's was pretty incredible.
But with so much optimism going into the month of May, why would I headline this post the way I did? Simple answer. The swirling rumors around 16th and Georgetown. I have been reading more and more news about something I thought I'd never read. Apparently, after seeking consulting advice, we could see for the first time ever, a second race at Indianapolis. No, not another NASCAR event. Not another sports car event, none of that. A second IndyCar race. On the road course. If that doesn't have you already disgusted, or if it get's you excited, you are not alone either way. Fans all over hearing of this are divided. But the overwhelming response is no. Whether you would like it, odds are, tradition trumps all. I never understood the dislike of Indianapolis' road course. I always thought it was one of the better rovals in existence. Perhaps that's just bias talking, but that's a whole different can of worms. But, even with this, it simply should not happen. Some say tradition was killed once stock cars tested at Indianapolis. Others say it was gone once the split occurred. I say, it's still around. And we shouldn't kill what's left of it. I don't care how many series race at Indianapolis. The more the merrier I say. But where I draw the line personally is when IndyCar stages a second race at IMS. There should only be one race a year for the IndyCars at the greatest racecourse in the world. One more would just further detract from the track's history and sentimental value. Less people would flock to the 500, and even lesser would attend the second race. Now, no one knows how the DW12's will drive on the road course. Personally, I hope to never find out. But if IndyCar is serious about this, how about they try and revive the Indy Lights instead of letting it sit on life support with an ever dwindling car count.
The Indy Lights, or Indy Pro Series as it was called when they last ran the Liberty Challenge, put on one of the greatest shows I had seen on the road course. I attended the first event in 2005. It was held after Formula 1 qualifying for the US Grand Prix. I had also attended the first ever United States Grand Prix at the track in 2000 and the racing in the Liberty Challenge actually one-upped that of the Formula 1 cars. How is that even possible? Well, magically, it was. There is no video of it that I can find on the Internet, but I do remember the Lights cars drafting down the front stretch, then dive-bombing turn 1, and racing side by side through the first 3 turns, then repeating down Hulman Boulevard. It was awesome. Now tell me, why they discontinued the race? Then come up with this? I don't have that answer right now.
Now, on to something else the folks at IMS have done. They have gotten Indiana government approval of a new tax that will allow them to make facility improvements. Alright. There's one lesser known tradition down the drain. But, I digress. A few months ago, it was said that this was done to improve the grounds, add in newer big screens around the track, and improve seating. Alright. All good and fine. Oh by the way, they wanna add in lights too. Yes. Very soon, the long anticipated, debated, pondered, and disliked idea of Indianapolis Motor Speedway adding lighting fixtures around the track could be a reality. Now, there are a few pros and cons to this. The pros are simple. Make the Brickyard a night race. It is just too darn hot in July in central Indiana to have this race run during the day anymore. I know for a fact that the heat is one thing that keeps fans away from attending the Brickyard and resulting in the grandstands looking like an absolute joke. It has always bothered me that no one gets out to see the Brickyard. Since 2010, the racing hasn't been as bad as people say it is. You just can't watch it on TV to see the great racing that occurs in nearly every turn. But a night time Brickyard 400 could boost attendance. At least for the first two years or so. I mean, who wouldn't want to say they were a part of history and attended the first ever race at night at Indianapolis? Only the purists who boycotted the first 400 in 1994. The second pro is the possibility for a 12 or 24 hour endurance race at the grounds. Alright, there were mixed feelings on the first Brickyard Grand Prix. Personally, being in attendance and waiting out the rain, I enjoyed it a great deal. And the racing was really good. If the Indianapolis Road Course is included on the 2014 United Sports Car Racing schedule, I will cheer. And if those lights get put in and it becomes an endurance race, all the better. Many will argue with me on this fact, but just get out there and see it for yourself. The racing is always better in person.
Now here are the cons. First off, there is the possibility of the Indianapolis 500 being finished under the lights. Personally, I would rather those lights not be used on Memorial Day weekend (with the exception of the Freedom 100. I'm OK with that being under the lights) and I would rather they just reschedule it to Monday, seeing as it's a holiday, and many people will return as they have the day off anyway. I mean, if there are lights, it's inevitable that that will happen. But for now, just don't let it. Another con is the high possibility that IndyCar could use these lights to make the 500 a night race and compete head to head with the Coke 600. Seems incredibly far fetched and almost stupid, right? That's what I thought about them racing IndyCars on the road course, until I found out it is an actual rumor. Perhaps they will actually believe that they can drag people away from the Coke 600 by airing the 500 at the same time as NASCAR's race. On paper, yes, it should work if it is promoted well enough. But realistically, more people will just tune off both. I'm not saying it will happen, and it probably never will. But you never know sometimes. We didn't think the IRL would win.
Happy May.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Back After a While with a Weekend Update
Well, I'm finally back. Posting about the latest news in the world of motorsports after a weekend of some crazy racing. I've got stuff from the world of NASCAR, IndyCar, and V8 Supercars. Have yet to view the Formula 1 race. But I have it on my DVR waiting to be watched.
Let's jump right in and get dirty, shall we? NASCAR sure knows how to stir up some good drama. Saturday's NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway showed us all that nothing has changed in NASCAR. Another great race with many invisibris cautions. Seems like that's become the norm for NASCAR as of late. Everyone has their own opinions on the subject matter. Whether they exist or don't exist, whether they are the doing of Brian France, or some other sort of conspiracy. No matter your take on the legitimacy of the final caution, it certainly changed the outcome of the race. Personally, from what I watched, I can't say that Kyle Busch would have caught up to Truex in time. Truex's car was on rails. But, Mark Martin hit the wall, and whether your view is that he did not leave debris on the race track, NASCAR will normally call a caution for a car bouncing off the wall. It just so happened to set up a late race restart. You can't fault NASCAR for that. But that's not the only problem NASCAR encountered. What was up with the two Penske cars there? An illegal rear end housing? Alright, fair deal. That happens. Both cars got to race and finished fairly well in the end. So why is Brad Kez so upset? History tells the tale, any team that shows dominance, essentially gets investigated by NASCAR. You finish too well, you win too much, they're gonna make sure you're not trying to get an edge. Which they should do. However, Brad feels like his team was mistreated. Which doesn't surprise me one bit. There's a lot of speculation as toward why Brad felt the need to say what he said to the media Saturday night, but I'm going to go ahead and add some more. I would be one to believe personally that that the inspectors of NASCAR were giving his team a very difficult time and perhaps even harassing them. As farfetched as it sounds, it's the only explanation I can come up with based upon what Brad said. If that is the case, how professional is that? No one deserves that kind of treatment. And if Brad is pissed enough to speak out about it, it must be at least one scenario.
Now, before I open up more cans of worms, I'm going to just let that settle and move on to the news about IndyCar.
Lots has happened in the world of IndyCar since I last wrote. And there is so much to talk about. But with all the negativity I displayed after the firing of Randy Bernard, honestly, I am completely eating my words. I think Will Power said it best himself last week during an interview on the NBC Sports Network's pre race show. "Anyone of these guys could win". The competition is so high that most of the drivers you would expect to be up there competing for wins are struggling. Look at Bourdais and Franchitti for example. Both are just in a slump. I'm sure it's too early to judge the two, but how crazy is it to think that a person like Sebastien Bourdais, a 4 time consecutive ChampCar champion and former Formula 1 driver, is stuck with Dragon Racing. I'm not saying Dragon is a bad team, but you can just see the level of competition when not even Bourdais can sign with a big team. More big news, AJ Allmendinger. With a very impressive outing at Barber after 6 years of NASCAR, it gives IndyCar the breath of fresh air it needed - if it even needed it at all. With The Captain putting him in at Long Beach, a track he's familiar with, I think he'll be right up there racing for the win. And, if he does that, he could secure sponsorship to go to Sao Paulo. Which would be ideal for him. Personally, the more time he has before Indianapolis, the better. He'll have plenty of time to adjust to the car in the month of May, but the more time he has in the DW12 chassis, the better it will be for him.
More IndyCar positive news, it appears that the tire test at Pocono was a massive success. And what better way to give us oval fans some hope than to know that the drivers can drive it full throttle. The racing at Indy and Fontana was stellar. If we see that kind of action over at Pocono, we could see places like Michigan, Kentucky, and maybe even Chicagoland back on the schedule. Here's the catch, that's only if ticket sales are good. If the on track product can be guaranteed good, more people will come out and watch. That's a known fact. And I think it will be.
Now moving on to a medium not many people over here in the States have access to. That's the V8 Supercars. I've been trying to stay up and watch these races as much as I can. The hype of the Car of the Future, Mercedes and Nissan joining Ford and Holden, the series coming over here to COTA, it seemed like it was a good time to get acquainted with the series. Not only that, but the races are streamed live on V8supercars.com.au. The more and more I watch, the more impressed I am with the on track product. However, from watching the races the series posted on their YouTube page, it appears this 60/60 race setup is kinda iffy for me. And reading fan reaction on Facebook, it seems I'm not the only one. Two sprint races in one night, I have actually missed a race because I thought they were over. Never again will I do that. My other gripe, if even you can call it that, is that the two new manufacturers are struggling. It is still Ford and Holden dominating while Nissan and Mercedes just kinda straggle behind. It's not as bad as the Lotus' were in IndyCar, but it leaves something to be desired. But, I give them a pass because the racing is good, and that's all that matters. I'm sure once I become better acquainted with the series, I will be able to give better analyses of the races. But after Adelaide, Tasmania, and Pukekohe, I must say, I'll be tuning in more, and referring them to many people.
Well, that's all for this one. Hope to update this more.
Let's jump right in and get dirty, shall we? NASCAR sure knows how to stir up some good drama. Saturday's NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway showed us all that nothing has changed in NASCAR. Another great race with many invisibris cautions. Seems like that's become the norm for NASCAR as of late. Everyone has their own opinions on the subject matter. Whether they exist or don't exist, whether they are the doing of Brian France, or some other sort of conspiracy. No matter your take on the legitimacy of the final caution, it certainly changed the outcome of the race. Personally, from what I watched, I can't say that Kyle Busch would have caught up to Truex in time. Truex's car was on rails. But, Mark Martin hit the wall, and whether your view is that he did not leave debris on the race track, NASCAR will normally call a caution for a car bouncing off the wall. It just so happened to set up a late race restart. You can't fault NASCAR for that. But that's not the only problem NASCAR encountered. What was up with the two Penske cars there? An illegal rear end housing? Alright, fair deal. That happens. Both cars got to race and finished fairly well in the end. So why is Brad Kez so upset? History tells the tale, any team that shows dominance, essentially gets investigated by NASCAR. You finish too well, you win too much, they're gonna make sure you're not trying to get an edge. Which they should do. However, Brad feels like his team was mistreated. Which doesn't surprise me one bit. There's a lot of speculation as toward why Brad felt the need to say what he said to the media Saturday night, but I'm going to go ahead and add some more. I would be one to believe personally that that the inspectors of NASCAR were giving his team a very difficult time and perhaps even harassing them. As farfetched as it sounds, it's the only explanation I can come up with based upon what Brad said. If that is the case, how professional is that? No one deserves that kind of treatment. And if Brad is pissed enough to speak out about it, it must be at least one scenario.
Now, before I open up more cans of worms, I'm going to just let that settle and move on to the news about IndyCar.
Lots has happened in the world of IndyCar since I last wrote. And there is so much to talk about. But with all the negativity I displayed after the firing of Randy Bernard, honestly, I am completely eating my words. I think Will Power said it best himself last week during an interview on the NBC Sports Network's pre race show. "Anyone of these guys could win". The competition is so high that most of the drivers you would expect to be up there competing for wins are struggling. Look at Bourdais and Franchitti for example. Both are just in a slump. I'm sure it's too early to judge the two, but how crazy is it to think that a person like Sebastien Bourdais, a 4 time consecutive ChampCar champion and former Formula 1 driver, is stuck with Dragon Racing. I'm not saying Dragon is a bad team, but you can just see the level of competition when not even Bourdais can sign with a big team. More big news, AJ Allmendinger. With a very impressive outing at Barber after 6 years of NASCAR, it gives IndyCar the breath of fresh air it needed - if it even needed it at all. With The Captain putting him in at Long Beach, a track he's familiar with, I think he'll be right up there racing for the win. And, if he does that, he could secure sponsorship to go to Sao Paulo. Which would be ideal for him. Personally, the more time he has before Indianapolis, the better. He'll have plenty of time to adjust to the car in the month of May, but the more time he has in the DW12 chassis, the better it will be for him.
More IndyCar positive news, it appears that the tire test at Pocono was a massive success. And what better way to give us oval fans some hope than to know that the drivers can drive it full throttle. The racing at Indy and Fontana was stellar. If we see that kind of action over at Pocono, we could see places like Michigan, Kentucky, and maybe even Chicagoland back on the schedule. Here's the catch, that's only if ticket sales are good. If the on track product can be guaranteed good, more people will come out and watch. That's a known fact. And I think it will be.
Now moving on to a medium not many people over here in the States have access to. That's the V8 Supercars. I've been trying to stay up and watch these races as much as I can. The hype of the Car of the Future, Mercedes and Nissan joining Ford and Holden, the series coming over here to COTA, it seemed like it was a good time to get acquainted with the series. Not only that, but the races are streamed live on V8supercars.com.au. The more and more I watch, the more impressed I am with the on track product. However, from watching the races the series posted on their YouTube page, it appears this 60/60 race setup is kinda iffy for me. And reading fan reaction on Facebook, it seems I'm not the only one. Two sprint races in one night, I have actually missed a race because I thought they were over. Never again will I do that. My other gripe, if even you can call it that, is that the two new manufacturers are struggling. It is still Ford and Holden dominating while Nissan and Mercedes just kinda straggle behind. It's not as bad as the Lotus' were in IndyCar, but it leaves something to be desired. But, I give them a pass because the racing is good, and that's all that matters. I'm sure once I become better acquainted with the series, I will be able to give better analyses of the races. But after Adelaide, Tasmania, and Pukekohe, I must say, I'll be tuning in more, and referring them to many people.
Well, that's all for this one. Hope to update this more.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
NASCAR: Trucks at Eldora? My thoughts
I know I said I'd write something about Randy Bernard. I have a big story in my head that I will soon put on paper. Erm, type on a screen.
For now, there is some massive news in the world of NASCAR. Multiple sources are saying that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be making a stop at The Big 'E', Eldora Speedway in 2013. According to RacingReference.info from a source of a NASCAR.com article written by Mark Aumann on June 7th of this year, the last time any NASCAR series raced on dirt was circa 1970. Now, let that sink in. Times have changed since the 60's and 70's. The cars have changed, technology has changed, and driver talent has changed. These trucks have never touched a dirt track in their 17 year history. Not many truck regulars, except for a few brought up racing at their local dirt tracks, would have a fighting chance at Eldora. Now, that being said, this would be a massive plus for any up and coming dirt racer who is lucky enough to sign on for a one race deal to get discovered. In that case, this would be their race, granted they can drive the truck. There would defiantly need to be new tires. Goodyear would need to do some serious R&D to figure out what they should do with the tire. Not only that, but the front splitter on the truck would need to either be gone or redesigned for this one race. Seems sorta like a huge investment to buy a whole new truck for just one race. Especially the really small start up teams. They could skip the race, but it would be incredibly embarrassing to see less than 36 trucks show up. That brings me to the other topic. There is some potential for NASCAR to mimic IndyCar's resurrection of heat races. That could be a very good idea that would really throw in some variety.
The big thing however, is the fact that reports state: "The track, owned by Cup driver #14-Tony Stewart, does not have energy-absorbing SAFER barriers installed and no permanent medical facility on property. Sources said NASCAR is expected to waive its policy adapted beginning in 2005 that SAFER barriers be installed at all oval tracks hosting its three national series. Why NASCAR is willing to make an exception in this case is unclear."(Jayski.com)
We all would rather see a good clean race than a driver be injured. Sacrificing safety in the name in entertainment is the last thing that motorsports in America needs at this time. In the wake of the late Dan Wheldon, many people alleged (and still to this day, if you can believe it) that his death was caused by sacrificing safety for the sake of entertainment. A desperate ploy for IndyCar to regain it's name and increase excitement throughout the series. While I disagree with some of that, many people would probably be first to jump on that bandwagon and say that NASCAR would be sacrificing safety for entertainment. Without SAFER Barriers and a medical center on location, Eldora is not a suitable track for NASCAR. There have been some terrifying accidents at dirt tracks in the past. Stock Trucks share the same probability as a dirt late model does of suffering a tremendous accident on dirt. Either Tony Stewart would have to pony up the money to install SAFER barriers on his track, and build a medical center, or this possible decision by NASCAR will be thrown under fire. We shall see what happens.
For now, there is some massive news in the world of NASCAR. Multiple sources are saying that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be making a stop at The Big 'E', Eldora Speedway in 2013. According to RacingReference.info from a source of a NASCAR.com article written by Mark Aumann on June 7th of this year, the last time any NASCAR series raced on dirt was circa 1970. Now, let that sink in. Times have changed since the 60's and 70's. The cars have changed, technology has changed, and driver talent has changed. These trucks have never touched a dirt track in their 17 year history. Not many truck regulars, except for a few brought up racing at their local dirt tracks, would have a fighting chance at Eldora. Now, that being said, this would be a massive plus for any up and coming dirt racer who is lucky enough to sign on for a one race deal to get discovered. In that case, this would be their race, granted they can drive the truck. There would defiantly need to be new tires. Goodyear would need to do some serious R&D to figure out what they should do with the tire. Not only that, but the front splitter on the truck would need to either be gone or redesigned for this one race. Seems sorta like a huge investment to buy a whole new truck for just one race. Especially the really small start up teams. They could skip the race, but it would be incredibly embarrassing to see less than 36 trucks show up. That brings me to the other topic. There is some potential for NASCAR to mimic IndyCar's resurrection of heat races. That could be a very good idea that would really throw in some variety.
The big thing however, is the fact that reports state: "The track, owned by Cup driver #14-Tony Stewart, does not have energy-absorbing SAFER barriers installed and no permanent medical facility on property. Sources said NASCAR is expected to waive its policy adapted beginning in 2005 that SAFER barriers be installed at all oval tracks hosting its three national series. Why NASCAR is willing to make an exception in this case is unclear."(Jayski.com)
We all would rather see a good clean race than a driver be injured. Sacrificing safety in the name in entertainment is the last thing that motorsports in America needs at this time. In the wake of the late Dan Wheldon, many people alleged (and still to this day, if you can believe it) that his death was caused by sacrificing safety for the sake of entertainment. A desperate ploy for IndyCar to regain it's name and increase excitement throughout the series. While I disagree with some of that, many people would probably be first to jump on that bandwagon and say that NASCAR would be sacrificing safety for entertainment. Without SAFER Barriers and a medical center on location, Eldora is not a suitable track for NASCAR. There have been some terrifying accidents at dirt tracks in the past. Stock Trucks share the same probability as a dirt late model does of suffering a tremendous accident on dirt. Either Tony Stewart would have to pony up the money to install SAFER barriers on his track, and build a medical center, or this possible decision by NASCAR will be thrown under fire. We shall see what happens.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
NASCAR: Phoenix Post-Race Reactions
I will have more articles about my thoughts on Randy Bernard and the US GP at CoTA in the coming days. But right now, I must make a post race reaction post.
Whatever it was that we just watched, was...well, crazy. Was it good? Oh heavens no. Was it bad? Well, no. It was just insane.
I'll start with the big headlines. Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, going head to head in one heck of a title fight. NASCAR has some great fights going on this year. All the nay sayers to the Chase might have a point, but if these points battles don't excite you, well, today's race had to have.
However, I for one found this race exciting for all the wrong reasons. First of all, Jimmie was driving it far too hard all day. He had good reason to however. When you are looking at a point here and a point there to expand your lead, I would probably race pretty hard as well. But when you make a mistake doing so, well, hindsight is 20/20. Brad however, kept his cool and drove a clean race.
But that's not what I'm upset about. What I'm upset about, was NASCAR's calling. As a fan, I expect every call to be in the best interest of the fairness and safety of the drivers. Clearly, what was displayed in those last 30 laps was not that. Jeff Gordon first off going after Clint Bowyer. I can tell you how easily that whole mess and embarrassment could have been avoided. When I can see debris coming off the #24 on TV, you need to call a caution. But for whatever reason, NASCAR decides to keep in green. What happens there? Jeff Gordon pays back Clint Bowyer for (allegedly) 5 wrong doings. I could spend hours debating who is in the right there - but that is not the point of this article. The fact is, there could have been an entirely different turn out had NASCAR called a caution. Jeff Gordon had damage to his car which caused him to throw debris all over the track, and NASCAR doing nothing allowed Jeff to retaliate against Bowyer. Granted, lord knows if he would have done it under caution or not. So, I suppose that might have been the best in hindsight. But still, unacceptable.
Now on to what has all the fans fired up on Twitter. Jeff Burton turns Danica Patrick out of a possible top 15 finish, which impressed many fans from what I've seen on Twitter. Regardless of who's fault that was, it was clear there was oil on the track. Turn 4 and the frontstreach were in NO WAY safe for racing. And what we saw on the final lap was similar to a call Brian Barnhart would make.
I can say that I am disgusted as a fan, and would most likely be disgusted as a driver or car owner. But since I am a fan, I will say that in retrospect, it was rather exciting. But not the way it should have been exciting.
Whatever it was that we just watched, was...well, crazy. Was it good? Oh heavens no. Was it bad? Well, no. It was just insane.
I'll start with the big headlines. Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, going head to head in one heck of a title fight. NASCAR has some great fights going on this year. All the nay sayers to the Chase might have a point, but if these points battles don't excite you, well, today's race had to have.
However, I for one found this race exciting for all the wrong reasons. First of all, Jimmie was driving it far too hard all day. He had good reason to however. When you are looking at a point here and a point there to expand your lead, I would probably race pretty hard as well. But when you make a mistake doing so, well, hindsight is 20/20. Brad however, kept his cool and drove a clean race.
But that's not what I'm upset about. What I'm upset about, was NASCAR's calling. As a fan, I expect every call to be in the best interest of the fairness and safety of the drivers. Clearly, what was displayed in those last 30 laps was not that. Jeff Gordon first off going after Clint Bowyer. I can tell you how easily that whole mess and embarrassment could have been avoided. When I can see debris coming off the #24 on TV, you need to call a caution. But for whatever reason, NASCAR decides to keep in green. What happens there? Jeff Gordon pays back Clint Bowyer for (allegedly) 5 wrong doings. I could spend hours debating who is in the right there - but that is not the point of this article. The fact is, there could have been an entirely different turn out had NASCAR called a caution. Jeff Gordon had damage to his car which caused him to throw debris all over the track, and NASCAR doing nothing allowed Jeff to retaliate against Bowyer. Granted, lord knows if he would have done it under caution or not. So, I suppose that might have been the best in hindsight. But still, unacceptable.
Now on to what has all the fans fired up on Twitter. Jeff Burton turns Danica Patrick out of a possible top 15 finish, which impressed many fans from what I've seen on Twitter. Regardless of who's fault that was, it was clear there was oil on the track. Turn 4 and the frontstreach were in NO WAY safe for racing. And what we saw on the final lap was similar to a call Brian Barnhart would make.
I can say that I am disgusted as a fan, and would most likely be disgusted as a driver or car owner. But since I am a fan, I will say that in retrospect, it was rather exciting. But not the way it should have been exciting.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
RIP Motorsports on TV
If the title caught your eye, do not worry. It's not all gone. But, looks like FOX will be killing off SPEED to make way for something unbelievably unnecessary. In the last 10 years, interest in racing has dwindled and it appears now that more people care about what Tim Tebow had for breakfast this morning than what got Kurt Busch in trouble this time. ESPN has stepped up it's coverage recently, but I still struggle to find mention of any motorsports on SportsCenter. NBC Sports Network has done a fantastic job with it's IndyCar coverage, and NASCAR and Formula 1 and all motorsports fans have SPEED. I might be just 17 years old, but my fondest memories as a kid come from watching SPEED. SPEED used to be the home of NASCAR. Many people disliked the network after the FOX buy out, but you can't deny that getting guaranteed NASCAR Cup, Nationwide, and Truck practice and qualifying, along with Formula 1 practice and qualifying, plus Grand-Am races, V8 Supercars, and a ton of other fantastic motorsports is pretty good. Heck, I'll even watch Monster Jam and AMA races. But with this recent bit of news here, looks like all that might be gone in the next few years.
FOX is planning to rebrand SPEED as FOX Sports 1 in the coming years. Why? They want to broadcast more baseball. Even if a state's specific FSN network is on basic cable, FOX seems to think that's not enough and they need to take away our only source of motorsports coverage. Now, rumor has it, we'll still have NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, possibly some practice and qualifying sessions, and maybe RaceHub and RaceDay. Who knows? No one knows what will become of the F1 coverage. Some sources claim a possible move back to ESPN. But I don't think anyone wants to see that the way ESPN treats their NASCAR and IndyCar coverage. (Albeit, it has gotten substantially better in the last couple of years.) I've also read that most programming could be moved to Fuel TV. A network even LESS people have. It's not a good business move by FOX. It's not good for NASCAR. It's not good for motorsports at all. FOX has some of the best people on staff. It is arguably one of the best teams in motorsports broadcasting history, but what they're about to do, will not only ruin their reputation as a network, but also possibly even further damage the reputation and interest level of motorsports as a whole.
FOX is planning to rebrand SPEED as FOX Sports 1 in the coming years. Why? They want to broadcast more baseball. Even if a state's specific FSN network is on basic cable, FOX seems to think that's not enough and they need to take away our only source of motorsports coverage. Now, rumor has it, we'll still have NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, possibly some practice and qualifying sessions, and maybe RaceHub and RaceDay. Who knows? No one knows what will become of the F1 coverage. Some sources claim a possible move back to ESPN. But I don't think anyone wants to see that the way ESPN treats their NASCAR and IndyCar coverage. (Albeit, it has gotten substantially better in the last couple of years.) I've also read that most programming could be moved to Fuel TV. A network even LESS people have. It's not a good business move by FOX. It's not good for NASCAR. It's not good for motorsports at all. FOX has some of the best people on staff. It is arguably one of the best teams in motorsports broadcasting history, but what they're about to do, will not only ruin their reputation as a network, but also possibly even further damage the reputation and interest level of motorsports as a whole.
Monday, October 1, 2012
2013 IndyCar Outlook
Hello readers. I have been away and apologize for this. But I felt like it would be a good idea for me to write an article about the 2012 IndyCar season and my expectations for 2013.
The finale at Fontana capped off one of the best seasons American Open Wheel racing has seen since the late 80's and early 90's. Everything IndyCar needed to gain momentum, it got. Great story lines, a fantastic Indy 500, a fearsome points battle and most of all, an American champion. What more did they need? It was all there. Now, looking at 2013, we might actually see what we've been waiting for for years. Randy Bernard worked his tail off and got Pocono a date on the 2013 IndyCar schedule. This was something fans have so craved. More ovals and a triple crown. Albeit, Pocono will be 400 miles, but it's still better than nothing. Not to mention, we've got 3 double headers at Detroit, Toronto, and Houston. According to race director Beaux Barfield, the Saturday races will feature standing starts. Well there's something we have been wanting for a while! Personally, I'm all for the standing starts. It reminds me of the old ChampCar days. Especially the return to Houston. But what I think will be a good factor for IndyCar's success will be the number of races on ABC. NBC Sports does a fantastic job every week they have covering IndyCar. But without Bob Jenkins, who will they put in the booth? We can only hope it's a seasoned veteran. To everyone who thinks it will be Paul Page, Page released a statement on his Facebook page saying that NBC has chosen not to hire him back on. Many of you know Page is in his last season covering NHRA. That means, with hope and possibly petitions (hint hint) Page could be calling IndyCar races if ABC decides to re assign Marty Reid to NASCAR Nationwide races.
Overall, I am looking forward to 2013 and what it has to bring for all forms of motorsports.
The finale at Fontana capped off one of the best seasons American Open Wheel racing has seen since the late 80's and early 90's. Everything IndyCar needed to gain momentum, it got. Great story lines, a fantastic Indy 500, a fearsome points battle and most of all, an American champion. What more did they need? It was all there. Now, looking at 2013, we might actually see what we've been waiting for for years. Randy Bernard worked his tail off and got Pocono a date on the 2013 IndyCar schedule. This was something fans have so craved. More ovals and a triple crown. Albeit, Pocono will be 400 miles, but it's still better than nothing. Not to mention, we've got 3 double headers at Detroit, Toronto, and Houston. According to race director Beaux Barfield, the Saturday races will feature standing starts. Well there's something we have been wanting for a while! Personally, I'm all for the standing starts. It reminds me of the old ChampCar days. Especially the return to Houston. But what I think will be a good factor for IndyCar's success will be the number of races on ABC. NBC Sports does a fantastic job every week they have covering IndyCar. But without Bob Jenkins, who will they put in the booth? We can only hope it's a seasoned veteran. To everyone who thinks it will be Paul Page, Page released a statement on his Facebook page saying that NBC has chosen not to hire him back on. Many of you know Page is in his last season covering NHRA. That means, with hope and possibly petitions (hint hint) Page could be calling IndyCar races if ABC decides to re assign Marty Reid to NASCAR Nationwide races.
Overall, I am looking forward to 2013 and what it has to bring for all forms of motorsports.
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