- ESPN Acquires Jayski.com: ESPN has acquired Jayski.com - one of the top NASCAR information sites on the Internet. Jayski, who began the site in 1996, will continue to operate Jayski.com, which counts top NASCAR crew chiefs, drivers and owners among its regular visitors. The site has seen tremendous growth in the past three years and is now considered one of the most influential web sites in the sport. Jayski has gained a reputation for consistently breaking industry stories and serving as the ultimate resource and trackside companion for NASCAR fans. Jayski.com will remain an independent voice on ESPN.com and complement the site's revamped NASCAR editorial section, providing NASCAR fans the most comprehensive coverage of the sport on the Internet.
"Jayski.com is, day-in and day-out, one of the most distinctive, authoritative voices for NASCAR fans online," said John Kosner, senior vice president and general manager, ESPN New Media. "Few developments for ESPN are more exciting than getting back into NASCAR, and doing so with one of the most dialed-in NASCAR insiders in the business. Jay's fan perspective informs everything he writes; he's a must-read for any serious NASCAR enthusiast."
Jayski.com's relationship with ESPN extends back to 2004, when ESPN began hosting the website. Jayski and partner Mark Garrow will serve as contributors for NASCAR coverage across all ESPN media - including on-air, online and radio and podcasting. "I am proud to be associated with ESPN, especially as they expand their role in NASCAR," said Jayski. "I'll still be running the site, but with the support of ESPN, we'll have the resources to grow Jayski.com to serve NASCAR fans even better than it already does."
Jayski.com features more than 1,500 pages of content on NASCAR Nextel Cup, the Busch Series and Truck Series. Some of the most popular features of the site include Jayski's NASCAR News and Rumors, Team Pages and the Jayski Paint Scheme section. ESPN.com's core NASCAR news, information and feature coverage is anchored by award-winning writers Terry Blount and David Newton, with contributions from Rusty Wallace, Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis.(ESPN PR)(4-2-2007)
AP/Sports Business Journal Article: ESPN has acquired Jayski.com, a website that collects NASCAR news, rumors, links, information and statistics. Jayski.com founder Jay Adamczyk, who created the site in 1996 for a class project and made it his full-time job in 1999, will continue to accumulate the bountiful supply of information that fills Jayski.com's 1,500 pages, which cover everything from breaking news to team pages to new paint schemes and television ratings. ESPN.com has served as the host server for Jayski.com since 2004. Terms of the deal were not available. Adamczyk said he had a pair of analysts look at his ad revenue and site traffic to determine a value. John Kosner, senior vice president and general manager of ESPN new media, said he wouldn't tinker too much with Adamczyk's homespun site. Viewers might see more standard Internet banners and ad units, but the content will remain in Adamczyk's hands. "The assumption is that if you make a deal with ESPN, your site is going to look like ESPN," Kosner said. "But Jay has hit on a successful formula. We don't have to reinvent the wheel here. With the Internet, everything is trackable, you can see people's behavior, you know what works." Adamczyk said Jayski.com has been experiencing its most successful period during the first quarter. February produced 17 million page views, aided largely by the Daytona 500, he said, including 1 million unique hits, which marked the first time he had reached 1 million in a month. ESPN first struck a relationship with Jayski.com in late 2004. The network became a host server for the site and began to help with ad sales in January 2005. A Jayski.com link was created on ESPN.com's NASCAR page and ESPN received prominent placement on the Web site's home page. When ESPN acquired the rights to televise half of the Nextel Cup schedule and the full Busch Series slate, which began this year, it revamped the ESPN.com motorsports page and hired more reporters. The purchase of Jayski.com fits into that broader strategy of upgrading its NASCAR coverage, Kosner said. Adamczyk and his partner, Mark Garrow, will serve as contributors for NASCAR coverage on all of ESPN's media, including on-air, online, radio and podcasting. Adamczyk, a computer programmer who has not attended a race in nearly three years, will contribute his reports by phone. "I don't like crowds, I don't like the traffic," Adamczyk said. "There's so much more I can do here in front of my computer. I'm not a reporter who needs to go interview a bunch of people. I'm a web dude who puts it all together." Adamczyk works out of his home in Mooresville, N.C. Michael Smith is a reporter with SportsBusiness Journal.(Sporting News/SportsBusiness Journal)(4-2-2007)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Finale Live on ABC: The 2009 season finale for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is this weekend at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway as the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ends with the crowning of the champion. ESPN’s live, flag-to-flag coverage of the Ford 400 airs Sunday, Nov. 22, on ABC and ABC HD beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 2:30pm/et. The race’s green flag is scheduled for 3:30pm/et. Also from Homestead, ESPN2 airs coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Friday, Nov. 20, at 3:00pm/et, as well as coverage of final practice on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 3:00pm/et.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham in the ESPN pit studio.
SportsCenter Special Originates from Homestead on Championship Day: ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter will present a 90-minute special from Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 1:00pm/et, following NFL Countdown on ESPN. The telecast will lead up to NASCAR Countdown on ABC at 2:30pm/et. SportsCenter presented by AutoZone at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship will be hosted by Allen Bestwick and will give NASCAR fans the opportunity to see things that go on prior to a race that they normally don’t get to see. Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, will be a special on-site reporter for ESPN and look at some of the dirty jobs of NASCAR. Rowe’s voice has been heard by NASCAR fans as the narrator of segments during ESPN’s coverage of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this season.
ESPN’s Dave Burns will spend the program shadowing the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson, taking viewers behind-the-scenes as the car goes through final race preparation and NASCAR inspection. And ESPN’s Marty Smith will shadow Johnson himself in the hours before he attempts to make history as the first driver to win four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships.
The program also will include a heartwarming story of how the building of Homestead-Miami Speedway in 1994 and 1995 helped bring the Homestead area back from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Andrew, one of the worst natural disasters in history, on Aug. 24, 1992.
Joining Bestwick in the ESPN Pit Studio will be analysts Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty and Ray Evernham. Several NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers also are expected to stop by the studio during the course of the program.
ESPN Classic Returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway: With long-dormant North Wilkesboro (NC) Speedway scheduled to re-open late in 2010, ESPN Classic will bring NASCAR fans back to the 0.625-mile short track with a look at the 1989 Holly Farms 400, a NASCAR Winston Cup race. A one-hour highlights program airs Monday, Nov. 23, at 12noon/et.
NASCAR Now Originates from Homestead for Season Finale: NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program, will close out its 2009 season with four shows originating from Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of this weekend’s final races of the NASCAR season. Allen Bestwick will host the programs with analysts including Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, Ray Evernham and Dale Jarrett, and reporters Mike Massaro, Nicole Manske and Marty Smith.
The first program from Homestead airs Friday, Nov. 20, at 12:30am/et (late Thursday night), with another airing Saturday, Nov. 21, at 12:30am/et (late Friday night). The one-hour weekend edition airs Sunday, Nov. 22, at 10:am/et with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup finale at Homestead, with the final NASCAR Now of the season airing at 10:00pm/et Sunday. Massaro hosts half-hour editions of NASCAR Now from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Ct., on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 1:30am/et (late Tuesday night), and Wednesday at 6:00pm/et. Smith will report from Miami for both programs.
NASCAR Now Previews Chase in Expanded Episode: ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will report from Chase Media Day in New York and from historic Fenway Park in Boston in an expanded one-hour episode on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 5:30pm/et. Host Mike Massaro will preview the Chase with driver interviews from New York, while members of the Roush Fenway Racing team and some guests from the Boston Red Sox will be interviewed from Boston during the hour as well.
ESPN College Football Announcers Take 200 mph NASCAR Rides: With three big sporting events on the ESPN networks originating from Atlanta this weekend, ESPN college football announcers Brent Musburger and Lisa Salters took a 200 mph look at one of the sports Friday [Sept. 4th] at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Musburger, who will call ESPN on ABC's telecast of the Virginia Tech-Alabama game Saturday night from the Georgia Dome, and sideline reporter Salters went for high-speed rides around the 1.5-mile superspeedway in a special two-seater stock car with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver #11-Denny Hamlin at the wheel. Hamlin will compete in Sunday night's 500-mile race that will air live on ESPN. In addition, ESPN2 will have live coverage of Saturday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at AMS. Musburger, who hosted ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage in 2007, had been for a ride around Daytona International Speedway with former NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip more than 20 years ago, but after emerging from the two-seater race car today said "he (Waltrip) wasn't cranking on it like Denny did today. "They asked me if I wanted to go down to the speedway and go for a little ride, and I said sure that sounds like fun, but little did I know that they'd be putting the pedal down to the metal like that. I rode with the Blue Angels once and I knew not to eat a big lunch today."
Musburger said his biggest feeling of uneasiness came when Hamlin brought the car to the top of the speedway's 24-degree banking, only inches from the retaining wall, the normal racing line at AMS. "He told me one thing I needed to know about this track was that they're always looking for something 'up top' to go faster, and when we were out there it was like 'Whoa! We're up top!'"
Salters, also a reporter for ESPN's E:60 newsmagazine, climbed from her car smiling and said she had a similar feeling during her three-lap ride when Hamlin came close to the wall. "It was exciting and scary," she said. "I was thinking that I have no control over what happens. I couldn't imagine doing that if there were other cars on the track." Previously a correspondent for ABC News, Salters was asked to compare the fear she felt during her ride to other experiences in her career. "I've been in war zones, and I've been in some bad neighborhoods in the United States," she said. "I'd have to say this is near the top." Musburger, who while a student sold tickets at the first Daytona 500 in 1959, said he keeps up with the sport and expects the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship to be a battle between Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson. "One thing I've always said about NASCAR drivers is that they are so close to their fans and sponsors, they do the best job of any athlete that I'm aware of," he said. "When you get to the end of an exciting NASCAR race, there's nothing like it in sports."(ESPN)(9-5-2009)
- ESPN Begins Sprint Cup Coverage at Indianapolis: ESPN begins its coverage of the final 17 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule with a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the 400-mile race at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26, at 12:30pm/et. ESPN’s multimedia platforms will surround the race telecast on television, radio and online.
The telecast from Indianapolis is presented by Golden Corral and begins with an expanded, 1 hour, 45 minute NASCAR Countdown pre-race show that will include multiple features and interviews highlighting the significance, history and pageantry of the race and venue. The green flag flies at 2:19pm/et.
"Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most famous and storied racing venues in the world and is certainly a fitting place for us to launch our NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage,” said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president, motorsports, production. "As the speedway celebrates its centennial, we want to convey to our viewers how special the track and the race are with a spectacular and interesting telecast that focuses on the race itself and its importance to competitors and fans.”
Five former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions will be an integral part of ESPN’s coverage team at the Brickyard, including analyst Dale Jarrett, the 1999 driving champion, who will work with two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree and lap-by-lap announcer Dr. Jerry Punch in the booth. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown presented by Degree V12 from the ESPN pit studio will feature analysis by 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace and three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham, with host Allen Bestwick and analyst Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.
ESPN will use 76 high definition cameras in the telecast, including the first usage in NASCAR of BatCam. The camera on a cable, which was used by ESPN in telecasts of the last two Indianapolis 500 races, will fly over the speedway’s frontstretch and pit road at more than 80 miles per hour to give viewers a dramatic look at the setting and action.
NASCAR Countdown will include a segment with actress/television host Kelly Ripa, who interviews her occasional Live with Regis and Kelly co-host #24-Jeff Gordon. The interview in a New York City park focuses not only on Gordon's racing career, but also on how he was the first NASCAR driver to move into the entertainment spotlight. Ripa also will delve into how becoming a father has changed Gordon's outlook on his racing career.
Other features for NASCAR Countdown include #14-Tony Stewart and A.J. Foyt, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader and his idol discuss their passions for racing, their love for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and their similar, volatile personalities. Also, a dramatic recap of the 2008 Indianapolis race and the tire debacle is told through the voices of various people involved; ESPN captures the essence of why racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is so special to stock car drivers; and ESPN racing champions and personalities Jarrett, Petree, Wallace, Evernham, Brewer and Daugherty enter a boxing ring to "duke it out" in a wild and dramatic debate about what will happen at the Brickyard and why.
The telecast’s opening segment is a cinematic look at four gladiators ready to do battle at the Brickyard once again: #48-Jimmie Johnson, who has dominated this track in recent years; Stewart, the hometowner who returns as owner/driver in the legendary #14; #18-Kyle Busch, who wins almost everywhere but has yet to win on the sport’s biggest stages; and Gordon, who has the chance to make history by being the only 5-time winner at the 100-year-old track.
ESPN’s coverage from Indianapolis also includes a live telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Saturday, July 25, at 10:00am/et, and telecasts of two practice sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars on the famed 2.5-mile track, all on ESPN2. The first practice session airs Friday, July 24, at 2:00pm/et, while final practice airs Saturday at 3:30pm/et. All programming airs in high definition.
Other ESPN Platforms: In addition to the live telecasts on ESPN and ESPN2, the Indianapolis event will receive multiplatform coverage on other ESPN outlets:
ESPN International’s networks and syndication of the NASCAR event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will reach more than 83 countries and territories and more than 94 million households worldwide. In addition, U.S. troops and their families serving around the world and Navy vessels at sea can watch via the American Forces Network.
ESPN.com will provide surround coverage from the Brickyard with veteran motorsports writers Terry Blount, Ed Hinton, David Newton, Marty Smith, Ryan McGee, Angelique Chengelis and editor K. Lee Davis leading coverage. The crew will chat live Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the first NASCAR race of the track’s Centennial Era as well as maintain a live blog on race day.
Jayski.com’s Mark Garrow will keep fans up to date with his regular podcasts as well as informative fantasy chat and a team-by-team breakdown from the garage the morning of the race. In addition, ESPN’s team of on-air announcers will contribute from the weekend’s festivities.
As part of the 2009 NASCAR on ESPN marketing campaign, ESPN.com is launching the “ESPN Virtual Pitwall” on July 22. Fans will be able to write personalized messages for their favorite drivers that will be posted to the pit wall (espn.com/pitwall). Fans also will be able to look through all the messages by driver to make sure no other driver has more support than their favorite.
SportsCenter at the Brickyard - ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter will present a one-hour special from Indianapolis on ESPN at 7:00pm/et on Saturday, July 25. Bestwick will host the program, with Jarrett, Wallace, Evernham and Daugherty as analysts. Among features in the program will be Jarrett and defending race winner Jimmie Johnson playing a round of golf and discussing racing and life, and ESPN analysts who have tasted victory at the Brickyard (Jarrett, Evernham and Andy Petree) discussing their favorite memories.
In addition to the special, extensive reports, interviews and highlights will air on regular editions of SportsCenter and on ESPNEWS. Post-race driver news conferences will air on ESPNEWS.
Feel Your Heart Race - ESPN2 will air Feel Your Heart Race, a half-hour look into why and how NASCAR attracts the most devoted fans in the country. The program airs Thursday, July 23, at 6:00pm/et. Produced and directed by noted documentary filmmaker Doug Pray and Oil Factory, the program allows viewers to take a look inside the hearts and minds of drivers and fans to reveal NASCAR as a sport that is honest, real, complex, beautiful and fueled by passion. The story is told directly and entirely by top NASCAR drivers and their fans without narration or commentary and contains scenes of life at the track, colorful fan interviews and surprisingly honest testimony from drivers themselves about what it really feels like to be behind the wheel.
ESPN Radio’s Saturday RaceDay starts its engines at 6:00am/et on Saturday, July 25, with an hour of news, previews and analysis. ESPN Radio also provides auto racing fans the comprehensive Sunday RaceDay (6-7am Sundays), which covers the auto racing world.
ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language television, radio and Internet in the U.S., will televise the Indianapolis race on a delayed basis, airing the event at 4:00am/et on Monday, July 27. ESPN Deportes auto racing commentators Andres Aguilla and Alex Pombo will provide lap-by-lap commentary and analysis in Spanish.
ESPN supportive of consistent race start times: Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming and acquisitions, was asked about consistent starting times for NASCAR Sprint Cup races during a media conference call Tuesday:
JULIE SOBIESKI: "There's definitely been a lot of dialogue about start times, and a lot has been written. With ratings being down, there's lots of factors that are contributing to that. Can consistent start times make a difference? Certainly that's possible. We'd be supportive of consistent start times with ESPN and we know that's also been a priority for NASCAR to try and look at, so if it's good for the fans, and we think it's going to benefit ratings, then certainly we're onboard with that concept. It's ultimately NASCAR's call when it comes to the schedule of their races, and certainly the tracks as well. All we can do is have the open dialogue and support ultimately where NASCAR and the tracks feel (the starting time) is best to serve the fans. Nothing is set for next year, so I think that dialogue is ongoing and continuing, and we'll see where that ends up. NASCAR is going to need to make the decision that they feel is best for all their constituents involved."(ESPN PR)(7-22-2009)
- Johnson, Castroneves Among Nominees for The 2009 ESPYs: #48-Jimmie Johnson and Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves are among the world-class athletes nominated for The 2009 ESPYs. The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. Fans will determine the winner in 37 categories (excluding special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv or via mobile phone at www.espn.mobi. Voting begins today [June 25th] and runs through 11:59pm/et on July 11, and The 2009 ESPYs, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson and co-presented by Under Armour and Land Rover, will be televised Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD. A one-hour nomination show will be televised Friday, June 26, at 8:00pm/et on ESPN2.
Johnson, who tied a NASCAR record by winning his third consecutive Sprint Cup championship in 2008, is nominated in the “Best Male Athlete” category along with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and NBA stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Castroneves’ win in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 is nominated in the “Best Moment” category. Also nominated are the thrilling victory by the U.S. swim team in the Olympic relay and University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s emotional speech in a press conference following the team’s only loss during the 2008 season.
Johnson and Castroneves also are among five nominees in the “Best Driver” category, along with IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.
The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993. For the second time in several years, a limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase through www.ticketmaster.com. The 2009 ESPYs will be taped Wednesday, July 15, at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. More info at www.espys.tv.(ESPN PR)(6-25-2009)
- Marty Smith and team win fish tourney: They started late and their bass boat was bogged down by beer and Jack Daniel's, but somehow country artist Eric Church, ESPN NASCAR reporter Marty Smith and champion shotgun marksman Bill McGuire sped away with the grand prize at the second annual Porter Wagoner Memorial Artists & Anglers Fishing Tournament on Tuesday. Part of the festivities leading up to the CMA Music Festival, the tournament paired veteran anglers with artists from the country music world on Percy Priest Lake to honor The Thin Man From West Plains who was quite the bass-chaser in his day.(Tennessean), proceeds go to the Opry Trust Fund.(6-10-2009)
- ESPN’s Jamie Little Appearing on Food Network’s Iron Chef: Jamie Little, pit reporter for ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR, will step out of her element as a guest judge on the popular Food Network program Iron Chef America. The program airs Sunday, June 7, at 10pm/et. The program pits a challenging chef against one of the network’s star chefs in a one-hour contest staged in “Kitchen Stadium.” The chefs must make a multi-course meal using a “secret ingredient” that they only learn about moments before the contest begins. Their work is then judged by a three-person panel to determine a winner. Little taped her appearance in New York City nearly a year ago and was sworn to secrecy. “I even had to sign documentation that I would not reveal what the secret ingredient was,” she said. The program re-airs June 11 at 8 p.m., June 13 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Sept. 12 at 10 p.m.(ESPN)(6-6-2009)
- Congrats - Marty Smith: ESPN's Marty Smith, lovely wife Lainie and big brother Cambron welcomed Amelia Joy Smith to the world at 7:56pm/et on April 30th. "Mia" weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz and is 21 inches long.(5-2-2009)
- ESPN’S NASCAR Coverage Earns 19th Sports Emmy Award: ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR earned its 19th Sports Emmy Award, among five presented to ESPN by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Monday night in New York. The NASCAR award was for Technical Team Studio in the 2008 season and honored the ESPN Pit Studio and Craftsman Tech Garage, two mobile studio facilities utilized across ESPN platforms. "We're humbled that our efforts associated with both the ESPN Pit Studio and the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage were recognized,” said Rich Feinberg, ESPN vice president, motorsports. "Both are unique in our industry and are used as key elements of our NASCAR coverage." For its NASCAR Countdown studio shows that precede all NASCAR race telecasts, ESPN originates from the Pit Studio. The studio, which weighs nearly 78,000 pounds and travels all season, allows ESPN to bring the look and feel of its Bristol, Conn.,-based studio shows such as SportsCenter and Sunday NFL Countdown to the tracks. Host Allen Bestwick and analysts Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty man the pit studio for ESPN. The mobile pit studio is outfitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting, robotic HD cameras and a dramatic, contoured, video display fronting the anchor desk. Situated near the pits at every track, the studio is elevated 14 feet while in use and 30 foot glass windows give viewers a look at the cars, grandstands and pageantry prior to the race start. The ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage is an enclosed studio that contains two ESPN Chevy Cutaway Cars. The studio also has room for displays of other race car elements such as engines, transmissions and shock absorbers. ESPN’s Tim Brewer, a two-time NASCAR champion crew chief, and other ESPN analysts report from the Tech Garage during race telecasts to help viewers better understand the technical and mechanical aspects of NASCAR racing. The ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage allows ESPN to present segments in the telecasts that originate from an enclosed, controlled environment with no exterior interference, adding to the viewing experience and giving NASCAR fans more information. ESPN has now won 128 Sports Emmy Awards in 21 years of eligibility.(ESPN PR)(4-28-2009)
- ESPN Motorsports Coverage Earns Five Sports Emmy Nominations: ESPN’s coverage of motorsports earned five Sports Emmy Award nominations, among an industry-leading 54 nominations earned by ESPN, Inc., it was announced today by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The 54 nominations were the most of any submitting company for the eighth time in nine years. The winners will be announced Monday, April 27. The five nominations in motorsports included the company’s production endeavors for live event coverage and technical expertise.
Outstanding Technical Team Remote: ESPN NASCAR 2008
Outstanding Technical Team Studio: ESPN NASCAR 2008 (Pit studio and Tech Center)
Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound: ESPN NASCAR 2008
George Wensel Technical Achievement Award: Draft Track 2.0
Outstanding Open/Tease: 2008 Indianapolis 500: The Perfect Storm
ESPN has won 18 Sports Emmy Awards for motorsports in its history, 17 during the 1990s and one last year for 2007 and the network's return to NASCAR. Overall, ABC has won 160 Sports Emmy Awards since they were first given in 1980, while ESPN has won 123 in 21 years of eligibility.(ESPN PR)(4-4-2009)
- Only Happy Landings for ESPN’s Shannon Spake: Despite growing up with a pilot for a father, ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Shannon Spake admits she has always been one to comment about bad landings on commercial airline flights – until now. “I’m never judging again,” said Spake, who flew a Southwest Airlines simulator at the airline’s Dallas headquarters Thursday prior to heading to nearby Texas Motor Speedway to work ESPN2’s telecast of Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event. “I have a whole new respect,” said Spake, who flew in the right seat as her father, Southwest Captain Don Speacht, was in the pilot’s seat in the Boeing 737 simulator. “I did two landings, and all I could think about was how people like me sit in the back of those planes and judge landings. They make it seem so flawless, and until I did it I had no idea how much was involved.” But what she really enjoyed was a day at the office with her father. “He wanted to take me to work with him, and it was so much fun,” she said. “After all these years, I finally got to see him at work when we flew the simulator. That was just awesome.”(ESPN MediaZone)(4-4-2009)
- OTL-Branded Series on ESPN's NASCAR Now to Examine the Economy’s Impact on NASCAR with the OTL-branded piece scheduled to run on ESPN2’s NASCAR Now Monday and Tuesday at 5pm, Wednesday at 6pm. What do a NASCAR fan, a pit crew engineer and Richard Petty have in common? Reporter Shannon Spake chronicles how the economy has hit NASCAR from the perspective of three of the sport’s major sectors.
* Monday, Feb. 9: Fans -- Some fans hit hard by the economy can’t afford to travel to races and therefore sell their tickets on Ebay.
* Tuesday, Feb. 10 : Pit crews – An engineer and tire changer lost his job five months ago.
* Wednesday, Feb 11: Richard Petty – One of NASCAR’s storied teams is enduring cutbacks.(ESPN PR)(2-9-2009)
- ESPN at NASCAR’s Daytona Speedweeks: ESPN will provide 10 days of comprehensive coverage of Speedweeks and the start of the NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway across its multimedia platforms. Television coverage, highlighted by a Daytona 500 origination for ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter, an expanded schedule for ESPN2’s daily news program NASCAR Now, coverage of NASCAR Media Day on ESPNEWS, and NASCAR Nationwide Series practice and qualifying, will culminate with the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 on ESPN2 Saturday, Feb. 14, at noon ET.
Other TV highlights include NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series preview shows on ESPN2 and the airing of multiple past Daytona 500 races on ESPN Classic.
SportsCenter at Daytona airs Saturday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. on ESPN2, originating from the Fan Zone at Daytona International Speedway. SportsCenter is ESPN's flagship studio show and television's only nightly, one-hour sports news program. Offering in-depth reports on breaking news, creative highlights, features and in-depth analysis from award-winning journalists, SportsCenter is television's most comprehensive and longest-running sports news show.
In addition to programming on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS, which includes extensive coverage on SportsCenter, other ESPN platforms including ESPN.com, Jayski.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic and ESPN Mobile Properties also will surround the NASCAR Nationwide Series race telecast and the Daytona 500 with NASCAR-related programming and coverage. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with select races to be televised by ESPN and ABC. The networks also will provide coverage of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of the season, including all races in the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for the Camping World 300 telecast, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Prior to the race, Allen Bestwick returns to host NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace, three-time NASCAR champion crew chief Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty, a winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
ESPN2 also airs live coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying on Friday, Feb. 13, at 3 p.m., as well as NASCAR Nationwide Series practice coverage on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 9:30 a.m.
NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily news and information show totally dedicated to NASCAR, originates from Daytona with daily one-hour episodes the week of the Daytona 500. The Monday, Feb. 9, edition at 5 p.m. will feature a roundtable discussion with ESPN analysts Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty and Boris Said hosted by Allen Bestwick. Nicole Manske and Mike Massaro host NASCAR Now the rest of the week. Massaro and Manske will co-host ESPNEWS’ coverage of NASCAR Media Day on Thursday, Feb. 5, at noon, and conduct exclusive driver interviews from Daytona for the three-hour telecast.. They’ll be joined for analysis by former winning NASCAR driver Ricky Craven. ESPN2 airs season preview shows for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series on Tuesday, Feb. 10, starting at 3 p.m. ESPN2 will have an airing of ESPN’s acclaimed original movie “3,” based on the life and racing career of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, at 1 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15. ESPN Classic will air five classic Daytona 500 races beginning at 8 p.m. on the night before the Daytona 500.
ESPN’S MULTIMEDIA PLATFORMS SURROUND DAYTONA
SportsCenter at Daytona -- SportsCenter will present a one-hour special from Daytona International Speedway on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, the eve of NASCAR’s Daytona 500. Hosted by Allen Bestwick, with analysts Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty, SportsCenter at Daytona will preview the Great American Race with analysis, opinion, and interviews with three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon and former race winners Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip. SportsCenter at Daytona also will present a feature on the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Daytona 500, the first 500-mile race to be broadcast live on national television (CBS) which featured a final lap crash and subsequent fight between Cale Yarborough and brothers Donnie and Bobby Allison. Additionally, reporter Marty Smith will moderate a roundtable discussion with defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.
ESPN.com -- Extensive coverage will originate from Daytona. Award-winning motorsports journalists Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and ESPN.com motorsports editor K. Lee Davis will lead the reporting team, with additional contributions from NASCAR Insiders Angelique Chengelis and Marty Smith. Hinton, Blount, Newton and other ESPN reporters and personalities maintain and regularly update blogs with their insights, perspectives and more within the ESPN Insider premium content section. ESPN.com, along with Jayski.com, will feature extensive video, audio and editorial coverage of the 2009 NASCAR season, as well as providing multiple ESPN Fantasy games and content distributed to other emerging platforms such as Apple’s iTunes Store and Microsoft’s X Box Live.
ESPN.com RaceCast, ESPN.com’s enhanced, live race-day applications features a live animated graphic display, track information, lap leaders, race leaders, driver information and live in-race chat with ESPN announcers and reporters. NASCAR Surround features one-stop shopping for highlights, features, observations and stats of all races, running Friday-Monday. As part of ESPN.com’s integration with Jayski.com, veteran racing voice Mark Garrow returns as a frequent contributor this year, producing podcasts, hosting regular chats on ESPN.com, providing online video segments and appearances on NASCAR Now.
Jayski.com -- ESPN-owned Jayski.com is considered one of the most influential Web sites in the motorsports world. Jayski has gained a reputation for consistently breaking industry stories and serving as the ultimate resource and trackside companion for NASCAR fans. Jayski’s editorial content during Daytona Speedweeks will help NASCAR fans keep up with late-breaking news, including updating any on-track incidents and garage news. Jayski also helps NASCAR fans understand the qualifying procedure for the Daytona 500, and NASCAR’s Top 35 rule, with updates and scenarios. And Jayski’s popular paint scheme section helps fans stay abreast of the new looks for NASCAR race teams.
ESPNEWS – Coverage of NASCAR Media Day from noon - 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 5. Extensive reports and interviews during regular programming throughout Daytona Speed Weeks, including highlights from any news conferences.
ESPN Radio – The Saturday Raceday program airs from 6 - 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, with Sunday Raceday from 6 - 7 a.m. the next day. Both programs will originate from Daytona with host Pat Patterson. In addition, ESPN Radio will have daily reports during other programming in the week leading up to the race.
ESPN International – ESPN is the exclusive worldwide syndicator outside of North America. NASCAR and ESPN are leveraging their combined resources to identify broadcast partnerships on a country by country basis to expand the scope and reach of NASCAR coverage. ESPN International is one of the world’s leading syndicators of sports programming and this relationship is helping maximize coverage of NASCAR and provide a solid base of distribution. Through a combination of sales and network programming, the 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup races and 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series races are now available to 114 countries and territories around the world.
ESPN Classic – Starting at 8 p.m. on Feb. 15, the eve of the Daytona 500 , ESPN Classic televises highlights of five of the best Daytona 500 races of all time – 1979, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2007. In addition, ESPN Classic re-airs an episode of its signature series SportsCentury featuring seven-time Daytona 500 winner Richard Petty on Friday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m.
ESPN Deportes -- ESPN’s 24-hour, Spanish-language sports network in the U.S. will carry the Camping World 300 on a tape-delayed basis beginning at 4 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15. ESPN Deportes’ NASCAR commentator team will feature Andrés Agulla (play-by-play) and Alex Pombo (analysis). In addition to the live telecast of the race, ESPN Deportes will have segments for its edition of SportsCenter.
ESPN Deportes Radio -- The only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network in the U.S., and MRN Radio have an agreement that makes ESPN Deportes Radio the exclusive Spanish-language radio home of NASCAR racing’s premier events. ESPN Deportes Radio will provide up-to-the minute NASCAR news and information, highlighted with coverage of NASCAR’s three largest racing series - the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
ESPN Mobile Platforms -- ESPN’s multiple mobile platforms give fans on-the-go access to all the Daytona racing action, news and developments. ESPN Mobile TV (available on MediaFLO and MobiTV) will delver live mobile streaming of NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup races throughout the season, as well as news, analysis and feature video programs. ESPN MVP on Verizon Wireless will feature race highlights from NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races throughout the season, as well as all the latest news and information, ESPN.com columnists, in-progress race leader boards, customizable alerts, and complete control of your Fantasy Stock Car Racing team. In addition, fans can find ESPN.com coverage of NASCAR on the ESPN WAP site, the leading sports site on the wireless Web (and among the most-trafficked wireless Web sites in the world), with 9 million unique users per month.(ESPN PR)(2-6-2009)
- Tom Cruise on ESPN2’s NASCAR Now Friday: The Friday, Feb. 6, edition of ESPN2’s NASCAR Now will include an original interview with actor Tom Cruise at 5pm/et. Cruise discusses his interest in NASCAR and how he drove a race car at Daytona while filming the 1990 movie Days of Thunder. The movie featured a young Cruise playing the role of Cole Trickle -- a hotshot rookie driver looking for success in NASCAR's premiere division. From the big screen to real life, Cruise has had a lifelong passion for racing. The NASCAR season begins this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.(ESPN PR)(2-6-2009)
- Official NASCAR Viewing Party of the Daytona 500 in NYC: the 4th annual viewing party of the Daytona 500 live in HD on a14-foot Big Screen at ESPN Zone in Times Square [at 42nd Street and Broadway -1472 Broadway, (212) 921-3776] in New York City is scheduled for Sunday, February 15th from 1:30pm/et until the conclusion of the race. Chance to win a trip for 2 to the 2009 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway by competing in a virtual racing tournament. Competition begins in the Sports Arena on the 3rd floor at 1:30pm, space is limited. Tailgate Toss competition to win 2 DreamSeat recliner seats in the front row of the Screening Room to watch the race; plus a $40 voucher for food and non-alcoholic beverages. Competition begins in the Sports Arena on the 3rd floor at 1:30pm, space is limited. This event is free and open to the public. Table service requires a minimum charge of $10 per person per hour. For more information you can go to: www.espnzone.com/newyork.(2-2-2009)
- NASCAR Now Returns: ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now returns to the air for its third season on Monday, Feb. 2, to coincide with the beginning of the 2009 NASCAR racing season. The season’s first program, a one-hour roundtable discussion, airs at 5:00pm/et. Mike Massaro, who has been a pit reporter on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage the past two years, moves to the studio this year as a new co-host of NASCAR Now, joining returning co-hosts Nicole Manske and Allen Bestwick. NASCAR Now includes the latest news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. The program regularly airs at 5:00pm/et. Monday through Friday, with all programs 30 minutes except for the one-hour Monday roundtable. ESPN2 also airs a one-hour edition at 10:00am/et on the morning of each Sprint Cup race, and a weekend wrap-up edition will begin in July.
On Monday’s return episode, Bestwick leads the roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news with ESPN.com motorsports writer Ed Hinton and NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith, both award-winning journalists, and ESPN motorsports analyst and NASCAR driver Boris Said. A five-part feature during the first week of the NASCAR Now season will tie in the 60th anniversary of NASCAR with Top 10 lists by the five former Sprint Cup champion analysts on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage team. Dale Jarrett will reveal his Top 10 personalities in NASCAR history, while Rusty Wallace lists his Top 10 tracks. Andy Petree reveals his Top 10 drivers and Tim Brewer lists his Top 10 finishes. Analyst Ray Evernham lists his Top 10 “coolest cars.” Other features during the first week include conversations about NASCAR with actor Tom Cruise and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton; a visit by driver Ryan Newman to Fort Bragg as part of his new sponsorship from the U.S. Army; and a review of NASCAR’s “Silly Season.” During the week leading up to the Feb. 15 running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR Now airs a three-part series on NASCAR and the economy, looking through the eyes of the NASCAR fan, a NASCAR team crew member and legendary driver/team owner Richard Petty. The five weekday episodes of the program will expand to one hour during Daytona 500 week and originate from Daytona International Speedway. Live NASCAR racing returns to the ESPN networks for the 2009 season when ESPN2 airs flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 from Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 12noon.(ESPN PR)(1-28-2009)
- Expanded Roles for Massaro, Reid, Welch on ESPN: Three veterans of ESPN’s motorsports team, Mike Massaro, Marty Reid and Vince Welch, will have new NASCAR responsibilities on ESPN in 2009.
Massaro, who has been a NASCAR pit reporter the past two years, will join Nicole Manske and Allen Bestwick as host of NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program. Massaro and Manske will share the primary host role on a rotating basis, while Bestwick will continue as host of the Monday roundtable discussion edition. Massaro will still work the pits for selected Nationwide Series telecasts.
Reid, who has been the lead announcer for ESPN’s coverage of the IndyCar Series the past three years, as well as a play-by-play announcer for selected Nationwide Series telecasts the past two years, will see his NASCAR appearances increase. Reid will be the play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series for much of the second half of the season, after ESPN begins its 17-race coverage of the Sprint Cup Series. Dr. Jerry Punch will continue as play-by-play announcer for the Sprint Cup coverage and for the Nationwide Series in the first half of the season. Reid will be lead announcer for the Indianapolis 500 and ESPN on ABC’s four other races on the IndyCar Series.
Welch will become one of ESPN’s four primary NASCAR pit reporters for 2009 after having worked selected NASCAR races the past two years while serving as a fulltime pit reporter for ESPN’s IndyCar Series coverage. He will work all of ESPN’s Sprint Cup telecasts in the second half of the year along with multiple Nationwide Series races throughout the season. In addition, Welch will be a pit reporter for ESPN on ABC’s five-race IndyCar Series coverage, including the Indianapolis 500.
The rest of ESPN’s team of announcers, analysts and reporters for NASCAR will return in 2009. Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will be lead analysts for the race telecasts, joining Punch and Reid in the booth, while Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will again be pit reporters. Tim Brewer will continue as analyst in the ESPN Tech Center.
Bestwick will continue to host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program from the ESPN Pit Studio, with analysis by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Analyst Ray Evernham will join NASCAR Countdown for selected races and will continue his role as an analyst on NASCAR Now and other ESPN studio programs. Wallace and Evernham will work selected Nationwide Series telecasts as analysts in the booth, filling in for Jarrett and Petree.
NASCAR Now returns on Monday, Feb. 2, while ESPN’s live NASCAR racing for 2009 begins with flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 14, on ESPN2.(ESPN PR)(1-6-2009)
- Hinton finds a home...at ESPN: Award-winning sports journalist Ed Hinton, entering his fourth decade in the profession, has joined ESPN.com as a senior writer. Hinton will focus on motorsports to serve fans through ESPN's digital platforms. "We're thrilled to welcome Ed," said Rob King, editor-in-chief of ESPN.com. "His talent and experience makes our strong motorsports writing team of Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, Ryan McGee, David Newton and Marty Smith even stronger, and we very much look forward to Ed's work appearing on our platforms." Most recently Hinton was senior reporter for auto racing with the Tribune Co. newspaper chain, writing for the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Previously he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he covered auto racing, the NFL, college football and Major League Baseball. Before that he worked for The National sports daily and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hinton has won numerous professional journalism awards, some transcending sports, including the Scripps-Howard Foundation First Amendment Award in 2001. Twice, he has led reporting teams nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and he has also won several awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors' largest-circulation newspaper categories, and recognition from United Press International, Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism society and the National Motorsports Press Association. He is the author of two books. Born in Laurel, Miss., Hinton attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. degree in journalism.(ESPN PR)(7-3-2008)
- More on Draft Track: The University of Washington says its computer scientists have developed software to illustrate the drafting effect of NASCAR race cars. The university says the technology was used by the Sportvision company of Chicago and ESPN to create "Draft Track." It uses fluid dynamics math algorithms to create real-time displays of colors trailing behind cars. Green, blue, yellow and red correspond to different speeds and directions for air flow. It shows viewers how drivers can use drafting to save gas or pick up speed.(AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer)(8-10-2007)
- ESPN Draft Track Technology Will Allow NASCAR Fans to 'See the Air': For years, NASCAR fans have heard about the effects of drafting on high-speed racetracks and how certain drivers, such as the late Dale Earnhardt, were so good in the draft it was said they could "see the air." Now, as Nextel Cup racing returns to ESPN with Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, a technical innovation developed by ESPN and SportVision will allow fans to see the air when they watch ESPN's coverage of the Nextel Cup and Busch Series. Beginning with Sunday's telecast of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, ESPN will enhance its NASCAR coverage with Draft Track, a special effects package that will provide to viewers a never-before-seen effect that shows airflow created by NASCAR race cars. When ESPN's producers activate Draft Track, viewers will see air flowing over and behind race cars as they speed around the track, whether there is one car or a multi-car pack on the television screen. The Draft Track airflow visualization will change as the cars, in relation each other, change position in real time on the racetrack, including passing, racing side by side or when cars are lined up nose to tail. The new effect will initially be used on replays.
(ESPN PR), see a demo of the technology on the ESPN site.(7-25-2007)
- ESPN, Fox, Turner work together: ESPN has struck a cooperative agreement with NASCAR's other broadcast partners, Fox and Turner, to share camera crews as a cost-saving measure. "It's for the common good," said Jed Drake, ESPN's senior vice president and executive producer for NASCAR coverage. "It would be financial insanity to do it any other way. We'll share the cameramen and certain audio effects." Drake said that ESPN has an obligation with NASCAR to show highlights of other NASCAR-sanctioned events, but the network does not have any sort of cross-promotion agreement with Fox between the Busch and Nextel Cup broadcasts.(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)(2-24-2007)
- 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)
- 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)
- All NASCAR Races on ESPN to be in High-Def..including In-Car Cams: NASCAR fans are welcoming back an old friend this year with ESPN’s return to coverage of the sport, but the old friend is going to have a sophisticated new look when live NASCAR coverage resumes next month. ESPN and ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series will be the most technologically advanced programming in the history of televised motorsports, according to Jed Drake, senior vice president and executive producer for ESPN. "ESPN's presentation of NASCAR will be state of the art at every level of production,” said Drake. ”We have built a production plan that will provide a truly exceptional presentation to our viewers."
All NASCAR on ESPN races and associated programming will be totally produced in High Definition, a first for televised motorsports. Of the approximately 60 to 75 cameras that will be used by ESPN in televising races, more than used in any other sport, all will be HD.
ESPN, a pioneer in the development of in-car cameras during its 20 seasons of NASCAR coverage from 1981-2000, has been preparing for use of HD in-car cameras in advance of the Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 from Daytona on ESPN2 February 17.
The camera systems had to be re-engineered for HD, as did the camera power and transmission systems within the race cars, all while maintaining a delicate balance to not add weight to the cars and possibly affect their performance. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage will also include HD cameras providing other interesting points of view, including grass cam, wall cam, crew cams, pit overhead cams, blimps and multiple robotic cameras at various points around the tracks. In addition to 100% use of HD cameras, ESPN will also produce NASCAR’s top two series with Sportvision technology, which Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer, said no TV network has ever used in Busch Series coverage. Sportvision utilizes satellite technology to create on-screen “pointers” to designate specific cars within a pack, helping viewers distinguish their favorite driver’s car, lead-lap cars and produces telemetry from the race cars to show speeds, braking and other compelling information to viewers. All cars in the races will carry Sportvision transmitters.
ESPN’S NASCAR FUN FACTS:
6 – Tractor-trailer rigs used each event (including pit studio, in-car camera trailer, custom office trailer)
10 – Number of months ESPN’s NASCAR fleet will be on the road (February-November)
26 – Tracks ESPN’s mobile fleet will visit in 2007
38 – NASCAR events ESPN’s mobile fleet will attend in 2007
52 – NASCAR races to be televised live by ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC in 2007 (full 35-race Busch Series season, final 17 Nextel Cup events)
60-75 – HD Cameras used by ESPN to televise a NASCAR race (including in-car cameras)
200 – Credentialed ESPN personnel working on NASCAR each week
78,000 – Weight in pounds of ESPN traveling studio for NASCAR Countdown shows
ESPN commissioned the creation of four of what Feinberg said are “the most sophisticated mobile production units ever built in the history of TV motorsports, designed just for our NASCAR coverage.” Among the innovations within the ESPN-branded units is a radio room in which radio transmissions of all 43 teams in NASCAR races will be recorded during races, allowing producers to be able to lift specific transmissions of any driver or team at any time. “I call it the ultimate TiVo,” said Feinberg.
For its NASCAR Countdown studio shows that will precede all NASCAR race telecasts, ESPN will originate from the most technologically-advanced traveling studio ever used in sports television. The studio, which weighs nearly 78,000 pounds and will travel to 26 NASCAR tracks this season, will allow ESPN to bring the look and feel of its Bristol, Conn.,-based studio shows such as SportsCenter and Sunday NFL Countdown to the tracks.
The mobile pit studio will be outfitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting, three robotic HD cameras and a dramatic, contoured, video display fronting the anchor desk. Situated near the pits at every track, the studio will be elevated 14 feet while in use and 30 foot glass windows will give viewers a look at the cars, grandstands and pageantry prior to the race start. “We want to show the scope and size of the sport,” Feinberg said. Feinberg also said ESPN will have an exciting new animation, graphic and musical package featuring Aerosmith.(ESPN PR)(1-24-2007)
- Brewer, Smith, Chengelis, Blount, Newton Join ESPN: Championship-winning crew chief Tim Brewer and award-winning journalists Marty Smith, Angelique Chengelis, Terry Blount and David Newton have joined the experienced team of hosts, analysts and reporters for NASCAR’s return to the ESPN’s multimedia platforms in 2007.
Aligning their expertise with that of previously announced hosts, analysts and pit reporters -- Brent Musburger, Rusty Wallace, Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro, Dale Jarrett, Brad Daugherty, Shannon Spake and ESPN Deportes’ NASCAR commentators Andrés Agulla and Alex Pombo -- Brewer, Smith, Chengelis, Blount and Newton add more than 75 years of combined experience to the already-accomplished team.
Brewer, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning crew chief for Cale Yarborough in 1978 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981, will join Daugherty and Spake as an analyst on NASCAR Now, the network’s first-ever daily program solely dedicated to NASCAR. Additionally, he also will work from the pit studio on NASCAR Countdown, which will immediately precede all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series races televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
“Tim Brewer’s wealth of knowledge and experience is a tremendous addition to our NASCAR studio programs,” said ESPN coordinating producer Jill Frederickson. “He has more than 35 successful years of history with the sport and we welcome the contributions he will make.”
Smith, a former writer for NASCAR.com, and Chengelis, longtime motorsports writer for the Detroit News, join ESPN as NASCAR Insiders, reporting on the latest news and information behind-the-scenes and breaking stories on teams, drivers, owners and crew chiefs. Two of the industry’s most respected journalists, both will serve several of ESPN’s multi-media platforms, reporting for NASCAR Now, NASCAR Countdown, ESPN Radio, ESPNEWS and SportsCenter, as well as provide weekly content on ESPN.com.
Nationally acclaimed motorsports writers Blount and Newton recently began serving the leading online sports destination, ESPN.com, as part of the one-two punch on the NASCAR beat, providing expanded coverage of NASCAR and other racing events. Their columns are among the many features that NASCAR enthusiasts will find on the Web site, in addition to the weekly Monday Rundown, Wallace’s weekly Rusty Nails It column and regularly updated NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Power Rankings. ESPN.com will continue to collaborate with the popular Jayski’s Silly Season Site that features news, rumors and commentary on the happenings in NASCAR.
“NASCAR continues to have one of the most passionate and dedicated fan bases, and in adding David and Terry to ESPN.com's award-winning editorial staff, we'll be able to deliver extensive news and information to meet the interests of those fans,” said Patrick Stiegman, vice president and executive editor, ESPN.com. "They join the signature voices of Rusty Wallace, Jayski.com and others who provide depth and variety to the coverage we deliver daily."
ESPN’s return to NASCAR kicks off with up-to-date news and information each weekday evening on NASCAR Now, debuting Feb. 5, 2007, at 6:30pm/et on ESPN2.
Coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway takes place Feb. 17, 2007, on ESPN2.
ESPN and ABC will have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season.
ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.(ESPN PR)(12-13-2006)
- ESPN broadcast crew announced UPDATE 3 Daugherty, Petree, Rusty: hearing that the 2007 ESPN/ABC broadcast crew will be announced this week, supposedly Dr. Jerry Punch, former Cup champ Rusty Wallace and former Truck Series owner/NBA Basketball player Brad Daugherty will be in the booth.
UPDATE: been told the announcement will come Thursday, Oct 12th at Lowe's Motor Speedway and the lineup I hear above is NOT correct....(10-9-2006)
UPDATE 2: For years, Brad Daugherty has worked with NASCAR behind the scenes on diversity issues, trying to increase minority interest and representation in what remains a very white sport. Now the Asheville [NC] resident will be front and center as an African-American voice on stock car racing, hosting a television show on ESPN. NASCAR officials have scheduled a press conference today in Charlotte to announce the television crew for ESPN’s 2007 coverage, a group that will include the Black Mountain native and former NBA star on the NASCAR Pit Studio Show. Daugherty has owned race teams in the Busch and Craftsman Truck Series and has served on NASCAR’s ultra-secret Rules and Competition Committee that doles out fines and punishments to drivers, but said he believes he can be a more visible minority voice on television. The Pit Studio Show will provide pre- and post-race coverage and will include segments during races. Daugherty said another racer with WNC ties will be involved with ESPN’s NASCAR coverage. Andy Petree, who operated the APR team out of Flat Rock [NC] that once fielded two Nextel Cup cars, will serve as a race analyst.(Asheville Citizen Times)(10-12-2006)
OFFICIAL: NASCAR will return to ESPN and ABC in 2007 with a powerful and experienced team of television and NASCAR championship veterans, led by host Brent Musburger, an accomplished and prominent sports commentator; Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR champion who made his debut as an analyst in 2006; and play-by-play announcer Jerry Punch, a veteran of ESPN's previous NASCAR coverage. Television newcomer Andy Petree, a former team owner and the 1993-94 championship-winning crew chief for the late Dale Earnhardt, will join Punch and Wallace as an analyst for a booth with nearly 90 years experience in motorsports. The trio will team with veteran pit reporters with a combined 45 additional years of motorsports experience - Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro.
ESPN also is planning for a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute NASCAR Countdown show to immediately precede all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series races televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Musburger will serve as NASCAR Countdown host for all races airing on ABC, including the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and select ESPN races including Daytona and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. NASCAR Countdown will be telecast from a new, state-of-the-art mobile pit studio that also will be an integral part of race telecasts.
All telecasts will be in high-definition under the leadership of ESPN Executive Vice President, Studio and Remote Production Norby Williamson, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Jed Drake, Senior Coordinating Producer Rich Feinberg, who led ESPN's NASCAR efforts in the 1990s, and Senior Motorsports Producer Neil Goldberg, who returns to ESPN after producing FOX's NASCAR races the past six years. Feinberg and Goldberg have won numerous Sports Emmy Awards and were part of the team behind ESPN's motorsports series Speedworld, which won 17 Sports Emmys in the 1990s. Richie Basile, who has served as FOX's NASCAR technical director, will direct.
At a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway Thursday, ESPN also announced that 1999 NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett will join Punch and Petree in the booth for select NASCAR Busch Series races on ESPN2 and ABC.
"When NASCAR returns 'home' to ABC and ESPN, fans will instantly recognize the passion and expertise that distinguished our coverage for 30 years, but now applied with an unprecedented, multimedia commitment," said ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer. "The extent of our coverage and our talent and production team will set a new standard for service to NASCAR fans." ESPN's return to NASCAR kicks off with coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 17, 2007 on ESPN2.
"We are proud to once again call ABC/ESPN our partner," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. "The team has already shown a remarkable enthusiasm for NASCAR in its preparation for its entry in 2007. Sports fans will be the big winners as ESPN will provide terrific NASCAR content on its television broadcasts and beyond including each of its media platforms." Drake added, "As we reunite NASCAR with ESPN, we have assembled a deep and knowledgeable commentator team with varied motorsports backgrounds. Our group will bring the excitement of NASCAR to the audience with the same enthusiasm that NASCAR fans have for their sport."
And to get fans prepared for the new season, NASCAR Now will debut on ESPN2 on Feb. 5, 2007, marking the network's first-ever daily program solely dedicated to NASCAR. NASCAR Now will deliver the most up-to-date news and information each Monday through Friday evening and will feature NASCAR reporters and analysts including five-time NBA All-Star and former winning NASCAR team owner Brad Daugherty, former NASCAR crew chief Frank Stoddard, a 14-race winner with Jeff Burton, and veteran racing TV reporter Shannon Spake among others to be named. Musburger, Daugherty, Stoddard and others will work from the pit studio during the NASCAR Countdown shows and during the race telecasts.
ESPN2 is planning special editions of NASCAR Now to air on the day of all NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, starting with the Daytona 500. A race preview show will air at 11am/et on race day, with a post-race edition to run on ESPN2 in the evening following the event. NASCAR Now and NASCAR Countdown will be produced under the leadership of ESPN Senior Vice President/Managing Editor of Studio Production Mark Gross, Vice President of Studio Production Mike McQuade and Senior Coordinating Producer Jack Obringer.
ESPN's comprehensive coverage also will extend to its new media platforms, with extensive coverage on ESPN.com - the leading online sports destination that reaches as many as 20 million fans per month. Among the many features will be a weekly Monday Rundown, Wallace's weekly Rusty Nails It column and regularly updated NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Power Rankings. In addition, ESPN.com will continue to collaborate with the popular Jayski's Silly Season Site that features news, rumors and commentary on the happenings in NASCAR. Additionally, ESPN Motion, ESPN360 and the ESPN PodCenter will deliver comprehensive multimedia race coverage including select live video, on-demand online video and podcasts.
Also in 2007, ESPN Deportes will become the Spanish-language home of NASCAR, highlighted by a special onsite presentation of the NASCAR Busch Series race from Mexico City in March. ESPN Deportes' NASCAR commentator team will feature Andrés Agulla (play-by-play) and Alex Pombo (analysis). ESPN and ABC will have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races including the 10-race "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" championship on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. ESPN2 is seen in 91.7 million homes, virtually equal to ESPN's 92.3. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.(ESPN PR)(10-12-2006)
Talent/Production Briefs:
Andrés Agulla
" A motorsports broadcast veteran, Agulla handled play-by-play for ESPN's Spanish-language coverage of the IRL IndyCar Series and World Rally Championship. He also serves as host on RPM Semanal, ESPN Deportes' weekly motor sports news and information show.
Richie Basile
" Lead director for NASCAR on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC networks - including ESPN and ABC's 17 NEXTEL Cup telecasts - the 10-race Chase for the Cup - and all NASCAR Busch Series telecasts on ESPN2. Basile has served as FOX Sports' lead technical director on NASCAR and its premier NFL production team for the past six plus years and directed many of FOX's NASCAR telecasts while partnered with Neil Goldberg.
Allen Bestwick
" An award-winning NASCAR television and radio broadcaster who has covered thousands of races in nearly 20 years. Bestwick first began a national broadcast career in racing on MRN Radio. Since 2001, he has served as lead reporter for NBC and TNT on the networks' coverage of NASCAR, as well as provided play-by-play coverage of a variety of other sporting events.
Dave Burns
" A motorsports broadcast veteran who served as a pit reporter on NBC and TNT's NASCAR coverage the last five years. Burns also is a former member of ESPN's racing team, having covered the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998 and 1999. Started his TV career with TNN covering the ASA series.
Brad Daugherty
" A five-time NBA All-Star in eight seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who selected him as the No. 1 pick in the 1986 draft. A follower of NASCAR since his childhood, his #43 jersey was chosen in honor of Richard Petty. Daugherty also spent time as a winning NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series team owner with drivers Robert Pressley, Kenny Irwin Jr. and others. Pressley won a Busch Series race in 1989 in a car owned by Daugherty while Irwin won a Truck Series race for Daugherty in 1997. Daugherty previously served as a college basketball game sideline reporter and analyst for ESPN and ABC.
Jed Drake
" Joined ESPN in 1980 and was named senior vice president and executive producer for ESPN in 2000. Oversees all remote production efforts totaling more than 6,000 hours per year including NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, X Games, Winter X Games, college basketball and football, World Cup soccer and other properties. Helped build and solidify ESPN's position as a production leader, spearheading innovations including the critically acclaimed "1st and Ten" for football and the "K Zone" for baseball telecasts, both Emmy winners.
Rich Feinberg
" Joined ESPN in 1993 and as a coordinating and senior coordinating producer, he and his production teams earned 47 Sports Emmy nominations and 15 awards. He oversees the production of ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC's comprehensive auto racing lineup including NASCAR, Indy Car, NHRA, the Indianapolis 500 and the networks' month-long programming surrounding the Indy 500. Feinberg also remains part of the X Games senior production team and is the senior coordinating producer for the ESPYS.
Jill Frederickson
" ESPN's Coordinating Producer for Motorsports. Oversees all of ESPN and ABC's motorsports productions, including NASCAR. As coordinating producer of remote production since 2003, Frederickson develops the overall vision of ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC's NASCAR coverage. She earned a Sports Emmy in 1996 for her work on the Summer Olympics for NBC.
Neil Goldberg
" Senior motorsports producer for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC including ESPN and ABC's 17 NEXTEL Cup telecasts - the 10-race Chase for the Cup - and NASCAR Busch Series telecasts on ESPN2. He began his career working on NASCAR in 1982 with ESPN and served as a producer of ESPN's NASCAR Winston Cup and other motorsports coverage, which won 17 Sports Emmy Awards and received three CableACE Awards in the live sports series category. In 2001, he joined FOX Sports as the lead race producer for all productions through 2006.
Mark Gross
" Senior vice president and managing editor, studio production for ESPN since 2005, overseeing all studio production for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS. Responsibilities include studio presentation of news on all three networks, including SportsCenter, the NFL, Major League Baseball, College GameDay, NASCAR and features. Had been senior coordinating producer in ESPN's studio production department since January 2003, earning that position after guiding the Saturday morning show College GameDay to its most-watched season ever.
Dale Jarrett
" The 1999 NASCAR champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner will make his television debut in 2007 as an analyst on select Busch Series events. Jarrett and his father, Ned - the 1961 and '65 NASCAR champion who worked for ESPN from 1988 to 2000 as a NASCAR analyst - are just the second father-son combo to win Cup titles. (Lee and Richard Petty)
Jamie Little
" An experienced action sports and motorsports reporter for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, serving as a pit reporter for ESPN's broadcast of the IRL IndyCar Series season the last three years. Additionally, she has covered ESPN's Winter and Summer X Games as a supercross and motocross reporter.
Mike Massaro
" An award-winning reporter for NASCAR who joined ESPN in 2001, he covers motorsports for SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Radio. He also was a reporter for ESPN2's daily motorsports news program RPM2Night (2001-02). He started his racing career as PR director for a Connecticut short track and then reported for MRN Radio from 1997-2000. He also was a reporter for Inside NASCAR on TNN.
Mike McQuade
" Vice president of studio production responsible for all NASCAR studio shows on ESPN and ABC - NASCAR Now and NASCAR Countdown - as well as ESPN2's live morning show Cold Pizza and nightly Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith. Also oversees ESPN's news and information studio coverage of the NBA Finals and major golf events. Joined ESPN in 1987 and held various positions in the production department before assuming current role in 2006.
Brent Musburger
" Joined ABC Sports in May 1990, continues to handle play-by-play for a variety of sports. His assignments have included golf, pro and college football and basketball. He also serves as play-by-play commentator for ESPN, ESPN Radio, and ABC's NBA coverage. Prior to joining ABC Sports, Musburger was with CBS Sports from 1975 through 1990, serving as that network's primary voice for The NFL Today, the NCAA Final Four, U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the NBA Finals and the Masters.
Jack Obringer
" Senior coordinating producer most recently responsible for 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET editions of SportsCenter, as well as NBA FastBreak, NBA Coast to Coast and NASCAR coverage on SportsCenter. Previously a coordinating producer for the 6 p.m. SportsCenter, Monday Night Countdown and ESPNEWS. Prior to joining ESPN, Obringer worked at WNDU-TV in South Bend, Ind., for 16 years, ultimately as assistant news director.
Andy Petree
" A NASCAR veteran whose career includes being a driver, car owner and two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup-winning crew chief for the late Dale Earnhardt. Petree joined Richard Childress Racing as the crew chief for the famous #3 Goodwrench Chevy and won back-to-back NASCAR championships in 1993 and '94. As a driver, Petree raced from 1988 to 2004. As a car owner, Petree worked with Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemecheck, Bobby Hamilton and Greg Biffle.
Alex Pombo
" A former driver, Pombo joined ESPN Deportes in 2005 and handles Spanish-language analysis for IRL IndyCar Series and World Rally Championship alongside Agulla. He also serves as an analyst for RPM Semanal.
Jerry Punch
" One of the busiest and most versatile sports commentators, working an extensive schedule of college football, college basketball and motorsports assignments for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, including NASCAR. In his commentary, Punch calls on knowledge as a former emergency room physician to explain injuries. He received his medical degree from Wake Forest University in 1979 and was the director of emergency room services at a Florida hospital for 14 years, serving two terms as chief of staff. Punch became a track announcer at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina as a teenager and became a garage/pit reporter for MRN Radio in 1980. He became a reporter for ESPN in the mid-1980s while continuing his medical practice.
Shannon Spake
" Has brought the behind-the-scenes stories of NASCAR to viewers while reporting for SPEED Channel's NASCAR Nation and hosting Backseat Drivers. Spake also shared the excitement of NASCAR Champion's Week with viewers when she co-hosted a 2005 special from New York City. Spake most recently was a pit reporter for the All-American Soap Box Derby Championships presented by Levi Strauss Signature on ESPN.
Frank Stoddard
" A longtime NASCAR crew chief who solidified his position in NASCAR's premier series with driver Jeff Burton in the No. 99 Roush Racing Ford. With Stoddard's guidance, Burton drove his way to 14 wins from 1998 to 2002.
Rusty Wallace
" The 1989 NASCAR champion, whose 25-year career included 55 Cup wins. His dynamic personality and knowledge of racing led to a successful debut in ESPN and ABC's IRL booth in 2006, including the Indianapolis 500. Additionally, Wallace has served as a NASCAR analyst for SportsCenter on ESPN. Wallace ranks as one of the top-five money winners in NASCAR history, with nearly $50 million in career earnings.(ESPN PR)(10-12-2006)
- 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)
