been asked, here ya go: One would suspect that the race that crowned the championship would be aired on NBC. Instead, NBC showed the Gravity Games and professional bull riding, while TNT had the Rockingham race. Why? NBC spokesperson Mike McCarley said that Turner selected Rockingham as one of its races to show when it partnered with NBC to broadcast the second half of the season in 2001. “Turner’s paying half the freight, so they’re deserving to get some of the great races, too,” McCarley said, noting that Turner also broadcasts the Bristol night race and the Richmond fall night race, among the circuit’s more popular events. Next season there won’t be such a problem with the fall Rockingham race disappearing. Also, with the Summer Olympics on NBC in mid-to-late August, TNT will broadcast the races then and have three races in September. After the Dover race in September, NBC will broadcast the final eight races of the season, assuring that the championship will be shown on that network.( Roanoke Times )(11-12-2003)
