In this week’s “Ask the Producer,” FOX producer Neil Goldberg answers the age-old question of why viewers are occassionally forced to miss on-track action due to commercials.
“The shorter the track the more difficult it is at times to get back for all the restarts,” Goldberg said. “When the caution comes out we must replay the reason for the caution, by that time the cars will be coming into pit. Once we have documented that we try to break for commercial. NASCAR has done a really good job of turning around the caution flags and we often get notice for the green with two laps to go. Pace laps at the short tracks can run from 50 seconds to 1 minute, 10 seconds where commercials are often 2:30. It is just a matter of math. We have to get the breaks in. We try to balance telling the story while at the same time meeting the networks sales commitments.”(NASCAR.com)(5-20-2005)
