hearing that long time Inside Nextel Cup host [Speed Channel. Monday’s at 8:00pm/et] Allen Bestwick will leave the show sometime within the next month and Wind Tunnel’s Dave Despain will assume host duties of the new look show. And as reported on June 28th, hearing Kevin Harvick will become a expert panelist on the show.(7-11-2005)
UPDATE: from an interview with Speed Channel’s at the The Spin Out Zone (SOZ):
SOZ: Fans who watch SPEED Channel’s “Inside NEXTEL Cup” will soon see a host change. Allen Bestwick mentioned on Monday’s show that he would be leaving the program. Could you tell us why the change, who will host the “Inside NEXTEL Cup” program and should fans expect changes to the expert driver panel?
SC: A lot of thought went into changing the longest running NASCAR show on the network. There is a certain audience comfort level with the current cast and many viewers feel like they are just hanging out with friends when they watch INC. The changes being made are aimed at taking a little more control of the show and giving the viewers a true inside look at the weekends race. Dave [Despain] will replace Allen for the Chase and Johnny will be replaced by a driver currently racing in Cup. Mikey and Kenny both stay on. The feeling with switching hosts was to get a personality that could keep the show a little more focused on the purpose at hand without letting it ramble off too far from the point. There has been some if it aint broke, dont fix it comments, but we thought we could give the viewer a little more than they were getting. NASCAR fans are notorious for being against change of any kind, so well have to wait and see if they hang in there with the new lineup my bet is most will like it.
SOZ: Same assessment for “Wind Tunnel.” The change in the format took place at the beginning of the racing season. It went from a Monday-Thursday program in 2004 to an extended version aired only on Sunday nights in 2005.
SC: Ratings have been about the same, but I think we are expecting a lot of the race fans to start their day at 11 a.m. with NASCAR this Morning, watch the races, watch Victory Lane, watch Speed News and still have energy or time left for Dave Wind Tunnel, more than any show, defines the network and the addition of a weekday edition of the Tunnel is not out of the question.(The Spin Out Zone (SOZ))(7-22-2005)
