April 15, 2013
- Overnight Texas TV Ratings: Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup NRA 500 from Texas Motor Speedway earned a 3.5 overnight rating on FOX, down a tick from last year (3.6), and down 5% from 2011 (3.7). Excluding rainouts, the 3.5 overnight is the lowest ever for the spring Texas race (dates back to 1997). As recently as 2007, when the race was still run on a Sunday afternoon, coverage earned a 5.4 overnight. The 3.5 also ranks as the lowest overnight of the season for any NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The previous low was a 4.0 for the Martinsville race one week earlier. Overall, the NRA 500 ranks as one of the lowest rated NASCAR telecasts ever on FOX in the metered markets; the all-time NASCAR on FOX record-low is a 3.3 overnight. The race still ranked as the top non-golf sporting event of the weekend on broadcast television.(Sports Media Watch / Sports Business Daily), see past races for 2013 and 5-year comparison chart on the 2013 NASCAR TV Ratings page.(4-15-2013)
- Entry List for the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway is posted, 45 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including: #12-Sam Hornish, Jr., #19-Bliss, #32-Hill, #44-Riggs, #51-Smith. #12-Hornish, Jr. and #81-Sadler would have to get in by speed and be in the top 36 in speed as the teams do not have any owners points and cannot use a provisional.
See the full entry list at my Jayski’s Kansas Entry List - Keselowski lashes out at NASCAR UPDATE – no fine: #2-Brad Keselowski lashed out at NASCAR officials after Saturday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway because of NASCAR inspectors forcing his team to change the rear-end housing in the #2 Ford before the race. Both cars for Penske Racing, including teammate #22-Joey Logano, had to make the change moments before the race. Logano barely made it out in time for the green flag. Logano started in the back, but finished fifth. Keselowski finished ninth. “I have one good thing to say,” Keselowski said. “That’s my team and effort they put in today in fighting back with the absolute bull that’s been the last seven days in this garage area. The things I’ve seen over the last seven days have me questioning everything that I believe in, and I’m not happy about it. I don’t have anything positive to say and I probably should just leave it at that.”
But he didn’t. Knowing major penalties are likely for his team, the defending Sprint Cup champion made his feelings clear. “There’s so much stuff going on … you have no f—— idea what’s going on,” he said. “And that’s not your fault and that’s not a slam on you. I could tell you there’s nobody, no team in this garage with the integrity of the 2 team. And the way we’ve been treated over the last seven days is absolutely shameful. I feel like we’ve been targeted over the last seven days more than I’ve ever seen a team targeted. But my guys kept their heads on straight and they showcased why they are a winning team and championship team. We’re not going to take it. We’re not going to be treated this way.”(see more at ESPN.com)(4-14-2013)
UPDATE: Interviewed Monday morning on Fox Business, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Keselowski would not be fined for his comments Saturday night. France said he disagrees with everything Keselowski said, but understands that he was blowing off steam. France also defended NASCAR’s fine of Denny Hamlin earlier in the year.(4-15-2013) - Dish Network to make bid for Sprint Nextel: Dish Network Corp, the No. 2 U.S. satellite television provider, offered to buy Sprint Nextel Corp for $25.5 billion in cash and stock, a move that could thwart the proposed acquisition of Sprint by Japan’s SoftBank Corp. Sprint shares soared 16.2 percent to their highest level since September 2008, leaving them well above the value of the Dish offer on Monday. Dish’s surprise bid is the latest development as the U.S. wireless business undergoes a wave of consolidation. Dish was already in the midst of an unsolicited offer for Clearwire Corp, the wireless company majority-owned by Sprint. Dish said it would pay $4.76 per share in cash and about 0.05953 shares in Dish stock for each Sprint share. The offer, which works out to $7 per share, represents a premium of roughly 12 percent to Sprint’s close on Friday. Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile services provider, agreed in October to sell 70 percent of its shares to SoftBank for $20 billion. No date has been set yet for a vote on that deal. Sprint declined to comment on the Dish offer.(Reuters)(4-15-2013)
- Race and Commercial Breakdown of the 2013 NRA 500: For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown for Sunday’s race. Began recording the times at the Invocation of the race at 7:30 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 11:17 PM (all times are EDT). I did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage. Fox was the broadcast team for this event.
Total number of commercials: 106
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 61
Number of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 98
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 58
Number of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during race broadcast (split-screen): 8
Total number of companies or entities advertised: 5
Number of times Fox utilized ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials during this broadcast: 2
Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 39
Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 6 min.
Start time to record race/commercial periods: 7:30 PM
End time to record race/commercial periods: 11:17 PM
Total minutes of complete race broadcast: 227
Minutes of race broadcast: 180
Minutes of traditional commercials (not split-screen): 47
Minutes of ‘Side-by-Side’ commercials (split-screen): 4
Number of missed restarts: 0
Number of ‘mystery cautions’ (debris not shown): 3
Total race brdcst time 180 Total comm. brdcst time 47
Commercials during race broadcast: ‘Side-by-Side’ (‘Thank you!’ to all of the participating sponsors!)
7:57 PM – 7:59 PM
Sprint.com/drive ‘No Texting & Driving’ (Dale Earnhardt Jr.); Toyota #LetsGoPlaces; Coca-Cola Racing Family (Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin); GoodYear (various drivers)
10:59 PM – 11:01 PM
Sprint.com/drive ‘No Texting & Driving’ (Dale Earnhardt Jr.); Toyota Tundra?Endeavour; Pepsi Max – Test Drive (Jeff Gordon); Subway (Carl Edwards)
See full rundown and past races at CawsnJaws.com.(4-15-2013) - Penske penalties will set precedent for Gen-6 cars: It might not have been all that tough a decision for NASCAR to confiscate rear-end housing and pieces from the Penske Racing cars Saturday afternoon. If the parts are illegal, they’re illegal and must be removed. Now comes the hard part. The penalties. NASCAR has not taken a rear-end housing in Cup in nearly five years, with Kyle Busch having rear-end housing taken postrace in 2008 but then having it determined legal. With NASCAR having made several rules this year to reduce the amount of chicanery being done to the rear-ends the car, it is likely they’re not going to treat Penske teams with kid gloves. The only question is how many points and if a suspension is involved. Because it is a new car, NASCAR doesn’t really have precedent for what the penalties are. Whatever they do sets the bar for future “Gen-6” car penalties.
This will be an interesting week no doubt. Keselowski and team owner Roger Penske will be alongside NASCAR brass in meeting with President Barack Obama on Tuesday. So expect no penalties to be announced that day. Maybe Monday. More likely Wednesday.(Sporting News)(4-15-2013) - Chip Ganassi selling to John Menard? UPDATE: One of the hottest stories in the garage Thursday was intense speculation that veteran team owner Chip Ganassi may be considering selling his two-team NASCAR operation to John Menard. Menard, who owns the Midwestern home improvement chain Menards, is a long-time racer, and he is currently sponsoring his son Paul’s NASCAR team, part of the Richard Childress organization. Ganassi and Childress are both Chevy men. Childress supplied Ganassi’s two teams (with #1-Jamie McMurray and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya) with engines until this season, when Ganassi switched to Hendrick motors. Of the sport’s top eight team owners, Ganassi this season ranks seventh in finishes. Of particular disappointment is Montoya, who is averaging a 27th place finish; Montoya’s last top-10 was at Michigan last June, and his last tour win was at Watkins Glen in the summer of 2010. McMurray’s seventh at Martinsville last weekend was his best finish in over a year.(MikeMulhern.net)(4-12-2013)
UPDATE: Don’t put too much stock in John Menard to buy Ganassi team rumors. Ganassi likes competing in various series and his NASCAR teams are showing a little improvement in recent weeks. That’s not to say that Paul Menard couldn’t end up taking his sponsorship to Ganassi, but he could pick other stronger operations to bring his money.(Sporting News)(4-15-2013) - Hornish testing at Mid-Ohio: Sam Hornish, Jr., driver of the #12 Alliance Truck Parts / WURTH Ford Mustang for Penske Racing is testing at Mid-Ohio Monday, April 15. The test is open to fans for free from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fans looking to attend the test are asked to enter at Gate 3. The Infield and The Keyhole will be open. The tower, pits, paddock and garage area are closed to fans. Fans are welcome to take photos and videos of the cars on track as well as bring food and/or drinks as concession stands will be closed.(Mid-Ohio PR)(4-15-2013)
- New website to assist Michigan Speedway guests: Whether you are a first-time visitor to Michigan International Speedway or a long-time guest, NASCAR’s fastest track has a new website to help educate guests about MIS and NASCAR. The track has launched www.myMISpeedway.com to aid guests before they attend NASCAR events at the track. With a growing number of fans at MIS being first-timers or guests who are returning after an absence, one of our track’s missions has become to educate fans to help them make the most of their experience while at the track. myMISpeedway.com features videos that describe everything at MIS from how to use the trams to how to use FanVision. What is the Rookie Pit Stop at MIS? How does a guest navigate the New Holland Fan Plaza? Watch a series of short videos as Curtis and other speedway employees walk guests through everything needed to know to being a NASCAR fan. Like anything, the website will evolve as content and competition change. The speedway’s staff will always be on the lookout for new content and fun ways to make the website helpful, educational and worthwhile.(MIS)(4-15-2013)
Main Page | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997