There were two major storylines Sunday in the Dickies 500: Jimmie Johnson coughing up some of the points lead to Carl Edwards and Edwards’s unbelievable stretching of fuel to win the race. Johnson’s problems became entrenched before the midpoint of the race when the No. 48 team fell back to 25th in the running order …
ESPN’s Sprint Cup portion of its broadcast schedule for 2008 has seen its ups and downs. Unfortunately for the network, recurring mistakes have overshadowed some of its other more solid efforts. At Atlanta, however, ESPN minimized its obvious mistakes and broadcast a very consistent race. Besides the championship standings, the big story heading into the …
The television coverage of Chase race number six at Martinsville achieved approximately the same quality level as the other five Chase races. Unfortunately, the network team in front of and behind the camera has not made much progress in correcting ongoing mistakes and heeding to repeated suggestions. At the same time, the things throughout NASCAR …
The Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte did not produce many exciting storylines besides the weekly plight of the Chasers. ESPN reported on the state of these drivers well, however, and also made a move in the race’s first half that went above and beyond that coverage. As stated many times …
A defining race like Sunday’s slugfest at Talladega Superspeedway is only as important to those viewing it as the network covering the broadcast allows it to be. If details are left out or if the excitement factor is either too hyped or not ratcheted up enough, then the whole complexion of a race can turn …
Whether you are a fan of the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup or not, there is no arguing that the 10-race showdown is the sport’s current playoff format. Much like the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL, the top teams in NASCAR are separated from the rest, have their records reset and are forced to …
Consistent television coverage complemented a great race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. ESPN not only executed much of its normal coverage well, but also added some extra tools to its telecast, providing a better race for viewers to take in. However, as we’ve seen all too often this season, the network fell short of …
Despite all of the resources and talent ESPN possesses, its 2008 NASCAR coverage has been less than spectacular at best. Some moves made in preparation for and during the season – like replacing Rusty Wallace with Dale Jarrett in the booth – have proven to be ingenius, especially since Wallace seems to fit in well …
Just like Bristol a couple of weeks ago, made-for-TV storylines saturated Sunday’s Richmond race as much as Tropical Storm Hanna soaked the area late Friday and early Saturday. Not only were several drivers vying for the final transfer positions into the top 12 in the standings – thus qualifying them for the Chase – but …
The last few Labor Day weekends have been a mark of remorse and anger for many of the NASCAR faithful since the Southern 500 was snatched from legendary Darlington Raceway and moved to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. The racing in California has been less than thrilling and is reflected by sparse attendance at …
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