NASCAR TV News Page 2

Nov. 2004 - April 2005

April 26, 2005

NASCAR Not Happy with SPEED: It appears NASCAR is "punishing" Speed Channel by declining to make its officials accessible after a reporter had the audacity to ask a legitimate question over the weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.  NASCAR's nose is out of joint because a reporter asked an on-camera question about the departure of a Busch Series official following inspection issues involving the No. 1 Dodge at Texas Motor Speedway the previous week. (ThatsRacin)

April 21, 2005

More Night Races in 2006? NBC's new contract to broadcast NFL games next year could affect NASCAR Nextel Cup racing.  NBC officials announced Monday a six-year deal to broadcast Sunday night NFL games beginning in 2006. Next year also is the final year of NBC's contract to broadcast NASCAR Cup and Busch races. So next fall, NBC is scheduled to carry both stock-car racing and pro football on the same day.  That could conflict with NASCAR's plan to start Cup races later to reach more fans.  "The schedule is going to be interesting for 2006 because of this," said Humpy Wheeler, who is a member of NASCAR's TV committee and is president of Lowe's Motor Speedway.  "I think there probably is going to be more pressure to run some Saturday night races that don't have them now."  Wes Harris, spokesman for International Speedway Corp., which operates 12 tracks that host Cup races, said more Saturday night racing could be possible.  "We'll look at it if it makes sense for the track as well as NASCAR and the broadcast partners," Harris said. "A lot of times you get better ratings on Sunday than Saturday for the same race."  (Roanoke)

April 20, 2005

NBC Looks to Continue NASCAR relationship: On the heels of securing a lucrative, Sunday night broadcast package with the National Football League, NBC says broadcasting NASCAR is very much in its future plans.  "We love our relationship with NASCAR," said Mike McCarley, vice president for sports communications at NBC. "We feel like we have a very strong relationship with NASCAR and we certainly want to keep that relationship going."  NBC, TNT and FOX ponied up a total of $2.8 billion dollars in 2000 for the rights to broadcast Cup and Busch Series races beginning in 2001. NBC's portion of the deal ends at the end of the 2006 season, but McCarley hopes that isn't where their partnership with NASCAR ends. (NASCAR)

April 18, 2005

TEXAS NASCAR Ratings Down: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 from Texas Motor Speedway earned a 5.0 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research and an 11 market share, today's Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Daily reports. While the race was the weekend's highest-rated sports event, the rating was down from the overnight 5.6/13 (with the Albuquerque, N.M., market missing) earned by the Texas Samsung/Radio Shack 500 race last year, when the event was run on the first weekend in April, and the 5.8/13 in 2003.

April 14, 2005

Burton TV Responsibility: Jeff Burton told "Sirius Speedway" (Sirius Satelite Radio) Wednesday that while TV networks bear some share of responsibility for televising incidents like the one that caused NASCAR to fine driver Shane Hmiel last week, the ultimate responsibility still lies with the drivers themselves. "This stuff happens on the spot, without you knowing you're on TV," he said. I have an in-car camera every week, and if some driver rolls by and gives me the finger n national TV, is that his fault? Is he going to get penalized? We have to hold ourselves to a high standard, and I support NASCAR in its efforts to clean things up. But where does it stop? The networks are the backup, backup, backup plan. They need to help keep things off TV that they don't want their viewers to see. But it's our responsibility as drivers not to put them in that position. We'd like them to help us out, but it's still our responsibility." (Sirius Satelite Radio)

April 12, 2005

Martinsville Ratings: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Advance Auto Parts 500 from Martinsville Speedway earned an overnight rating of 4.6 and an 11 share from Nielsen Media Research. The 2004 spring race at Martinsville, which was run a week later and was not aired against CBS's coverage of the 2004 Masters golf tournament, drew overnight figures of 4.4/11 for the first portion from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. before the race was red-flagged after the track surface broke up. It earned a 5.4/11 for the portion from 5 to 6:45 after repairs were made. (Street & Smith's)

April 9, 2005

NASCAR Outscores NBA Home teams: How hot is NASCAR Cup racing this spring? Hot enough that Sunday's Bristol 500 on Fox drew higher TV ratings than ABC's coverage of the NBA - in four cities that had home teams playing that day: Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. (Winston Salem Journal)

April 8, 2005

Final Bristol Numbers Best Ever: Bristol Motor Speedway says Fox's broadcast of last Sunday's Food City 500 earned a 6.3 final Nielsen Media Research rating as it drew a track record viewership of more than 9.75 million people. The rating is 5.0% higher than the 6.0 the race drew for Fox last year and is also 5.0% higher than the 6.0 earned by the 2004 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, which aired the same weekend last year. The track says 6.9 million households viewed the race, a 7% increase from the 2004 spring race. (NASCAR Scene)

April 6, 2005

Russo Hired at NBC: General Electronic has promoted Alana Russo, previously Manager of Communications at their MSNBC unit, was today named Manager, Communications, NBC Sports. The announcement was made by Mike McCarley, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. Russo will develop and execute strategic communications plans for NBC Sports and promote NBC's sports broadcast partnerships. She will be the primary media contact for horse racing and NASCAR, among other NBC Sports properties. Russo joins NBC Sports from MSNBC, where she oversaw national publicity efforts for "Hardball with Chris Matthews," "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and events and specials, including MSNBC's coverage of the 2004 Presidential Election and "JFK: The Day That Changed America." Russo joined MSNBC as a publicist in 2002. Previously, she was a communications assistant at FOX Sports. (NBC)

April 5, 2005

Ratings up at Bristol:  Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway drew a 5.6 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research and a 13 share from the nation's largest markets. The rating represents a 7.9% increase from the overnight rating for the 2004 spring Bristol race, which was contested on the last weekend of March. The numbers match the overnight figures from the spring Texas Motor Speedway race of 2004, when it was run on the first weekend of April, although those Nielsen figures were reported to be incomplete because one market was not included. (SportsBusiness Daily)

HDNet and NASCAR: HDNet and NASCAR announced today the schedule for the second season of NASCAR's high-definition television package on HDNet. This year, HDNet will feature 20 live telecasts from the NASCAR Grand National Division, a tier of NASCAR's regional racing series which includes the Busch North Series and West Series.  "NASCAR Grand National Division on HDNet" coverage began Jan. 30 from Phoenix International Raceway, and continues Saturday, April 9, with a West Series race, the Lucas Oil 150 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. The first Busch North Series race on HDNet will be at Thompson International Speedway on Sunday, June 12. HDNet's coverage will also feature select races from NASCAR's AutoZone Elite Division. "We are really excited to continue our relationship with NASCAR," said Mark Cuban, co-founder and president of HDNet. "HDNet viewers are committed NASCAR fans and we are excited to provide them race action like they have never seen it before."   "We are thrilled to be entering into our second season with HDNet and their spectacular high-definition production of NASCAR," said Jeffrey Pollack, Managing Director, Broadcasting and New Media, NASCAR Digital Entertainment. "With twenty live races scheduled for broadcast, fans will be able to enjoy a front row seat for more action than ever before and the entire series will benefit from increased exposure on this cutting-edge channel." The HDNet broadcast team of Pat Patterson, Mike Hogewood and Kandace Krueger will return to host the programs, which will be produced and telecast in 1080i HDTV. SPEED Channel will also re-air each of the HDNet-produced NASCAR Grand National Division races in standard definition. (HDNet PR)

March 31, 2005

Final Atlanta Ratings: Final Nielsen Media Research figures show that Fox's broadcast of the March 20 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway drew a 5.5 rating and a 13 share, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 12.2 percent higher than the 4.9 overnight rating for the race from the nation's largest television markets. The rating was down 3.5 percent from Fox's broadcast of Atlanta's 2004 spring race, which was run a week earlier and did not compete with CBS's coverage of the men's NCAA basketball tournament. The final 5.5 rating for Atlanta was down 1.8 percent from the 5.6 rating that Fox drew for the 2004 Darlington race, which was run on the comparable weekend. (Nielson TV Ratings)

Harvick on TODAY

March 29, 2005

National Commercials Features Drivers: April marks National Car Care Month and to kick off the annual consumer awareness campaign, the NASCAR Automotive Licensing division is launching a nationally televised Public Service Announcement (PSA) promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.     The PSA, which has been distributed to more than 600 television stations nationwide, will begin airing April 1st and will feature numerous NASCAR celebrities including: Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Wallace, Kyle Petty, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Newman, Dale Jarrett, Ray Evernham, and Larry McReynolds among others.  Fans are set for 30 seconds of fast-paced entertainment geared by their favorite NASCAR drivers and personalities reminding motorists to Be Car Care Aware and promoting the importance of preventative vehicle maintenance. The PSA can be viewed at www.NASCARmedia.com. (CCNS PR)

March 22, 2005

NASCAR Wife Patty Petty on A&E: Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge, will be one of four wives featured in A&E’s special presentation: SPORTS WIVES, premiering Wednesday, March 23, 9-11pm (ET).  The behind-the-scenes feature will profile Petty at the track and at home giving viewers a look at what it is like to be a wife of a professional athlete.  The feature will also highlight Petty’s dedication to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a charitable organization aimed at enriching the lives of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty’s in honor of their son Adam. (Williams Company)

Overnight Ratings for Atlanta down: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's Golden Corral 500 drew a 4.9 overnight rating and an 11 share from Nielsen Media Research, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 8.2 percent lower than the 5.3 overnight figure the race drew in 2004, when it was contested a week earlier on the calendar and was not broadcast opposite CBS's coverage of the NCAA's men's basketball tournament. The Sports Business Daily reported that CBS averaged a 7.1 overnight rating for its three broadcast windows of games Sunday, a 10.9 percent increase over last year. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

March 18, 2005

Fox Sports Loses David Hill, More NASCAR on DirecTV? Rupert Murdoch on Thursday tapped his longtime go-to guy, David Hill, to become president of the newly created DirecTV Entertainment group, with a goal of jazzing up the satellite television giant's offerings.  One of sports' most influential executives, Hill will remain chairman of the Fox Sports Television Group but will give up day-to-day management duties. News Corp. owns Fox and is DirecTV's largest shareholder. The 58-year-old Hill will join El Segundo-based DirecTV Group Inc. on April 11 and report to DirecTV Chief Executive Chase Carey. At Fox Sports, Hill earned a reputation for innovation. He instituted such flourishes as fixed scoreboards at the bottom of the screen, the yellow first-down line in professional football and "Catcher Cam" for Major League Baseball games. He also is credited with developing NASCAR's popularity as a television sport. Now, Hill said he planned to augment DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package, which has about 2 million subscribers. He also is contemplating more shows about the action surrounding a NASCAR race, "the behind the scenes stuff that you never see." His continued presence with Fox Sports will allow him to integrate more of Fox's offerings into DirecTV, the company said. (LA Times)

March 15, 2005

TV Ratings in, Vegas Race up: Fox's broadcast of Sunday's UAW/DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway drew a 5.8 overnight rating from Nielsen Media Research and a 12 share and was the highest-rated sports show of the weekend, today's Sports Business Daily reports. The rating is 5.5 percent higher than the 5.5 overnight rating Fox drew for the race in 2004, but it was well below the 7.1 overnight rating Fox drew for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway and the 6.3 overnight rating the Las Vegas race drew for Fox in 2003. CBS's broadcast of the selection show for the NCAA men's basketball tournament finished second this weekend with a 5.7 overnight rating. (Scene Plus)

NBC and TNT continues TV Deal: NBC and Turner Sports will continue to pursue NASCAR television rights in a joint venture, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Media writer Andy Bernstein says NBC will not bring its new cable partner, USA Network, into its effort but will continue its NASCAR rights discussions with Turner, which broadcasts races on its TNT cable station. The NBC/TNT deal, which is said to be worth about $200 million a year, expires after the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Fox's deal for the first half of the season, which is said to be worth $220 million a year, could be extended to 2008 if NASCAR exercises a two-year option.  (Scene Plus)

March 7, 2005

NASCAR On ABC World News: Lowe's Chevrolet Driver Adrian Ferandez and the Lowe's Busch Series Chevrolet will be part of ABC World New Tonight's With Peter Jenning story Monday on NASCAR in Mexico City. The telecast airs at 6:30pm/et on your local ABC affiliate.

March 4, 2005

Final Ratings in, Records for Top NASCAR Divisions: Cup The final national rating of 7.9, the FOX broadcast of last Sunday's Auto Club 500 from California Speedway is the highest rated non-Daytona 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event since the second race of the 2001 season, according to data released by FOX Sports. It was also the top rated sports television event of the weekend.  In addition, the Los Angeles market rating rose 33 percent to a 4.0 rating for last Sunday's race, from a 3.0 rating for last year's Auto Club 500, which was contested in May, according to FOX Sports information.  The Auto Club 500 on FOX has seen its rating grow from a 5.3 rating in 2003 to a 6.1 rating in 2004. This year's race was the first time the event was held as the second race of the season, coming off the Daytona 500, which garnered a 10.9 television rating on FOX. Last year's final national rating for the second NASCAR event on FOX was 6.6. Busch The Stater Bros. 300, broadcast Feb. 26 on FX, was the highest-rated NASCAR Busch Series event in FX broadcast history and had a 55% increase in households (2,212,000) over the season’s second race last year at Rockingham (1,424,000), also broadcast on FX. In addition, viewers (3,305,000) increased 83% over last year’s second event (1,803,000).

Kulwicki Film, Treat for fans: Like the NASCAR champion whose life, ascension and untimely death it chronicles, "Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story" will arrive on the scene with minimal fanfare and tremendous hope. The locally produced film, made for about a half-million dollars, is set to open on April 1, the 12th anniversary of Kulwicki's fatal plane crash, in limited release in the Milwaukee area, where Kulwicki grew up, and around Wisconsin and in Bristol, Tenn., where he died. Then plans call for the film to move across the upper Midwest while also following the NASCAR circuit from market to market. Included is a second premiere in Charlotte, N.C., coinciding with the Nextel All-Star Challenge and Coca-Cola 600 in May. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Burton on the Tube: Ward Burton will appear on several outdoor television programs during the months of March and April. Burton has been extremely busy lately. In addition to filming outdoor programs he has been spending time with different youth originations as well as raising funds for the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation.  The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation hosted two terminally ill boys, ages 13 and 15, from the United Special Sportsman Alliance this past December 19th-21st at the Foundation property. While spending time with Burton, the boys participated in deer and turkey hunting as well as learning about the outdoors. Burton donated his time and the foundation resources making sure the event was both enjoyable and memorable. The event was filmed by and will be aired on Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Television. "We all had a great time. I appreciate Bass Pro Shops providing the hunting apparel for the unseasonable cold temperatures that we had," stated Burton. The program will air on the Outdoor Channel on the following dates: Tuesday, March 8, 11:30 PM; Thursday, March 10, 2:30 PM; and Sunday, March 13, 9:30 PM. (NASCAR)

March 1, 2005

Record NASCAR television Ratings: The Auto Club 500 Nextel Cup race Sunday at California Speedway received a 7.1 overnight national TV rating on Fox, the highest overnight rating in history for any NASCAR event other than the Daytona 500. It topped the 7.0 rating for the Feb. 25, 2001 race at Rockingham, N.C. That race was the week after Dale Earnhardt's death in the Daytona 500. (Dallas News)

Michael Waltrip Poker on Speed: Beginning April 7, the Speed Channel will air a series of specials on the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament that was held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Palms.  Waltrip was joined in the Texas Hold'em tournament by fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Elliott Sadler and Hermie Sadler and TV analyst Bennie Parsons.  The series will run in 1-hour installments on Thursday evenings from April 7 to May 19, and the June 2 series finale will be a 2-hour special. SPEED Channel put up the $100,000 prize money, with half going to Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp through Waltrip's "Operation Marathon" and the other half going to the charity of the winner's choice. (Speed PR)

Feb. 28, 2005

Speed Channel Outgrowing Itself: Two motorsports-related media companies are searching for new homes, with the potential for collaborating on a 125,000-square-foot hub in the region opening as soon as 2007. Speed Channel, owned by News Corp., which also owns the Fox network, and NASCAR Images, a joint venture between the stock-car sanctioning body and News Corp., have outgrown their existing facilities. Speed Channel occupies 19,000 square feet on Southern Pines Blvd.; NASCAR Images, a film archive and video production company, has 30,000 square feet on Stuart Andrew Blvd. Speed Channel works closely with NASCAR Images on much of the network's stock-car programming. "The idea that could make financial sense (for building a new headquarters) is that we're together," says Jim Liberatore, Speed Channel president. (Biz Journal)Feb. 27, 2005

Arnold Trackside Today: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will participate in prerace festivities for today's Auto Club 500 (GNEXT Notes)

NASCAR drivers on Larry King Live: Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip and Richard and Kyle Petty, will appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" at 9 p.m. Monday.  (Larry King Page)

Feb. 23, 2005

NASCAR & Mexican Media Mishap: Drivers who make their living weaving race cars through a crowded track at high speeds were stymied by the streets of the Mexican capital on Wednesday.  Traffic in Mexico City kept two featured guests away and delayed by more than an hour the start of a media event to promote a U.S. stock car event. Only one of the promised drivers eventually showed up. The media event was to be attended by Adrian Fernandez and Michel Jourdain Jr., the best known of 10 Mexican drivers who will compete in the March 6 race, an event on the NASCAR Busch Series. Local reporters began hissing and whistling when the event hadn't started nearly an hour after it was supposed to. Organizers said traffic had delayed the drivers. Only little-known driver Jorge Goeters appeared. The news conference ended abruptly when a local newspaper reporter took the microphone and demanded to know how professional racers could be so delayed by regular traffic. "Aren't they better drivers than all of us?" he asked, drawing a spattering of applause. (CBS Sportsline)

NASCAR Performance Trackside: NASCAR fans will once again get an all access pass to the latest strategy and technology inside the NASCAR garage when NASCAR Performance returns to SPEED Channel Feb. 26. This weekly program, which will broadcast trackside Saturdays, 6:30 – 7 p.m. EST, provides a sophisticated crew chiefs’ perspective on the hottest NASCAR topics live from the SPEED stage each week. NASCAR crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Robert “Bootie” Barker will join the weekend's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup pole-winning crew chief to discuss the technical side and the team side of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. In addition to originating trackside from the SPEED stage venue, also new to the show this year is veteran NASCAR analyst Dick Berggren. Berggren, who will serve as host for the show, brings over thirty years of motorsports experience as a driver, journalist and broadcaster. “We are excited about moving NASCAR Performance to the SPEED Channel stage live from every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event this season," said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel Senior Vice President Programming/Production and Executive Producer. "We believe great talent from an energized location will make for a strong and fan friendly program in the 2005 NASCAR TV lineup on SPEED." (SPEED PR)

Feb. 22, 2005

NASCAR to Move Daytona 500 into Primetime: If NASCAR gets its way -- and as the No. 2 sport on television, it usually does -- next year's Daytona 500 will have a new time slot. Considered the Super Bowl of stock car racing, the Daytona 500 is likely to move to a 5 p.m. starting time so it can end during prime time to attract a bigger audience and higher advertising dollars, just like football's Super Bowl. (Florida Times-Union)

Craftsman Truck Draw Biggest Rating Ever: SPEED Channel's live coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night from Daytona International Speedway scored a Nielsen Rating of 2.1 (1,330,000 households), the highest rating for any program in network history. "We're obviously very excited to start our 2005 NASCAR season like this," said SPEED Channel President Jim Liberatore. "SPEED enjoyed a strong offseason in the ratings and a lot of us had an expectation that this could be a breakout year for the network. (Nielson TV Ratings)

Feb. 21, 2005

FOX televises highest rated Daytona 500: FOX's 10.9 ties the highest rating ever recorded for a NASCAR race, matching the rating set for the 2002 Daytona 500 on NBC, and is up +3% vs. last year's race on NBC (10.6/24). Yesterday's 18.7 million viewers makes it the second most-watched NASCAR race ever (18.8 for the 2002 Daytona 500), the most-watched ever on FOX, and +5% better than a year ago (17.8 million). Nielsen estimates that 35.3 million Americans watched all or part of yesterday's race, another best for FOX.The 2005 Daytona 500 caps the biggest twelve month viewership period in FOX Sports' 11-year history. In the calendar year beginning with last year's NASCAR Nextel Cup race in Rockingham and ending with the 2005 Daytona 500, FOX totaled just under 1.3 billion viewers, the network's largest total ever for any twelve month period. In addition to regular season coverage of NASCAR, MLB and the NFL, the last 12 months saw FOX Sports broadcast the MLB All-Star Game, postseason and World Series, the NFL postseason, including the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXXIX, plus yesterday's Daytona 500. (FoxSports) Note: Expect the numbers to increase over 11.0 as the small market numbers come in by Thursday for final rating.  NASCAR traditionally does very well in small markets.

Feb. 17, 2005

NASCAR TV Notes, Crack it Up and NASCAR inDemand: Fox's Crank It Up segment, when the announcers go silent while viewers hear the roar of the cars' engines, will be enhanced by Fox's switch to Dolby 5.1 audio for the 100-plus microphones installed at the Daytona International Speedway. ... The Daytona 500 and all Fox NASCAR races will be televised in high definition this year, according to Fox's Tim Buckman. ... NASCAR fans who want deeper TV coverage at Daytona can watch NASCAR IN CAR, a pay cable digital sports package allowing viewers to see the race through three cameras mounted in each of seven cars. Price: $99 for the season, $79 by Feb. 27, from inDemand. (USAToday)

Feb. 16, 2005

Shootout Draws More than Pro Bowl: For only the second time, Fox's NASCAR Bud Shootout on Saturday night outrated the NFL's Pro Bowl. ESPN's Pro Bowl posted a 5.1 cable rating (4.2 broadcast network rating), a jump of 6% compared to last year's 4.8 cable rating (3.9 on broadcast network). But the football game was topped by Fox's 5.3 national rating. The only other occasion when the Bud Shootout prevailed was in 2001.(USA Today)

Feb. 14, 2005

NASCAR Drives FOX to #1 On Saturday: Fox’s coverage of the season-opening Bud Shootout NASCAR race lifted the network to No. 1 among adults 18-49 Saturday. Fox had a 3.7 average 18-49 rating for the night. NBC finished second Saturday night at 2.4/8, while ABC and CBS tied for third, each at 2.0/6.  Fox led at 8 p.m. the race averaging a 3.7 among 18-49s. NBC was second with a 2.0 average for a repeat of “Law & Order” and ABC third with a 1.8 average for an hour of Peanuts and Winnie the Pooh Valentine’s Day specials.Fox led again at 9 p.m. with another 3.7 average. CBS was second with a 2.3 average for a “CSI” repeat, while NBC finished third with a 2.2 average for a repeat of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” (Nielson Ratings)

New Cam on Fox: Cable Cam, a staple on TV football, made its debut this weekend in NASCAR. Fox brought its overhead camera and its crew straight from Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville to Saturday's Budweiser Shootout, an exhibition setting up next weekend's Daytona 500. The camera, rolling 30 feet above ground and capable of going 20 mph, rolled above pit row. It also rolled above the finish line to provide what Fox vice president Jerry Steinberg described Sunday as "a shot no one has seen before." After the Daytona 500, Steinberg said, Fox will "pick its spots" to use the camera since it costs "something like" $50,000 an event. (USA Today)

Feb. 11, 2005

NASCAR to show 500 in HDTV in Theaters: NASCAR has announced plans to show the Daytona 500 in the high-definition format in two movie theaters. The event is scheduled to air at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 in New York and the Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 in Irvine, Calif. Plans call for show-car displays at the theaters and the opportunity to win passes to NASCAR events and other prizes.. Ticket details are to be announced in media promotions in New York and Los Angeles. (Winston Cup Scene)

NASCAR TV Notes: Turner senior vice-president Greg Hughes said Bill Weber (to play-by-play) and Allen Bestwick (to prerace host) will switch roles on NBC/TNT NASCAR races In addition, NASCAR likely will extend Fox's two-year option through the 2008 season. But the NBC/TNT deal expires after the 2006 season, and ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said at his company's marketing seminar Oct. 27 that NASCAR topped the list of additional properties he would want.  Coincidentally, ESPN has stepped up its coverage of NASCAR for SportsCenter this year. ESPN NASCAR reporter Mike Massaro and ESPN NASCAR analyst Dr. Jerry Punch will drive SportsCenter's Daytona 500 coverage from February 15 through comprehensive post-race analysis. Kenny Mayne will host SportsCenter reports that will include interviews with drivers and other pertinent crew members and owners. Marlo Klain will report for ESPNEWS. Coverage will include... Checkout NASCAR TV Section (In Part By USA Today's Rudy Martze)

Feb. 10,  2005

NASCAR Chevy Safety Ad Campaign Kicks Off: A coalition of government, business, advocacy and sport today announced new television spots promoting the use of safety belts and the proper use of child safety seats.   The Chevrolet Division of General Motors is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign to air advertisements and public service announcements featuring NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Burton.  "The first message from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is to get people to buckle up, every time, on every trip," said Chevrolet General Marketing Manager Brent Dewar. "The second, from Jeff Burton, is for parents, caregivers and grandparents to make sure child safety seats are secured properly."  (Yahoo!)

Feb. 8, 2005::

ASCAR iN DEMAND Announcement:  iN DEMAND Networks and NASCAR Digital Entertainment (NDE) today announced the 2005 season premiere of NASCAR IN CAR, television's first enhanced multi-channel digital sports package. The third full season begins with a free preview of the Daytona 500, which airs on FOX at 1:00 PM ET, on Sunday, February 20, 2005.   NASCAR IN CAR offers subscribers the chance to be in the passenger seat during every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. The Emmy(R) Award-winning package has received widespread recognition for its innovative and groundbreaking technology. Available only on digital cable, NASCAR IN CAR allows fans to switch from car to car with their digital cable remote and add more choice and control to their viewing experience.(Yahoo)

Feb. 7, 2005::

Speed and Airborne Entertainment: Airborne Entertainment Inc., mobile publisher, announced an exclusive wireless partnership with Speed Channel. The deal will take millions of racing fans along for the ride as it brings the network's high-octane properties to mobile for the first time ever. Fans of Speed Channel will be able to download an ever-expanding array of wallpapers, videos, ringtones, games and applications directly on their phones. Each Speed Channel-inspired product promises to put fans into overdrive with content that's as fast and furious as the network itself. Speed Channel will be joining Airborne's roster of recognizable media and consumer brands. Current partners include MAXIM Magazine, Activision Value, Cosmopolitain and CosmoGirl, Buzztime, Snapple, Family Guy, Fox Filmed Entertainment, TV Guide, The NHL and MTV Europe. An introductory suite of Speed Channel products will be available on North American carriers shortly. (Speed TV  PR)

January 27, 2005 - Latest Apprentice fired lands at NASCAR Nation: John Willenborg didn't get picked by Donald Trump to run a company, but he has found life on TV after "The Apprentice."  Willenborg, who was a contestant on the second cycle of "The Apprentice," has joined the Speed Channel's new series "NASCAR Nation," which will look at life behind the scenes in stock car racing.  The show will launch Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. with Ralph Sheheen and Courtney George as the key anchors. Krista Voda will be a senior correspondent. Connie LeGrand will handle news, Marty Smith will cover business, and Michelle Fizer and Willenborg will be field reporters.  Covering auto racing isn't a stretch for Willenborg. Long before his time with Trump, he was an intern at Speed Channel. (New York Daily News)

NASCAR Nation Replaces Totally NASCAR: SPEED Channel's much-anticipated new show, NASCAR Nation, will make its debut on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Airing each week of the race season, Monday through Thursday, NASCAR Nation will be the signature show for SPEED's NASCAR TV block of programming, concentrating heavily on features and all-access content.   "Much of what SPEED Channel has done with NASCAR since re-launching the network in 2002 has been about the racing and what's going on at the track," said SPEED Channel President Jim Liberatore. "We are proud of the way the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series audience has grown since moving to SPEED, and with the successful development of programming from our traveling SPEED Stage. SPEED Channel felt like 2005 was the appropriate time to step up and develop a signature NASCAR program. NASCAR Nation will be that program."   "NASCAR has always tried to find ways to bring our fans as close as possible to the sport's athletes and the competition on the race track," said Mike Helton, President of NASCAR. "We are pleased to see NASCAR Nation on SPEED Channel making our sport even more accessible to fans." "NASCAR Nation is the definitive all-access show for NASCAR fans," said Jeffrey Pollack, Managing Director, Broadcasting and New Media, NASCAR Digital Entertainment. "It's fun, fast-paced and takes viewers behind-the-scenes like never before. NASCAR is a lifestyle for millions of people coast-to-coast, and this show has been designed just for them by SPEED Channel, NASCAR Images, and NASCAR Digital Entertainment." (Business Wire)

January 22, 2005 - Fox's Hammond makes Pro Wrestling Debut: Jeff Hammond, a NASCAR TV commentator for Fox Sports, will make his professional wrestling debut with TNA Wrestling during the organization's Feb. 13 "Against All Odds" pay-per-view event.  Hammond, 48, joined TNA in 2004 as a special broadcast analyst and debuted the "Six Points of Impact" for TNA, a regular interview segment with the group's wrestling stars. During the 8 p.m. Eastern Feb. 13 wrestling card, Hammond and wrestler BG James will face Michael Shane and Kazarian.  One of the best jackmen in NASCAR, Hammond served on Cale Yarborough's three then-Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup) championship seasons. When Darrell Waltrip took over for Yarborough in 1981, the team won another championship. (ThatsRacin)

January 21, 2005 - Benny Parsons and Hall of Fame: NASCAR champion Benny Parsons, Indianapolis 500 winner Tom Sneva and LeMans 24-Hour king Hurley Haywood will lead a group of nine racing greats into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America annual induction ceremony Aug. 18 at the State Theatre in Detroit. Parsons, Sneva and Haywood will be enshrined along with drag racer Tommy Ivo, motorcyclist Jay Springsteen, powerboat racer Danny Foster, car owners/builders John Holman and Ralph Moody and 1952 Indy 500 winner Troy Ruttman. The Class of 2005 will join the 126 racers already enshrined in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, located in Novi. Currently a NASCAR analyst on NBC, Parsons won the 1975 Daytona 500 and the 1980 Coca-Cola 600, as well as 19 other Winston Cup races. Tickets for the induction ceremony are available by calling 800-250-7223. (The Detroit Free-Press)

January 18, 2005 -  Jeff Gordon to Co-Host Regis and Kelly: Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, is scheduled to co-host with Kelly Ripa on the popular daytime talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly" on January 26 - 27. Although the four-time NASCAR Cup champion has co-hosted the show five times, this will mark the first time he has co-hosted on consecutive days. Following the show on January 27, Gordon will fly to Concord, N.C., to participate in the annual media tour stop at Hendrick Motorsports. (Jeff Gordon PR)

January 5, 2005 - NASCAR on the 'West Wing' and NBC: Taking a page out of President Bush's campaign playbook, the fictional administration of "The West Wing" will visit the NASCAR Nation. Last February, Bush visited Daytona for the start of the racing season. On the Jan. 19 episode of "The West Wing," the First Lady visits a racetrack where she congratulates real-life driver Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane. Martin Sheen's President Bartlet can't make the trip because of a flareup of his multiple sclerosis. (New York Post)

Jeff Gordon on Jay Leno TONIGHT: Jeff Gordon will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Wednesday, January 5th [11:35pm/et on NBC]. Gordon will discuss the upcoming NASCAR season as well as the premiere of the Racing Stripes movie. A portion of the opening weekend proceeds from the movie will benefit the Jeff Gordon Foundation. (Gordonline.com)

NASCAR on Animal Channel: To help NASCAR launch its 2005 season, Animal Planet will broadcast a one-hour programming special on NASCAR drivers and their family pets the week of the Daytona 500. NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW answers the question -- "What's with all the pets?" -- by bringing fans behind-the-scenes with NASCAR's tough competitors to reveal their soft sides.  NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW debuts on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET only on Animal Planet. Produced by Tomwil Entertainment for Animal Planet, NASCAR: ANIMAL CREW features footage shot at NASCAR events in Rockingham, North Carolina, Atlanta and Charlotte, as well as on location with drivers at home.  The family pets featured are big and little, ordinary and unusual, two- and four-legged, but all similar in that they provide comfort in a career of tough competition and normalcy to a life led on the road.(PRWire)

January 3, 2005 - CMT Revs up with Dale Jr.: CMT presents a night of NASCAR with two thrilling premieres including CMT 40 GREATEST NASCAR MOMENTS on Friday, Jan. 28 at 8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT,* followed by DALE EARNHARDT JR. UNCUT: 60 MINUTES SPECIAL at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT.*  DALE EARNHARDT JR. UNCUT: 60 MINUTES SPECIAL with Mike Wallace premieres exclusively on CMT with never-before-seen footage of one of NASCAR's elite, Dale Earnhardt Jr.  In the in-depth special, Earnhardt Jr. discusses everything from his fiery crash in Sonoma, Calif. to his legendary father, Dale, to Dating for Dummies.  Champion driver and friend Tony Stewart guests. Earnhardt Jr. crashed while practicing for a road race during a NASCAR off-week, suffering second-degree burns when his car was engulfed in flames. In the 14 seconds it took to get out of the car, it occurred to him that he might not make it out.

December 29, 2004 - NASCAR's 3D: The IMAX Experience surpasses 20 Million: Warner Bros. Pictures' "NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience" has achieved a box office milestone, surpassing $20 million in total gross receipts, IMAX Corporation announced today. The high-octane film is the second highest grossing documentary of the year, set box office records for an original IMAX production when it was released in March 2004, and has played in more than 100 IMAX theatres around the world - including engagements in Japan, Australia, and Poland. The movie is the first original Warner Bros. Pictures' IMAX 3D production and has been well received in both commercial and institutional venues, helping to increase awareness of NASCAR (The National Association of Stock Car Racing), as well as lead-sponsor America Online.  "We have been thrilled with the performance of 'NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience' and believe it demonstrates the long-term earning potential of IMAX releases," said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "IMAX offers us an attractive platform to release both digitally re-mastered and original IMAX movies, and based on our past success, we're underway on another IMAX 3D production, 'Denizens of the Deep' (working title). We look forward to releasing this and other great films in IMAX's unique format." (ComingSoon)

December 28, 2004 - NASCAR IMAX Experience Soundtrack: LeAnn Rimes contributes a new song and the "Star Spangled Banner," on the upcoming "NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX Experience" film soundtrack. The release from Shout! Factory will also include tracks from Sheryl Crow, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band.  Billboard reports the soundtrack audio disc and the auto-racing documentary Warner Home Video DVD will be available exclusively through Wal-Mart beginning on February 1, and from most retailers after March 14.  Rimes' song "I Got It Bad" also appears on her next album "This Woman," due in stores on January 14. (FoxSports)

December 19, 2004 - Windtunnel Cut Short in 05':  SPEED Channel is making several changes to its popular call-in show Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain for the 2005 race season.  Beginning in February, Wind Tunnel will be expanded to two hours, anchoring the Sunday night Prime Time lineup at 9 p.m. ET.  “We want to hear from the fans when they’re still excited, still angry and still eager to talk about what they’ve just watched,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel’s Sr. VP of Programming/Production and Executive Producer. “It’s no secret that the only thing more passionate than a race fan is a race fan on race day.  “In addition, we’d like to get Dave out from behind the desk during the week, letting him expand on opportunities to do exclusive SPEED Channel interviews with some of the biggest names in racing,” Miner added. “Wind Tunnel originally was designed as a show for the fans and we believe this new format will allow us to be even more aggressive in that mission.” (Speed PR)

December 15, 2004 - Huge Ratings for 3: Saturday's presentation of ESPN's fourth original made-for-television movie, "3", was the network's highest-rated movie ever, seen in an average of more than four million households, based on a rating of 5.0, according to the official data released today by Nielsen Media Research. The two-hour portrayal of the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt was the second-highest rated movie of 2004 on ad-supported cable. It posted ESPN's highest movie rating ever among all key male demographics (M18-34, M18-49 and M25-54). In addition, "3" was the most-viewed program on all of TV from 9-11 p.m. that day among men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. "We at ESPN know well the passion of NASCAR fans, and their approval of '3' is the most gratifying endorsement we could receive," said Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production. "3," presented by Kay Jewelers, an ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) production, stars Barry Pepper ("We Were Soldiers", "Saving Private Ryan", "61*") as NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Spanning from the red dirt tracks of his native Kannapolis, North Carolina to the NASCAR speedways where he won nationwide acclaim and the devotion of millions of fans, "3" tells "The Intimidator's" incredible life story. Available today on DVD, ESPN Original Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment present "3." (Sports Business News)

December 8, 2004 - Season TV Ratings up: Final figures show the average rating for all Nextel Cup races this year rose 2% to 5.0, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports. Staff writer Andy Bernstein says most of the gain was attributable to a jump in the 10 races that made up the Chase For The Nextel Cup. Those races averaged a 4.6 household rating, up from 4.1 last year, although last year's figures were lowered because of a rain delay in one of the races. Bernstein reports that demographic breakdowns show that the ratings for men 18 to 34 fell from 2.9 to 2.8 this year, while the figures for men 18 to 49 remained at 4.1.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)

Dale Earnhardt TV Guide:  The accident that cause Dale Earnhardt's death was the #17 biggest moment is TV history according to TV guide.  (TV Guide)

November 16, 2004 - NASCAR looking to get TV renewals underway: In the wake of the NFL’s [go Eagle's] announcement last week of a new $8 billion, six-year deal with CBS and Fox to televise Sunday afternoon games through 2011, NASCAR is itching to get underway with its own TV rights renewals, the first of which comes up following the 2006 season. NASCAR officials privately believe their telecasts are currently undervalued, particularly the second-half of the racing season on NBC and TNT, in which ratings have grown as a result of the new Chase for the Cup driver points system that was initiated this year. Ratings for the last four races on NBC are up 15 percent cumulatively over last season, and NASCAR is expected to seek a hefty increase from NBC if it wants to renew its telecast rights. The NBC/TNT portion is up for renewal following the 2006 season, while the Fox portion of NASCAR rights runs through the 2008 season, although NASCAR has the option of terminating it after the ’06 season. If the NFL can secure hefty rights-fee increases when the TV ratings over the course of its current contract declined, NASCAR officials believe they can do as well, or better, since its ratings have grown. Also bolstering NASCAR officials’ hopes for big rights hikes is ESPN’s open desire to televise the races. At a recent upfront event, George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN/ABC Sports, stated that the one property he would like to add to the ABC/ESPN schedule is NASCAR. While NBC has an exclusive window to negotiate, NASCAR could hold out and allow ESPN to bid. This prospect has fueled speculation that NBC may walk away from NASCAR, and concentrate its efforts on a bid for either ABC’s Monday Night Football package or the newly created NFL Thursday/Saturday package. NBC may also bid on a new Major League Baseball telecast-rights package.(Mediaweek.com)

November 23, 2004 - ESPN/ABC - NASCAR on Wish List UPDATE: Wishes sometimes do come true, and at the top of ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer's wish list is NASCAR. Participating in a roundtable on the future of sports TV that ESPN/ABC Sports hosted Wednesday for about 1,000 ad buyers, sports TV executives were asked by moderator Robin Roberts what events they would like to have. After Bodenheimer drew laughter for responding, "We want it all," he said, "I would like to get NASCAR." He added he also would be interested in The Masters. With CBS and cable's USA Network entrenched in long-running one-year deals with The Masters, Bodenheimer's second wish might be just wishful thinking. But NASCAR is different. ABC/ESPN were left with NASCAR memories when Fox and NBC/TNT quadrupled the stock car racing circuit's rights fees to $400 million a year starting in 2001— Fox for eight years and NBC/TNT for six. Ratings for NASCAR have soared in the last four years, making the racing circuit the second-highest-rated sport to the NFL. Despite the ratings, the high rights fees have hampered Fox's and NBC/TNT's ability to make a profit. With ESPN/ABC missing NASCAR, the Disney networks can be expected to follow Bodenheimer's wish and compete with NBC/TNT for the rights in the future. (USA Today)
UPDATE It had been widely speculated that NBC would get back into bidding for the NFL when the league's current television contract came up. The Peacock Network dropped out of the NFL picture during the last round of negotiating and subsequently became a NASCAR partner, with a budget to bid on Nextel Cup racing and a Sunday afternoon programming slot to fill. ABC/ESPN has been lurking to return to the NASCAR world and would have lept at the chance if NBC got back into the NFL business. The logical move would have been for ABC to pick-up NBC's portion if the NFL came back into the fold. But Monday's announcement by the NFL that it had extended its contracts with CBS and FOX threw that scenario completely out the window. CBS will now have football through 2011, so NBC will no doubt be back to pitch for a NASCAR contract extension when the current deal expires after next season. FOX has two additiobal years on its deal, so only the second half package now carried by NBC/TNT will be in play. Several sources report ABC will be a major bidder for those rights and is willing to possibly overpay just to get NASCAR back into the fold.(RacingOne)

November 5, 2004 - Mike Joy News: Thanks to fast planning by executive director Paul Smith, and the surgical skills of Dr. Michael Campbell, FOX Sports NASCAR anchor Mike Joy made a brief pit stop at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center yet still made it to Phoenix on time. Joy checked into the hospital's emergency room Monday morning with acute stomach pain. Campbell removed Joy's gall bladder Tuesday at noon, and less than 48 hours later, Mike was flying to Phoenix. "Other than a little soreness around one incision, I feel fine... its pretty amazing," Joy said . This was once considered major surgery, and now its a comparatively minor procedure." Ironically, Joy was scheduled for tests Monday at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to try and pin down the source of occasional stomach pain. "Fortunately, Paul was able to put things in motion quickly, and everything went very smoothly. Its a time when you really appreciate the efforts of friends and family."

October 19, 2004 - Group wants FCC to fine NBC for telecast: the Parents Television Council, an advocacy group to protect children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment, filed an indecency complaint against NBC with the Federal Communications Commission. It wants the FCC to levy a fine against every NBC affiliate that aired the interview [with Dale Earnhardt Jr. after winning Talladega].(Tampa Tribune)

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