Welcome back, folks. Hope you had an excellent Mother’s Day Weekend. Last weekend, the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were both at Kansas Speedway. The week was up and down at best.
SpongeBob SquarePants 400
Looking back, I should have seen what happened early Saturday night coming. The Braves-Nationals baseball game ran long. Even with the rule changes that are designed to speed up games this year, the average game length through the first couple of weeks was two hours and 52 minutes. The game was scheduled for a three-hour slot. It wouldn’t take much for problems to result.
If Saturday night’s race were on FOX and the aforementioned scenario happened, then they would have shifted it to FOX Sports 1. You still have a decent amount of homes, despite the ongoing U-Verse spat that shows no sign of ending anytime soon. That wasn’t the case Saturday night. Yes, FOX Sports 2 was an option, but not a good one. The household drop-off is massive (84.8 million to 45.4 million). One of NASCAR’s major sponsors (Comcast Xfinity) doesn’t even carry the network in many markets. As a result, FOX made a somewhat unexpected decision. They pushed pre-race programming (and potentially the start of the race, had the Braves-Nationals game gone to extra innings) to the FOX News Channel, which is actually in more homes than FS1.
Generally, there isn’t much of note on FNC on a Saturday night. No new episodes of The O’Reilly Factor or On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. Just random stuff, reruns, and the occasional live news update if something breaks. I doubt they’ll miss the viewers for a half-hour of the FOX Report. Am I happy that this had to come to pass? No. They probably should have just run the race on FOX. Having NASCAR and baseball on separate networks when Cup is on Saturday night should be an important move for the future. They already had to swap Martinsville and Richmond because of the same issue earlier in the season. At least they anticipated the problem that time.
Outside of the channel issue, the main takeaways of pre-race coverage is that it’s quite thin. Viewers got a couple of interviews and brief “Get to Know You” piece about Greg Ives in which we learned very little about him. Perhaps Ives is a relatively staid fellow, or he’s just shy. Just felt that we could have learned a little more about him.
During the race, there was a decent amount of focus given to Erik Jones, who made his Sprint Cup Series debut on Saturday night (since Denny Hamlin started the race at Bristol last month, that doesn’t count, much like when Ted Christopher relieved Dick Trickle at Watkins Glen in 1998). I can understand the excitement. It’s not every day that an 18-year old gets to make his Cup debut, especially since the age limit rules went into effect in 2001.
However, as the race continued on, the coverage of Jones got questionable. For lack of better words, the booth was fawning over him. It was getting ridiculous. After Jones wrecked, it was like the wind was taken out of their sails. When that happens, the specter of favoritism enters the conversation. I’ll admit right here that I don’t want to go there, but it has to be said. Jones was having a pretty dang good debut run Saturday night. No one wanted to see him crash to end his night. The behavior I noted from the booth was reminiscent of when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going through his slump a few years back and Darrell Waltrip was trying to grab onto any possibility that Earnhardt Jr. was about to turn the corner. The coverage of Danica Patrick during her rookie season in 2013 was similar at times in both the tone and in how frustrating it could be for viewers.
I’m sure that Jones wants people to cheer for him to do well. Every driver, whether they’ll tell you that or not, wants to have fans cheering them on. However, they don’t need the broadcast booth to be cheering for them as well. It’s unprofessional.
Let’s face it. Most of the drivers in Cup do watch the race broadcasts via tape delay. They might not admit it, but they do. Many of them have a DVR (or DVRs) at their place of residence set to record every race. They’re going to see and hear that. Incidents like what we saw Saturday night may cause some of Jones’s fellow competitors to think differently about him. No driver needs that at any point of his career, let alone a driver that’s 18 years old and trying to make a name for himself.
FOX Sports has been openly hyping Jones’s ascent all season; take the constant hyping on Xfinity Series broadcasts as if he were actually a regular in the series when he isn’t. Granted, due to NASCAR’s rather dumb scheduling, he’s been seen in the Xfinity Series more than the series he’s actually full-time in (the Camping World Truck Series). However, that’s not an excuse. Apparently, Jones is a “sexier” target for attention than most of the other drivers in the Xfinity Series. As a result, he’s considered an “Xfinity regular” while not running for points.
Rant aside, Saturday night’s race was actually really good by the standards of competition. While there weren’t all that many lead changes (16), there was a lot of action through the field as drivers drove with a little more aggression than normal. However, with the groove moving further up the track, it might not last all that much longer. You might see a completely different race at Kansas Speedway come Chase-time.
Darrell Waltrip’s lack of preparedness showed again on Saturday night at times. Lots of things happen during the race. You have to keep up on it. Waltrip was completely confused as to how Paul Menard got up front with 40 laps to go. True, he hadn’t been up front for most of the evening, but he had to have known who pitted and who didn’t. Apparently, that’s Larry McReynolds’s job. He had to essentially cover for Waltrip. I’m sure McReynolds would be more than willing to share his notes with Waltrip if Waltrip asked.
Of note, I’d hate to go to Walmart for school supplies after McReynolds makes a supply stop. He probably buys so many notebooks and pens at a time for his copious notes that there simply wouldn’t be any left for anyone else.
Normally, red-flag coverage can be an interesting time, as the Bristol telecast showed us. However, lightning in the area severely cut down what FOX could do, and for good reason. They don’t need anyone to get hurt. Safety is important for everyone. As a result, coverage was limited to a couple of interviews in the Hollywood Hotel (including once with an unusually relaxed Martin Truex Jr.) and a couple of pit interviews before going off to FOX Sports Live.
Post-race coverage, built into FOX Sports Live, was decent. Viewers who stuck it out until after one in the morning on the East Coast got a few interviews and analysis before going back to Los Angeles. I just wish this rain would stop affecting Sprint Cup races and go where it’s needed way more. With our luck, it’s probably going to rain at Sonoma next month, where it darn near never rains on race weekend.
Overall, the racing that we saw was quite good. The enthusiasm for the on-track action was quite a bit higher than it’s been in quite a while on FOX. However, FOX has to check themselves before they wreck themselves. It’s one thing to want someone to do well in their Cup debut. It’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax to essentially root for the guy. I’d rather not see that behavior from the booth again.
Toyota Tundra 250
On Friday night, weather was also looking to be a potential issue. Luckily, that threat never came to pass. However, another storm swept over the field with a familiar tune.
Ray Dunlap has taken a reduced role on broadcasts in 2015, a move that may or may not actually work out in FOX’s favor (tweets from Dunlap indicated that his work on the ARCA broadcast at Talladega may be his last pit-road assignment for FOX Sports). However, his primary role this year is to do features for NCWTS Setup. This week, FOX aired a piece where Dunlap sat down with Johnny Sauter in Daytona to talk about a number of topics.
Interestingly enough, much of the piece was centered on Johnny’s father, the late Jim Sauter. Younger fans might only remember him as the guy who would drive for the Mueller Brothers off and on (No. 89 Evinrude Pontiac/Ford), or as a tester for IROC. However, Jim Sauter was a very fast driver with a large family (Johnny’s one of 11 kids). Another topic was Johnny’s natural aggression. Johnny carries himself on-track quite a bit differently today than he did when he was younger. Pretty much, it’s not advisable to mess with him. However, his emotions can get the best of him at times.
While Jones was definitely the main story Friday night, the coverage that he received was nowhere as ridiculous as what he got on Saturday. That’s mainly because he’s a regular in the series and everyone’s already seen what he’s capable of. That said, he whooped them on Friday.
Sadly, the race wasn’t all that competitive. Once you got beyond lap 75, there wasn’t all that much racing to be found. Despite only four cautions, a mere 20 trucks managed to finish the 250 miles. FS1 did do a dropback through the top-10 to see how everyone was doing, but that was curtailed by a caution when Ray Black Jr. blew an engine.
When there was action to be seen, FS1 did a decent job in bringing that action to viewers. However, there was just so little of it. Jones made the whole thing anti-climactic until he ran out of fuel. That is nothing against FOX Sports or Jones. It’s just an indictment on how uncompetitive the Camping World Truck Series can be at times.
With so much green-flag action, the race ended with about 20 minutes left in the time slot. Despite that fact, post-race coverage was quite limited. There were only three quick interviews and checks of the points and standings before FS1 left to get back to FOX Sports Live. I find it rather frustrating that they don’t feel the need to at least fill their time slot these days with FOX Sports Live always waiting in the wings. Perhaps there just wasn’t all that much to write home about Friday night. However, even if that is so, it is the job of FS1 to make a race like Friday night’s race exciting. They didn’t really do a very good at that.
That’s all for this week. Next weekend looks to be quite busy. It will be only the third weekend of the year in which all three of NASCAR’s National Series will be in action. The Sprint Cup Series will be in Charlotte for All-Star Weekend, joined by the Camping World Truck Series. No points, but action will be had. Since the race was previously on FS1 (and SPEED before that) prior to this year, perhaps AT&T U-Verse will make an exception to their inappropriate anti-NASCAR stance and air the race live. Meanwhile, the Xfinity Series will be at Iowa Speedway for their first standalone event of the year, and the Verizon IndyCar Series sets the field for the Indianapolis 500. Here’s your listings.
Tuesday, May 12
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | AMSOil Arenacross: Las Vegas | FOX Sports 1*# |
| 4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. | NASCAR America: The States of NASCAR | NBC Sports Network |
| 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 2*# |
| 11 p.m. - 11:30 p.m | Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race | CBS Sports Network*# (from April 12) |
| 11:30 p.m. - 12 a.m. | Formula DRIFT: Long Beach, Part No. 2 | CBS Sports Network*/# (from April 18) |
Wednesday, May 13
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. | NASCAR America: The States of NASCAR | NBC Sports Network |
| 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 2*# |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*/ |
| 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/ (from May 2-3) |
| 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. | Blancpain Sprint Series: Brands Hatch | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 9-10) |
| 11 p,m. - 12 a.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*/# |
Thursday, May 14
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. - 1 a.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 1 a.m. - 3 a.m. | Blancpain Sprint Series: Brands Hatch | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 9-10) |
| 2 a.m. - 3 a.m. | Indy Lights Grand Prix of Indianapolis | NBC Sports Network* (from May 9) |
| 3 a.m. - 4 a.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 4 a.m. - 5 a.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*/# |
| 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*/# |
| 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Camping World Truck Series Practice No. 1 | FOX Sports 1 |
| 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Camping World Truck Series Happy Hour | FOX Sports 1 |
| 9 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. | Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick | FOX Sports 1 |
| 9:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. | 100,000 Cameras: Talladega | FOX Sports 1 |
| 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. | NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville | FOX Sports 1# |
Friday, May 15
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 3 a.m. - 3:30 a.m. | Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick | FOX Sports 1# |
| 3:30 a.m. - 4 a.m. | 100,000 Cameras: Talladega | FOX Sports 1# |
| 4 a.m. - 5 a.m. | NASCAR Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville | FOX Sports 1# |
| 5 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. | The 10: Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History | FOX Sports 1# |
| 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa | FOX Sports 1*/# (from May 2) |
| 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Uncompromising: Kevin Harvick | FOX Sports 1# |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 100,000 Cameras: Talladega | FOX Sports 1# |
| 12 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown Practice | FOX Sports 1 |
| 12:40 p.m. - 1:35 p.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, TC/TCA/TCB Classes Race No. 1 | World-challengetv.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race Practice | FOX Sports 1 |
| 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 1 |
| 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown Qualifying | FOX Sports 1 |
| 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. | Camping World Truck Series Qualifying | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown | FOX Sports 1 |
| 8 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | NCWTS Setup | FOX Sports 1 |
| 8:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. | Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | FOX Sports 1 |
Saturday, May 16
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 3 a.m. - 5:30 a.m. | Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | FOX Sports 1*# (from May 15) |
| 5:30 a.m. - 6 a.m. | The 10: Greatest Charlotte Moments | FOX Sports 1# |
| 6 a.m. - 7 a.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*# |
| 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 8:40 a.m. - 9:40 a.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, TC/TCA/TCB Classes, Race No. 2 | World-challengeTV.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, GTS Class Race No. 1 | World-challengetv.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Formula DRIFT: Long Beach Insider | CBS Sports Network |
| 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Verizon IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Time Trials, Part No. 1 | ESPN3$ |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race | CBS Sports Network*# (from April 12) |
| 1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, GT/GTA/GT Cup Classes, Race No. 1 | World-challengetv.com/Torq |
| 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown | FOX Sports 2*# (from May 15) |
| 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | 100,000 Cameras: Talladega | FOX Sports 2# |
| 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. | The 10: NASCAR's Wildest Throw-Downs | FOX Sports 2# |
| 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | The 10: Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History | FOX Sports 2# |
| 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Verizon IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Time Trials, Part No. 2 | ABC |
| 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. | Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | FOX Sports 2*# (from May 15) |
| 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Formula DRIFT: Long Beach Insider | CBS Sports Network# |
| 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race | CBS Sports Network*# (from April 12) |
| 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. | Verizon IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Time Trials | ESPN3$ |
| 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race Qualifying | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. | AMA Lucas Oil Pro Championship Hangtown MX Classic | NBC Sports Network |
| 8:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. | NASCAR RaceDay | FOX Sports 1 |
| 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race | FOX Sports 1 |
| 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. | NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals Qualifying | ESPN 2*/ |
Sunday, May 17
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. | motoGP World Championship Grand Prix of France | FOX Sports 1 |
| 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, TC/TCA/TCB Race No. 3 | World-Challengetv.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. | IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | FOX Sports 1*/ (from May 2) |
| 9:40 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, GTS Class Race No. 2 | World-Challengetv.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Verizon IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying, Day No. 2 | ESPN3$ |
| 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. | NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals Final Eliminations | ESPN3$ |
| 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race | FOX Sports 1*# (from May 16) |
| 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*# |
| 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Verizon IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying, Day No. 2 | ABC |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. | NASCAR RaceDay - XFINITY Edition | FOX Sports 1 |
| 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | XFINITY Series 3M 250 | FOX Sports 1 |
| 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. | Moto3: France | FOX Sports 2* |
| 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. | Moto3: France | FOX Sports 2* |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | motoGP World Championship Grand Prix of France | FOX Sports 2*/# |
| 8 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | The 10: Greatest Drivers in NASCAR History | FOX Sports 2# |
| 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown | FOX Sports 2*# (from May 15) |
| 9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race | FOX Sports 2*# (from May 16) |
| 11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. | FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa | FOX Sports 2*/# (from May 2) |
| 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. | ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 | CBS Sports Network |
| 2:50 p.m. - 4 p.m. | Pirelli World Challenge: CTMP, GT/GTA/GT Cup Race No. 2 | World-challengeTV.com/Torque.tv^ |
| 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. | AMA Endurocross: Las Vegas | CBS Sports Network*# |
| 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. | ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 | CBS Sports Network*# |
| 9 p.m. - 10 p.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. | NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals Final Eliminations | ESPN 2*/ |
Monday, May 18
| Time | Telecast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. - 2 a.m. | ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 | CBS Sports Network*# (from May 17) |
| 3 a.m. - 4 a.m. | V8 Supercars Ubet Perth Super Sprint | CBS Sports Network*/# (from May 2-3) |
| 4 a.m. - 6 a.m. | ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 | CBS Sports Network*# (from May 17) |
| 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint Showdown | FOX Sports 1*# (from May 15) |
| 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race | FOX Sports 1*# (from May 16) |
| 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. | NASCAR America | NBC Sports Network |
| 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 1 |
| 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. | NASCAR RaceHub | FOX Sports 2*# |
Key:
* – Tape Delayed
/ – Highlighted Coverage
# – Repeat Coverage
^ – Available via free online streaming
$ – Available via password-protected online streaming. Check with your internet service and/or programming provider for availability.
I will provide critiques of the Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series race telecasts for next week’s edition of Couch Potato Tuesday. In the Annex, I will cover last weekend’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Also of note, FS1 is debuting a couple of new specials this week. One is a half-hour feature on Kevin Harvick entitled Uncompromising. That should be interesting. The other is the Talladega edition of 100,000 Cameras, which you likely heard about if you watched the GEICO 500.
If you have a gripe with me, or just want to say something about my critique, feel free to post in the comments below, or contact me through the email address provided on the website in my bio. Also, if you want to “like” me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, please click on the appropriate icons below. Finally, if you would like to contact FOX Sports personally with an issue regarding their TV coverage, please click on the following link:
At this point, there is still no public contact e-mail for NBC Sports. When they finally get around to creating a new link, I will post it for you.
As always, if you choose to contact the network by email, do so in a courteous manner. Network representatives are far more likely to respond to emails that ask questions politely rather than emails full of rants and vitriol.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.