Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: NASCAR Road Course Broadcasts Show Shenanigans, Limitations

#7: Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro BRANDT Professional Agriculture NASCAR Xfinity Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series took their third and final weekend off for 2018.  For those race fans in the need for a racing fix, both the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series hit the twisties for some action.  The results were interesting. Johnsonville 180 Saturday afternoon brought the XFINITY Series to …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Multiple Bristol NASCAR Storylines Produce Tough NBCSN Coverage Decisions

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Bristol Motor Speedway’s August NASCAR weekend has always been one of the sport’s can’t miss events on the calendar.  This year was no exception as there was a trio of highly competitive races to broadcast on television. Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race The weather ultimately made the Bristol Night Race not quite as much …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Michigan Brings 2 Different Broadcast Strategies

#4: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Fusion Busch Light / Mobil 1 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In recent years, races at Michigan have dropped off as far as competitiveness goes.  The track was repaved for 2012 due to some huge bumps.  Despite seven seasons of racing and six Michigan winters, the groove still has not widened much.  Track position has been paramount. Consumers Energy 400 Prior to the race, Dale Jarrett …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: How Was Brian France’s Arrest & Leave of Absence Covered?

2014 Daytona Sprint Cup Brian France Press Conference Credit Phil Allaway

(Photo: Phil Allaway, Frontstretch)

The original plan for this week’s edition of Couch Potato Tuesday was to talk about how NBC covered Sunday’s (Aug. 5) Go Bowling at the Glen.  We would have discussed the MVP (Multiple Vantage Point) coverage and how NBC treated Chase Elliott’s first win. Unfortunately, two hours after Elliott took the checkers and roughly 45 minutes …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Brendan Gaughan’s Energetic Addition to NBCSN NASCAR Coverage

2018 cup pocono zach catanzareti william byron

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Split weekends can cause some problems for NASCAR TV partners as their resources get stretched. NBC was no different. Some people went to Iowa while others went to Pocono, expanding a crew with additions that don’t cover the sport full-time. Regardless, viewers got 600-plus miles of racing over the weekend.  Both of them were quite …

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Beyond the Cockpit: Chase Briscoe on Winning the Dirt Derby, IMSA and XFINITY

2018 xfinity richmond zach catanzareti chase briscoe

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

For Ford Performance development driver Chase Briscoe, the past couple of weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind.  First, he won his first race in a winged sprint car at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. Knocked two things off the bucket list last night… Winning in a wing car and winning at Haubstadt. Thanks …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN’s Disorganized NASCAR Loudon Experiment

2018 cup new hampshire zach catanzareti martin truex jr.

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

Rainy weather is the bane of race fans’ existence during the racing season.  For those of you that go to local tracks, it doesn’t really take all that much moisture to end the evening.  At NASCAR races, it means you’re treated to the buzzing of the Air Titan track-drying equipment. Sunday was another one of …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN’s Kentucky NASCAR Broadcasts Earn Mixed Reviews, Ratings Decline

#78: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing, Toyota Camry Auto-Owners Insurance, #12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Fusion DEX Imaging Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Kentucky Speedway, the spot of the latest NBCSN NASCAR telecast, has been an enigma for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.  The track was in heavy demand to be added to the Cup schedule for much of the first 10 years it was open.  Then, once they finally got a date, there was the traffic …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC, Earnhardt Do Well With Daytona Coverage

#20: Erik Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry buyatoyota.com Celebrates his win Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Daytona International Speedway is always intriguing, no matter what happens; it’s a crown jewel for TV broadcasters.  Typically, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 starts the NBC portion of their second-half coverage.  However, due to schedule changes, it is now the second NBC race and the first on broadcast television. The biggest story Saturday night was …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Broadcaster Dale Earnhardt Jr. Comes to Play in Joliet

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL USA Sunday 18 February 2018 Dale Earnhardt Jr on the Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro pit box World Copyright: Barry Cantrell NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series moved over to NBC Sports this past weekend for the rest of the 2018 season.  With that move comes some changes in production coverage, philosophy and talent. But the tweak everyone cares about, more than any other this decade is the addition of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the booth …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: FOX Closes Out Cup Schedule with Rough Sonoma

2018 sonoma cup race start

In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, road races have become must see TV over the past few years.  Bumping and banging was the norm and drivers seemed to be more willing to root and gash than on short tracks. Then, stage racing showed up. Our own Bryan Gable wrote this week about how they’ve …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Off-Site NASCAR Commentator Issue Continues For FOX

Justin Allgaier - 2018 Iowa 250 pres. by Enogen

(Photo: Christian Koelle)

For NASCAR’s XFINITY Series, getting away from its big brother, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, for a weekend helps establish a separate identity.  The division becomes more than just “Cup Lite.” Unfortunately, as we’ve seen recently, creating a standalone event comes at a cost; a serious cutback in television production value and support. Iowa …

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