Race Weekend Central

Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Injects Energy Into Sterile NASCAR at New Hampshire

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Overton’s 301 New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH USA Sunday 16 July 2017 Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing, Busch Beer Ford Fusion and Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Office Toyota Camry World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Last weekend marked the final time that the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will race in September at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and as could be expected, the playoffs themselves were the primary topic of discussion from the very start of NASCAR America Sunday on NBC Sports Network. Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty and Krista Voda …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Starts NASCAR Playoffs With A Snoozer

2017 Chicago CUP Martin Truex Jr burnout Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Let’s just get this over with right now: playoff time is not the best time for NASCAR TV.  Somehow, it produces the exact opposite scenario compared to most other sports.  The focus of the broadcast narrows to the point where it drives viewers away, not toward the television. Sunday’s Tales of the Turtles 400 was …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Reaches NASCAR Cutoff Weekend

2017 Richmond II CUP Kyle Busch pack racing Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Ah yes, cutoff weekend.  Where some drivers jump for joy while others kick the can.  Last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was in action at Richmond International Raceway for the last race of the regular season.  You had long runs and short runs.  Stretches of constant side-by-side racing and times where not much was …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN Has Fun in Darlington, Forgets Stuff

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC USA Friday 1 September 2017 Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Sport Clips Toyota Camry World Copyright: Nigel Kinrade NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Labor Day Weekend is traditionally one of the biggest race weekends of the year.  Basically every series of note was in action last weekend with the exception of IMSA. Before we get started, news came out on Sunday that Daniel Suarez lost sponsorship from Subway due to Suarez appearing in a piece that aired on …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC Decides to Cheap Out on Road America

2017 Road America NXS William Byron Scott LAgasse Jr racing Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Last weekend saw the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series take their final weekend off of the year.  Cup drivers spent the time relaxing, vacationing, and finding plenty of other ways to spend their time.  Meanwhile, NASCAR XFINITY Series teams traveled up to Road America in Wisconsin for 180 miles of action. Unfortunately, there were some aspects of …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC Provides Good Bristol, Struggles With Progression

2017 Bristol II NXS pack racing Nigel Kinrade nKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

For many, many years, Bristol Motor Speedway in August was one of the crown jewels of NASCAR’s schedule.  The introduction of the Chase (now Playoffs) in 2004 has weakened the weekend slightly.  However, it is still a good time to catch some action. Before we get started, NASCAR announced last week that they will be …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Michigan Brings Adolescence, Middling Coverage From NBCSN

2017 Michigan II CUP Kyle Larson racing logan Whitton NKP

(Photo: Logan Whitton/NKP)

Races at Michigan International Speedway can be a mixed bag.  They can be runaways at times.  For fans, whether they enjoy that would ultimately depend on who their favorite driver is.  They can be action-packed affairs that pleasure everyone.  Or, they could be a combination of both.  Last weekend, we got a combination. Pure Michigan …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NASCAR On NBC MVP Coverage Hits and Misses at Watkins Glen

2017 Watkins Glen CUP cars in a row Barry Cantrell NKP

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

Races at Watkins Glen are interesting in their way.  Some races come down to nail-biters.  Others are blowouts.  Sunday’s I ♥ NY 355 at the Glen was a nail-biter and the fastest Cup race ever run at Watkins Glen.  But that was not the biggest TV story of the weekend. I ♥ NY 355 at …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBCSN is Static in Pocono, Justin Haley is the Fall Guy

2017 KAnsas I CWTS Justin HAley Brett Moist NKP

(Photo: Brett Moist/NKP)

Pocono Raceway is an interesting track.  Three turns, different banking in each turns and different radii.  Seems like fun.  TV-wise, it presents a challenge.  The place is so huge that drivers can get spread out quickly.  However, the challenge of airing races isn’t always tied into the people working on the broadcast. Overton’s 400 Sunday …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chooses NASCAR On NBC

2017 Indianapolis CUP Dale Earnhardt Jr pack racing Russell LaBounty NKP

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Last week was nothing short of a doozy.  You had a Cup race that took more than six hours to run due to rain and wrecks.  An XFINITY race that featured a fair amount of passing, but was run at too slow of a pace for my taste.  You also had a wreckfest on the …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: The PJ1 Trackbite Dominates NASCAR at Loudon

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, New Hampshire

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

Last weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and XFINITY Series teams descended upon New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a now-traditional July weekend of speed.  Given the track’s typical single groove nature, PJ1 TrackBite was laid down in the turns.  Did it have an effect on the races?  Yes.  Did it also affect the broadcasts?  Oh …

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Couch Potato Tuesday: NBC’s Failure to Make Kentucky Interesting

kentucky

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Kentucky Speedway has been a bit of a mess pretty much ever since the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series got a date there in 2011.  The first year was marked by some of the worst traffic for a NASCAR race in 30 years and quite possibly the worst parking ever.  Crowds started to back away …

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