To use the words of the late David Poole, Dale Earnhardt saved Elliott Sadler’s life on Sunday.
What happened to Elliott Sadler on the backstretch (between turns one and two) late in the race at Pocono isn’t exactly clear to those of us who didn’t happen to be in a car and on the backstretch at the time (thanks Kurt Busch and ESPN). What we do know though is Pocono needs to make safety upgrades, like yesterday, and the COT and HANS Device saved Elliott Sadler from serious injury or death.
From what I saw of that wreck, it was one of the worst in recent memory. After hitting the inside Armco barrier, Sadler was propelled back out onto the track – a distance that’s probably a good 50 feet. In the slow motion replay on ESPN, Sadler’s whole body can be seen lurching forward. That tremendous amount of force ripped the car apart. See the engine being towed back to the garage. Sadler was luckily able to walk away with nothing but the wind knocked out of him.
For all of the criticism its gotten and complaining that’s been done about it, the COT has been a wonderful safety innovation. It has no doubt saved lives. Ask Micheal McDowell. Now ask Elliott Sadler.
Add to that the proliferation of the HANS Device and the SAFER barriers and NASCAR has become a much safer place to compete.
In the days leading up to the race, Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky, grandson of the Drs. Mattioli, addressed plans for some much needed safety features, including SAFER barriers between turns 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, and a much needed catch fence. It’s about time.
Looking around on the net Sunday night some were suggesting Pocono shouldn’t be on the schedule. I couldn’t disagree more. It’s a unique facility with great fans (though two races seven weeks apart is ridiculous). I do think though the track needed to have made these upgrades before other things were done – say for instance a $16 million solar farm.
It’s certainly easy to play Monday morning quarterback on this – but I think anyone who has ever seen the facility can see there are a lot of upgrades that need be done. As usual I digress.
Who knows what would have happened to Sadler had he not had the benefit of the current safety features. I shutter to think. Through all the complaining about ESPN missing the moment (big deal), the biggest story here is what didn’t happen and what we fortunately didn’t see.
What NASCAR has done since February 2001 truly has made the sport safer. There have been no serious injuries and no deaths. And thankfully on Sunday we were able to keep that record intact.
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When you watch a race on TV, or see one in person, certain people get the spotlight. The drivers of course, are at the top of this list. Everyone knows them. Team personnel are next, with crew chiefs and a few select crew members getting most of the notoriety. You will also probably notice the presence of the NASCAR officials, whether you know their names or not. There are a few groups however, that get little if any air time, and frankly, go on busting their butts anyway.
In order to have a race that goes longer then about 75 miles, two important supplies are necessary: fuel and tires.
At every race, Goodyear Racing brings an army of guys who’s sole job is to do nothing but handle every race tire used. Truck loads of tires are brought in, along with the teams’ wheels, and these guys work their tails off all weekend mounting and dismounting tires. Each tire must be unloaded, scanned into their system, paired with a wheel, mounted, balanced, and organized. Once it has served it’s purpose, a tire must be rescanned, drilled (to avoid any future use), dismounted, and loaded back up to be recycled.
Goodyear does all this through their small network of regional tire distributors and the aid of Champion Tire and Wheel. Champion’s trucks haul all of the used tires, plus they handle all of the teams’ wheels (with their own small army).
During the race weekend, while workers are handling all the tires, Goodyear also has a team of engineers that work very closely with the teams to ensure proper usage and to monitor any problems.
Besides tires, no race would get very far without race fuel. Sunoco, being the official fuel of NASCAR, is tasked with providing the teams with enough race gas to practice, qualify, and race. While their team of people is much smaller than that of Goodyear, their function is no less important. On the busiest of weekends, enough fuel must be brought in to supply upwards of 150 race teams.
Besides being on hand to fill up the tanks during practice sessions and qualifying, Sunoco has a team of guys that fill every gas can during the race. Once a pit stop ends, fuel runners for each team will take any emptied cans by cart to the Sunoco pumps. There, Sunoco’s guys refill the cans so they can be used during the next stop. Once the race is over, teams then must return any unneeded fuel to Sunoco to be reclaimed.
There are two other groups that I also wanted to point out that serve very important functions.
First, two companies handle the majority of at track radio communications for NASCAR and the teams. Racing Radios and Racing Electronics have people on hand at every race to help support the teams. Their teams can supply and repair any of the radios or components needed by race teams so they can be in constant communication during the practices and the race. While the races are going on, both companies have techs that do nothing but wander up and down pit road, ready to fix any problems.
The last group I wanted to recognize are the TV production folks. In order for NASCAR to appear on FOX, ESPN, TNT, and SPEED, a large corps of producers, audio techs, camera people, production assistants, editors, and more must be at every race. Besides the networks themselves, companies like Game Creek Video, NEP Broadcasting, Broadcast Sports, and others have people and equipment that aid in bringing racing into your home. During the races, we are shoulder to shoulder with camera people, the assistants, and the pit road reporters who bring you all the latest information.
The next time you get to attend a race in person, on any level, be sure to take a moment to look around. There are more then just race teams at work bringing you the show.
Race week in Charlotte is in full effect. Fans will descend on the QC this week to watch the Coca Cola 600 and to check out all there is to see in the center of the NASCAR universe. In case you are coming to town and are looking for stuff to do, we’ve put together a nice list to get you started (see it here). If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Bill:
With Bruton Smith offering up $20M to run in and win both the Indy 500 and Coke World 600, I got to thinking… It obviously wouldn’t be possible to run the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo, the Indy 500, and the Coke World 600. But, could someone run in Monte Carlo and Charlotte in the same day?
Well the Monaco Grand Prix took place this year on May 16 (Red Bull’s Mark Webber won). Last year it was the day before the 600. If they fell on the same date would it be possible? The race starts at 8 a.m. eastern standard time (Monte Carlo is six hours ahead). If the race lasts, say two hours (and you figure another hour to get to the airport and take-off – flying private of course), and the flight is about 9 hours (so the Internet tells me) that would put you back in Charlotte at 8 p.m. – too late to make it in time for the start of the 600 (which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.). – Journo
2. From Sue:
Does it really make a difference for team morale when a driver shows up at the shop daily or weekly vs those who rarely do?
I certainly don’t think a driver coming into the shop regularly is a bad thing. Guys know the drivers are busy and some, like Montoya, don’t even live in Charlotte, so shop visits aren’t always realistic. But the occasional visit is good for everyone, I think. – T.C.
3. From Gabi:
The cameras at the track record in 720p format or in 1080i? Thanks.
I believe the cameras Fox and ESPN use shoot in 720p, but don’t quote me. Maybe someone else knows for sure? – Journo
4. From Bristol_B:
First of all, thanks for sharing your insight, and perspective. Your website is a must read for any race fan! Now, I’m confused about the All-Star Race eligibility. Is it the car or the driver? Brad Kesekowski won last year in James Finch’s #09, but that car is not entered. Keselowski is entered in the #12 Penske car. Red Bull has entered the #83 with Casey Mears as the driver in place of recovering Brian Vickers. So if it’s the car why isn’t the #09 entered, does Finch need special dispensation due to a driver change? Thank you in advance for clarification!
All Star race eligibility is based on the driver’s accomplishments, not the team or car’s. With the situation surrounding Brian Vickers, NASCAR made a special exception to allow Casey Mears to pilot Red Bull’s #83 in the race. That is why Keselowski is in the race, and the #09 Finch car is not. – T.C.
5. From Christopher:
Cup teams generally bring two cars to a race, correct? What if they outright total both of them during practice? I know this is a stretch, but I could see it happening at Talledega, where you do have to practice dangerous drafting moves. Secondly- has this ever happened?
If I remember correctly, this happened a couple of years ago when Casey Mears was driving for Hendrick. He wrecked both his backup and primary at a race. I believe he ended up using one of his teammate’s backup cars in the race. This also happened to Ryan Newman at Daytona last year. He wrecked his primary in the 150 qualifier and his backup in final practice. I believe a third car was brought from Charlotte for Newman to race with. So if they are close enough, a car could be brought from the shop, if not, a teammate’s backup would work. - T.C.
6. From Steve:
Your thoughts on Vickers/Red Bull/Mears? Given the investment Red Bull has in both Vickers and Speed, would you agree that Red Bull needs Mears to do badly, at least worse than Speed does and worse than Vickers was doing? Any better, and it raises the question of why they wouldn’t keep Mears next season. And yet while Red Bull doesn’t want Mears doing too well, Mears knows this is a great shot at impressing people to earn a ride next year – a bit of a conflict, perhaps?
I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Casey Mears has seven full Cup seasons under his belt (all together 255 series starts) and one full Nationwide season (with a total of 93 starts). Scott Speed on the other hand has 52 Cup starts, 13 Nationwide starts, and 16 Truck starts. I would hope Casey performs better than Scott. Speed is very much a driver in development (not at all the case for Casey), so I think it’s like comparing apples and oranges. Speed still has the potential for growth – with Casey I think what you’ve seen is what you get. It is true however that this is Casey’s fourth opportunity with one of the sports top teams (recall Ganassi, Hendrick and Childress) to show he can be competitive (I’m not holding my breath). – Journo
7. From Melissa:
Between the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 weekend do the haulers return to their shops or do the crews replenish what they need and switch out cars using other transports?
Being so close to home, and seeing as how there is no track activity all week, the haulers go back to the shops. The Cup haulers will return to the track on Thursday to park for the weekend. – T.C.
8. From Emanuel:
When we’re watching the race at home, they allow us to “ride along” with the car, with the roof mounted cameras. Sometimes junk ends up on the lens, and you can see the lens rotate, and tada!, no more junk. Does the lens constantly spin, or does it “sense” when it get junked up, and then rotate itself to get the junk off the lens?
There is a little tape mechanism inside the cameras (it’s clear and in front of the lens) that allows the production crews to ensure the view from the camera is always clear. Check out this great NASCAR.com article for everything you wanted to know about onboard cameras. – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
There was an interesting post by our friend John Daly today over at The Daly Planet regarding Showtime’s weekly NASCAR show, Inside NASCAR (see it here). Apparently since it’s inception, many fans have been angry that such a great NASCAR show is only available on a premium channel; especially since SPEED canceled their weekly show, This Week In NASCAR, in the off season. Fans have expressed their feelings about the show on a few different posts by Daly, and many have used Inside NASCAR’s Facebook page as a place to voice their displeasure.
We had some discussion with a few folks today on Twitter about the situation, and between that and reading all of the fan responses, I thought a post with my two cents was in order.
Inside NASCAR is one of the few racing related shows I do have the opportunity to watch on a regular basis. Since I have Showtime, I often check it out. The show is taped in the NASCAR Media Group’s studios, which are a part of the complex that will house the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. The show has much of that Media Group flair we’ve gushed about in the past. Inside NASCAR is hosted by Chris Myers, Brad Dougherty, Randy Pemberton, and Michael Waltrip, and features a race recap, interviews, analysis, and features. In my own opinion, it’s a solid show that has a lot to offer, even if it does have a few quirks and issues.
With the demise of SPEED’s TWIN, it appears much of the anger from fans revolves around the fact that the only way to see Inside NASCAR is to subscribe to Showtime. And that’s a problem because Showtime is a premium movie channel that often adds a significant charge to monthly cable or satellite bills.
My response to those folks who won’t subscribe to Showtime, but still demand to be able to see the show?
Tough.
Showtime is a television network that makes it’s revenue from subscriber fees. When you watch the channel, there is no advertising. And as such, it’s the job of Showtime’s management to create and bring content to the channel that is compelling and will make people want to pay extra for access to the channel. Besides movies, their own series, and other sports programming, Showtime, in conjunction with the NASCAR Media Group, developed Inside NASCAR to add to their inventory. The network also carries the similarly formatted “Inside The NFL” series.
The most common solution offered by angered fans is for NASCAR and Showtime to put episodes of Inside NASCAR online where they can be downloaded for free. But by doing so, Showtime relinquishes the value the show provides. If a viewer can just download the episodes for free, then they won’t need to subscribe to Showtime. And by not having to subscribe to Showtime, the network ends up engaging in a losing proposition by producing the show. So my question to these fans, is what does Showtime owe you, and why should they allow you to consume their content for free?
I understand that many of you miss having a weekly program dedicated to breaking down the previous weekend. But NASCAR, SPEED, Showtime, or any other network are under no obligation to offer you NASCAR programming for free just because you are a NASCAR fan. This whole thing is after all, a business. If having a weekly NASCAR show is a money making endeavor, then you’ll have what you want - if it isn’t, like in the case of SPEED and TWIN, then it goes away. Don’t forget too that both SPEED and ESPN are premium pay channels as well. They may not be as expensive as Showtime, but their business models are very similar.
Something else that bothers me about some of the fan comments, are those people that say this is just another way for NASCAR to squeeze more money out of the fans. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Many folks almost make it sound like there was some back door, shady meeting where SPEED, Showtime, and NASCAR all got together to move TWIN to Showtime, give it a new name, and charge a gazillion dollars for it. Unfortunately for them, this just isn’t true. Showtime does pay rights fees to NASCAR for the show, but so does ESPN/ABC, FOX, and SPEED for their respective programming. The difference is that Showtime is 100% supported by their subscriber revenue, while the other networks rely more on advertising. The reason NASCAR charges those rights fees, is because they own the racing. Just like Showtime, NASCAR creates content/entertainment (i.e. the racing), and they charge for the access to watch. You may not always have to pay a direct cost to consume that content, but an exchange is occurring.
I’m probably going to get blasted by some of you about the opinions I’ve shared here, but that’s fine. I understand the passion, and I understand that you want as much NASCAR as you can get. I don’t blame you for either, in fact I’m grateful to you for it because it keeps me and many others employed. Don’t forget though that the entertainment NASCAR provides is a product that has a cost, not a right that you are entitled to.
The last two seasons have been rough for this sport. Sponsors have left, fields have shrank and teams have folded. Mergers became the new name of the game for many fledgling organizations and layoffs plagued the industry. What NASCAR was faced with was a forced correction thanks to a bad economy. As a result the strong just got stronger and the weak generally got a lot weaker.
On top of a weakened economy NASCAR alienated a lot of fans with the introduction of the COT in 2007. The car, with it’s boxy appearance and rear wing, didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Some have argued that it’s hurt the competition. Whether that’s the case or not is open to argument – I know NASCAR would disagree.
To be sure, the last 10 years can be summed up in one word – change. Over the last two seasons though we have seen a sanctioning body more willing to listen and embrace changes everyone can get behind. We saw NASCAR institute double-file restarts, more attempts at G-W-C finishes and the return to the spoiler.
Their recognition that the sport isn’t perfect has benefited everyone. What I’ve seen over the first few weeks of this season is a sport that is more tough, more rough and more exciting.
While we’re far from where we once were, things are starting to look up. The ratings for this season’s races haven’t been all bad – they were up at Phoenix and Atlanta and they performed pretty well against the backdrop of a compelling USA v. Canada hockey game. The rain delay didn’t help at Martinsville, but overall Fox is down around 4%. While down is certainly not good, 4% is better than the 11.5% they were down this time last year. More than growth, NASCAR needs these numbers to stabilize. Hopefully they’re starting to do that.
On the competition side we’ve seen a competitive Earnhardt Ganassi team and an almost renewed Penske Racing team. In seven races we’ve had five different winners from five different teams. Sure Jimmie Johnson has won three races, but maybe he’s peaking early? All I know is, is I’ve seen some great finishes this season.
Like a recession in the economy, it’s going to take time for recovery to take hold and for the effects to be seen. I’m hopeful after a couple of tough seasons we’re starting to see the signs of recovery in NASCAR.
What do you think of the season so far? Have you been enjoying the season? Do you like the changes NASCAR has made? Has the competition been better?
A Happy Belated Birthday!
I’m disappointed TNI readers. It was our birthday on April 7th and no one remembered – me and TC included. Oops.
As we enter our third year on this project I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who comes to the site, reads the posts, and contributes to the conversation. TC and I have enjoyed our time working on this and look forward to the year ahead.
As always if you have any questions, comments and/or concerns please don’t hesitate to get into contact with us. We’re pretty good about emailing people back.
Thanks again to everybody who comes by. We know your time is valuable and we appreciate you make us a part of your day!
Filed under: NASCAR Media Watch, Sprint Cup
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The state of traditional media, print, broadcast or otherwise, throughout the United States is at best rocky right now, at worst, it’s at death’s door. While many would argue the reports of the demise of traditional media are overstated or exaggerated, one thing is for sure, it ain’t like it used to be.
The number of “traditional” media covering NASCAR every weekend are rapidly declining. The use of AP wire stories and advent of Internet news sites has made the costly coverage of NASCAR unnecessary. The death of newspapers and cost cutting in media has aided that decline and become the new normal.
That new normal became disturbingly clear on Tuesday as Street and Smith’s shut down the venerable NASCAR Scene. The weekly publication which had been around since 1977 under one name or another was a standard among fans and a mainstay in the garage.
Unfortunately Street and Smith’s could no longer make NASCAR Scene (or turn SceneDaily.com into) a profitable product for their business.
This move left some of the most experienced and well-respected journalists in the garage without jobs and the sport without a few of its biggest advocates. While certainly some will find jobs elsewhere, nothing on the horizon will fill the void being left by Scene.
Last spring I wrote on here about the Future of NASCAR Media. What that future is, is still hard to say. We lost David Poole last spring and his spot at the Charlotte Observer was never really filled. While Jim Utter has become the lead motorsports reporter for the paper, he has other responsibilities, including covering the UNC Charlotte 49ers. Now NASCAR Scene is gone and SceneDaily.com will no doubt become a scaled back version of its former self.
Though some traditional media in the form of ESPN and FoxSports among others remain entrenched in the sport, the burden is increasingly falling to new media. The problem that medium faces though is a familiar one to those trying to keep traditional publications afloat: how to monetize them effectively. It’s a shame Street and Smith’s couldn’t find a way to make SceneDaily.com their profitable vehicle.
Tuesday was a sad day for the sport. The NASCAR Scene reporters were/are among the best. They brought experience and expertise and a consistent outlet for news and information. Here’s hoping they all land on their feet (preferably somewhere in the garage before Daytona).
Dan, if you’re reading this (which I doubt you are) we need you.
OK, maybe not Dan per se, I doubt he’s too interested in becoming a member of the NASCAR press corps (though if he is…), but this sport could really use someone like him.
You’re probably asking yourself at this point, “what the heck are you talking about?” For those of you who aren’t avid listeners of Dan, i’ll explain.
The former ESPN Sportscenter anchor and current host of his own sports talk radio show, writer for Sports Illustrated and co-host of Football Night in America is arguably one of the most prominent sportscasters in the game.
Daily on the Dan Patrick Show you’ll find a guy not afraid to ask tough questions to the biggest names in the business and certainly not afraid to press them when they dodge those questions (when he’s not playing Mike Wallace, he, Pauly, Fritzy, Seton and McLovin are pretty entertaining too).
Dan recently had BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock on and he asked him why there wasn’t a playoff system. When Hancock waltzed around the questions Dan pressed him. Eventually he got an answer out of him.
NBA commissioner David Stern was a guest not long ago and Dan asked him about Tim Donaghy. He was able to respectfully press Stern on what is a very controversial issue and got Stern to move, if only slightly, off script.
My point with this is, Dan Patrick is able to do what few can do: conduct a good, but difficult interview and emerge with mutual respect intact. He’s able and unafraid to ask tough questions without pissing off the person he’s interviewing.
Now I know what you’re saying, “Journo, why don’t you fill this role?” Well, I’ll be frank with you, I’m no Dan Patrick and as much as I’d like to be I don’t think I ever will. That doesn’t mean someone else can’t fill this role.
I think the NASCAR press is severely lacking someone who is unafraid (there are a lot of people that fit into this category) AND able (not so much here) to conduct difficult interviews with NASCAR’s power players. Too often the sport’s reporters tip-toe around things or don’t press things so as not to effect their existing relationships (who wants to get locked out?).
We need someone who is not afraid to call out NASCAR when there’s a problem and force the issue when necessary (David Poole was about as close as we had to this). I guess what we need is a reporter who is a celebrity in their right and has the clout when necessary (they need to be untouchable). As talented as many of the members of the press corps are, we just don’t have anyone that fills this role right now.
So Dan, if you’re interested we’d welcome you with open arms (or at least I would).
I get asked all the time by family and friends about the constant travel that is necessary to be apart of the sport we call NASCAR. People always want to know where I’m going and how we get there. It’s a topic I explored in a post I wrote last summer here at TNI called Flying the Friendly Skies… Racing Style. If you get a chance, check it out and then when you are done, click over and take a look at this cool video I found online tonight. It’s a segment DJ Copp did for his ”Over The Wall” feature on NASCAR Now in which he discusses travel and shows off a couple of MWR’s planes. (By the way, in case you don’t know about DJ’s work, hit up ESPN.com and do a search. His segments do a great job exposing our world to fans.)
What you will notice from the video, is that the teams’ planes don’t look a whole lot different on the inside then your typical commercial jet does. The seats aren’t really any nicer or roomier and we have the standard amenities like a closet sized bathroom and your friendly neighborhood flight attendants. But where the planes lack in the luxury department, they make for with the convenience they offer. Depending on the race, we can often be back home in Charlotte within a matter of hours of the fall of the checkered flag.
Besides being home quickly from races, we also don’t have to deal with the usual hassles of commercial air travel. There is no standing in long lines waiting to go through the security screening and no long waits to collect bags once the flight is over. And since most teams fly in and out of two smaller airports in the Charlotte area, there is no airport traffic to deal with; save for the mad dash out of the parking lots. We simply grab our bags, walk down the stairs, and head straight for our cars.
So now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into what it’s like to travel the circuit on private aircraft, know that it’s not exactly “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” But, it isn’t all bad either.