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NASCAR’s Sprint Cup television ratings are up, so what should NASCAR do to make sure they continue to rise?

Well, Fox Sorts Chairman and CEO David Hill has a simple answer: Nothing. “I don’t think anything should be done at all,” Hill said in a phone interview Thursday. “To me, the way things are happening right now, it goes back to what my dad used to say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ — This report came from StockcarGazette.com.

There will be 25 hours of Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series action, featuring a combination of live and tape-delayed broadcasts beginning on May 23 with the super-sized three-hour Rite Aid Outlaw Showdown broadcast LIVE from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“The World of Outlaws broadcasts in 2007 showed us how exciting dirt track racing can be on television,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Senior VP of Production and Network Operations. “The success of the World Finals show from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway gave us a gamelan for ’08, and as part of that plan we will be treating the five new super-sized events just as we do any other major motorsports event on SPEED, which should significantly raise the profile of World of Outlaws racing.”

A return to SPEED in 2008 as the exclusive television outlet for World of Outlaws racing will bring consistency and awareness to the viewers.

“The broadcast agreement with SPEED continues the solid growth we realized in 2007,” said World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter. “The more than 75 million viewers on SPEED give our corporate partners, like Advance Auto Parts, as well as our teams and our promoters, the greatest opportunity to reach our fans on a consistent basis. SPEED is the home for racing on television and we’re excited to again have the World of Outlaws on SPEED this season.”

Among the 25 hours of coverage will be a three-hour LIVE event with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series to kick off the 2008 TV schedule on May 23 from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway; a two-hour Firecracker 100 special from Lernerville Speedway featuring the World of Outlaws Late Model Series; a two-hour Kings Royal special from Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway; a three-hour LIVE broadcast from the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway; and the three-hour LIVE season-finale from The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

As a new era of Indy Car Series racing took place last weekend at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway after the recent unification of American open wheel racing, coverage of the series also will reach new heights this year as ESPN televises all races in high definition for the first time.

The 2007 Indianapolis 500 on ESPN on ABC was the first Indy Car Series event to be televised in HD, and all cameras used in ESPN’s Indy Car Series coverage in 2008 will be HD, including in-car cameras and those used in the pits and for other points of view. Included will be a new, high-tech HD onboard camera that can provide a rotating 360-degree view.

“For the viewer at home, it’s going to be spectacular, especially the on-boards in high definition, and the new 360 camera,” said Marty Reid, beginning his third season as lead announcer for ESPN’s coverage of the Indy Car Series. “It’s going to be a great look.”

Former winning Indy Car Series driver Scott Goodyear, who began his eighth season as an analyst on ESPN’s Indy Car Series coverage, expects fans to have an elevated experience with the HD coverage and the new camera.

“I think the neat thing for me after so many years of driving all types of different cars is we now have an opportunity to give the viewer at home the complete pass,” Goodyear said. “With the 360 camera you get to see the setup, the initial part of the pass and then follow-through all the way to the front, without having to switch cameras.

“To me, that’s going to be exciting because it allows the viewer to really get a feel for the driver in the cockpit and what he’s feeling, whether he’s the driver being passed or the driver doing the passing,” he said. “And then to have it in HD to bring out the color and excitement of it just makes it even better.”

ESPN’s announcer team for the 2008 Indy Car Series season also features pit reporters Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch, all returned from 2007. “I think it’s the same as any other team, no matter what sport you’re talking about,” Reid said. “Everybody plays a key role. Our crew chief is our producer and it takes a lot of people to put us on the air. Having the same crew and the familiarity with the teams, and now with the unification, that’s going to help in that process as well.”

With the recent merger of the Indy Car Series and the Champ Car World Series, new drivers and teams are joining the Indy Car Series and some made their debut at Homestead.

“I think all the drivers will tell you the same thing: a racecar is a racecar, and if you can drive any type of racecar, you can sit in something else and get very familiar with it very quickly,” Goodyear said. “There are great teams and drivers on both sides of this line, and I think everybody’s going to have a chance of winning these races very soon.”

World Racing Group announced that SPEED would be the exclusive television partner for World of Outlaws racing in 2008. The partnership will be anchored by five super-sized multi-hour events, three of which will be broadcast live, including the highly successful World of Outlaws World Finals season finale.

White’s Harley Davidson-Buell Racing Team returned from Daytona 2008 on top of the heap ecstatic with their results. The South Central Pennsylvania dealership owned by Joe and Donna White, are long time dirt track supporters. They sent their Team, Transporter and Dirt Track bikes to Daytona looking for talent. Team manager Mike Varnes was on a mission; to find some young talented riders, work with them, maybe score some mains, maybe a win and have some fun. Well the team scored BIG time.

The numbers don’t lie. The team racked up two 450 pro-sport wins working with 16-year old James “the Rocket” Rispoli at the Savannah Hot Shoe and Volusia Pro-Am. Then on the short track at the famed Daytona Stadium the team earned fourth fastest time on Day 1 and pole position on Day 2 working with Brandon Robinson a 17-year-old Basic Expert. Better yet, Brandon qualified both nights for the GNC Pro Singles main event earning him his GNC number while running the White’s H-D 450 Rotax. “This was one of the best Daytona outings for the team and clearly the most fun,” commented Mike Varnes. “My dad and I had no idea what to expect.

We knew these young riders were talented, but never actually saw them race big tracks at a top level before. It was awesome! Rispoli was so fast in the turns getting on the throttle really early and carrying so much corner speed, it’s no wonder they call him “the Rocket”. Robinson did a great job running both the White’s H-D XR 750 after a motor failed on his personal bike making both 750 hot shoe mains. But the icing on the cake was watching Brandon qualify first on the second night of the Daytona Short Track and making both main events his first time ever running at the GNC level, continued Varnes. Being part of these talented young riders success at Daytona was so much fun. Both riders have loads of potential.”

Microsoft Corporation’s Small Business division has agreed to sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota Camry for the 2008 season. Under the deal, which began last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, driver Ken Schrader’s car sported ‘Microsoft Small Business’ logos on its hood, rear and sides.

This has to top it all. Yes, He REALLY Said That -Jeff Hammond, on Darrell Waltrip’s scratchy voice during the Bristol Cup telecast. “It took eight years, but I finally figured out a way to get more air time.” From the Valvoline Track Talk News Letter. Do you really miss “Bogity, bogity, bogity? I don’t!

On another issue, I.N.Sider, who writes an informative piece for the Valvoline Track Talk Newsletter, states that it’s time for the American LeMans Series and Grand-Am, two distinct sports car series in No. America, to unite. Because with the Open Wheel Racing unification the future looks brighter now for Indy Car racing. The author thinks that in the case of Open Wheel attendance will be better and the venues will sell more tickets. And the principals of those two sportscar circuits should give this some serious thought to merge. We agree.

NASCAR legend Jack Roush will be on location at Grand Prairie Ford this Thursday, April 3, to promote the Samsung 500, part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 6. The Samsung 500 is NASCAR’s biggest event in Texas. Affectionately known as “The Cat in the Hat” in NASCAR circles for his ever-present Panama hat, Roush will be making his only Texas automotive dealership appearance for 2008 at Grand Prairie Ford. Last year, Roush’s appearance attracted more than 600 people to Grand Prairie Ford.

Business security software firm Vanguard Integrity Professional is taking legal action against the US motorsports outfit, Team Gordon, following comments made by the driver Robby Gordon on the Dakar Rally.

Earlier this year, Vanguard terminated its sponsorship of Team Gordon for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Dakar Rallies following the cancellation of the 2008 event due to threats of terrorist attacks by al Qaeda against the Rally and its participants.

At the time of the cancellation of the 2008 Rally, Vanguard had independently confirmed the terrorist threats and agreed with the decision taken by the event organizers, Amaury Sport Organization (AS0), to cancel the Rally.

However, driver Robby Gordon publicly disagreed, and blasted the ASO for not having a backup plan. He also downplayed the extent of the threats, which began with the killing of a family of French tourists by al-Qaeda-linked militants in Mauritania in December.

The company said that ‘with the cancellation of the 2008 Dakar Rally due to terrorist threats, along with Team Gordon’s public statements in response to that cancellation, continued sponsorship of Team Gordon no longer provides Vanguard with the appropriate promotional opportunities”.

Vanguard is asking for $1.15 million back from the driver and claims the driver was only authorized to promote Vanguard outside the United States. This report came from SportsBusiness.com.

Let’s see what’s on TV this weekend for the Gearheads as the 2008 racing season continues to get very busy. Check out Speed at 7 a.m. on Friday for F1 Practice from Bahrain. Speed returns at 1 p.m. with Sprint Cup Practice from Texas with Qualifying from that track starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday gets an early start at 7 p.m. with with F1 Qualifying from Bahrain on Speed. Sprint Cup Practice and then Final Practice from Texas starts at noon also on Speed. ABC offers ALMS action from St. Pete at 1:30 p.m. while ESPN2 kicks in the NASCAR Nationwide race from Texas at 3 p.m. Sunday is another early start with the F1 race from Bahrain. RaceDay on Speed airs at 11:30 a.m. leading up to the Cup race in the afternoon which goes on Fox at 1:30 p.m. ESPN kicks in with the IRL Indy Car event from St. Pete at 2:30 p.m. with Speed returning at 4 p.m. with World Superbike action for the motorcycle crowd at 4 p.m. (END)

NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.