With gas prices reaching record highs, home values plummeting and nest eggs shrinking, too many of us feel like the American Dream is fading. But on July 13 at 7 p.m. ET, CNBC’s Jim Cramer reminds viewers that the American Dream is still very much alive and that he, himself, is living proof. In this one-hour NBC Special, “The American Dream with Jim Cramer,” one of the best minds on Wall Street and the host of “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer” heads to NASCAR’S Pit Road to talk straight about the economy, investing and helping Americans unlock the wealth of money-making opportunities everywhere, even in their favorite pastime.
Jim Cramer gives you the answers to the problems that all Americans are facing today-from how to deal with high gas prices, to how to prepare for retirement, to the first steps that every American should take to secure their financial future. Broadcasting from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. in front of an audience of die-hard NASCAR and “Mad Money” fans, Cramer has an unprecedented, all-access pass to the number one spectator sport in the country. Cramer spends time talking cars, dreams, winning and of course business with some of NASCAR’s brightest and most magnetic stars including Kyle Busch, driver of No. 18 M&Ms Toyota; Jimmie Johnson, driver of No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet; Carl Edwards, driver of No. 99 Office Depot Ford; Casey Mears, driver of No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet and Jeff Burton, driver of No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet. NASCAR is probably the only sport fast enough to keep up with Jim Cramer’s lightening-speed advice and opinions.
Nothing can stop Cramer from his mission of trying to make people money–even at 150 MPH. Cramer believes that at the intersection of Wall Street and Main Street lies NASCAR’s Pit Road-a broad fan base and true cross-section of America, and an environment brimming with investment ideas. “The American Dream with Jim Cramer” premieres on Sunday, July 13th at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. Jim Cramer is the host of “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer,” which airs weeknights at 6 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET on CNBC. Regina Gilgan is the executive producer “The American Dream with Jim Cramer” and “Mad Money w/Jim Cramer.”
Award-winning sports journalist Ed Hinton, entering his fourth decade in the profession, has joined ESPN.com as a senior writer. Hinton will focus on motorsports to serve fans through ESPN’s digital platforms.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ed,” said Rob King, editor-in-chief of ESPN.com. “His talent and experience makes our strong motorsports writing team of Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, Ryan McGee, David Newton and Marty Smith even stronger, and we very much look forward to Ed’s work appearing on our platforms.”
Most recently Hinton was senior reporter for auto racing with the Tribune Co. newspaper chain, writing for the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Previously he was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, where he covered auto racing, the NFL, college football and Major League Baseball. Before that he worked for The National sports daily and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hinton has won numerous professional journalism awards, some transcending sports, including the Scripps-Howard Foundation First Amendment Award in 2001. Twice, he has led reporting teams nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and he has also won several awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors’ largest-circulation newspaper categories, and recognition from United Press International, Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism society and the National Motorsports Press Association. He is the author of two books.
Born in Laurel, Miss., Hinton attended the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. degree in journalism.
Ed Hinton was always taking on NASCAR and some of the problems that he saw in the sanctioning body. His coverage of NASCAR, particularly those published in the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel must have riled the suits in NASCAR’s front office as that daily is in NASCAR’s backyard. Especially when he dug up safety issues within the sanctioning body. With ESPN now one of NASCAR’s broadcast partners, one has to wonder if Ed’s no kid glove coverage of NASCAR will be scrutinized by the Bristol, Conn. based cable channel? It will be interesting to see how much leeway Hinton has in his new assignment. Or will be kept on a short leash?
Hinton, along with Robin Miller, formerly of the Indianapolis Star-News, were considered to be two top knowledgeable motorsports journalists who were not afraid to take controversial issues head-on. The Indianapolis Star-News a few years back over an issue that involved Tony George headman of the IRL and Indianapolis Motor Speedway fired Miller. But, Robin landed on his feet and is currently the Speed Channel’s point man in Indy Car racing and at NHRA events.
And on the NHRA, a published wire service report tells of the NHRA shortening up their quarter-mile drag strips down by 300 feet to gain increased shutdown space. The change is due to safety issues. That is that the drag race cars are going to fast. Some close to the scene think that this is an over reaction to recent fatalities. And going down to shorter drag strips will impact the show in a big way. As one fan of drag racing told us, “It’s going to take a lot of the excitement out of the show.”
Dorna Sports has agreed to deals with US broadcasters CBS Sports and NBC to broadcast coverage of MotoGP across the United States this summer.
The deal will see three races broadcast on the CBS network, including live coverage of the 2008 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca broadcast during an hour-long program on July 20. Additionally on CBS Sports, there will be hour-long same-day delayed broadcasts from the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, Germany on July 13 and from the Cardion Ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky at Brno, Czech Republic on August 17.
NBC will offer live coverage of the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 14. Helping to make the deal possible between the two parties was Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment, who will coordinate production matters with both CBS Sports and NBC and will work as Dorna’s US TV ad-sales agent. This report came from SportsBusiness.com.
Melbourne, Australia will continue to host a Formula One Grand Prix until at least 2015 after agreeing to start the race at 5 p.m. local time to make it more TV friendly for viewers in Europe and Asia.
Formula One boss, Bernie Ecclestone, had threatened to move the Australian race to Sydney, or scrap it completely, if Melbourne refused to alter the starting time. Victorian Premier, John Brumby, said: “The Grand Prix has been an outstanding event for Victoria over a long period of time and has helped put Melbourne on a global stage. Next year’s later start time will mean even greater TV audiences in the United Kingdom, Asia and European markets.”
Last year’s Melbourne race attracted over 300,000 spectators making it one of the best-attended races on the calendar. This came from SportsBusiness.com.
Yes, He Really Said That-Ed Carpenter, on what he called blocking by Danica Patrick at Iowa Speedway. “She is the new Scott Sharp of the series as far as I am concerned.” This came from the Valvoline Track Talk Newsletter.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is making its only appearance of 2008 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., and ESPN will have live, prime time coverage of the 300-mile event this Friday, July 11, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast from the 1.5-mile track also airs in high definition on ESPN HD.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be ESPN2’s lead announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Tech Center.
Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio. NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski joins ESPN’s coverage team as In-Race Reporter. Keselowski will talk to Wallace on the race’s pace laps and during caution periods.
ESPN2 also airs coverage of qualifying for the event at 4 p.m. on Friday, and coverage of final practice on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m.
Let’s see what else is on The Tube this weekend for gear head action. On Thursday at 2 p.m. it’s an Indy Lights Redux from Watkins Glen, NY on ESPN2. Speed offers a 5 p.m. airing of Cup Practice from Chicago. Speed continues with NASCAR Cup Qualifying from Chicago at 8:30 p.m. Friday has more Cup Practice from Chicago at 5 p.m. on Speed followed by Cup Final Practice at 6 p.m.
Saturday has RaceDay on Speed from Chicago at 4:30 p.m. NASCAR on TNT airs at 6:30 p.m. with the Cup race on that same channel at 8 p.m. At the same time the Indy Car race from Milwaukee goes off on ESPN. Sunday winds the action down with a noon broadcast of the ALMS GP tape(one day delay) from Lime Rock Park, Conn. on Speed and The Duce comes back at 8 p.m. with NHRA Finals in Denver. (END)
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
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