ESPN’s live coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway earned a 3.5 household coverage rating, down from a 4.1 for last year’s telecast on ESPN. Viewers were 4,996,647, down 13 percent from 5,735,433 in 2007. Coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Bristol on ESPN earned a 1.4 household coverage rating, down from a 1.5 for last year’s race that aired on ESPN2. Viewers were 1,748,983, down 12 percent from 1,993,590 in 2007. This report came from StockcarGazette.com and ESPN.
According to several blogs and media outlets, there were reports the Olympics on the tube that Sunday had a lot to do with the down tick in the Bristol Cup race. Plus, there were other assorted reasons like fan comments regarding the COT. The latter, we think, as being mostly conjecture. Or only a minor factor at Bristol. We’d have to blame most of it on the Olympic coverage, though.
The next edition of ESPN’s primetime newsmagazine E:60 on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. ET, will feature a round-the-clock look at 18-year-old NASCAR prodigy Joey Logano – at the track, in the pits, on his boat, at home and at play.
Starting in quarter-midget cars at age 6, Logano has been ahead of the competition for 12 years. Logano drives in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, where earlier this year he became the youngest winner ever in the series, taking a checkered flag just three weeks after his 18th birthday. Next year holds a bigger challenge for Logano as he will replace Tony Stewart in the Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Home Depot Toyota on the Sprint Cup level.
Still, Logano is a kid at heart. E:60 correspondent Tom Farrey spent time recently with Logano for an up-close profile of the young driver many in NASCAR call “Sliced Bread.” Joey is from Middletown, Conn. This report came from ESPN.
History making Freedom Tour features first ever ‘Arrive & Drive’ experience for persons with disabilities. A NASCAR modified with an accessible door, swivel seat for easy transfer, push button automatic transmission, push/pull gas and brake, in addition to dual steering wheel and brake pedal on instructors side of car for safety, back up pump and reservoir to assure power to brakes and steering if the engine stalls.
Accessible Racing skills school develops new driving skills versus merely practicing the same skills participants arrived with. A combination of class room knowledge and closely supervised driving instruction from a professional racecar driver riding shotgun focus on base line driving skills; under steer, over steer, steering with throttle, threshold breaking, etc.
Disabled drivers from Colorado, Montana, California, Pennsylvania, Alabama, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts traveled to an asphalt oval track at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock NH and experienced driving a racecar on track – under the lights.
Lime Rock Park Mohegan Sun NASCAR Camping World 200 venue exposed fundraising and entertainment opportunities available at NASCAR events available at short tracks and road courses, featuring tax deductible hospitality packages that include entertainment, hot laps, in addition to NASCAR and SCCA competition. “When I learned about Accessible Racing, I immediately resonated with their mission. I grew up with a handicapped uncle whose streetcar was fitted with hand controls back in the late 1960s. I was amazed that the technology was available so that he had the freedom to get around. Now to see what Accessible Racing is doing to offer this freedom to racing drivers and fans is heartwarming. Kudos to Accessible Racing!” said Maria Jannace, Chief Marketing Officer for Lime Rock Park located in northwestern Conn.
Atlanta Motor Speedway will host next scheduled event, TBS, to promote corporate hospitality packages with a tie-in to America’s fastest growing spectator sport at the NASCAR truck series and Cup level of competition. Hospitality guest will benefit from tax deductible hospitality, NASCAR top level of entertainment seats, and most importantly feel good stories for the media that help position product for participants that join our mission to break barriers and create opportunities that never before existed with the first ever ‘Arrive & Drive’ program to benefit more then 52 million persons with disabilities.
Air Force F-15 pilot Ian James Brown from N.J. said, “It’s an incredible feeling to return from Iraq, newly disabled, and realize something like Accessible Racing exists. This has been one of my biggest thrills pre and post injury and I was routinely taking corners at 1,500 mph in an F-15. This is incredible to return home and know what a great country we live in and how people like Accessible Racing really care about our (disabled) community and go to any length to show appreciate to Veterans…”
Depending on who gets in and who gets dealt out, the new format for the Bud Shootout at Daytona next February has been getting mixed reviews. The format now only allows four drivers from The Big 4, Chevy, Dodge, Ford and Toyota into the show.
Yes, He REALLY Said That-Steve Johnson, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Snap-On Suzuki rider, on the U.S. Nationals. “If Tiger Woods was getting ready for the biggest and most prestigious drag race on the planet, he would be bringing passion, determination and lots of power. But since he has a bad knee, I will be taking his place at this year’s U.S. Nationals.” That came from the Valovline Track Talk Newsletter.
Checking the gearhead action on TV this weekend is reflected in the following. Friday’s schedule starts at 8 a.m. with F1 Practice from Belgium on Speed. Then ESPN2 kicks in at 10 a.m. with Nationwide Final Practice from RIR followed by Sprint Cup Final Practice at 11 a.m. from RIR. At 4 p.m. it’s ESPN2/TSN2 both offering Nationwide Qualifying from RIR followed by Cup Qualifying at 6 p.m. Both The Duce and TSN2 air the Nationwide race from RIR at 8 p.m.
Saturday’s action starts at 8 a.m. with F1 Qualifying from Belgium airing on Speed and TSN. At 11 a.m. TSN broadcasts the NASCAR Canadian Series race from Cayuga, Ont. Also at 11 a.m. Speed offers the Qualifying for the Craftsman Truck Series event from Madison, IL. Stick with Speed as it airs the CTS race at 2:30 p.m. ABC/TSN offer the Cup race from RIR at 7:30 p.m.
Here’s Sunday’s line-up. Speed offers the GP2 race from Belgium at 6 a.m. with the F1 race from the same venue getting the green flag at 7:30 a.m. ESPN2 broadcasts the IRL Indy Light race from Chicago at 12:30 p.m. Speed returns at 2 p.m. with the Grand Am go from Millville, NJ. ABC kicks in at 3:30 p.m. with the IRL IndyCar race from Chicagoland. Speed returns at 4 p.m. with the ARCA RE/Max 200 from Chicagoland. For the bikers it’s the FIM Superbike race from Donnington Park in the UK which airs on Speed at 6 p.m. (END)
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
