|
After four weeks of Sprint Cup Qualifying getting washed out, both the fans and media are critical of NASCAR for not rescheduling and just using the point standings to determine the starting grids.
One problem that we see here is that it’s very complicated. Because the NASCAR weekends at the various venues are stacked up with Nationwide, Craftsman Trucks, or the ARCA RE/Max, Camping World Series and the Whelen Modified Tour. Not to mention commitments to (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNCL TSN, TSN2, Fox, FX, TNT, HDnet, Speed,) TV networks at various times during the long season. |
The Martinsville overnight TV ratings were down. The overnight TV Ratings for the TUMS Quickpak 500 at Martinsville Speedway drew an overnight rating of 2.9 with a share of 6. In 2007, the overnight rating was 3.3. The final national TV Ratings for the race in 2007 was 3.7. This report came from StockCarGazette.com.
Economic uncertainty was nowhere to be found inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center as over $29 million (including Buyer’s Premium) in collector cars were sold during the inaugural Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Las Vegas Oct. 16-18, 2008. Bidders worldwide competed for over 500 vehicles that sold at No Reserve, including a 1949 MG TC that was Carroll Shelby’s first road race car, Funkmaster Flex’s custom 2006 Ford Mustang GT, a 2003 Saleen S7 and a 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Custom. Over 50,000 people attended the automotive auction and lifestyle event, which was broadcast live in high-definition on SPEED. This report came from businesswire.com.
With the stock market in the tank, the buyers at the Barrett-Jackson Vegas event must have felt that buying a collectable automobile is a good investment. It could be provided it was at the right price. However, we’ve always felt that these B-J auctions really push hard to inflate the price using some emotional hype.
Formula One teams and the sport’s governing body have said that a meeting between the two sides in Geneva (Switzerland) produced “significant” cost savings for 2009 and 2010. This report came from SportsBusiness.com Let’s hope that this is the case. With the global economy in the tank, we do expect to see some F1 teams having problems making it to the grid next season. It may be due to the cutbacks of sponsors or their failure to renew with teams they sponsored in 2008.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced that Camping World would be the title sponsor for the NASCAR Truck Series beginning in 2009. Camping World replaces longtime series sponsor Craftsman, which had been the sole title sponsor since the inception of the NASCAR Truck Series in 1995. This report came from StockCarGazette.com.
From the Speed Report on the Speed Channel, On the Chase To The Nextel Cup following Atlanta, Jimmy Johnson is 183 points ahead of Carl Edwards who was shocked that Johnson came from way back to a second place behind him at the finish. With just three races to go (Texas, Phoenix and Homestead), Carl Edwards will have a tough job keeping Johnson from winning the The Chase.
The Speed Report also talked about rumors that Joey Lagano, a young development driver in the Joe Gibbs stable not moving up full time to the Cup Series next year. A spokesperson for JGR told the Speed Report that those rumors are false.
IndyCar champion Helio Castroneves has some serious problems with the US IRS. He’s been indicted, along with two associates, in Federal Court for not reporting millions of dollars that were deposited in offshore banks and not reported as income. Helio had to post a $5 million dollar bond so that he could race in Australia last weekend. He also had to get special permission to leave the country because the court demanded his passport. The IRS and the federal government want their money and that’s why they let him leave the country to earn some cash.
Last year the Italian government went after Valentino Rossi, the top Ducati rider on the international motorcycle circuits. The Treasury Dept. in Rome wanted him to settle up for some 67 million Euros. We understand that he did just that.
Canadian Paul Tracy is going to give NASCAR another try. This time in the Craftsman Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Many Indy Car and SportsCar drivers have not been very successful in NASCAR. But, we can’t blame PT for giving it another try.
Let’s check this weekend’s motorsports action on the tube. It starts off on Friday at 10 a.m. with Speed airing NASCAR Nationwide Practice from Texas. Stick with Speed as that channel offers a noon airing of F1 Practice from Brazil. ESPN2 kicks in with NASCAR Cup Practice from Texas at 1 p.m. ESPN/TSN both offer NASCAR Cup Qualifying from Texas at 4:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. Speed returns with Nationwide Series Qualifying from Texas and returns at 9 p.m. with the Craftsman Truck 350k race from Texas.
Saturday’s offerings are as numerous with a noon airing of the F1 Qualifying session from Brazil on Speed/TSN. Speed continues with coverage at 2 p.m. of the NASCAR Cup Series Practice from Texas. At 3:30 p.m. ESPN2/TSN2 each offer the Nationwide Series race from Texas. ESPN2 airs Final Cup Practice at 6 p.m. from Texas. ESPN2 returns at 10 p.m. this time with NHRA Qualifying from Vegas. TSN airs the Nationwide event from Texas at 11:30 p.m., SDD.
Sunday’s offerings are slimmer with the GP of Brazil at 11:30 a.m. airing on RDS/Speed/TSN. At 3:30 p.m. it’s the NASCAR Cup race from Texas on ABC/TSN. ESPN2 offers NHRA Final Eliminations at 7 p.m.
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESSES RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
