Right now NASCAR could use some good news. It would be timely for NASCAR and Junior if they could catch a break and Junior pulls off a win in this weekend’s Cup race at Vegas. The media and fans have been hammering him for his Daytona performance. We are not so sure that any of his fans have turned against him. Let’s face it every driver hits a slump and he’s in one now. Even his late father, Dale, Sr., had his troubles but he toughed it out. We think that Junior’s got the same intestinal fortitude as his dad. And he’s hungry for a win in the near term.
(Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media)
Fox says its broadcast of Sunday’s rain-shortened Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway earned a Nielsen Media Research fast national rating of 9.2 and a 19 household share. The rating was down 9.8 percent from last year’s 10.2/20. Fox said the rating for this year was hurt by the cancellation of the race’s final 48 laps because of rain during “what are historically its most-watched laps” but still averaged 16.0 million viewers. The network says the race drew more people than the 15.4 million viewers for the NCAA Final Four, 15.2 million for the Beijing Olympics, 14.9 million for the National Basketball Association Finals, the 14.2 million for the Kentucky Derby, the 13.1 million for the final round of The Masters golf tournament and 7.2 million for last year’s Indianapolis 500. This came from Fox and StockCarGazette.com.
The Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona was the most-viewed Nationwide Series race ever on ESPN2 with an average of 3,238,062 viewers. ESPN2 had live, flag-to-flag coverage of the event on Saturday, Feb. 14. The viewership number represented a slight increase over the telecast of last year’s race, which also set a viewership record. The race earned a 2.4 household coverage rating, down from the 2.5 earned for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN2, and even with the rating earned for the event on ESPN2 in 2007. ESPN2 will again be the home of the Nationwide Series in 2009, with select races televised on ESPN and ABC. Season ratings for the series on ESPN2 were up seven percent in 2008 from 2007. This report came from ESPN PR and StockcarGazette.com.
AMA Pro Racing and SPEED announced an innovative and unprecedented new programming format that will see 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing events, highlight coverage of other AMA Pro disciplines and a variety of in-studio and at-event features showcased every Saturday evening in the AMA Pro Prime Time show on America’s leading motorsports television channel.
The 26-week run for AMA Pro Prime Time begins March 21, and will air every Saturday night on SPEED at 10 or 11 p.m. ET (7 or 8 p.m. PT), with each program ranging in length from one to three hours depending on weekly content. The programming schedule will feature flag-to-flag coverage of every 2009 AMA Pro American Superbike and AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race, ample coverage of other AMA Pro Road Racing divisions and select exposure of other motorcycle disciplines under the organization’s umbrella.
The race programming will be packaged within a studio show that will offer viewers a variety of features, including in-studio guests, expert analysis, breaking news announcements, motorcycle unveilings and much more. Popular SPEED personality Ralph Sheheen will be the in-studio host for AMA Pro Prime Time while host and play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey, pit reporter Greg White and a to-be-named analyst will anchor the race coverage team.
This item is not good news for the global F1 Series. Dutch bank and insurance company ING Groep NV announced it is pulling out of Formula One at the end of the 2009 season. ING is currently the title sponsor of the Renault team. The company has also been heavily involved in trackside advertising and is the official sponsor of this season’s opening Grand Prix in Australia as well as those in Belgium, Hungary and Turkey.
According to estimated figures published in a Formula Money report last year, ING is the second largest sponsor in the sport. The report estimated that ING were paying around $86 million annually into the sport, with around $65 million of that going to Renault. “In light of the recently announced cost reduction program, ING confirmed not to renew the three-year sponsorship (2007-2009) contract with Renault F1 and to end its presence in F1 beyond the 2009 season,” said a company statement. The group announced last month that it would cut operating expenses by €1 billion in 2009.
Adding to F1′s problems, related to the global economic slowdown, CEO of Formula One Management (FOM) Bernie Ecclestone has said he will do everything in his power to ensure a re-named Honda team will be able to compete in this year’s Formula One Championship.
The Japanese manufacturer pulled out of the sport in December last year. Team principal Ross Brawn and chief executive Nick Fry are looking for new owners, backers or a management buyout.
“We’ve been talking to them (the management), whatever happens we’d like to see the Formula One team stay in business,” Ecclestone told the Times Online. Honda spent an estimated £210 million in a 2008 season where they scored just 14 points from 18 races and finished ninth overall.
Ecclestone however refused to comment on whether a direct financial commitment would be made by the FOM.
“I’d rather not comment on that but we will do whatever we have to do to try to make it happen. I don’t even know whether we could legally be involved – we probably couldn’t,” he added. “The Commission might say that because we are the commercial rights-holder (that) we shouldn’t be part of it. I don’t know at this stage, but there is a possibility that loans could be made or something.” These two items came from SportsBusiness.com a widely distributed news service.
Darrel Waltrip appeared on the season opening Wind Tunnel program with host Dave Despain. Waltrip had some insight that makes a lot of sense. “This economic downturn is an opportunity to restructure purses for the (NASCAR) Cup Series that will benefit the single car teams and help them to keep going. That’s why a lot of drivers/teams showed up because just to start the Daytona 500 was worth $250,000.
On short tracks Wind Tunnel Dave Despain said, According to Chris Economaki, midget racing with bargain priced admission tickets flourished during the Depression,”
said Despain. “If short track promoters structure similar efforts, cheap entertainment will draw in lots of fans all looking for a diversion.”
Petro Stopping Centers is proud to announce that the new Home Depot driver, Joey Logano, will be at the North Las Vegas Petro location on I-15 @ Exit 54, to sign autographs on Friday Feb 27th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. PST. Wristbands for the event will be distributed beginning at noon on Wednesday February 25 and February 26 to the first 250 visitors each day. Logano recently started the Daytona 500 as the youngest competitor at the event. The Joe Gibbs Racing prodigy will be running a full schedule in the Home Depot car this year as well as several Nationwide events.
Here’s some good news for one of the NASCAR divisions which has been rare in this time of gloom and doom for motorsports. Keystone Light, the official beer sponsor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is giving fans yet another reason to reach for the “Always Smooth” beer as they tune into the racing action each week: The complete 2009 NASCAR Truck Series schedule is printed along the side of limited-edition, 24-ounce cans of Keystone Light*.
“Keystone Light knows that NASCAR Truck Series fans take their racing seriously, so the 24-ounce ‘schedule can’ is just another reason they should make a pit stop for Keystone Light, whether they’re heading to the track or watching at home,” said Keystone Light marketing manager Beatriz Arsuaga.
The collectable, 24-ounce Keystone Light “schedule can” is available as a single serve beer nationwide in convenience stores, liquor stores and supermarkets.
It’s the ride of a lifetime – two laps around the historic Daytona International Speedway road course. On Thursday night, March 5, bike enthusiasts will get that chance in the third annual Spring Dash Around At Daytona. This one-of-a-kind package includes a Spring Dash T-Shirt, two parade laps around the track, an After Party in the Sprint FANZONE with live entertainment, two beverage tickets and the opportunity to watch Daytona 200 By Honda qualifying. Tickets are only $40 and a companion ticket is available for $20. Tickets can be purchased at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone outside of Turn 4 on Friday, Feb. 27 – March 5, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and are also available on www.kickstandcity.com.
A portion of the proceeds from Spring Dash Around Daytona will benefit the VFW National Military Assistance Programs.
From the widely distributed Valvoline Track Talk News letter comes this insightful comment. Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the toughest part of being Dale Jr.: “Answering a lot of questions. I got to answer so many d*** questions. I never wanted to be asked so many questions. I just wanted to drive but that’s not all there is to it.” Obviously, Junior wasn’t happy with his Daytona performance.
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: 100 YEARS OF RACING By Ralph Kramer is a book being offered by Krause Publications. It covers the century of the track with previously unpublished pictures from those early days right up through the present. It captures all of the intriguing series of events that have transformed the dirt and gravel track of 1909 to the Brickyard of today and celebrates the pageantry, tradition and excitement that has thrilling millions of spectators and fans worldwide. The 10′ x 10″ hardcover book 256 pages with 500 photographs and will be available in March. The author grew up 50 miles from IMS and saw his first Indy 500 in 1950. As a writer for the Indianapolis News, Kramer later covered the race from 1964-1973. He also negotiated the Chevrolet’s Indy 500 pace car presence and managed Chevy’s PR functions at the track in 1982, 1986 and 1993. The author also served as director of the Speedway’s Hall of Fame Museum from 1995-1998 and lives in Indianapolis. Call Krause Publications at 1-800-258-0929 for more information.
Let’s check to see what’s happening on TV this weekend for motorsports action as the NASCAR season starts to ramp up. From Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. ESPN2 will air NASCAR Now. Also, on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Speed offers Nationwide Practice from Vegas followed by Cup Practice. at 6:30 p.m. both Speed and TSN go with Cup Qualifying from Glitter Gulch.
Saturday’s offerings start at noon with Speed/TSN airing Nationwide Qualifying from Vegas while Speed airs Sprint Cup Practice followed by Final Practice. at 4:30 p.m. ESPN2/TSN2 both air the Nationwide race at 4:30 p.m. from Vegas.
Sunday will see the racing action ramping up with a 2 p.m. edition of NASCAR Raceway on Speed. TSN2 airs NASCAR Now at 2:30 p.m. while Fox/TSN both kick in with the Sprint Cup race from Vegas. Speed comes back with the FIM SuperX from Phillips Island, Australia at 4 p.m. then the AMA SuperX from Indy at 5 p.m. The Speed Report on Speed will wrap up the weekend at 7 p.m. while NASCAR Victory Lane airs at 8 p.m. on Speed. (END)
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
I agree — those writing him off as having no fire are bit premature.
Wow, what a concept. A Junior win will lift the clouds and part the seas. All will be right with the world. You really do think Junior is [a god], don’t you. I suggest you stop the worship and face the facts. His “slump” has been going on for about 5 years. He is an average driver. He is where he is because of two things: his last name is Earnhardt and he has a heck of a marketing team behind him. He is the Paris Hilton of racing. He earns 32 million a year and hates to answer questions. And you guys fawn over him! In the first two races of 2009, two drivers have lived up to their potential, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
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Be careful, Jim R., you are treading on dangerous ground. This site has lots of Junior fans. I found that out last week. I drew the ire of many of them because of my feelings from the Big One at Daytona. Most felt that I do not like Dale because I spoke my mind so passionately about his involvement and attitude at Daytona. While I’m not his biggest fan, actually I do like him – the sport does need him (along with some others) but some view him as being sanctimoniously perfect. He’s not. At least you didn’t call him Bonehaed. :p BTW – He deserved that moniker at least on Feb 15, 2009.
I don’t fawn over Junior. What really impresses me is that he’s got the largest fan base in NASCAR. Even when he’s not winning! He’s voted in every year as NASCAR’s favorite driver. That translates into some serious money in the sale of his collectables. Granted a lot of fans followed his father Dale, Sr. and when he passed on those fans hitched up to Junior’s bandwagon.
As I said, he is where he is because his last name is Earnhardt, which you just agreed with, and because he has a very good marketing team behind him. You cannot open a newspaper or magazine, you cannot turn on the TV without seeing Junior promoting something. His name and face are used by everyone to sell their products. These two things combine to give him the biggest fan base and allows him to be voted most popular each of the past several years. So I guess you are really agreeing with me about the nature of his popularity. The thing that you are overlooking is the fact that a racing series should be fawning over the drivers who are most successful at racing. Instead, they call them boring (Kenseth), jerks (K. Busch) or without personality (Johnson). If your only impression of Junior is how popular he is, then you may be in the wrong business. Maybe Entertainment Tonight has an opening for you.
Jim, I have no favorites. Junior seemed to have an advantage in the restrictor plate races. But, that faded away. He’s got to find the way back to victory lane. If he did it before, there’s a good chance he’ll do it again. Looking back at Juniors past performance, is a good indicator if a driver has the drive or does not. He’s got a good chance to make it back. Either of us could be right, though. But, I think Junior will make a comeback. Because he’s in one the top teams that’s why he left DEI. In view of what happened to DEI, I think that Junior made a good move and Thresa Earnhardt didn’t. Even though you and I disagree, it’s no big deal. That’s what makes this racing business interesting. It’s a diversion from everyday life. That’s what sports is all about. Thanks for your comments.
I’d like to see him do well. My guess is that if he doesn’t win at least a couple races by mid season there will have to be some sort of a shake up at HMS. In the past crew chiefs or even entire teams have been realigned. My gut is that the 5 and 88 may realign. I’m not a big Tony Jr. fan – I’m wondering if he is a weak link? I love Tony Sr., however.
Not a knock against Dale but Rick will work hard to make sure that he gets a fair chance.