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There’s been lots of chatter and media reports regarding Danica Patrick moving to NASCAR. According to Auto Racing Daily, Jimmy Johnson has advised her, through the media, not to jump into NASCAR too quick. He suggests that Danica should start out on the short tracks with a Late Model Sportsman to get her feet wet and gradually move up into the Camping World Trucks and then into the Nationwide Series before taking on the Sprint Cup Series. He commented that he’d like to see her in NASCAR and be successful. |
That came from Auto Racing Daily. Transitioning from open wheel racecars to the heavy 3,800 lb. NASCAR stockcars is difficult and many can’t make the changeover.
Even though Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500 for the third time and giving the race a storybook ending, because of his recent acquittal on tax evasion charges, Speed’s Robin Miller’s take on this year’s 500 was not complementary. “This year’s race stunk because all of the cars have the same engines, and other configurations. As a result nobody could pass unless it was on a restart,” said Robin on Dave Despain’s Wind Tunnel program on Speed.
“Tony George and the IRL should make a major effort to bring in other manufacturers to shake things up, ” continued Miller. Obviously the IRL needs something to spice up its crown jewel 500 and the other races. On the Danica issue, Miller feels that it’s very possible that she could head for NASCAR because of the money she will get. And that’s really what it’s all about.
SPEED scored a Nielsen Household Rating of 3.68 (2,691,000 households), down just 2 percent from last year’s 3.74 (2,701,000 households) for Saturday’s live broadcast of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXV. Race coverage peaked at 4.69 (3,426,000 households) and was the highest-rated program on cable in its time slot. The SPEED post-race show, NASCAR Victory Lane with John Roberts, Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace, scored a record Nielsen mark of 1.47 (1,074,000 households) — its highest rating ever on SPEED. The All-Star race replay on SPEED was up 11% from a .36 in 2008 to a .40. (SPEEDtv)
The Netherlands stage of the A1GP motor racing series will move from Zandvoort to Assen next season. Zandvoort has hosted an A1GP race each year of the series, which began in 2005. The Autosport.com website reports that Assen has agreed a new long-term deal with A1GP, going off from May 14 to 16, 2010. The Netherlands’ Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende announced the deal at Assen on Saturday.
A1GP boss Tony Teixeira said the Netherlands had always been an A1GP stronghold, and “I almost feel the series color should be orange.” “We have had an enormous fan following since our very first event, and no one will forget the dedication of the fans at our very wet opening round for the 2008/09 season. “Assen is a track with a lot of history. It has hosted a variety of very successful races for both two and four wheels and so this will be an exciting new adventure for us.” This came from SportsBusinessInternational.
Here’s another item from SportsBusinessInternational. International Sportsworld Communicators, the promoter of the World Rally Championship has published the proposed calendar for next year’s series.Autosport.com reports that rallies in Monte Carlo, Indonesia and Russia are out, opening the door for the return of Rally Great Britain, which had originally been dropped due to the sport’s event rotation policy. Also in is Rally Bulgaria, pending its successful run this year. If the Bulgarian event does not come up to scratch, Rally Argentina will step in as the reserve.
The calendar must be approved by the FIA at next month’s World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris. Autosport.com reports that there are likely to be objections to factors such as the loss of the Acropolis Rally or any event in Italy, but that FIA sources have said the body is unlikely to refuse approval of the calendar.
Proposed 2010 calendar:
Swedish Rally
Rally Mexico
Rally of Portugal
Rally Jordan
Rally Turkey
Rally New Zealand
Rally Bulgaria
Rally Finland
Rally Deutschland
Rally Japan
Tour de Corse
Rally Catalunya
Rally GB
Reserve: Rally Argentina
The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its first appearance of the 2009 season at Dover (Del.) International Speedway this weekend, and ABC will have a live, high definition telecast from the 1-mile track on Saturday, May 31, at 2 p.m. ET as the series races for 200 miles on the track known as the “Monster Mile.” ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC. The race re-airs Sunday, May 31, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic.
Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lap-by-lap announcer for ESPN on ABC’s coverage from Dover, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett, one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and two-time Cup Series champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.
Allen Bestwick will host the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.
ESPN NASCAR analysts Ricky Craven, Brad Daugherty and Tim Brewer will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on ESPN2 on Monday, June 1, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The three will join host Allen Bestwick on ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.
Due to ESPN2’s coverage of the French Open, half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now will air Tuesday through Friday of this week at 6:30 p.m. with Nicole Manske in the host role. Mike Massaro hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Sunday, May 31, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Daugherty and Brewer will join Massaro on the set, while Jamie Little and Angelique Chengelis will report from the track.
NASCAR Now is hosted by Manske, Bestwick and Massaro and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series travels to Heartland Park Topeka this weekend, and ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action on a same-day basis. Qualifying from the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals airs Saturday, May 30, at 8 p.m. ET, with eliminations airing Sunday at 4 p.m. Finals coverage re-airs Monday, June 1, at 1 p.m. on ESPN Classic.
Sprawling multipurpose Heartland Park Topeka has been a Midwest favorite since it opened in 1989, but its drag strip has gained the majority of headlines. The event, originally in the fall, has featured numerous record performances, the most significant of which was the shattering of the quarter-mile four-second and 300-mph barriers in Funny Car in 1993. The event moved to its current spot on the schedule in 2001.
Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.
On the heels of the Indianapolis 500, the Indy Car Series moves to the historic Milwaukee Mile for an event on Sunday, May 31. ABC will have live coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Ryan Briscoe drove to victory in last year’s Milwaukee race.
Marty Reid will call the race for ESPN on ABC’s coverage with analysis by former Indy Car Series star Scott Goodyear. Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch will report from the pits.
Other Indy Car Series-related programming this week on the ESPN Networks includes an airing of SportsCentury – Al Unser Sr. on Wednesday, May 27, at 9 a.m. on ESPN Classic.
The Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, which features modified trucks, tractors and other vehicles, will be in action on Sunday, May 31, in a half-hour program beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The programs will feature highlights from an event held in Hamburg, N.Y. The American Tractor Pulling Association sanctions the league.
Here’s what else is happening in terms of racing action on the tube this weekend. On Friday at 10 a.m. Speed offers Camping World Series Qualifying from Dover. Speed returns at 11:30 a.m. airs Sprint Cup Practice from that same venue and returns at 1 p.m. with Nationwide Final Practice from the Monster Mile. The NASCAR Camping World Trucks from Dover will be broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on Speed.
Speed kicks off the Saturday action at 10 a.m. with Nationwide Qualifying from Dover then Sprint Cup Practice at 11:30 a.m. and then Final Practice for the Sprint Cup Series at 12:30 p.m. Speed also offers the WoO race from Sarver, PA at 6 p.m. TSN airs the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series from St. Eustache, Que. at 5 p.m. Speed returns at 10 p.m. with the AMA Superbikes at 10 p.m.
Sunday will be as busy starting at 11:30 a.m. with Speed airing NASCAR Race Day from Dover. Fox/TSN kick in with the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Dover at 2 p.m. Speed offers the FIM 250 from Mugello, Italy at 3 p.m. Speed continues with more bike action at 5 p.m. this time with the FIM Superbikes, Race #1 from Toole, UT followed by Race #2 from the same track at 6 p.m. If you missed everything this weekend then catch Speed Report on Speed with a weekend wrap-up of the entire weekend. At 8 p.m. Speed offers Victory Lane from Dover. (END)
NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.
