[nascarfan24]

watch SPEED January 8th
TESTING!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by nascarfan24

watch SPEED January 8th
TESTING!

Now that is the kind of news we've all been waiting for. Do you have a time ?

[carlab68]

YAY! YAY! YAY! I can get a little fix until February.

[Quality88]

I don't have speed that stinks

[carlab68]

That really does stink.

I've got DirecTV and we are getting the NA$CAR pass this year.

[nascarfan24]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Now that is the kind of news we've all been waiting for. Do you have a time ?

no it just said "COVERAGE BEGINS JANUARY 8TH"
and it showed a bunch of clips and pictures of drivers and test cars

[GoDale]

I can't wait! I'm going over for the duels.

[Bob Tanner]

Other than a TV spot report, probably an interview a day by some syndicated stringer, and coverage by Sirius, I doubt if we'll see or hear much. Speed might run something but I bet Jayski is where most of us will get our testing info. But then, I could see SPEED spending a little more time on this than it has in the past; still trying to keep its NASCAR presence.

Let's face it, testing is really boring for the drivers and it's doubly so for spectators. A small number of unmarked or marginally-marked, primered cars running five-ten lap segments then pulling into the pits and having their crew make adjustments isn't the stuff high drama is made of. I've attended testing sessions and, to me, it has all the intrinsic interest of watching someone at McDonalds put together a Big Mac.

[Souporscotty]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Other than a TV spot report, probably an interview a day by some syndicated stringer, and coverage by Sirius, I doubt if we'll see or hear much. Speed might run something but I bet Jayski is where most of us will get our testing info. But then, I could see SPEED spending a little more time on this than it has in the past; still trying to keep its NASCAR presence.

Let's face it, testing is really boring for the drivers and it's doubly so for spectators. A small number of unmarked or marginally-marked, primered cars running five-ten lap segments then pulling into the pits and having their crew make adjustments isn't the stuff high drama is made of. I've attended testing sessions and, to me, it has all the intrinsic interest of watching someone at McDonalds put together a Big Mac.

You are absolutly right Bob.(again) But testing means we're THAT much closer to another season of NA$CAR's wonderfully packaged product.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Souporscotty

NA$CAR's wonderfully packaged product.

There's an oxymoron

[Bob Tanner]

Re:Originally Posted by Souporscotty
NA$CAR's wonderfully packaged product.

Originally Posted by Quality88

There's an oxymoron

There are many people who like this new, "packaged" NA$CAR just the way it is. Or, worse yet, I honestly believe some would be happy to see NA$CAR do away with the obligatory racing and just do three hours weekly of person interviews and insightful segments on "their driver" (ala NASCAR 24/7 and the other similiar programs)

I fear you, I and a number of others here, who remember stock car racing as it once was, are in the distinct minority.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

There are many people who like this new, "packaged" NA$CAR just the way it is. Or, worse yet, I honestly believe some would be happy to see NA$CAR do away with the obligatory racing and just do three hours weekly of person interviews and insightful segments on "their driver" (ala NASCAR 24/7 and the other similiar programs)

I fear you, I and a number of others here, who remember stock car racing as it once was, are in the distinct minority.

No doubt we are in the minority, but NA$CAR doesn't care since they don't need us. The money is spent on the cookie cutter teams (most of them) by those who have no concept of what racing is about. We've been down this road often and I think we all agree that we are all creatures of the past. They put up with us but they also know that it won't be long before we are all gone.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

No doubt we are in the minority, but NA$CAR doesn't care since they don't need us. The money is spent on the cookie cutter teams (most of them) by those who have no concept of what racing is about. We've been down this road often and I think we all agree that we are all creatures of the past. They put up with us but they also know that it won't be long before we are all gone.

My friend, you have brought up a topic about which I have given a lot of thought in the past decade or so. Give me a bit of time to take care of some other things, and allow me to clear my thoughts, and I'll converse with you via private message on this matter.

[Souporscotty]

FYI. I was being sarcastic about the "packaged product". I still wanna see figure eight racin' in Clifornia!

[LSC9901]

Sarcastic or not we really are getting to the point of the packaged product. The question is just what do you see as the packaged product. To me it is when more and more teams/drivers fall into the evils of corporate sponsorship and everything that is required by them. The first statement out of the drivers mouth during the post race interview is "I want to thank this sponsor that sponsor and this one and so on". That is all about keeping the corporate sponsors happy. That is a part of the packaged product. They all have pet commitments that are a must to maintain the image with the base of fans. In the "good old days" the driver was a mechanic, tire changer, painter and hauler driver. No I don't want to go that far back but the packaged product today is keeping the team/driver out of our reach. For me this isn't good and it surely isn't where the sport got its roots from.