NHRA Primetime in 2008 (2 Viewers)

[Ponyhntr]

Torco Racing Fuel's Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine - NHRA TV ON PRIMETIME ESPN2

 

[yoda]

"As a show of its strengthening commitment to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, ESPN2/ESPN2HD will be presenting 21 of the 24 races during the 2008 season in the coveted 7-11 p.m. ET prime time viewing window."

Right up until golf, or tennis or softball or log rolling or.... goes into overtime...

 

[Terry]

Amen, brother Martin! My thoughts exactly--but we can always hope, I guess

 

[.]

We're a tough crowd huh?
I too am not drinking the kool-aid.

I love the drags and none the less, will gladly watch every broadcast.
Looking forward to better shows from ESPN2.

 

[willy]

I don't see how this can be viewed in a bad way.

All last year there wasn't a broadcast that didn't start within 1/2 hr of it's scheduled time.

I'm looking forward to it myself..but then..I don't b!tch about Paul either.

 

[Horsepower & Heels]

That's great news!

 

[Bullard Anderson]

I have to pay to watch every Redskins game not on ESPN or NBC since the Panthers dominate my market. The way I see it this is great!!

 

[Doug Randazzo]

I have to admit I didn't take a long look, but qualifying appeared to have taken a hard hit.

 

[Nate]

Definately a step in the right direction.

 

[sdwarf36]

"As a show of its strengthening commitment to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, ESPN2/ESPN2HD will be presenting 21 of the 24 races during the 2008 season in the coveted 7-11 p.m. ET prime time viewing window."

Right up until golf, or tennis or softball or log rolling or.... goes into overtime...

Nooo--this is a good calculated plan-gives you time catch the NHRA race--after the (just recently announced) 18 NASCAR races that are all planned to start at 2pm.

 

[Alan]

When you have channel dedicated to sports, you are always going to have events that run long, and there is nothing you can do to control it. Several times last year, they ran the coverage for us over the original slot. Probably pissed off the poker fans waiting to see that WSOP event scheduled after the drags.

I for one will watch or tape everything that ESPN2 can give me. And now I'll catch some of the classic stuff, after getting access to ESPNClassic.

 

[NHRADeuce]

Wow. We got all the way to post #2 before the whining started.

Nooo--this is a good calculated plan-gives you time catch the NHRA race--after the (just recently announced) 18 NASCAR races that are all planned to start at 2pm.

Your logic has no place here!

It sure sounds like ESPN is on board with NHRA and trying to get better ratings. Following Nascar should provide an instant boost to rating. It should be pretty significant too since many Nascar fans wake up/tune in to watch the last 15-20 laps of the race.

 

[Jim]

Wow. We got all the way to post #2 before the whining started.

Your logic has no place here!

It sure sounds like ESPN is on board with NHRA and trying to get better ratings. Following Nascar should provide an instant boost to rating. It should be pretty significant too since many Nascar fans wake up/tune in to watch the last 15-20 laps of the race.

I didn't check but, wouldn't NASCAR be on ESPN (#1) anyway?

I'm not saying we'll never get delayed (set your TIVO for an extra hour) but, I doubt it'll be for NASCAR.

 

[Kelly]

Maybe those Waltrip and Capps commercials will goose some interest in NHRA with that NASCAR crowd.

 

[Fairlane63]

I mainly lurk here, but I had to chime in.

I’ve read a lot of complaints on the Nitromater about the ESPN2 broadcasts. I’ll admit, I also get agitated when the race broadcast gets delayed by tiddlywinks or curling. I’m not super crazy about Paul Page (although I think he is improving). I also get frustrated when the race broadcast gets turned into the “Ashley Force Show” while other worthy drivers get no coverage. Having said all that, I think that ESPN2 does an overall great job broadcasting the NHRA.

For anyone who doesn’t like the ESPN2 broadcasts, I’d like to make a helpful suggestion:

On February 17th, FOX will broadcast the Daytona 500—please attempt to watch it in its entirety. If you can make it through the yammerings of Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond in addition to the 10,000 non-stop commercials plus the incompetent bumbling of NASCAR race officials along with the punk-like attitude of many of the “star” drivers without pulling your hair out, well, you have truly accomplished something. I promise, it will give you a new, very thankful outlook on the NHRA shows. Hearing Paul Page will be like listening to Beethoven after being tortured by Brittany Spears. The grass will seem greener and the air will smell fresher. You get the idea…..

I used to be a hard-core NASCAR fan, but, for various reasons, they drove me away—now I watch drag racing exclusively. The NASCAR broadcasts are just the most god-awful brainless drivel any more—it seems like the mission of FOX is to punish the viewer for being a race fan. When I started watching more NHRA, I was really pleased by the quality of the shows—I actually looked forward to them. Still do.

I’m serious with my suggestion—I hope it didn’t come across as smart-alecky. The NHRA on ESPN2 will be a breath of fresh air after watching any modern-day NASCAR broadcast.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Well put Chris. I think at the end of the day you have sit back and realize that it's free TV and that the racing means more than the folks bringing it to you.

 

[Toejam]

Maybe those Waltrip and Capps commercials will goose some interest in NHRA with that NASCAR crowd.

Are they suppose to start airing those at during the 500?

 

[Kris]

Sweet! I'll probably end up DVRing now and then anyway since that's the dinner hour (roughly) here on the west coast.

Sometimes having live events run over into the NHRA time slot is beneficial. I remember when I went to Vegas in October 2006. Friday night qualifying was supposed to last three or four hours but due to various issues (oil downs, sportsman wrecks, etc.) instead of leaving around 6 p.m. I didn't see Tony Schumacher's final pass of the evening until around 9 p.m. That's why the coverage is tape delayed in the first place.

Saturday was similarly stretched out due to a variety of issues that prevented the pro classes from running in a timely manner and the Saturday coverage started late. I recall quite keenly how pissed off some Maters were about the push back because y'all didn't realize what was going on at the track. If I remember right from what another Mater said who has direct knowledge of what it takes to get these shows on the air, if things get delayed at the track, then it gets delayed getting to the air especially if it's a west coast event because sometimes they're still editing the tape. You can't fault ESPN for something that goes wrong with a car that might cause a 45 minute delay.

This is the nature of the sport. Delays at the track are more often than not the cause of the delays of the broadcast, whether it's a wreck, oildowns or weather.

And I have tried to sit through FOX's coverage of a NASCAR race and let me tell you, I totally agree with Chris Williams' assessment of the viewing experience. It's painful. I much prefer ESPN2's coverage of NHRA.

 

[Kelly]

Are they suppose to start airing those at during the 500?

Hmmm.....don't remember. I'll have to check into that, but I would think so.

 

[fifty50]

Can't wait to hear Paul Page and Mike Dunn fire 'em up!