Whit Bazemore to be anchor for Fox NHRA broadcast team ?

[FABMAN]

The agreement calls for FS1 to provide coverage of Friday and Saturday qualifying and Sunday eliminations for each NHRA Mello Yello Series event, with a minimum of 16 Sunday eliminations shows to be presented in a live coverage format, and the remainder shown either in weekend afternoon or primetime time slots. Four of those live elimination shows will air on the FOX national broadcast network.

NHRA officials unveiled the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule during the running of the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The 23-race series remains motorsports’ most geographically dispersed U.S. touring circuit and will make its traditional stops across the country, thrilling millions of fans with its unique brand of high-horsepower entertainment.


I know they are in talks with Topeka, but right now its only 23.

Wishful thanking LOL

 

[Rajunz]

It is difficult when you do interviews, you have your talking points you need to get across, in the case of the drivers, it's sponsor plugs, plus look human, be interesting and even entertaining not to mention don't messed up and say something stupid or controversial. After 100's if not thousands of interviews I can imagine that it's hard not to go to autopilot.

....and if you're Dean Scuza, work in the word of the day!

 

[Rajunz]

Wishful thanking LOL

How is this wishful thinking, I don't get this comment. Yes there are only 23 races next season, Topeka is not on the schedule. 16 of those races WILL be shown in the live format. To me that means taped 1st and 2nd rounds with live Semifinals and Finals. If some of the qualifying rounds are broadcast live, I would think that they'll be like the old Friday night ESPN3 shows.

 

[FABMAN]

How is this wishful thinking, I don't get this comment. Yes there are only 23 races next season, Topeka is not on the schedule. 16 of those races WILL be shown in the live format. To me that means taped 1st and 2nd rounds with live Semifinals and Finals. If some of the qualifying rounds are broadcast live, I would think that they'll be like the old Friday night ESPN3 shows.

Well Lance I only think in a positive direction and since HPT is our home track I'm sure they will get the May date which was left open that's what I meant about wishful thinking. The shows will be on Fox 1 so I'm sure they won't be anything like espn or espn3.

 

[PJ]

Well Lance I only think in a positive direction and since HPT is our home track I'm sure they will get the May date which was left open that's what I meant about wishful thinking. The shows will be on Fox 1 so I'm sure they won't be anything like espn or espn3.

Unless they get something planned quickly I would assume no Topeka. Unless the teams have been told privately to keep it open, I could see many of them booking shows for testing/money opportunities.

 

[FABMAN]

I had been told by some of the racers that even if track doesn't get sold Core Bank will work with NHRA to let them have it for the National and Divisional events like the 2015 season. I'm sure they prefer to sell it and that's what the wait is.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

16 of the 23 events are to be broadcast live.

Thanks for the info Dave W.

 

[camaro]

with the exception of Dunn and Bruno, ex racers make awful broadcasters. anybody remember when Cruz took a shot at it.

 

[rckymtn3]

When you do the same event 20+ times a season, it is a bit difficult to make each one too incredibly different sounding. In the NFL, NBA, MLB and such there are only so many different questions that can be asked or scenarios that come up game after game or race after race. I think the current crew does a good job. Production wise they seemed to have done better balancing the JFR love (scooter cam anyone). Other than the long down time during the live shows, I think they do fine.

Many, not all but many, of the drivers are on auto repeat in their interviews to cram as many sponsors in that it makes their interviews boring. Others like Beckman, Capps and Brown, are able to balance the plugs with heart, genuineness, insightful and entertaining interviews. That's not on the production crew, that is the on drivers to present themselves as more than robots.

I'm with you on the scooter cam, the helmet cam, the atv cam, the starter cam etc....but that is the director and producers...

Sure, the drivers sound like broken records....

....but then it's the job of the director and producer to fashion a line of questioning that limits their ability to get stuck in that rut. Steer it back to the cars, their performance, how and what they changed, and the actual things done during the race should be the topics, but they usually get asked how it feels to be them, how it feels how it feels how it feels....Even the racers (drivers and crew) cringe at these well worn angles. They find it refreshing to be able to talk about the nuts and bolts of going quick versus the "how do you pee on the way to the moon?" type questions. This is completely on the director/producer to steer the program in the direction of showing more racing, and talking more racing....but they don't. THEY LOVE THE DRAMA and not so much the actual reason people want to watch a race. RACING!!

Sure it's tough to differentiate one race from another. The only way, and also the EASIEST way is to concentrate on the track, the cars, and the performance. Who's on top? Who has a handle on the track? What do tuners do to negotiate each lane at this track? Concentrate on this, and it becomes easy to even layman that each track is a different challenge, and just how slippery that cherry pit called a nitro tune actually is. One day you're a hero, next day, you fail to qualify. There's loads of actual, real life drama within these few things mentioned that no TV crew would have to manufacture any other drama, but apparently, it's not the "right" kind of drama. This is racing drama, and what they want is Hollywood Soap Opera drama. Two very different types of drama, and two very different audiences.

The other best thing has been mentioned on these boards....trim the number of races down. Make the National Event something special again, not what happens on almost every Sunday from Feb-Oct.

As far as I know, here's the current producers and director. It's totally on them to create a show that showcases racing, and not twitter/facebook-centric dramathons.

http://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/feinberg_rich/

http://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/jackson_kate/

http://espnmediazone.com/us/bios/bruce-watson/

with the exception of Dunn and Bruno, ex racers make awful broadcasters. anybody remember when Cruz took a shot at it.

That's true in most any sport. No one ever said it was easy, or took no talent. It takes gobs of talent.

Greg Anderson was pretty good in the booth...

I still think NBC nailed it. F1 has four people. An ex crew guy, an ex driver, a knowledgeable pit reporter, and a knowledgeable
color commentator who sews all the above into a good discussion and play by play....not to mention a real passion for the racing going on from all mentioned above.

 

[vegasnitro]

II still think NBC nailed it. F1 has four people. An ex crew guy, an ex driver, a knowledgeable pit reporter, and a knowledgeable color commentator who sews all the above into a good discussion and play by play....not to mention a real passion for the racing going on from all mentioned above.

I agree ... Though I would still take Varsha over Diffey. Hobbo just cracks me up. I have adopted "stone the crows" and "klag" into my everyday lexicon.

We have all been crying for change for some time now for the NHRA broadcast, and now that change is here. I am sure NHRA and Fox will want to take the broadcast in new or different directions, and does that mean the announcers too? I think Reiff and Dunn are up to the task but maybe Fox will want to start with a new slate. Historically, whenever a racing sanction switches networks, some piece of the original broadcast team is retained. Mike Joy went with NASCAR from CBS to Fox in 2001, and Benny Parson went from ESPN to NBC in the same year Hobbs and Matchett went to NBCSN with F1 in 2013. Bob Jenkins went with IndyCar from ESPN to Versus (now NBCSN). So there is plenty of historical precedent to keep Reiff and Dunn

Just please, dear God, do not hire Kenny Sargent and/or Crash Gladys.

 

[rckymtn3]

I agree ... Though I would still take Varsha over Diffey.

Bob made my eyes bleed...or ears bleed...either way. He (Varsha) knows racing, and in-particular, F1, no doubt about that. It's how he interacted with the on-air crew (often bickering with Hobbs or Matchett over pronunciations, or how what he said was more "right" etc.) The constant "Me, Me, I, I" drove me nuts. Paul Page did that too.

Just please, dear God, do not hire Kenny Sargent and/or Crash Gladys.

^^^^^^ This duo is how you kill a sport. Good Luck Drag Boats!

 

[DrRocket]

I still think NBC nailed it. F1 has four people. An ex crew guy, an ex driver, a knowledgeable pit reporter, and a knowledgeable color commentator who sews all the above into a good discussion and play by play....not to mention a real passion for the racing going on from all mentioned above.

Theirs is the only pre-race show worth watching, IMHO. They're the best.

 

[NCC250]

If Joe Buck does the broadcast im gone....

 

[Greasemunk]

Announcing at a track live in person is a hard gig. TV is harder. Live TV? Like walking a tightrope with an elephant hanging off one ear. Trust me , I know. I have been the series commentator for the ANDRA TV show in Australia for a couple of years, have been doing TV for 6 years and have been announcing motorsports for about 10. If you have watched any Australian drag racing over the last 4 or so years, you have probably seen or head me. I think our show was broadcast on MAVTV over in the states.

The most difficult things in no particular order are:

1) Satisfying both the hard core, die hard fan and the casual observer at the same time.
2) Getting interesting answers out of drivers, some of who have the personality of a three week old hamburger, and others who just regurgitate the reel of sponsors time after time.
3) Sportsman Racing. Explaining it on TV. I love it, but it just ain't built for the casual observer.
4) The Weather playing a massive part in everything that happens.
5) Keeping the vibe fresh and exciting when essentially you are delivering a similar product to last week, just in a different city.
6) Trying not to overcomplicate or oversimplify a sport that is inherently overcomplicated or oversimplified, depending on where you are sitting. Think about this one for a moment. the quickest car wins, right? unless they redlight or cross a boundary. Or If the other guy haves a better reaction time by an equal or greater amount than the quicker car is .. quick. And that is just for heads up pro racing. there are dozens of other intricacies that come in to play on any given race day.

That said, I think the job that the current team has done has been exceptional. Dunn and Reiff have a rapport that you can't just fabricate. John Kernan and Gary Gerould do a great job pit reporting in what is probably the most difficult job in Drag Racing Broadcasting. And when I have seen him, Bruno Massel has been extremely polished in his delivery.

That being said, I think this new TV deal is a great thing for drag racing, if it is done right (which I have no reason to think that it wont be). I can't wait to see how it comes across.

If they are looking for announcers, I'm available

And as a side note, ironically, the sport down here will have a new TV package for the coming season as well. Just a coincidence but worth mentioning.

Rusty

 

[Nunz]

You know which racer does well on TV? IMO, Tommy Johnson Jr. He's on a weekly Velocity show,Performance TV I think, and I believe he's helped out the Espn show at a couple events. He's pretty smooth doing interviews, like he's done them for a long time.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

The production aspect of the events will not come from the FOX house, I'd say a production group in Los Angeles. FOX graphics will be used and they'll have final call on all talent.

 

[DrRocket]

Great post Rusty. Thanks for a look from your perspective.

Spanked by Nunzio. First time I saw Tommy Jr announcing, my reaction was "Geez, he's pretty good at this!"

 

[Dave]

TJ also did the IHRA shows for TNN in 2000 with Ralph Sheheen.

 

[mike]

Get Bob Fry out of retirement and pair him with Ralph Sheehan to host (bit of old TNN flavor) have Bret Kepner doing the top end interviews and have Whit Bazemore roving around the staging lanes and the pits with Massel. Dunn is ok, Rieff was better when he was a pit reporter, he's over the top as an announcer and makes me cringe at times. Kernan and Gerould have to go, they are the exact same person asking the exact same boring questions.

 

[vegasnitro]

The production aspect of the events will not come from the FOX house, I'd say a production group in Los Angeles. FOX graphics will be used and they'll have final call on all talent.

Glad to see you are alive Bullard. I was hoping you were kept away from sharp objects after Saturday. That was a tough loss brother.