It will be a Busch-less Daytona 500. Kurt lost both of his appeals yesterday and remains suspended indefinitely. He will have a Road To Recovery program provided by NASCAR, but the question remains will any sponsor touch him? Since Chevrolet has cut ties with him, will any manufacturer want anything to do with him? Kyle is in the hospital following surgery for a compound fracture of his right leg that occurred in yesterday’s Xfinity Series race. Kyle’s car hit a concrete wall. Kyle also broke his left foot. Team Owner Joe Gibbs says they’re keeping an eye on that, but there’s no rush on getting it taken care of and they’ll probably wait until he’s back in Charlotte to take care of that. Get well Kyle Busch. Good luck Kurt Busch.
Race Day is on. I have the volume low since Danielle insists on shouting everything. At least they aren’t wearing those headset microphones they had on yesterday. She looked as though she had a giant black mole on her face. It was quite unattractive. They have hand-held mics today and I hope the same will hold true later if we’re subjected to more of her.
The constant shouting by people on the desk is aggravating at best, offensive at worst. The high volume doesn’t get me excited about the race because it is so obviously fake. The natural, genuine enthusiasm I heard in Kevin Harvick’s voice during yesterday’s Xfinity race is MUCH more effective. The same holds true for Mike Joy. He sounds enthusiastic and knowledgeable and his enthusiasm is contagious. The constant yelling and vocal outbursts are as fake as Michael Waltrip and reminds me of used car dealers – keeping me aware that they’re trying to sell me something. A good, professional broadcaster can get the point across without vocal acrobatics – see Barney Hall, Mike Joy, Bob Varsha, Dr. Jerry Punch, and Steve Byrnes. Get well Byrnsey, we miss you.
The Atlanta Falcons are going to receive a punishment from the NFL for piping in extra crowds sounds during games. The constant yelling is the NASCAR equivalent in my opinion. It would be nice if someone would punish the broadcasters for it, so it would stop. The roar of the crowd when Dale Earnhardt Jr takes the lead is genuine and allows you to see and hear the excitement. The addition of a crowd behind a set with people pumping them up to cheer causing the desk personnel to yell is more manufactured than a mobile home and offensive to a viewer who objects to being treated like a moron.
The weather in Daytona is supposed to be gorgeous with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s and winds at 6-12 mph – seemingly the best weather they’ve had all week. It’s raining here in Atlanta and predicted to rain throughout the day. The early forecast for race weekend in Atlanta is a change of rain and snow on Friday night and Saturday. A race in Atlanta during winter just isn’t a good idea. It is too cold for southerners and it’s the rainy season – a bad combination if they actually want butts in seats.
Okay, is it just me, or are the Narwhals and Zach Buckner Fantasty commercials not two of the most irritating commercials on air? They are in league with the screaming goat/scapegoat (don’t know the product since I turn immediately when the screaming begins) and the screaming diners and waiter (Golden Corral is the product). Laws/rules were enacted so that the volume of commercials would not be higher than the program volume level – so now they’ve taken to simply screaming and shouting in commercials. Grow up! Make a good commercial and you don’t have to go to extremes. The Budweiser commercials are great examples of that. They rarely have a human voice – mostly horses and animals, yet they are riveting. Publix has a group of commericials with family scenes, also engaging. There are a number of commercials I watch for the pleasure of watching them. None of them include people shouting at me; as I mentioned that simply reminds me of used car dealer commercials. They should be the rule not the exception.
Matt Crafton will replace KyBu in the #18 JGR Crispy M&M’s Toyota for the Daytona 500. I saw a story they were considering putting Erik Jones in the car, but NASCAR nixed that idea. I applaud NASCAR for that decision. Erik Jones is talented, but it would be unfair to him and the rest of the field to put him in that car today.
We got to see driver introductions! Yippee!!! Nice! We also were treated to a nice piece on Jeff Gordon who is starting his final Daytona 500.
It’s nice seeing the married couples and families at the track. Then there are the non-married, but playing house couples. Personally I have no issues on that front, but since NASCAR spends so much time touting itself as a family sport and breaks out the Christian this and that at every turn, the growing trend of unwed mothers and shacking couples seems a bit at odds with the image they’re trying to promote. The hypocrisy is my issue – like Austin Theriault helping his teammate win the Daytona Truck race. Clint Bowyer seemed to be trying to help his teammate at the 2013 Richmond race and NASCAR blasted MWR with the bigggest penalty ever. Not sure why its different rules for the first race of the Truck season – manipulating the finish is manipulating the finish and blocking to keep people away from your teammate is manipulating the finish.
Andy Petree was on the broadcast!!! I was so thoroughly thrilled to see him! I love Andy Petree. It’s nice to know FOX added a great crew chief to its line up. Now if we can just get him in the booth and put McReynolds on special assignments intermittently with Michael Waltrip so we see much, much, much less of them.
Dale Jr has a new Chevrolet commercial. It’s quite nice. (And no one is yelling.)
Chris Myers said its the warmest day in Daytona in over a month.
Jeff Gordon will lead the field to the green winning the pole for his final Daytona 500. Jimmie Johnson starts alongside.
Kim Lopez is the first female and first Latina Chief Starter for a Daytona 500. Members of the Women’s U.S. Soccer team are the honorary starters.
Jeff Gordon leads the first lap, then loses the lead to Jimmie Johnson who leads for about 12 laps then falls backward. Jeff Gordon regains the lead.
On lap 19 Landon Cassill lost an engine putting us under the caution flag.
Smoke gets into the wall on lap 43.
On lap 161 of 200 Brad Keselowski blowed up. Jamie Mc and Newman got into the fluid laid down by It sending Jamie Mc into the wall and Newman into the back of Jamie Mc.
Caution is out for Ryan Blaney blowing up on lap 175 of 200.
Caution is out with 3 to go. Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier get together with the wall.
They’re holding the field under the red flag while they clean up the straightaway.
Green-White-Checker when we restart.
Too much money talk! DW, with driver thinking, mentioned money earlier, now McReynolds has jumped on the money bandwagon.
They threw a caution on the final lap so Joey Logano wins the race for a wreck behind the lead pack.
Austin Dillon tipped Jeff Gordon to turn him around causing a big wreck.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third, Jimmie Johnson finished fifth, Kasey Kahne finished 9th – congratulations Hendrick Motorsports. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth – good going Truex.
In NASCAR news this week:
- Daytona to Add SAFER Barriers.
- Daytona, NASCAR take responsibility for Kyle Busch injury, vow to fix walls.
- Kyle Busch breaks right leg in crash at Daytona.
- Kyle Busch breaks leg, foot in crash.
- Kyle Busch surgery successful; no timetable for return.
- Kurt Busch loses final appeal, NASCAR future in doubt.
- Kurt Busch Final Appeal Denied.
- Kurt Busch loses final appeal, stays suspended indefinitely.
- Kurt Busch case a product of the post-Ray Rice world in sports.
- Kurt Busch’s final appeal denied.
- Daytona 500 Farewell for Gordon.
- Reed Races to First Win.
- Regan Smith takes wild ride in big crash at Daytona.