http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/index.xml Motorsports News from ThatsRacin.com en-us Copyright 2008 ThatsRacin.com RSS Feeds 60 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:41 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive Workbench webmaster@thatsracin.com http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3243.html http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3243.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:31 EDT It might be the dawn of a revolution. Or, it could be something you see only once.<p/>It's hard to tell what long-term impact the TNT broadcast of the Pepsi 400 from Daytona in July will have. But it'll be different, and it'll be interesting to see how it goes over.<p/>The fifth of six races TNT airs this year will be a test case. For all but four minutes per hour, viewers will have live action from the race on their screens at all times, with hybrid styles of commercials -- something TNT calls "branded content" -- notched into a separate box at the bottom right of the screen.<p/>The idea of blending commercials and live action is not new. ESPN and ABC did "side by side" coverage on Indy Racing League events, and other commercial-free telecasts have been tried with logos and other advertising elements on the screen.<p/>But if you'll pardon the obvious pun, TNT has tried to think outside the box, said Trish Frohman, senior vice president for advertising sales for Turner Sports.<p/>"We think we've been successful in thinking of different ways of how we can talk to the viewers," Frohman said. "The only thing better would be no commercials, and that's not reality. We think this will be a happy compromise."<p/>Instead of shrinking the screen to make room for commercials, TNT has decided to reshape the screen.<p/>High-definition television screens are wider than they are tall, whereas non-HD sets are primarily square. Letter boxing is used to get a wide-screen effect onto a regular set -- the way some tapes or DVDs are shown with blank areas at the top and bottom.<p/>TNT will use that technique, but push the image to the top of the screen and leave the vacant space at the bottom.<p/>This area will be used for in-race elements such as the scoring ticker that normally runs across the top of the screen, as well as other elements of telemetry. It also will be used to carry advertising -- for instance, a logo might be in the bottom left of the screen for several minutes at a time. The split box on the right will pop up to carry commercials or other content, such as a driver talking about his sponsor if that sponsor also happens to be one of the 12 or so signed up for a telecast.<p/>The difference, said Jeff Behnke, executive producer of Turner Sports, is that even while sponsored content is being aired, the race will remain in the main box. Mike Wells, the director who will work TNT's races, will use the same cameras he'll be using while booth announcers Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty are on air.<p/>"It won't be just a courtesy shot of the leader's car," Behnke said. "Race fans want to see racing, and they're going to see the competition no matter what."<p/>Well, almost.<p/>Four minutes per hour will be used for local breaks, where each area's cable system inserts commercials sold locally. The network goes away for those breaks, but those are the only times the racing won't be on the screen.<p/>Five national sponsors -- Pepsi, Sprint, Toyota, OTC 360 and DirecTV -- have signed up for the Pepsi 400.<p/>"Racing is a sport where there are no set times for breaks," said Turner Sports President David Levy. "We're looking to be more creative, and racing is a perfect sport to test what you can do with limited numbers of breaks."<p/>If advertisers are happy after July's race at Daytona, Levy said TNT might use the wide-open approach in more races in 2008.<p/>If the concept brings in more viewers -- and that's clearly the intent -- it also would put pressure on Fox and ABC/ESPN to come up with ways to give race fans less time watching nothing but commercials.<p/>That's already the No. 1 gripe among the sport's faithful.<p/>If TNT turns the tide on that, the revolution will begin. <!-- <strong><span class="subhead">TNT adds McReynolds</span></strong><p/>Larry McReynolds is joining the team that will work six Nextel Cup races for TNT this summer.<p/>McReynolds, part of the Fox Sports booth team with Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip, will work TNT's prerace show from a mobile set, with a host yet to be named.<p/>Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach will be in the booth for those six races, with Kyle Petty joining them for five. --> http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3063.html http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3063.html Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:02 EST Open-wheel racing was Harold Brasington's original inspiration for building Darlington Raceway. He'd seen cars racing at Indianapolis and wanted to duplicate that excitement in South Carolina.<p/>But since the track opened as NASCAR's first superspeedway with the 1950 Southern 500, Darlington has come to be known for stock-car racing. Open-wheel cars haven't been there in more than 50 years.<p/>That will change next week, however. The U.S. Auto Club will hold a test session for its Silver Crown series cars at Darlington next Thursday and Friday.<p/>The USAC Silver Crown series is in its second year of competition with a new style car built for competition on pavement. The cars weigh 1,700 pounds without a driver, roughly half the weight of a Nextel Cup car, and have engines that generate 750 to 800 horsepower.<p/>No Darlington race date is on the schedule for the series, but the Silver Crown cars are not scheduled to race on the weekend of Darlington's Nextel Cup weekend in May. http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3062.html http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3062.html Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:41 EST Josh Yost, the jackman on Jeff Burton's No. 31 Chevrolets, ruptured his left Achilles tendon during a pit stop in Sunday's Daytona 500 and will need surgery to repair it.<p/>In May of 2005 at Talladega, Yost suffered a serious injury to his right ankle when he got hit by another car during a pit stop. He had to have the same tendon repaired in his right leg after that incident, but worked his way back into action for the Richard Childress-owned team.<p/>Yost injured his left ankle Sunday during a seemingly routine stop for Burton, who finished third in the race. Despite being in pain, he completed the pit stop before going to get medical care. http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3060.html http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3060.html Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:45 EST That's Racin' ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the Budweiser Shootout, the Gatorade Duel and the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team's preseason ranking is in parentheses:)<p/> <b>1. (2) Tony Stewart - car No. 20</b><p/>Yes, this team finished last in the 500. But it served notice it has come to play in ‘07.<p/> <b>2. (4) Kevin Harvick - car No. 29</b><p/>Someone actually asked him if he felt bad about beating Mark Martin to win the 500!<p/> <b>3. (9) Kyle Busch - car No. 5</b><p/>By far the best Hendrick car in Daytona. It just never could close Speedweeks deals.<p/><b> 4. (5) Matt Kenseth - car No. 17</b><p/>Points penalty a misstep and 500 wreck a misfortune. In all, though, the 17 was stout.<p/> <b> 5. (1) Jimmie Johnson - car No. 48</b><p/>Team that dominated the headlines at Daytona last year hardly made a blip in 2007.<p/><b> 6. (10) Jeff Burton - car No. 31</b><p/>By itself, the 31 was slow at Daytona. But when it raced, Burton took it to the front.<p/><b> 7. (3) Kasey Kahne - car No. 9</b><p/>This high because of what we expect at California, not what we saw in Speedweeks.<p/><b> 8. (29) Mark Martin - car No. 01</b><p/>This racing warrior handled crushing disappointment after the 500 with great class.<p/><b> 9. (13) Kurt Busch - car No. 2</b><p/>Like his younger brother, Kurt had his car in the mix a whole lot during Speedweeks.<p/><b>10. (31) David Gilliland - car No. 38</b><p/>This team may not stay here long, but Gilliland showed his stuff in Shootout and 500.<p/>11. (7) Jeff Gordon - car No. 24<p/>12. (6) Denny Hamlin - car No. 11<p/>13. (8) Dale Earnhardt Jr. - car No. 8<p/>14. (11) Carl Edwards - car No. 99<p/>15. (12) Greg Biffle - car No. 16<p/>16. (14) Clint Bowyer - car No. 07<p/>17. (16) Ryan Newman - car No. 12<p/>18. (17) Elliott Sadler - car No. 19<p/>19. (32) David Stremme - car No. 40<p/>20. (20) Jamie McMurray - car No. 26<p/>21. (15) Scott Riggs - car No. 10<p/>22. (18) Casey Mears - car No. 25<p/>23. (24) Reed Sorenson - car No. 41<p/>24. (26) J.J. Yeley - car No. 18<p/>25. (28) Ricky Rudd - car No. 88<p/>26. (25) Martin Truex Jr. - car No. 1<p/>27. (30) Jeff Green - car No. 66<p/>28. (37) David Ragan - car No. 6<p/>29. (40) Joe Nemechek - car No. 13<p/>30. (19) Juan Pablo Montoya - car No. 42<p/>31. (21) Bobby Labonte - car No. 43<p/>32. (22) Dave Blaney - car No. 22<p/>33. (34) Robby Gordon - car No. 7<p/>34. (33) Tony Raines - car No. 96<p/>35. (38) Sterling Marlin - car No. 14<p/>36. (36) Ken Schrader - car No. 21<p/>37. (27) Dale Jarrett - car No. 44<p/>38. (NR) Johnny Sauter - car No. 70<p/>39. (23) Brian Vickers - car No. 83<p/>40. (NR) Michael Waltrip - car No. 55 http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3050.html http://www.thatsracin.com/rss/story/3050.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 07:03 EST Jeff Burton was a little torn.<p/>He is a teammate to winner Kevin Harvick at Richard Childress Racing, but also spent several years as a teammate to Mark Martin at Roush Racing.<p/>"As good as I feel for RCR and Kevin, I feel that bad for Mark," said Burton, who finished third.