TNT’s Coverage: Average

I was flipping around the channels in a panic trying to find the race yesterday when I stumbled on the race on TNT. I thought their overall coverage was average at best with Kyle Petty being the highlight, and Marc Fein being the lowlight IMHO. Fein knows basketball, but he struggled as the anchor for the race and at times seemed to be completely lost as to what was going on.

And kudos to Kyle Petty for predicting exactly what the 24-team was going to do. I think Petty will bring some insight to their broadcast team, and he also has the respect of the current drivers, as well as those that he grew up around as a kid. His interview with David Pearson was pretty good, I have to admit, and I’m not a real fan of NASCAR’s constant zeal to hang on to its past.

Let me digress for a moment. I’m a long-time of NHRA (professional drag racing for the uninitiated), and if there’ s one thing the NHRA could learn from NASCAR, it’s how to market and promote those that came before today’s current crop of drivers. Don Garlits is probably the most famous drag racer NHRA has ever had, but you’d never know it because Garlits and Wally Parks (the NHRA comish for a long time) had a falling out years ago and never resolved their differences. Instead, Garlits travels around and makes appearances at these “nostalgia” drag racers where he makes a few bucks. Very sad indeed.