NASCAR On ESPN: In-Car HD Cameras

Poke

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Dec 3, 2003
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Man I can't wait untill the NASCAR Season Starts!



http://www.tvpredictions.com/espnnascar012307.htm



The sports network resumes coverage for the 2007 season.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (January 23, 2007) -- ESPN's 2007 NASCAR broadcasts will include a first in televised motor sports: High-Definition cameras in the cars.

That's according to an article at TruckSeries.com, a web site that follows the auto racing industry.

The site reports that ESPN will debut the HD in-car camera for the NASCAR Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 on ESPN2 HD on February 17 from Daytona, Florida.

“In-car cameras are probably the most dynamic facet of motorsports coverage and taking that into the high-def world is huge,” Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer for NASCAR on ESPN., told the web site.
ESPN will broadcast NASCAR events this year after a six-year absence from the sport; TNT and Fox will also broadcast NASCAR races, including the Daytona 500 on Fox.


ESPN promises to revolutionize NASCAR TV coverage.

ESPN says that 60 of the 75 cameras it will use for NASCAR broadcasts will be high-def. The network says the cameras -- and the transmission systems within the car themselves -- had to be re-engineered for HD.

The network tells TruckSeries.com that ESPN's NASCAR coverage will be the most technologically advanced in the history of the sport. In addition to the in-car HD camera, ESPN will feature a "grass cam," "crew cams" and even robotic cameras around the track.
”We have built a production plan that will provide a truly exceptional presentation to our viewers," says Jed Drake, a ESPN senior vice president
 
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That is very cool. I guess the only cameras that aren't going to be HD are the bumper ones (doubt they want to lose those).
 
SWEET! I've been looking forward to the day that ESPN would return as long as they have been gone...and so far all sounds good.

...and not having to worry about the local NBC "flipping the correct HD switch" every Sunday anymore is awesome too!!!
 
Man I can't wait untill the NASCAR Season Starts!



http://www.tvpredictions.com/espnnascar012307.htm



The sports network resumes coverage for the 2007 season.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (January 23, 2007) -- ESPN's 2007 NASCAR broadcasts will include a first in televised motor sports: High-Definition cameras in the cars.

That's according to an article at TruckSeries.com, a web site that follows the auto racing industry.

The site reports that ESPN will debut the HD in-car camera for the NASCAR Busch Series season-opening Orbitz 300 on ESPN2 HD on February 17 from Daytona, Florida.

“In-car cameras are probably the most dynamic facet of motorsports coverage and taking that into the high-def world is huge,” Rich Feinberg, senior coordinating producer for NASCAR on ESPN., told the web site.
ESPN will broadcast NASCAR events this year after a six-year absence from the sport; TNT and Fox will also broadcast NASCAR races, including the Daytona 500 on Fox.


ESPN promises to revolutionize NASCAR TV coverage.

ESPN says that 60 of the 75 cameras it will use for NASCAR broadcasts will be high-def. The network says the cameras -- and the transmission systems within the car themselves -- had to be re-engineered for HD.

The network tells TruckSeries.com that ESPN's NASCAR coverage will be the most technologically advanced in the history of the sport. In addition to the in-car HD camera, ESPN will feature a "grass cam," "crew cams" and even robotic cameras around the track.
”We have built a production plan that will provide a truly exceptional presentation to our viewers," says Jed Drake, a ESPN senior vice president

Great news! I hope they have the HD in car cameras ready for NASCAR HOTPASS too. All the HD for at least the last couple of years has been done with NASCAR owned HD equipment and I hope that all the races will be with the HD in car gear.:D
 
This is all good news, indeed! Glad to see NBC out of the picture. Is it safe to assume that the ABC coverage of the Chase for the Cup races will use ESPN's cameras?

Also exciting is the new points format with more emphasis on wins.
 
Yeah I agree! I really like the point system change they did for this year Chase.

http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#points

Chase Adjustments: The Chase – consisting of the season’s last 10 races – will further reflect the importance of racing to win, via a variety of adjustments.

> During the format’s first three years, the top 10 drivers in points after the 26th race of the season (at Richmond International Raceway) qualified for the Chase; in addition, any other driver outside the top 10 but within 400 points of the standings’ leader was also eligible.
Starting this season, the 400-point cut-off is eliminated.

Also, after Race 26, the top 12 drivers in the points will qualify for the Chase.
> All 12 drivers will have their point totals re-set to 5,000; each will then receive a 10-point bonus for each race victory they had during the first 26 races.

> The Chase drivers will be “seeded” to start the Chase based on the number of wins amassed during the regular season.
Points adjustment: In line with the Chase adjustments, wins throughout the season will be more valuable.

> Race winners throughout the 36-race season will now receive 185 points, a five-point increase. Counting the five-point bonuses available for leading at least one lap and leading the most laps, a race winner now can earn a maximum of 195 points, creating a possible maximum of 25 points between first- and second-place finishers.

The 2006 season of Kasey Kahne provides a dramatic illustration of the adjusted Chase format’s implications. Kahne qualified for last year’s Chase, but started it in 10th place – despite having won a series-high five races. Under the new format, Kahne would begin the Chase in first place, with 5,050 points. Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, seventh and eighth at the outset of last year’s Chase, would instead start in 11th and 12th, each with 5,000, since they had no race victories entering the Chase. Also, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who failed to make the Chase last year – they were 11th and 12th and beyond the 400-point cut-off – would qualify under the adjusted format. Stewart would be fifth with 5,020 points, Biffle 10th with 5,010.(NASCAR PR)(1-22-2007)
 
Is there a schedule of what races they will be covering? I'm not really a Nascar fan but I did go to a truck race last year in Daytona and it was pretty enjoyable. Only 2 hours long. 4 hours would get way too boring. Are they covering Nextel, Busch, Craftsman, which races?
 
The new cars are cool.

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/official/01/22/car.tomorrow.facts/index.html

Monday on its Car of Tomorrow project, which is slated for a March debut at Bristol Motor Speedway.In 2007, the Car of Tomorrow will race 16 times -- 13 times at ovals less than 1.5 miles, plus the two road-course events at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International and the fall race at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.
 
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/data/schedule.html


Date Race Venue TV/Start Radio/Start

02/10/07 Budweiser Shootout Daytona International Speedway FOX/-- MRN/--

02/15/07 Gatorade Duel 1 Daytona International Speedway SPEED/-- MRN/--

02/15/07 Gatorade Duel 2 Daytona International Speedway SPEED/-- MRN/--

02/18/07 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway FOX/-- MRN/--

02/25/07 TBD California Speedway FOX/-- MRN/--

03/11/07 TBD Las Vegas Motor Speedway FOX/-- PRN/--

03/18/07 TBD Atlanta Motor Speedway FOX/-- PRN/--

03/25/07 TBD Bristol Motor Speedway FOX/-- PRN/--

04/01/07 TBD Martinsville Speedway FOX/-- MRN/--

04/15/07 TBD Texas Motor Speedway FOX/-- PRN/--

04/21/07 TBD Phoenix International Raceway FOX/-- MRN/--

04/29/07 TBD Talladega Superspeedway FOX/-- MRN/--

05/05/07 TBD Richmond International Raceway FOX/-- MRN/--

05/12/07 TBD Darlington Raceway FOX/-- MRN/--

05/19/07 Nextel All-Star Challenge Lowe's Motor Speedway SPEED/-- PRN/--

05/27/07 TBD Lowe's Motor Speedway FOX/-- PRN/--

06/03/07 TBD Dover International Speedway FOX/-- MRN/--

06/10/07 TBD Pocono Raceway TNT/-- MRN/--

06/17/07 TBD Michigan International Speedway TNT/-- MRN/--

06/24/07 TBD Infineon Raceway TNT/-- MRN/--

07/01/07 TBD New Hampshire International Speedway TNT/-- MRN/--

07/07/07 TBD Daytona International Speedway TNT/-- MRN/--

07/15/07 TBD Chicagoland Speedway TNT/-- MRN/--

07/29/07 TBD Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN/-- IMS/--

08/05/07 TBD Pocono Raceway ESPN/-- MRN/--

08/12/07 TBD Watkins Glen International ESPN/-- MRN/--

08/19/07 TBD Michigan International Speedway ESPN/-- MRN/--

08/25/07 TBD Bristol Motor Speedway ESPN/-- PRN/--

09/02/07 TBD California Speedway ESPN/-- MRN/--

09/08/07 TBD Richmond International Raceway ESPN/-- MRN/--


09/16/07 TBD New Hampshire International Speedway ABC/-- MRN/--

09/23/07 TBD Dover International Speedway ABC/-- MRN/--

09/30/07 TBD Kansas Speedway ABC/-- MRN/--

10/07/07 TBD Talladega Superspeedway ABC/-- MRN/--

10/13/07 TBD Lowe's Motor Speedway ABC/-- PRN/--

10/21/07 TBD Martinsville Speedway ABC/-- MRN/--

10/28/07 TBD Atlanta Motor Speedway ABC/-- PRN/--

11/04/07 TBD Texas Motor Speedway ABC/-- PRN/--

11/11/07 TBD Phoenix International Raceway ABC/-- MRN/--

11/18/07 TBD Homestead-Miami Speedway ABC/-- MRN/--
 
Yeah, I saw that schedule. It is for Nextel Cup only. It would make sense for them to go ahead and cover the truck race and the Busch race the weekends that they're doing the Nextel races, but I don't see a tv schedule for those.

Edit: I just found the truck and Busch series schedules and none of them have any tv listings.
 
I believe ALL the Busch series races are on ESPN2 and trucks on SPEED, aren't they?

As to the new cars...well, I hope they make the racing better and certainly have no problem making the cars safer for the drivers, but I'm not a big fan of the Pep-boys ricer wings on the back. I know they have their place in racing, but not on the decklid of stock cars!

I'll be in Bristol for their debut in a couple months (have season tics there), so that will be interesting. It would be funny if the wings start flying off from all beating and banging of a typical Bristol race! hehe
 
The new chase rules should help with the end of season frustrations somewhat. NASCAR is learning and keeps making it better. I think most will like the new rules.
 
It is a shame that the All Star challenge is listed as being on Speed that means NOT in HD.