Sports Betting Articles
Former Drivers Holding Their Own as Members of the Media
By Rick C. Limpert
Coming off his best finish in over ten years, Kyle Petty will jump out of his No. 45 Dodge this summer to join the TNT NASCAR broadcast team for six races. Petty is the latest in a slew of former and active drivers that are finding a home on the airways.
Petty joins Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett as a new breed of driver turned broadcaster that networks hope will give a current fresh perspective to their coverage.
Drivers Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace headline the SPEED Channel’s weekly coverage with appearances on such shows as “NASCAR RaceDay” and “NASCAR Victory Lane”. Spencer fills a spot for an analyst who is fan friendly and adds a lighter side to the NASCAR coverage. Wallace too wants the shows on SPEED to be fun and interactive, but he also offers technical analysis that only a current driver could add.
Dale Jarrett has really been a pleasant addition to ESPN 2’s Busch coverage. With Jarrett joining longtime friends Dr. Jerry Punch and Andy Petree the three man booth makes us feel like we are right there watching the race with them. I’m almost waiting for Dale or Andy to ask to pass the chips or popcorn.
Petty will broadcast alongside Wally Dallenbach beginning this week. I’ve seen Petty in numerous interviews and he always comes across as sincere, intelligent and passionate about the sport. This should spread quickly as the race coverage runs into the two hour mark. Hopefully Petty will help defuse some of the comments Dallenbach makes that turn some views off.
Possibly no one keeps one in front of the television during the long races better than Darrell Waltrip. It appears that Boogity Boogity Boogity will be heard on the air for many years to come as Waltrip has become a popular broadcaster with fans and media critics alike.
These drivers have really paved the way for the current generation of racers to pick up a second career talking about their sport. With many guest spots on “Regis and Kelly”, Jeff Gordon would be a natural behind the mike on a regular basis. There is still many years of good racing still left in Jeff, but he is quite a wordsmith. He may currently have a shoe on satellite radio; is Tony Stewart honing his broadcast skills? I have to believe he would be quite good.
The season is almost half over; let’s hope for more great broadcasting as well as great races.
The Week That Was
With a big win under his belt, Casey Mears doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels. Mears really believes in his team and plans on validating his victory at Lowe’s with many more.
The Racing Weekend
NASCAR has another first time winner this season. Martin Truex Jr. won the rain delayed Autism Speaks 400 at Dover. With Ryan Newman dominating the race early on Truex stayed patient and closed out the race strongly. Truex received a big congratulation from DEI teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. in victory lane. Newman had to settle for second and Carl Edwards finished third. Truex was a big mover in the points moving up to thirteen. Mark Martin slid back into the top 12 moving up two spots.
Looking Ahead
Coming up this week is Pocono and the Pocono 500. Denny Hamlin should be happy to be back at Pocono as he won both races last year. The 2.5 mile track will hold over 100,000 screaming fans for Sunday's race. Tony Stewart holds the record in qualifying and other drivers who have has past success at Pocono include Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon
Rick C. Limpert is a freelance writer for Nothin' But NASCAR, and is based in Atlanta, GA. He has written for print and online publications for over 7 years. He is happy to hear from you with any comments, questions, or suggestions you may have. He can be reached at rclimpert@nothinbutnascar.com
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