Daytona International Speedway – it’s where so many broadcast networks have debuted their coverage of NASCAR. Sports networks like CBS, ESPN, and Fox have all started here, even NBC back in 2001. In 2015, though, it was a welcome back for NBC Sports as they returned to their coverage of NASCAR on NBC after a nine-year hiatus.
NBC Sports was announced nearly a year and a half prior as the successor to TNT and ESPN’s coverage of the sport, with coverage of the second half of both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series split between the NBC broadcast network and their cable channel NBCSN. The NASCAR on NBC crew also picked up coverage of the Hall of Fame inductions, regional touring series, and Spanish-language coverage. Taking a page from the former Speed network, NBC Sports was already winning over the diehard fans of the sport.
The next step for the network was to put together an A-list crew and team to cover the sport. Taking the best of the ESPN and TNT crews, and cherry picking some members off the NASCAR on Fox team, NASCAR on NBC was set with an experienced and invigorating crew to welcome back the sport to their airwaves.
Then the rain came.
The worst possible thing that could happen to a race on a new network happened not once, but twice. First, the NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on NBCSN was delayed by an hour because of rain. Ultimately, it was a side story compared to the rain delay to follow the next night for the Cup cars. The Coke Zero 400 did not begin until after 11 pm local time that night. Of course, that was out of the control of the powers that be at NBC.
Focusing on what they could control, the return of NASCAR on NBC was orchestrated nearly perfectly. The usually cynical and hate-filled twitterverse had positive reviews for the broadcast, and everyone fell in love with the new play-by-play team of Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte. Call it relevance, experience, or less Bill Weber, but it was clear this team was the right choice.
Pit road and the mobile studio were just as solid as their counterparts in the booth. The reporters et al knew their stuff, and performed the job well. Of course, it helps that all the team members had prior pit road reporting experience, and all but Kelly Stavast have covered NASCAR for years. While there were times that Stavast clearly looked young and fresh on the NASCAR scene, and Marty Snider had his fair share of verbal gaffes, the pit road will not be riddled with changes like ESPN’s crew was every year it seemed.
In the end, there are only two key areas for NBC to clean up heading into their next broadcast weekend at Kentucky:
- Cut down on the verbal and technical miscues, though this is to be expected for a new broadcast team.
- Involve the studio team (Krista Voda, Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty) more in the broadcast. This group was hardly if ever called on during the race itself, unlike their Fox counterparts. Take a page from their book and use them as needed, but not to the point where it takes away from the broadcast.
As we strap in for the rest of the NASCAR season with NBC Sports, the team is ready and they will perform well for the fans, the teams, and the sport. And of course, who isn’t looking forward to seeing Formula One commentator Leigh Diffey call some Xfinity Series races.
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