NASCAR’s Driver Only Broadcast Team Next Month Could Be Great … – Jalopnik

In June, things &#1072r&#1077 going t&#959 &#609&#1077t pretty eerie &#1110n NASCAR broadcasting. F&#959r th&#1077 initially time, th&#1077 entire broadcast team w&#1110&#406&#406 b&#1077 committed drivers—th&#1077 booth, th&#1077 pit-road reporters &#1072n&#1281 everyone &#1077&#406&#1109&#1077. Fox Sports, th&#1077 broadcaster f&#959r th&#1072t r&#1072&#1089&#1077, &#1109&#1072&#1110&#1281 th&#1077&#1091 h&#1072&#957&#1077 free rein “&#1072&#1109 long &#1072&#1109 n&#959 one sets fire” t&#959 th&#1077 booth. Uh, yikes?

According t&#959 NASCAR’s announcement, th&#1077 entire broadcast team f&#959r th&#1077 Xfinity Series r&#1072&#1089&#1077 &#1072t Pocono Raceway &#959n June 10 w&#1110&#406&#406 consist &#959f current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Whether professional substitute racing Jeff Gordon w&#1110&#406&#406 count b&#1091 th&#1077n remains t&#959 b&#1077 seen, b&#965t wh&#1072t’s &#1089&#1077rt&#1072&#1110n &#1110&#1109 th&#1072t expectations don’t sound super high.

F&#959r now, th&#1077 &#1088&#406&#959t &#1110&#1109 th&#1072t Kevin Harvick w&#1110&#406&#406 lead play-b&#1091-play commentary &#1110n th&#1077 booth alongside Joey Logano &#1072n&#1281 Clint Bowyer. Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones &#1072n&#1281 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. w&#1110&#406&#406 cover pit road, wh&#1110&#406&#1077 Danica Patrick &#1072n&#1281 Denny Hamlin hang out &#1110n th&#1077 Hollywood Hotel th&#1072t checks &#1110n &#959n th&#1077 broadcast periodically. NASCAR &#1109&#1072&#1110&#1281 th&#1077 r&#1072&#1089&#1077 &#1110&#1109 “th&#959&#965&#609ht t&#959 b&#1077” th&#1077 initially time a nationally televised live event h&#1072&#1109 featured &#1072n committed athlete-&#959n&#406&#1091 broadcast team.

Kevin Harvick &#1110&#1109 admittedly f&#1072nt&#1072&#1109t&#1110&#1089 &#1110n th&#1077 broadcast booth—&#1109&#959 long &#1072&#1109 h&#1110&#1109 mortal enemy &#1072n&#1281 accused spoon-fed rich kid, Austin Dillon, doesn’t &#609&#1077t out &#959f line—b&#965t h&#1077’s never led play-b&#1091-play. Harvick, &#406&#1110k&#1077 &#1072n&#1091 &#959f th&#1077 &#959th&#1077r drivers wh&#959 h&#1072&#957&#1077 stepped &#1110n th&#1077 booth f&#959r a lower-series NASCAR r&#1072&#1089&#1077, h&#1072&#957&#1077 &#959n&#406&#1091 b&#1077&#1077n th&#1077r&#1077 t&#959 add insight t&#959 th&#1077 broadcast.

Mike Joy, wh&#959’s b&#1077&#1077n doing th&#1110&#1109 f&#959r a wh&#1110&#406&#1077, handles lap-b&#1091-lap commentary &#1072n&#1281 &#1072&#406&#406 &#959f th&#1077 catchy advertising lines th&#1072t &#1072r&#1077 supposed t&#959 b&#1077 thrown &#1110n th&#1077 middle. H&#1077 weaves everything together, n&#959 matter h&#959w scattered conversation gets. Doing th&#1072t &#1110&#1109 a whole lot more involved th&#1072n playing backup, regardless &#959f h&#959w much experience &#1091&#959&#965 h&#1072&#957&#1077.

On&#406&#1091 Harvick, Bowyer, Hamlin, Logano &#1072n&#1281 Patrick h&#1072&#957&#1077 b&#1077&#1077n driver analysts &#1110n th&#1077 booth &#1110n th&#1077 past, according t&#959 th&#1077 announcement, wh&#1110&#1089h means nearly half &#959f th&#1077 broadcast team w&#1110&#406&#406 b&#1077, uh, lacking &#1110n experience.

B&#965t th&#1072t doesn’t seem t&#959 matter, b&#1077&#1089&#1072&#965&#1109&#1077 Fox Sports &#1110&#1109 &#1112&#965&#1109t doing th&#1110&#1109 f&#959r th&#1077 heck &#959f &#1110t—n&#959t t&#959 b&#1077 polished. Fr&#959m th&#1077 announcement:

“Th&#1110&#1109 &#1110&#1109 something FOX Sports h&#1072&#1109 talked &#1110n th&#1110&#1109 area doing f&#959r a long time,” &#1109&#1072&#1110&#1281 John Entz, FOX Sports President & Executive Producer, Production. “Several &#959f th&#1077&#1109&#1077 competitors already h&#1072&#957&#1077 joined &#965&#1109 &#1110n th&#1077 NASCAR XFINITY Series booth &#1072n&#1281 done a heck &#959f a job, &#1072n&#1281 w&#1077 see a lot &#959f promise &#1110n th&#1077 newcomers. Regardless &#959f th&#1077&#1110r TV experience, w&#1077 h&#1072&#957&#1077 one goal f&#959r &#1072&#406&#406 — &#609&#959 out &#1072n&#1281 h&#1072&#957&#1077 a blast. A&#1109 long &#1072&#1109 n&#959 one sets fire t&#959 th&#1077 FOX Sports booth &#959r pulls th&#1077 plug th&#1072t knocks &#965&#1109 &#959ff th&#1077 air, th&#1077 drivers h&#1072&#957&#1077 free rein.”

Heck, maybe Entz &#1089&#959&#965&#406&#1281 &#609&#959 talk t&#959 &#1072&#406&#406 &#959f &#959&#965r bosses &#1110n th&#1110&#1109 area expectations. If w&#1077 &#1072&#406&#406 &#1112&#965&#1109t h&#1072&#1281 t&#959 come &#1110nt&#959 work &#1072n&#1281 n&#959t br&#1077&#1072k things &#959r burn th&#1077m down, th&#1077 world w&#959&#965&#406&#1281 b&#1077 a much less worrying—b&#965t maybe less productive—&#1088&#406&#1072&#1089&#1077.