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TV Times: Is There Football in Brian France’s Future?

2012-02-07T10:50:29Z

In an on-line piece, Forbes Magazine wrote about the possibility of the NFL adding two more franchises bringing a total of teams to 34 with the possible return of the NFL to Los Angeles.

As a matter of fact, links on Jayski.com back in ’06 had similar stories appearing in USA Today, Winston-Salem Journal and Sporting News connecting NASCAR’s Brian France to Magic Johnson and the latter’s efforts to bring an NFL franchise back to LA.

The stories, though, had Brian denying any possible involvement.

At that time, however, Brian did give the impression that he wouldn’t be involved in a NASCAR capacity as long as his grandfather and father did. He admitted to having had several conversations with Johnson. Follow up stories even told about the possibility of young France selling his stock in International Speedway Corp. to his uncle Jim and sister Lisa France Kennedy to raise money for a possible purchase of something beyond ISC and NASCAR. It was assumed by many that it was for an NFL franchise.

Recently there was also an item regarding an expansion of the NFL on the Speed Channel crawl, yet the NFL denied any such thing. The Forbes piece indicated that a buy into the NFL would require a $2 billion investment - $1 billion each for a two-team expansion. We tend to believe that the Forbes piece has validity, in spite of NFL denials. So if Brian France and/or Magic Johnson want to get into an NFL franchise, it’ll be a little costly!

By the way, we caught Brian France’s “On My Mind” guest column in NASCAR Illustrated. France declared that 2011 was the greatest NASCAR season ever with the finale coming at Homestead Speedway last November. That’s where The Chase came down to the season’s end between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.

“Not even our office in Los Angeles could have scripted a better ending,” he said. Plus he talked about 20-year old Trevor Bayne winning the Daytona 500 as well as other first time winners in the Sprint Cup such as David Ragan, Ragan Smith, Paul Menard and Marcos Ambrose and how these drivers will serve as the next generation in the NASCAR garage.

An interesting article back a month or two appearing in a Toronto daily caught our eye. The crux of the story centered on how NASCAR is becoming like Formula 1 where drivers buy their rides. Reminds us of what’s happened to Bobby Santos, III, a talented young driver of Franklin, Mass., who lost his top two season NASCAR Modified ride in the Mystic Missile owned by Bob Garbarino of Conn. According to a very good source

Bob’s race car is a front line machine even though he did experience a few engine and mechanical problems last year. In 2010, driving that same car, he won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Championship so they couldn’t have been that bad. But it now appears that off and on Modified driver Don Lia will be behind the wheel of the Mystic Missile again. He had a driving assignment in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks for a bit.

But Santos’ bad luck didn’t just end there. His Joe Gibbs deal for the July Nationwide event at Daytona International Speedway also evaporated. Ryan Truex got the nod for that one. Santos also won the 2011 USAC Paved Track Sprint Cup Championship. He did that while driving the Don Berrio-owned car. Adding to Bobby’s bad luck, USAC cancelled the series for 2012.

So at this point in time, Santos is “at liberty”, a politically correct way of saying he’s “unemployed”. Isn’t this just another case where “money trumps talent”? Nowadays, it appears that teams expect a driver to bring something to them, either in sponsorship or money. We made an effort to reach Santos but our phone call wasn’t returned.

Officials from Randy Hill Racing (RHR) announced that they will once again return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series with their No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang beginning with the 2012 season-opener, the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona on Saturday, February 25.

After separating from Spraker Racing Enterprises in December, RHR’s Randy Hill has methodically been prepping for its second year of competition and will join forces with Go Green Racing (GGR) under a technical alliance partnership. Randy Hill Racing will run as a separate Nationwide team but work with GGR in a collaborative partnership on race weekends.

Officials from Matt Carter Racing (MCR) have announced that NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran Matt Carter has teamed up with the Texas-based Lone Survivor Foundation, which will be his charity of choice for the 2012 season. The upcoming season commences with the season opener on Saturday, February 25 at Daytona.

The Lone Survivor Foundation was organized in 2010 by Petty Officer First Class United States Navy Seal (ret.) Marcus Luttrell and is headquartered in Houston. The Foundation’s mission is to “…restore, empower and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families using therapeutic support, health and wellness, inspiration, and nature, while emphasizing camaraderie, understanding, respect, and pride.”

Check Jayski.com to see what’s on TV for gearhead action this week into the weekend. (END)

NOTE: Information for this column came from various indicated sources and personal notes.

TV Times: Daytona 500 Moved Just For The TV Ratings

2012-01-30T23:10:13Z

A February, 2011, press release from Daytona revealed that the move of the Daytona 500 to the final weekend of this February was done at the recommendation of Fox Sports, the broadcaster of the first group of races before TNT picks up the baton. The change was done not so much as to sidestep the ever-expanding NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, but to prevent the one weekend gap in March which the Fox Network felt that stopped the NASCAR TV ratings momentum! This year there will be NASCAR races every weekend through mid-November, with the exception of the Easter and Mother’s Day weekends.

With NASCAR hoping to better or at least equal the TV rights money when the contract comes up for renewal shortly, they deferred to the company that writes the big check to sanction, that is the tracks that host the Sprint Cup events as well as the team owners. Money talks and everything else walks, is the old saying.

Speed Week’s 2012 got underway with the minutes ticking down on the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. There was a capacity infield crowd. In the process of that twice around the clock grind, Andy Lally and NASCAR’s A.J. Almendinger, along with co-drivers, made the trip to Victory Lane. On the NASCAR side, Danica Patrick announced to the media that she will forego the Indy 500 this year and will race at Charlotte in the Coca Cola 600 that same weekend with NASCAR. Brad Kasalowski signed with Penske Racing again.

AMA standout Bubba Stewart got his first AMA SuperX win at Oakland, CA, and also signed a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to give NASCAR a try. Stewart has a lot of fans that will follow him over to NASCAR Land. NASCAR is still tweaking the two-car drift versus The Pack. That’s what NASCAR’s Mike Helton told the group on the NASCAR Media Tour held in Charlotte. There are lots of NASCAR changes as we start to head into the first two 2012 weekends. SPEED’s Performance Awards was delivered on the air Sunday night, and Tony Stewart got the nod. “This is an awesome moment for me,” he told the show host and Mario Andretti, who the award is named after. No surprise here as he won five of The Chase races.

The Sports Car Club of America and the Lincoln Airport Authority have recently agreed to a lease extension that will keep the Tire Rack-SCCA® Solo® National Championships at the Lincoln (Neb.) Airport through 2017.

The event, which annually attracts more than 1200 competitors to crown National Championships in each of the Solo classes, has been held on the concrete airport runway surface since 2009. The recently-signed lease has an additional five-year option included, which could keep the event in Lincoln through 2022. This year’s event marks the 40th anniversary of the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championship event. The Lincoln Chamber of Commerce estimates the event annually has a $3 million impact on the local economy.

In addition to the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships, scheduled for September 4-7 this year, the Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo finale runs just ahead of the Solo Championships, August 30 – September 7. Both the Solo National Tour and the ProSolo Series will visit the site for the second Spring Nationals event Memorial Day weekend, another four-day event that draws competitors to the area.

After the end of all the rallies held in Italy and worldwide in the year 2011, Luca Rossetti is number one of the 2011 Italian Rally Ranking, thereby confirming his position obtained in 2010. A climb all year long allowed the three-time European Rally Champion to confirm his first position thanks to the points gained in events in Italy, The Italian number one of events on gravel is Daniele Batistini; number one on tarmac is Luca Rossetti; number one on snow is Gianluca Linari. There are 2095 drivers from all regions of Italy and the Republic of San Marino, who, after taking part in rallies in Italy and in the world in 2011, have scored the necessary results to enter the Italian Rally Ranking. .

Check Jayski.com to see what’s happening on TV this week into the weekend. (end)

NOTE: Information for this column came from press releases and personal notes.

Take a gander at the new 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford Fusion!

2012-01-24T20:10:29Z

Here we have what the 2013 Ford Fusion will look like when the 2013 Daytona 500 rolls around. I like it. I’m looking forward to seeing the Chevrolet and Toyota offerings as well. We’ll do our best to have ‘em here for you as soon as we can.

Click on thumbnail to see full image

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Please click on thumbnail for full size image

Images courtesy of Jalopnik and Autoblog

TV Times: Should Some of the 500 Mile NASCAR Races Be Shortened?

2012-01-26T11:10:56Z

While NASCAR has taken steps to improve its Sprint Cup events, there are a number of issues that paying customers still are unhappy with, such as the l-e-n-g-t-h of the 500 mile events. Most feel that they are way too long. Many end up as an economy run. Fans do not consider them to be real racing.

Another issue is The Lucky Dog. Also is the disconnect of the drivers from their fans. Even though the track did have an autograph program at the recent Daytona Winter Testing, shouldn’t time be reserved for this at all tracks hosting Cup races? And fans still aren’t thrilled with the demise of the template cars of old even though the COT has improved driver safety. That change only came about as a result of several fatal accidents. Many fans simply are not happy with it.

Sources claim that 18-34 year-olds are no longer interested, nor can they relate to, today’s racing cars, except those people that are in the repair trade, such as automotive technicians. Many in that age category, along with their children, are commonly seen at coast-to-coast Monster Truck events. We went to The National hot rod event held in Worcester, MA, last July 4 weekend, and we saw for ourselves many of them in that age bracket.

The large group of young people were with their significant others, some even pushing their kids in strollers. We were impressed that promoter, Bob Mosscoffian from Oxford, MA, has been able to tap into this diverse market which included motor heads of all racial groups. NHRA is doing very well with the 18-34 year olds that NASCAR has yet to tap into.

Another rub that fans have these days is that every time a driver or crew chief gets in front of a camera, it’s the same old canned sales pitch about their sponsors. Fans think It’s a real turnoff. Of course, drivers/crew chiefs have to support and promote their sponsors, but most times it’s a bit much. How about toning it down a little?

In all fairness, NASCAR did get hit pretty badly when Earnhardt, Sr., lost his life, while JR has been in a very long slump. Combine that with this long stalled economy and we can understand why there continues to be empty seats during those NASCAR weekends. But NASCAR and their host venues should be working wiser and smarter in getting fannies into those seats – perhaps utilizing what’s mentioned above. Those are complaints coming from fans, not just from me. Discounted tickets don’t seem to be doing the trick.

By the way, word is that Brian France is spending mucho denaros to keep his divorce decree sealed, and it’s been going on for quite a while. The daily papers are the ones trying get all of the dirt out in the open. But the lawyers aren’t complaining – doing very well financially, thank you very much.

Davy Jones announced that he will compete in this weekend’s 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona with the Mühlner Motorsports America team on the season opener of the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season. He will be behind the wheel of the #18 Texas Heart Institute Porsche GT3 Cup car, which he will share with co-drivers John McCutchen, Bill Lester and Mark Thomas.

When NASCAR’s Brian France called Darrell Waltrip’s name last October as a newly-elected member of the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class, the three-time champion exuberantly bounded onto the stage, grabbed France’s face and kissed his cheek. Waltrip was inducted into the third class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Jan. 20 alongside Cale Yarborough, Dale Inman, Glen Wood and the late Richie Evans. Waltrip’s aptitude for conveying the events in the 2001 Daytona 500, FOX’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race broadcast, helped carry the network through what became the sport’s darkest day following Dale Earnhardt’s death on the final lap.

Racing Dreams, winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and executive-produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has its national broadcast premiere on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012, at 9 p.m. as a special broadcast on PBS’s POV (Point of View) series. (Check local listings.) American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, POV is the winner of a Special Emmy for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking, two International Documentary Association IDA Awards for Best Continuing Series and NALIP’s Corporate Commitment to Diversity Award.

The WKA’s races have been a breeding ground for NASCAR racers in the past — Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and others started out racing competitive go-karts — and Brandon, Annabeth and Josh dream of stepping up to the “big leagues,” too.

Without question, Tom Hessert III was a driver grabbing headlines on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour at the conclusion of the 2011 season. A strong span of eight top-10 finishes including seven consecutive in the last 11 races of the year trademarked his presence.

With nearly a four month hiatus slowly coming to a close, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native is eager to show that the off-season hasn’t stalled his momentum when he returns behind the wheel of the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry for the season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Saturday, February 18, 2012.

When M1 PowerSports and AMA Pro Road Racing head back to Braselton, Ga.’s Road Atlanta for the return of the Big Kahuna Atlanta, scheduled for April 20 – 22, 2012, the action-packed event featuring the stars of American motorcycle road racing will be bolstered by classic race motorcycles and former road racing champions through the addition of the Historic Moto Grand Prix to the weekend’s schedule.

All weekend long, Road Atlanta’s main paddock will host a large Historic Moto Grand Prix display area showcasing some of history’s most iconic vintage race motorcycles. Fans are invited to get up close and personal with the bikes, which will include classics like Jamie James‘ famed Yamaha YZF750/1000 “Yamamonster,” Jimmy Filice’s factory Yamaha FZR, a replica ofEddie Lawson’s Daytona-winning Yamaha FZ750 and many, many more. Check out a h & s programmer.

Check Jayski.com to see what else is on TV this week into the weekend. (END)

NOTE: ITEMS FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM PRESS RELEASES AND PERSONAL NOTES.

TV Times: Daytona… From “Shall We Dance?” Back To “Mosh Pit”?

2012-01-17T12:47:03Z

From what transpired during practice sessions at Daytona International Speedway last week, it appears that tandem racing (otherwise known as “Shall we dance?”) could be on the way out. We certainly hope so, as do many others.

Given the recent rule changes and how the drills went at The Big D, we expect to see more strategic and better racing as the cars revert to running together once again in a pack. Though we do have a feeling some cars not in the lead pack may revert back to the “buddy system” in order to catch up.

We have to give NASCAR credit for the effort and foresight put forth in making the changes needed in order to improve the quality of the show. The sanction is alert by responding to what the fans want. And the SPEED Channel’s announcing team was upbeat at all that transpired during the Winter Tests. While in the past, it had been just a lot of hype; this time it seemed to be real.

It seems that there’s not a day that goes by when we learn that some of the one car teams won’t be able to “answer the bell” at Daytona next month because of money and sponsorship problems in the Sprint Cup Series. Many are simply financially tapped out. In previous years, teams with money problems managed to make Daytona as a last ditch effort to line up sponsorship. Now they can’t even do that.

Most of them are not the front line teams, which is no surprise. It could be that some of the single car teams are in such tough shape that even team mergers can’t solve the problem. We’ve also noticed a significant number of Nationwide teams without sponsorship. It can all be traced to the state of the economy and an unwillingness of sponsors to spend $$$ because of the uncertainty of the future. This situation is the worst we’ve ever seen in motorsports. Up until the present, it seemed as if NASCAR had been insulated in previous economic downturns.

On Danica Patrick moving to NASCAR for some selected Sprint Cup races, Hopefully, they will use her presence in advertising and promotional spots as an effort to sell tickets. The IZOD Indy Car Series failed to capitalize on her brand nor did they appear to have pushed it real hard to sell tickets and to get viewers to catch the events on TV. We think that it’s NASCAR’s gain and Indy Cars loss.

It appears that the effort to bring a Northeast Motorsports Museum to the grounds of New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, is picking up momentum. Some new people have joined the group as associates, and standard bearer Dick Berggren gave assignments to those present at a recent Sunday meeting at NHMS. He’s going to be busy with his Fox/Speed TV pit side gigs starting in February until TNT picks up the baton later in the ’12 season.

Motorsports enthusiasts and race fans will have a unique opportunity to compete for a chance to connect and “hangout” with Hall of Fame race legend Emerson Fittipaldi, thanks to “Are You the #1 Emmo Fan?” It’s a new social media contest beginning January 11. It’ll be sponsored by Motorsport.com, a comprehensive online destination for the world of motorsports and a business division of technology services provider and Internet publisher Net Element (OTCQB:NETE).

As part of the contest, conducted primarily through the Twitter handle @motorsport, one question about Fittipaldi and his career will be posted every day for 30 days. Questions will be retweeted via @emmofittipaldi. All participants will be entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win an exclusive chat with Emmo through a G+ Hangout and also win a pair of Evoke brand sunglasses. The sunglasses, remakes of the originals signed by Fittipaldi in 1972, commemorate the 40th anniversary of Fittipaldi’s first Formula 1 World Championship title. Five grand-prize winners will be selected.“This is my first online and social media contest,” said Fittipaldi, chairman of Motorsport.com. “I’m excited to introduce this contest as part of my ongoing work with Motorsport.com to leverage digital media outlets that enable me to engage, connect and interact with race fans all over the world.

Fittipaldi, who joined as chairman of Motorsport.com in August, works to help Motorsport.com establish partnerships with top global brands and media companies. He supports and promotes Motorsport.com’s technology innovation, particularly in delivering unique HD and 3D race video and social media content online, and leverages its technology platform to redefine online racing experiences and attract fans to the sport.

Check Jayski.com to see what’s happening on TV in the world of motor racing this week into the weekend. (END)

KERRY EARNHARDT TO CO-HOST FAMILY TRADITIONS WITH HALEY HEATH TV SHOW

2012-01-16T02:43:56Z

January 15, 2012 – Forsyth, GA -Family Traditions announced today that beginning in the second half of 2012, a member of a well known NASCAR family will be joining its show as Co-Host. Kerry Earnhardt will be joining Family Traditions with Haley Heath in the 3rd and 4th quarter of the year. Family Traditions has established itself over the past 5 years as a show that is entertaining to a wide group of hunters of all ages, from the novice hunter to the experts. It should be no surprise to the legion of Earnhardt fans Kerry’s passion for the great outdoors and dedication to his family, make Family Traditions a perfect match. Now the race fan can tune in and share with Kerry, just like the adrenaline rush felt on the high speed tracks of NASCAR, the thrill of the hunt and family tradition that has been passed down.

“I’ve been a guest on a lot of hunting shows and have always had a burning desire to do more within outdoor entertainment. I’m excited about turning the page to a new chapter of my career. Aside from being behind the wheel of a race car, I can’t think of any other place I’d rather be than in the wide open spaces of the outdoors,” says Earnhardt. “I’m good friends with Haley and her husband G.O. and have always enjoyed watching their show. We share the same family values and that was important to me coming on board.”

The Heaths’ feel that, “in 2012 you will get to see a glimpse of what Family Traditions has in-store for the 2013 season. Kerry is an intense hunter and true outdoorsman. We are looking forward to bringing Kerry in as a Co-Host and know that the viewers will enjoy spending time with him as well.”

To find out more information onFamily Traditions with Haley Heath please contact Haley Heath, VP of Sales and Marketing, Family Traditions with Haley Heath at haley@familytraditionstv.com [mailto:haley@familytraditionstv.com]

About Kerry Earnhardt
Kerry Earnhardt has been racing since the early 1990’s. Son of the legendary, 7-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt, Kerry claimed the Rookie of the Year title driving the Late Model Stock ranks before he started running select Bush Series races in 1998 / 1999. Earnhardt moved to the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Series in 2000. In six starts, he posted four top five finishes and a first victory celebrated at Pocono Speedway in the Winner’s Circle with his proud father. During the same season, Kerry made his debut in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series when he raced at Michigan International Speedway competing against both his father and his brother. Kerry claimed three ARCA victories in 2001 including a win at Lowes Motor Speedway and then went on to compete within all three divisions of NASCAR.

Kerry’s same passion for racing is reflected in his commitment to the great outdoors. Today he has swapped the driver’s seat for the tree stand. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast committed to supporting and educating the importance of land and animal preservation and conservation.

To find out more information about Kerry Earnhardt please contact Earnhardt Outdoors Public Relations at info@earnhardtoutdoors.com [mailto:info@earnhardtoutdoors.com]

About Family Traditions with Haley Heath
Family Traditions with Haley Heath is as much about family as it is the pursuit of big game. This show takes an inside glimpse into the life of successful outdoorswoman Haley Heath and her family of avid hunters. Lessons learned in the show extend beyond hunting tips and delve into the importance of family traditions. In a crazy world where spending time with family takes a back seat to providing for one, this program showcases how accomplishing both at the same time is possible.

Let this entertaining, All-American family take you on a journey into the wild and introduce you to a new family tradition…

Family Traditions with Haley Heath airs exclusively on the Sportsman Channel Wednesday at 10 p.m., Thursdays at 1:00 a.m., and Thursdays at 1:00 p.m., EDT.

To learn more about Family Traditions with Haley Heath, please visit
www.FamilyTraditionsTV.com

About Haley Heath
At first glance, Haley Heath is a striking young woman with a friendly smile and obvious warmth. She is the dedicated mother of two young children and wife of her 1st grade sweetheart, G.O. She is a devoted daughter and dependable sister and the kind of person you quickly call friend.

This All-American girl-next-door is also a fifth- generation avid outdoorsman with a passion for the pursuit of wild game. Her love of hunting was honed at her father’s knee as he patiently introduced her to the outdoors. Her first claim to fame was when, at the age of 6, she shot her first deer, a basket-rack, seven-pointer that still hangs proudly on her wall today. Since those early days, the size of her trophies has increased along with her fame.

What began in 2006 with Haley’s participation in a ‘Survivor-like’ competition on the ESPN television show, “ESPN’s Ultimate Outdoorsmen Search,” evolved into the popular television show, Family Traditions with Haley Heath.

Since the show began, Haley has earned much-deserved recognition. In 2008, she was the first woman to receive the “Viewer Favorite Personality” Sportsman Award. In 2009, she was appointed as the Ambassador for The Sportsman Channel’s organization Hunt Fish Feed, which works to feed needy families. In 2009, Haley was highlighted in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and ABC Nightly World News.

Today, Haley is the host of Family Traditions with Haley Heath and earns the respect of hunting enthusiasts around the world.