A fox, a finger and promos highlight race broadcast
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Now, on with the column.
A night of watching NASCAR makes you realize you gotta promo those sponsors. That’s how the bills are paid, y’all.
That was the most striking realization watching a night of NASCAR — Wednesday’s Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway.
I’ve watched NASCAR here and there, and I’ve been to dozens of dirt-track races at ovals in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. I’m no auto racing diehard, but if you’re reading this section, you’re probably like me: longing for the return of live sports.
So I waited out a 90-minute delay after storms lashed South Carolina and settled in to watch 228 laps of racing on FS1. It’s clear NASCAR knows entertainment, from eye-catching graphics, filming a driver flipping the bird and product placement.
Here are some thoughts as the cars spun 500 kilometers (yes, kilometers) at Darlington:
Masked men: Drivers, crews and pit-road reporters all wore masks in a nod to preventing the spread of the coronavirus. It was a good example for the rest of us, but it didn’t always make for great on-track interviews. “I heard half of what you said,” replied Clint Bowyer to a pre-race question from reporter Matt Yocum before answering anyway.
Empty feeling: The site of empty grandstands was eerie, but as far as watching on TV, the lack of fans made no difference to me. And my guess is it made very little difference to the drivers.
From a distance: Joe Gibbs delivered a pre-race prayer, Jewel sang the national anthem and Guy Fieri implored, “Drivers, start your enginges!” None of them were on the track. Ditto for race announcers Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon, who called the race from a NASCAR studio in Charlotte, N.C.
On the mic: Joy and Gordon didn’t miss a beat from the studio. Joy’s a pro, and Gordon — the legendary former driver of the No. 24 car — is better than I thought. His interviews with drivers behind the wheel are a little cringy and fawning, but he offered insights that only a former driver can, including telling viewers drivers take their cars to within an inch of the wall at Darlington.
Line of the night: Joy’s reaction when Ryan Newman in the Oscar Meyer car squeezed in front of Brad Keselowski: “That is shoving the hot dog into the bun right there.”
Brought to you by: It’s pretty obvious pretty early why NASCAR was the first major American sport to get started and go fan-free: sponsors. The broadcast featured the following money-making ventures: a “Geico Crank It Up” segment for a live listen to radio communications and cars zooming past cameras; the “Subway Right
Combination” touting two teammates working together; “USAA Biggest Movers” saluting a car that made the quickest move through the field; and the “Credit One Bank Ones to Watch” race favorites.
Geico Drone Cam: Didn’t like it. Maybe I was too close to the screen, but it made me feel dizzy.
Picking a favorite: All NASCAR fans have a driver, so I decided to pick one Wednesday. Denny Hamlin was the only one in the field who grew up in Virginia (Chesterfield), but I went with a driver, or sponsor, closer to Hampton Roads: Aric Almirola in the Smithfield No. 11. He finished seventh.
Flipping the script: With no qualifying, the starting positions Wednesday were based on finishes from Sunday’s race at Darlington. But they took the top 20 and inverted them, so Ryan Preece — 20th Sunday — was on the pole and Kevin Harvick — Sunday’s winner — started
20th.
Rare back-to-back: The race was the second at Darlington in a four-day span — and the first race held on a Wednesday since 1984.
Yellow fever: There were no major crashes, but the race featured 10 yellow flags, including a “competition caution” to allow cars a trip to the pits for a quick check from their pit crews. Often, some of the best racing was the threewide spring from pit road back to the track.
Can I get an appointment?: In the first competition caution after 28 laps, Clint Bowyer’s crew took 13.1 seconds to change four tires and a fuel fill-up. Gordon’s assessment: “Flawless.”
Bird sighting: In the night’s biggest tangle, Kyle Busch tapped Chase Elliott and spun him into the wall for the race’s 11th caution with 26 laps remaining. Gordon criticized Busch for the move, and Elliott waited for Busch to circle the track before giving him the middle finger.
Rains came: As Elliott was flipping the bird, rain began to fall in Darlington and eventually stopped the race with 20 laps left. It was called shortly after that, with Hamlin declared the winner.
‘Fox’ sports: Just after the race was halted, a real fox scurried onto the track in what had to be a genius final bit of product placement by the folks at, um, Fox Sports.
Final verdict: I only got 208 laps in, but NASCAR is back in action at 6 p.m. Sunday in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. Chances are, I’ll be watching.