Highlights from ESPN NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Conference Call

EDITOR’S NOTE: A replay of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on ESPN media conference call is available online at www.espnmediazone.com/ccc

ESPN will have live, high definition coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET, the first of 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races to be televised on ESPN and ABC to close out the 2009 season. Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming and acquisitions, and the members of the telecast booth – lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch and analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree – participated in a media conference call today. Some highlight quotes:

JULIE SOBIESKI

On the subjects of TV ratings for NASCAR and starting times for races:

“It’s fair to say that we certainly recognize that the baton is being passed to us with ratings down. While we certainly see as you do that there’s room for improvement in a lot of areas, we’re doing everything we can from a TV standpoint. Many of you on this call have written about different theories about why ratings are down, but it’s not really my place to get into those areas we don’t control. At the end of the day, we’re doing everything we can from a TV standpoint. We’re really lucky to be able to kick off our Sprint Cup coverage with one heck of a race.

“There’s definitely been a lot of dialogue about start times, and a lot has been written. With ratings being down, there’s lots of factors that are contributing to that. Can consistent start times make a difference? Certainly that’s possible. We’d be supportive of consistent start times with ESPN and we know that’s also been a priority for NASCAR to try and look at, so if it’s good for the fans, and we think it’s going to benefit ratings, then certainly we’re onboard with that concept.

“It’s ultimately NASCAR’s call when it comes to the schedule of their races, and certainly the tracks as well. All we can do is have the open dialogue and support ultimately where NASCAR and the tracks feel (the starting time) is best to serve the fans. Nothing is set for next year, so I think that dialogue is ongoing and continuing, and we’ll see where that ends up. NASCAR is going to need to make the decision that they feel is best for all their constituents involved.”

DR. JERRY PUNCH

On the subjects of storylines for this year’s race and what is unique about Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

“I think this year’s edition of the Brickyard 400 has all of the ingredients to be the best one yet. Now people might say that’s just hype, but if you look at everything that’s lining up this week, this one has a lot to offer. When you couple the added grip of the new tire with the double file restarts, I think we’re going to have some ‘hold your breath’ moments throughout the race coverage.

“I’ve interviewed drivers who walk out of Gasoline Alley there at the Brickyard 400 for the first time and to them the massive crowd is exhilarating but also intimidating. It seems like each one of them says almost the same thing. You look down this long straightaway coming off of turn four, and there’s no other track in NASCAR where you look out your windshield and there’s a tidal wave of people on your right, and a tidal wave of people on your left in those paddock grandstands. And it’s so distracting and intimidating – you’ve got to somehow focus to get down the straightaway and turn left. It’s very difficult not to get distracted by the very large crowd.”

ANDY PETREE

On the subjects of last year’s tire problems at Indianapolis and surprising stories in NASCAR:

(Petree went to Goodyear headquarters in Akron, Ohio, after last year’s race) “All the big wheels were there and they were extremely concerned about how they were going to fix this. They take it extremely personally. They were starting to work on this year’s Brickyard that day (two days after the race). I tip my hat to them for what they’ve been able to accomplish. With what they (drivers) are saying about the tire, I think is going to add another twist to it. I think it’s going to be a Brickyard 400 like we’ve never seen. A lot of options for crew chiefs to make calls and gamble – it’s going to be very exciting and probably hard to keep up with. I’m going to have to be on my toes up in the booth to make sure I’m covering all the bases on what the crew chiefs are trying to figure out and trying to do for strategy. It’s a big race and it means a lot, and not just to the drivers. It also means a lot to the crew chiefs and crew members.

“There’s one story developing right now that can be a surprise and that’s Kyle Busch not making the Chase. Nobody ever would have thought that that he would go in there and not make it. He’s struggled when he did get in the Chase the past couple of years, and that’s not a surprise. But the fact is he’s actually got a chance of not making it, and I think there’s trouble brewing over there. This is a gut wrenching time for them as a team. You’re going to see what kind of character they have these next seven races to get into the Chase. I think it’s going to be very iffy that he gets in the Chase this year because of the way that car has performed, and now when you have this kind of a problem brewing, it can actually get worse.”

DALE JARRETT

On the subject of Kyle Busch:

“Kyle Busch is a tremendous talent. I think his win or nothing, we’re going to go for broke attitude about each and every race could put him in a precarious position in trying to keep himself inside the Chase because that’s his mentality that all he wants to do is win the race. We’ve seen him be extremely disappointed about finishing second whether it’s in the Nationwide Series or the Cup Series and that’s a great attitude to have, but it can also be your downfall too if you’re in a situation like this where you’re having to try to protect just a little bit. And to be quite honest you look at the next two races, these next two tracks aren’t his best. The flat tracks seem to be the ones that have given that race team more problems over the last 18 months than any others. I would look at him as the one person that is capable of winning every week, but he’s also capable of having some bad finishes and falling out.”

Click HERE to view a promo for ESPN’s NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in high definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

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