Fans Livid Over XFINITY Series TV Debacle

XFINITY took over as title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier
series this season (Google Images)

NASCAR's new television contract looked good on paper. It included the return of NBC on Fourth of July weekend, as well as the departure of the much maligned TNT broadcast crew. Instead of the annoyingly opinionated Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty, NBC will feature commentary from respected former driver Jeff Burton and last year's Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte. It also included an expansion of the FOX schedule through the June 28th weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

However, amidst all these changes and additions, one thing fans weren't counting on is this new deal actually limiting their ability to watch the sport they love.

This Saturday's XFINITY Series race from Chicagoland Speedway was postponed due to a torrential rain storm that moved in following Ryan Reed's win in the ARCA Series race. No big deal right? Just pull the cars in and roll them back out on Sunday afternoon once the track is dry. Fans with tickets will no doubt be accommodated and allowed back in to watch the race live tomorrow at noon. But fans watching from their couches? That's another story.

The race will air tomorrow on FOX Sports 2, a channel that very few fans get. Also, in a very cruel twist, fans with Comcast/XFINITY as their cable provider can't even get this channel period. Yep, you heard right. The XFINITY Series race will be carried on a channel that XFINITY doesn't offer. So, fans of the XFINITY Series who have XFINITY can't watch. Great move there, Comcast. That's a great way to use your new title sponsorship to advertise your brand.

FOX carrying Sprint Cup and XFINITY races on FOX Sports 1 (formerly SPEED Channel) was bad enough, but this is the manifestation of what many fans feared as the worst case scenario. Nobody can control the weather. But the weather is only a small fraction of the issue. Fans used to be able to watch races on regular broadcast networks. Now they need to upgrade their cable packages and pay more money to get more channels just so they can watch racing every weekend.

Women's soccer will be replacing this side by side action on FOX Sports 1
tomorrow afternoon (Google Images)

Fan Josh Gardner left a comment on NASCAR's Facebook post that the race was postponed that pretty much says everything. "I use to could watch a NASCAR race on a 7 station package.. now I need a 700 station package." By the way, that NASCAR post was simply titled, "Well, shoot." Clearly they care a great deal about this issue and want the fans who keep them employed to watch this race. I'm glad they're so concerned.
The angry comments didn't stop with Gardner. PsychedAlex Kerner said, "I live in Chicago and I cant watch the race tomorrow....that's how much NASCAR and FOX cares about us." Tina Spooner also offer her opinion. "I know what I won't be watching tomorrow. You got your head screwed on backwards NASCAR.!! Xfinity race is on and Comcast/Xfinity doesn't have FS2...obviously your not want a big fan base watching..." The angry, confused, disappointed comments go on and on.

Regan Smith, XFINITY Series driver for JR Motorsports even posted on Facebook to offer solace to disgruntled fans. "Hate seeing all the messages about not being able to get #FOXSports2 for tomorrow's race... Wish I had a good answer for that." He also suggested fans try the FOX Sports 2 mobile app, but unfortunately, fans need the channel to be able to use the app. NASCAR and FOX had better thank their lucky stars this didn't happen with a Sprint Cup Series race.

But why can't they just move some shows around and show the race on a regular broadcast network?
I live in New Jersey and at 12 pm tomorrow, FOX 5 out of New York will be carrying some infomercial about remodeling your home and FOX 29 out of Philadelphia is airing some reruns of Bones. You can't expect them to preempt a few reruns and infomercials for a live sporting event that a few hundred thousand people or so would tune in to see. Learning to redo your kitchen on a budget is much more important.

And what's on FOX Sports 1 that's more important than NASCAR racing? Women's World Cup Soccer. Yep, Football's weird European cousin is more important than NASCAR. I'd bet money there are far more NASCAR fans than soccer fans in the United States, and I'd also bet many of those same soccer fans can afford to upgrade to FOX Sports 2 to watch some girls kick a ball back and forth for an hour and a half. As a matter of fact, any one of these shows could easily be preempted or moved to another channel to accommodate NASCAR due to the rain out tonight. Our sport used to be built around working class heroes like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Bill Elliott among others. As a result, many fans are working class people who might not be able to afford to upgrade their cable packages. And asking them to do so for one channel that they will only watch once a week is completely asinine.

Speaking of working class heroes, there might not be many around today, but there are still good guys (like Regan Smith) and good stories in the sport. Take Chicagoland tomorrow. Not only are Kyle Busch and Joey Logano not racing (thank the Lord!), but there is an awesome story that has the chance to unfold that could possibly make the career of a very talented, up and coming driver. 



Matt Kenseth (L) will watch his son Ross (R) make his XFINITY debut
tomorrow... from the pit box. Because he probably doesn't get
FOX Sports 2 either (Google Images)

Matt Kenseth's son Ross will be making his XFINITY Series debut in Sunday's 300 miler. After spinning in practice, the younger Kenseth bounced back in qualifying to miss out on the pole by .002 seconds. As a result, he'll start a very impressive second to 2013 series champ Austin Dillon. Kenseth won in his ARCA debut one week ago in Kenny Schrader's No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet and he's behind the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota this weekend. It's safe to say Ross stands a chance to win in his first ever start, on Father's Day, with his dad at the track. How incredibly special and cool would that be?

But unfortunately because NASCAR and the networks care more about the millions they make than they do about the fans shelling out those millions of dollars every year to watch what has honestly become a mediocre product, a great many fans might be forced to watch a potentially great story condensed into a 90 second highlight reel. And there is no excuse for any of it. Most fans get FOX Sports 1, so why not move the Women's World Cup to FOX Sports 2 or just put the race on regular old FOX?

NASCAR has been shooting blanks so far with all of the rules changes aimed at improving the on track product in recent years. This is evidenced by the fact that even more changes are in store come Kentucky in two weeks. Now, follow that up with the fact that tracks are removing seating, the rising overall cost of a race weekend  and NASCAR putting races on obscure channels that only a handful of fans get and one of their title sponsors doesn't even carry and you've got a recipe for disaster. Fan support is what made this sport as popular as it is and it can break it just as easily. Watching single file racing is one thing, but putting that single file racing on a channel where nobody can even see it is another. There are a lot of angry fans out there demanding answers. So NASCAR, XFINITY and FOX better come up with some. Fast.

NASCAR Meets with Drivers Prior to Dover Cup Race

NASCAR held a much-publicized meeting with a handful of drivers
in Dover last weekend (Google Images)

Last weekend in Dover, Jimmie Johnson scored his tenth win at the Monster Mile. Chris Buescher won the XFINITY Series event after bumping teammate Darrell Wallace Jr and Tyler Reddick won the Camping World Truck Series race. Obviously, the on track action was the highlight of the weekend at one of NASCAR's most exciting tracks.

But off the track last Saturday night, at the Dover Downs Casino located just behind turn three at the Dover International Speedway, NASCAR officials and a group of several drivers met to discuss the sport, where it is and the direction it's going. As of late, NASCAR has been famous for speaking with a fan council to try and determine what those who watch the sport want. They have also said that there is an open dialogue between the sanctioning body and the drivers, team owners and those in the garage area.

In attendance were drivers Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart, among others. However, Johnson was not invited to attend. When asked about why this might be in the media center following his win Sunday, Johnson said he was on a bike ride and he "didn't get the memo." He said he "hasn't won enough races and championships" to be able to have any valuable input. Clearly somebody's ego was bruised a bit.

While Johnson was not an integral part of this gathering, a lot of different subjects were still discussed and, according to the drivers who were there in Johnson's stead, a lot of progress was made towards improving the sport for both teams and fans alike.



Jimmie Johnson won the Fed Ex 400, but wasn't invited to a landmark
meeting held in Dover the previous evening (Google Images)

"We’ve been trying to get all of our drivers together for about a year now, trying to get all of our ideas in one room together," Hamlin told USA Today. "NASCAR knew we were trying to form a line of communication, so they helped us start a driver council which gives us that forum to allow us to talk about things we want to talk about."

Stewart echoed Hamlin's sentiment, saying it was the first time in his 17 year NASCAR career that this type of informal meeting had occurred.

"I think it's just everyone staying on the same page which is good," Stewart said. "It was a good thing, it was positive and makes me feel good about our sport that they want to keep everyone staying on the same page. I'd call it very, very positive."

One of the biggest issues this year has been safety. After Kyle Busch broke his leg in the XFINITY Series race at Daytona back in February, tracks across the country began adding more SAFER barrier around their facilities ahead of their impending NASCAR race dates. The sanctioning body also announced that this weekend at Pocono it will begin to implement new rules for pit crew members. They must now wear flame retardant underwear and head socks that are to be worn under helmets that are more closed face and similar to what drivers wear.

The group also discussed competition and ways to make the on track product better for the fans. New rules changes this year, such as a reduction in horsepower and running tapered spacers at every track, have led to the same racing we have seen the last few years. Clean air still remains king, as the All-Star Race and Coke 600 pointed out very clearly, and if a driver can get out front it is almost impossible to pass him. Fresh tires don't play as big of a role as they used to in this aero-sensitive day and age and that is something that needs to be addressed. We're close to the side by side, competitive racing that fans want, but there is still work to be done. It won't happen overnight, but if you ask the drivers involved in Saturday night's meeting, they now have a direction and a common ground they can work towards.

"The meeting was good," said Hamlin. "We talked about a lot of things that hopefully is going to make our sport better, our cars better, make a better show for the fans. I think all that being said ... it's a process, it'll take some time and hopefully we get this deal better."