It's Time For NASCAR TV

First of all, congratulations to Kevin Harvick, who ended the longest winless streak of his Cup career last week at Talladega.  Is it now fair to call Kevin a super speedway specialist, since his last two wins have come at Daytona and Talladega?  Just kidding.  Kevin Harvick is a great race car driver, and I think we all knew he was going to win this season, it was just a matter of when.

Now, to the meat of this article.

The NFL has it’s own channel, though I’ve never seen it.  It costs extra to get the NFL channel, assuming it’s even available on your cable or satellite network.  There is also a golf channel, which I used to get on basic cable (Charter).  I think it’s time for a NASCAR only, 24-7 channel.

Sure, SPEED TV does a great job with it’s NASCAR coverage.  To a certain extent, so does ESPN.  But don’t you think that NASCAR has gotten big enough to have an exclusive TV channel?

I’m certainly not faulting SPEED TV or ESPN, but they’ve both got bigger rows to hoe than just NASCAR.  ESPN does a brilliant job of trying to cover virtually all sports on the planet, and that’s certainly no easy job.  SPEED covers not only NASCAR, but also everything from motorcycle racing to monster trucks.  They do a great job of it too, but for the true NASCAR purist, I think it’s time for a NASCAR only channel.

The NASCAR channel could do live updates on news several times a day.  You know, kind of like a televised version of Jayski.  I don’t know what they do about the current contracts that FOX, ESPN, and TNT have for televising the actual races, because I think it’s important that people without cable or satellite have the opportunity to watch at least some of the races.  Right now, only FOX and ESPN, through ABC can do that.  I think it’s important to bring the sport to the masses.  Perhaps NASCAR could reserve the right to simulcast the races on their own channel as well.  Or, they could put together their own crew and broadcast the races the NASCAR way.  Either way works for me, as long as Mom and Pop can sit and see at least some of the races with that Channel Master antenna on the roof.

The NASCAR channel should be basic cable.  Enough advertising could be sold to fund the network, just through the myriad of NASCAR sponsors.  Team sponsors could jump in on the deal just to sweeten it and get extra exposure on a NASCAR exclusive network.  There is a hardcore base of fans who would probably watch that channel all day and all night too.  You know who I’m talking about.  Yes, you!

Other than the news updates, the NASCAR channel could fill time by broadcasting earlier races, from all it’s various series.  Go back to the 70’s or 80’s, and there is a wealth of good stuff there.  Televise races live from the various regional series and give these drivers a little exposure.  It’s all good.

The NASCAR channel already has a core group  of veteran race broadcasters.  Remember MRN?  MRN stands for Motor Racing Network, which is owned by International Speedway Corporation, which in turn is owned by the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing.  Recognize that name?  Of course, it’s NASCAR.  I love listening to the MRN guys on the radio, and they would be great on TV as well.

It’s time for NASCAR TV.  We, the fans, well, we really want it. 

Really bad.  I know I do.