NASCAR Nation (12 page)

That's what makes “Crank It Up” so popular. Fans feel like they're really at the race. Even as a broadcaster, I have to say it's nice to hear the cars. Our team knows that our fans want to be informed, but they also want to watch the race. We keep our fans informed – we weave in our conversations – but we make sure the fans don't miss out on the action. On the radio I'd have to describe everything, but with television's visual and audio clarity, my job as an announcer is simply to enhance things. People need to be able to hear the crew chief talking. Those are the moments that we don't want to talk over.

Sometimes, if we're paying attention, we'll catch a driver and crew chief arguing. The crew chief might say something like, “You should come in for some fresh tires,” to which the driver will stubbornly reply, “No, I want to stay out here.” The crew chief will yell back in frustration, “Well, I'm in charge – get your butt in here, or stay out there and it's your own
neck. You're on the line,” he'll say. I don't want to talk through that. If there's a moment after the exchange, I'll give an opinion to enhance the broadcast. But if an announcer talks too much, it can ruin the broadcast. With the broadcasting technology we have today, there's so much that doesn't need to be communicated by an announcer. The fan can hear and see a lot of what's going on independently. As technology advances, fans are able to get closer and closer to the races.

As the races have modernized, so have the broadcasts. If someone were to go back to the first televised version of the sport, they would see something entirely different. There's a certain charm about those old broadcasts. Yet, they just didn't have the ability to get their cameras in all the places we do, to get access to the radio conversations between the driver and the crew, and to put their fans as close to the action. Technology has taken NASCAR to the next level, and broadcasting coverage has had to keep up to make sure that fans don't miss a thing.

As broadcasting technology grows, so does the concern that cameras might catch more than they should. With the in-car cameras, some of the drivers worry about their privacy. An in-car camera is only a few pounds. It's a small discus – it resembles something you might see on a James Bond film. There's no way that these little devices are weighing the car down
or are any distraction to the driver. Yet some drivers ask that the cameras not be in the car. They just don't want to be watched all the time, which is understandable. They're already being watched and filmed by thousands; do we really need one more camera? Imagine being watched while you work, being filmed from every angle. It could get a little nerve-racking. These days, that's the reality of live sports television. It's true reality television because it's unscripted and the viewers are right there. Most drivers are cooperative and consider the multitude of cameras just a part of the job.

Still, the concern for privacy isn't unfounded. There have been situations when things have been caught on camera that should never be aired. We had a situation with a driver who crashed and suffered a concussion. The camera caught it, but we never aired it. You have to be respectful of the drivers and the fans. With cameras everywhere, they sometimes catch things that should be kept private. It's a situation that calls for discretion, which is something that our broadcasting team definitely has.

FOX respects NASCAR drivers, their privacy, and their viewers. This is quality entertainment and a family sport; we don't want to show anything inappropriate. We may catch a car hitting a wall and catching fire, and we might see something we'd rather not see. It's our broadcasting team that then makes
an adjustment. The first broadcast that I covered was the 2001 Daytona 500. One of Dale Earnhardt's teams was winning and he was running third when his car crashed. We showed the wreck. At that time we didn't know that it was any different than any other wreck. Another driver ran up to the car, and I saw him quickly run away. We had to carefully edit the shots. We want to make sure we're not showing anything gory or too extreme. Until we know what's going on, we have to wait before making an announcement.

At the time of Earnhardt's death, we didn't have the same technology as we do today, and there was less information available. We didn't have the in-car camera in operation. While it would have helped us understand his death better, the in-car camera footage would never have made the air. We edit what we catch on camera before we put it out for the whole world to see.

Yet with the rise in popular communication technology today, it's hard to stop information from leaking out. There are too many fans able to take photos, record video, and make phone calls for us to be able to stop the flow of information. When Carl Edwards had his spectacular crash in Talladega, people had phones and cameras. They got pictures of the crash the instant that it happened. One of the women who witnessed the crash was in the news within minutes. She was attending her first race.
What baffled me as a sports newsman, however, was the fact that the word was out on the Internet minutes after the race ended – without the winner even being announced. With the growth of technology and the fast rate at which we can communicate with each other, it's hard to keep anything quiet for long.

Technology is great. It makes our cars faster and our broadcasts better. It keeps us in touch with one another. It makes our races safer. But Dale Earnhardt's death was far from simple – it was a tragedy that changed the face of the sport. In the years since, NASCAR has turned its focus toward harnessing technology in a way that maximizes safety for the drivers while providing an unparalleled level of transparency for the fans. The result is, hopefully, a sport that is safe and technologically advanced while still being human. It can be difficult to retain the human element amid America's fast-paced, technology-driven society and NASCAR's mechanically minded culture. But as the sport continues to evolve, it is constantly finding new ways to strike that perfect balance between man and machine.

Dale Earnhardt was one of the greatest race car drivers of all time. One of the hardest moments of my career came when we found out he'd passed as a result of wrecking in the 2001 Daytona 500.

The first family of NASCAR, the Frances (l–r) Amy France Helton, Sharon France, Jim France, Betty Jane France, Brian France, Amy France, and Lesa France Kennedy stand with statue of Bill France Jr. in front of Daytona International Speedway. Their strong family values have kept NASCAR humble over the years, while their keen business sense has helped it expand. (Photo by ISC Photography)

Mark Martin never ceases to amaze me. In his fifties now, he's still able to out-race drivers half his age.

Carl Edwards is a driver I greatly admire. His love of speed carries over into his off-track hobby of flying airplanes and helicopters.

The flyover that starts many NASCAR races is just one of the many ways the sport honors the men and women that keep our country safe.

NASCAR knows how much the military means to its drivers and fans, so they are often invited to take part in the pre-race ceremonies. This is the 75th division color guard from Fort Sill before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, talk before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 5, 2008. Knaus is one of the best crew chiefs in the business, with him calling the shots, Johnson has won five consecutive championships.

Mark Martin's pit crew is one of the best in the business. These unsung heroes are essential to NASCAR, just as the folks behind the scenes in America are essential to help keep America running.

NASCAR fans are proud of their patriotism, and it's always shown in the pre-race ceremonies. The singing of the National Anthem is especially powerful. There's nothing quite like being with thousands of fans and patriots, singing our great nation's anthem to start the races.

Brad Keselowski is handed an American flag to pay tribute after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. I've always admired Brad's poise and ability on the track, as well as his love for our country.