By Doc Lehman
Xtreme DirtCar Series officials have announced the airdates on SPEED Channel for the 13 XDCS events to be shown this season by the network from February through October.
The season premier of the Xtreme DirtCar Series "Dirty Thursday" on SPEED Channel was two weeks ago on February 27 at 9 p.m. ET with action from the February 6 XDCS event at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. On March 6, viewers got a double-dose of XDCS action on SPEED Channel because in addition to the repeat broadcast of the February 6 East Bay event, the February 8 grand finale of the East Bay Winternationals was also aired at 11 p.m. ET.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image001.jpg">
“Having seen the show in the studio when Mark Allen and I did the voiceover, I wasn't sure if I would get the full impact of seeing it on the air last night,” informed Roby Helm the day after the first 2003 broadcast. Helm is the Xtreme Dirt Car Series announcer, public relations director and color commentator for the SPEED Xtreme broadcasts. “Now, I can say I was surprised at how I felt seeing it on the air. I felt like a racer who has spent all winter designing and building a new race car, and then seeing it on the track for the first time.”
“We have kind of done the same thing with the series and the television broadcast. A new name, a new look, new music, a new format, and some new excitement. Seeing the finished product on the air for the first time kind of sent a few chills down my spine.”
I asked Helm to give a critique of the season’s first broadcast under the series’ new name.
“Every time we watch the show, we're always critiquing it, listening to the fans' response, and trying to make it better,” responded Helm. “Last year, our goal was to make the audio better, and this year, we're trying to talk less about what the viewer is seeing and let the picture tell more of the story.”
“At East Bay this was pretty easy because they gave us a great race track all week and there was so much two and three wide racing all through the field, there's no way we could show it all. Even though it looked racy on TV, there's no way it can replace what the fans saw in person.”
“Last night's show was a ‘keeper’ and I think the show aired on March 6 was also a good one. That race, which was the February 8 race at East Bay, was similar to the first show with guys three-wide going from the front to the back, and the guys coming from the back to the front.”
“The March 6 show had more tire strategy that gets the crew chiefs more involved in the program, and this will be illustrated by both sight and sound. We'll also be talking about the dreaded ‘In-Car Camera Jinx.’”
“The biggest production challenge we have is when we get to a track that's not racy. Then we really have to go to work. We've also been working with SPEED Channel to schedule the events and the airdates closer to each other.”
The third XDCS event to be aired on SPEED Channel was be the March 15 race at Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmora, LA on April 10 at 9 p.m. ET. But with that race postponed due to weather another date will be filled. The fourth event will be the April 11 XDCS event from Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC, which will air on May 8 at 9 p.m. ET.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image002.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image003.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image004.jpg">
The new Delta Bowl Speedway in Tunica, MS will host the fifth SPEED Channel XDCS event on May 3, and will air on May 29 at 9 p.m. ET. Another new venue for the XDCS in front of the SPEED Channel cameras will be the May 31 event at Hartford Raceway Park in Hartford, MI that will air on July 3 at 9 p.m. ET.
The SPEED Channel cameras will return to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on June 21 for The Masters, with a new three-segment format and over $100,000 in prize money and awards up for grabs. The Masters will air on July 10 at 9 p.m. ET.
Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH will host the XDCS for the first time in view of the SPEED Channel cameras on July 9, and the event will air on July 31 at 11 p.m. ET. Cedar Lake Speedway will also host the $40,000-to-win USA Nationals for the XDCS on August 9. The USA Nationals can be seen on SPEED Channel on August 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
The annual Labor Day XDCS stop at Atomic Motor Speedway in Knoxville, TN on August 31 will be shown on the SPEED Channel on September 11 at 11 p.m. The XDCS returns to Fayetteville Motorsports Park in Fayetteville, NC on September 12 with an event that will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on October 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
The XDCS season finale will be shown once again on SPEED Channel. The $55,000-to-win Xtreme Shootout at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA will be held on October 11, and be shown on SPEED Channel on October 30 at 11 p.m. ET.
The air dates for the 2003 Xtreme DirtCar Series Season In Review show and repeat airings of other XDCS events will be announced by SPEED Channel in the coming weeks. For a complete XDCS Dirty Thursday SPEED Channel schedule visit the Xtreme DirtCar Series web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com, or the SPEED Channel web site at www.speedtv.com.
With such an aggressive, substantial and ground-breaking slate of national broadcasts Helm was quizzed as to what the series’ feedback has been with the new TV package and the potential it brings the Xtreme series, teams, promoters and sponsors.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image005.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image006.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image007.jpg">
“We are all very excited and grateful to SPEED Channel for giving us a better time (9:00 p.m. EST) than what we've had in the past,” stated Helm. “The better time is a result of the tremendous positive response SPEED Channel has received from the fans. Dirt Late Model fans are the most passionate fans in all of motorsports, and we thank them for all of their support. We hope they will keep all of those positive comments going to the folks at SPEED.”
“We know that as we grow and expand into more markets, there are fans in different parts of the country that can't travel across the country to see as many races as they would like. Television is the best way for these fans to keep up with the series when we are racing outside of their area.”
“So far, the sponsors have very satisfied with the placement and exposure they've been getting from the broadcasts. They're also getting a positive response and increased sales from the fans.”
“All of our major sponsors from last year like Lucas Oil and Advance Auto Parts have resigned for 2003, and we've even added some like Action Performance, Autobet.Us and Ringers Gloves. These sponsors are paying more to be involved with the Xtreme DirtCar Series than what a regional series gets for a title sponsorship, so the television exposure is a key element for them.”
“The television broadcasts are also very positive with the promoters. A lot of them tell us they get phone calls from people throughout the year that want to come out a see race when they're traveling through the area because they saw the track on television.”
The new series ownership and the television package have brought some serious attention to the sanction. Scheduling picked up once the new ownership and TV package was announced and confirmed back in January and for themost part it’s been fairly easy sailing for new series owner Doug Bland and the officials. You do have your moments, however.
“When it comes to promoters, a funny thing happened before and after the broadcast last night,” related Helm. “The day before the race aired, we had one promoter that pulled his race off the schedule because he said he HEARD this and that about the series.”
“After last night's broadcast of the East Bay race, another promoter called Doug Bland at 7:30 this morning and said he wanted a race because he said he SAW a grandstand full of fans, and more racing with the Xtreme DirtCar Series in one race than he has seen in years of having the World of Outlaws at his track.”
“I guess seeing is believing because the promoter that SAW took the date that the promoter that HEARD gave up.”
“Television has brought the series new fans that have never seen one of our races in person. We get a lot of E-mail from people that live in parts of the country we've never been to asking when we're going to be coming to their area.”
“This is not just limited to the United States. SPEED also reaches outside the country via satellite because we have received requests from promoters wanting an Xtreme DirtCar Series event in Canada and Australia!”
And the ones who have been clamoring the most for television coverage have gleefully begun to take advantage of it’s potential windfall.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image008.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image009.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image010.jpg">
“The drivers love the television coverage and they are learning how to use it to their advantage when they are on camera, both on and off the track,” observed Helm. “I've noticed a lot of drivers have been putting the sponsor banners on their haulers. When they're interviewed in the pits, they make sure that banner is in the shot behind them, or the sponsor logo on the car behind them is in camera view.”
“Television also lets the fans see both sides of the drivers. Most fans see the drivers in the pits where they're more laid back, friendly and approachable. This is how they are in the pit interviews as well.”
“The cameras are able to get the fans where most of them never get to go, and that's right in the heat of battle. You can't buy a seat at the ticket booth that will put you inside the race car bumping and banging sideways, three-wide, at over 100 miles per hour.”
“The cameras show the intensity of the drivers during a pit stop for tires and adjustments. I couldn't help but notice that in Dale McDowell during last night's broadcast.”
“Dale started up front, but starting falling back after the start of the race. He pitted for tires and the camera was there. Dale took his helmet off and you could see the intensity in his eyes watching the crew work on the car, and hear the urgency in his voice as he communicated with his crew. I've never seen Dale chew on that gum in the pits before and after a race like he did during the race!”
Doing the television broadcasts is hard and meticulous work, but Helm confirms that it does have its humorous moments.
“We had one pit stop on camera last year during the heat of the battle that we had to cut short because the driver's language crossed the threshold of an ‘R’ rating,” chuckled Helm. “I've had another driver ask me when we were going to start being on HBO so he didn't have to watch his language so closely.”
“We filmed another pit stop last year that really got the crew chief excited because the camera man had the lens stuck right in the back of the car. The crew chief said he hoped he didn't see his chassis set up on another car the next week!”
“I've also noticed more crews getting dressed for television with clean and colorful shirts with sponsor logos on them. The teams are really catching on that the questions they answer and the camera lens they're looking into can really benefit them in many ways.”
“One thing we'd like to see more of is the fans bringing banners to the track that we can show on television which convey the passion they have for the sport and the appreciation they have for SPEED Channel.”
For more info on the Xtreme Dirt Car Series and the SPEED Channel broadcasts visit the series’ website at: http://www.xtremedirtcars.com.
©2003 Doc Lehman/Dirt America
Syndicated by Dirt America
Xtreme DirtCar Series officials have announced the airdates on SPEED Channel for the 13 XDCS events to be shown this season by the network from February through October.
The season premier of the Xtreme DirtCar Series "Dirty Thursday" on SPEED Channel was two weeks ago on February 27 at 9 p.m. ET with action from the February 6 XDCS event at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. On March 6, viewers got a double-dose of XDCS action on SPEED Channel because in addition to the repeat broadcast of the February 6 East Bay event, the February 8 grand finale of the East Bay Winternationals was also aired at 11 p.m. ET.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image001.jpg">
“Having seen the show in the studio when Mark Allen and I did the voiceover, I wasn't sure if I would get the full impact of seeing it on the air last night,” informed Roby Helm the day after the first 2003 broadcast. Helm is the Xtreme Dirt Car Series announcer, public relations director and color commentator for the SPEED Xtreme broadcasts. “Now, I can say I was surprised at how I felt seeing it on the air. I felt like a racer who has spent all winter designing and building a new race car, and then seeing it on the track for the first time.”
“We have kind of done the same thing with the series and the television broadcast. A new name, a new look, new music, a new format, and some new excitement. Seeing the finished product on the air for the first time kind of sent a few chills down my spine.”
I asked Helm to give a critique of the season’s first broadcast under the series’ new name.
“Every time we watch the show, we're always critiquing it, listening to the fans' response, and trying to make it better,” responded Helm. “Last year, our goal was to make the audio better, and this year, we're trying to talk less about what the viewer is seeing and let the picture tell more of the story.”
“At East Bay this was pretty easy because they gave us a great race track all week and there was so much two and three wide racing all through the field, there's no way we could show it all. Even though it looked racy on TV, there's no way it can replace what the fans saw in person.”
“Last night's show was a ‘keeper’ and I think the show aired on March 6 was also a good one. That race, which was the February 8 race at East Bay, was similar to the first show with guys three-wide going from the front to the back, and the guys coming from the back to the front.”
“The March 6 show had more tire strategy that gets the crew chiefs more involved in the program, and this will be illustrated by both sight and sound. We'll also be talking about the dreaded ‘In-Car Camera Jinx.’”
“The biggest production challenge we have is when we get to a track that's not racy. Then we really have to go to work. We've also been working with SPEED Channel to schedule the events and the airdates closer to each other.”
The third XDCS event to be aired on SPEED Channel was be the March 15 race at Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmora, LA on April 10 at 9 p.m. ET. But with that race postponed due to weather another date will be filled. The fourth event will be the April 11 XDCS event from Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC, which will air on May 8 at 9 p.m. ET.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image002.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image003.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image004.jpg">
The new Delta Bowl Speedway in Tunica, MS will host the fifth SPEED Channel XDCS event on May 3, and will air on May 29 at 9 p.m. ET. Another new venue for the XDCS in front of the SPEED Channel cameras will be the May 31 event at Hartford Raceway Park in Hartford, MI that will air on July 3 at 9 p.m. ET.
The SPEED Channel cameras will return to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI on June 21 for The Masters, with a new three-segment format and over $100,000 in prize money and awards up for grabs. The Masters will air on July 10 at 9 p.m. ET.
Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH will host the XDCS for the first time in view of the SPEED Channel cameras on July 9, and the event will air on July 31 at 11 p.m. ET. Cedar Lake Speedway will also host the $40,000-to-win USA Nationals for the XDCS on August 9. The USA Nationals can be seen on SPEED Channel on August 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
The annual Labor Day XDCS stop at Atomic Motor Speedway in Knoxville, TN on August 31 will be shown on the SPEED Channel on September 11 at 11 p.m. The XDCS returns to Fayetteville Motorsports Park in Fayetteville, NC on September 12 with an event that will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on October 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
The XDCS season finale will be shown once again on SPEED Channel. The $55,000-to-win Xtreme Shootout at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA will be held on October 11, and be shown on SPEED Channel on October 30 at 11 p.m. ET.
The air dates for the 2003 Xtreme DirtCar Series Season In Review show and repeat airings of other XDCS events will be announced by SPEED Channel in the coming weeks. For a complete XDCS Dirty Thursday SPEED Channel schedule visit the Xtreme DirtCar Series web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com, or the SPEED Channel web site at www.speedtv.com.
With such an aggressive, substantial and ground-breaking slate of national broadcasts Helm was quizzed as to what the series’ feedback has been with the new TV package and the potential it brings the Xtreme series, teams, promoters and sponsors.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image005.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image006.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image007.jpg">
“We are all very excited and grateful to SPEED Channel for giving us a better time (9:00 p.m. EST) than what we've had in the past,” stated Helm. “The better time is a result of the tremendous positive response SPEED Channel has received from the fans. Dirt Late Model fans are the most passionate fans in all of motorsports, and we thank them for all of their support. We hope they will keep all of those positive comments going to the folks at SPEED.”
“We know that as we grow and expand into more markets, there are fans in different parts of the country that can't travel across the country to see as many races as they would like. Television is the best way for these fans to keep up with the series when we are racing outside of their area.”
“So far, the sponsors have very satisfied with the placement and exposure they've been getting from the broadcasts. They're also getting a positive response and increased sales from the fans.”
“All of our major sponsors from last year like Lucas Oil and Advance Auto Parts have resigned for 2003, and we've even added some like Action Performance, Autobet.Us and Ringers Gloves. These sponsors are paying more to be involved with the Xtreme DirtCar Series than what a regional series gets for a title sponsorship, so the television exposure is a key element for them.”
“The television broadcasts are also very positive with the promoters. A lot of them tell us they get phone calls from people throughout the year that want to come out a see race when they're traveling through the area because they saw the track on television.”
The new series ownership and the television package have brought some serious attention to the sanction. Scheduling picked up once the new ownership and TV package was announced and confirmed back in January and for themost part it’s been fairly easy sailing for new series owner Doug Bland and the officials. You do have your moments, however.
“When it comes to promoters, a funny thing happened before and after the broadcast last night,” related Helm. “The day before the race aired, we had one promoter that pulled his race off the schedule because he said he HEARD this and that about the series.”
“After last night's broadcast of the East Bay race, another promoter called Doug Bland at 7:30 this morning and said he wanted a race because he said he SAW a grandstand full of fans, and more racing with the Xtreme DirtCar Series in one race than he has seen in years of having the World of Outlaws at his track.”
“I guess seeing is believing because the promoter that SAW took the date that the promoter that HEARD gave up.”
“Television has brought the series new fans that have never seen one of our races in person. We get a lot of E-mail from people that live in parts of the country we've never been to asking when we're going to be coming to their area.”
“This is not just limited to the United States. SPEED also reaches outside the country via satellite because we have received requests from promoters wanting an Xtreme DirtCar Series event in Canada and Australia!”
And the ones who have been clamoring the most for television coverage have gleefully begun to take advantage of it’s potential windfall.
<img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image008.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image009.jpg"><img src="http://stlracing.net/pixs/docl/tv/image010.jpg">
“The drivers love the television coverage and they are learning how to use it to their advantage when they are on camera, both on and off the track,” observed Helm. “I've noticed a lot of drivers have been putting the sponsor banners on their haulers. When they're interviewed in the pits, they make sure that banner is in the shot behind them, or the sponsor logo on the car behind them is in camera view.”
“Television also lets the fans see both sides of the drivers. Most fans see the drivers in the pits where they're more laid back, friendly and approachable. This is how they are in the pit interviews as well.”
“The cameras are able to get the fans where most of them never get to go, and that's right in the heat of battle. You can't buy a seat at the ticket booth that will put you inside the race car bumping and banging sideways, three-wide, at over 100 miles per hour.”
“The cameras show the intensity of the drivers during a pit stop for tires and adjustments. I couldn't help but notice that in Dale McDowell during last night's broadcast.”
“Dale started up front, but starting falling back after the start of the race. He pitted for tires and the camera was there. Dale took his helmet off and you could see the intensity in his eyes watching the crew work on the car, and hear the urgency in his voice as he communicated with his crew. I've never seen Dale chew on that gum in the pits before and after a race like he did during the race!”
Doing the television broadcasts is hard and meticulous work, but Helm confirms that it does have its humorous moments.
“We had one pit stop on camera last year during the heat of the battle that we had to cut short because the driver's language crossed the threshold of an ‘R’ rating,” chuckled Helm. “I've had another driver ask me when we were going to start being on HBO so he didn't have to watch his language so closely.”
“We filmed another pit stop last year that really got the crew chief excited because the camera man had the lens stuck right in the back of the car. The crew chief said he hoped he didn't see his chassis set up on another car the next week!”
“I've also noticed more crews getting dressed for television with clean and colorful shirts with sponsor logos on them. The teams are really catching on that the questions they answer and the camera lens they're looking into can really benefit them in many ways.”
“One thing we'd like to see more of is the fans bringing banners to the track that we can show on television which convey the passion they have for the sport and the appreciation they have for SPEED Channel.”
For more info on the Xtreme Dirt Car Series and the SPEED Channel broadcasts visit the series’ website at: http://www.xtremedirtcars.com.
©2003 Doc Lehman/Dirt America
Syndicated by Dirt America
