For the last week it has been NASCAR 24/7 and I am sick of it. $ talks which is why NASCAR is on so much, but I still think they need to know there are enthusiasts out there that like racing that doesn’t resemble a dog chasing it’s tail.

Here is the link: http://www.speedtv.com/feedback/

Here is the message I sent:

I know you guys probably get a bunch of this, but I am a true car nut and cannot stand NASCAR or NASTRUCKS, drag racing etc. I use to watch Speed often, but have just about given up. On one hand I appreciate you carry the few programs I do like, on the other I wish you all would just start a new NASCAR channel so I could watch a few nights a week. I understand $ talks and F1, Rally, and Porsche Cup won’t pull the ratings, but just the same I had to speak my mind. There is only one thing I think about more then Motorsports, and few things I think of less than NASCAR etc.

From your list here is what I would watch 7 nights a week (or at least 5) if they were on (even re-runs of races):

24 Hrs. Daytona
American LeMans
Autoweek (RIP)
Behind the Headlights
British Touring Car Championship
Champ Car
Dream Car Garage
Dunlop New Zeland
F1 (all F1)
Fifth Gear
German Touring Cars
Goodwood
Grand Am Series
Inside Grand Prix and GT
Motorsport Mundial
Motorweek
Porsche Supercup
SCCA Runoffs
Sports Car Revolution
Rally …..all rally, but not at 3 a.m.
Rolex Series
Victory By Design

Unfortunately, these have not been on often, or during normal watching hours.

Thanks,

Jim

 

I like all types of racing, particularly at the top levels. I like "road racing" the most, but I will watch any racing competition. I agree on the imbalance on Speed. However, while there are thousands of "us", there are hundreds of thousands of "them".

 

I personally think it's time people stop making excuses for the Speed Channel. It sucks. When Fox bought it 2 years ago there were execs who made comments to the effect of "it will take a couple of years before we can make it all NASCAR." Well folks, they are getting close.

I rarely watch Speed anymore. Hell, I don't even check it too often to see what's on anymore because it's seldom anything I want to watch. I can't remember the last time I saw WRC on Speed. They used to do an hour program every night an event was underway and brought the highlights of the day.

They don't even have all of F1 anymore.

But today they had luge, and bobsled, and snowmobile racing. They've had bobsled racing on every weekend for a while.

They used to run Australian Supercars during the winter. This winter it was on mid-day on weekdays. Swell. They used to broadcast plenty of DTM, BTCC, and other European series. I didn't see any this winter.

NASCAR NASCAR and more NASCAR.

I don't care for NASCAR, but I'm not a NASCAR HATER. But this is awful.

The Speed Channel sucks. They don't even do a good job broadcasting the series they are the title sponsor of. This sucks.

 

George, I don't make excuses for anyone, let alone Speed Channel.

I was simply saying what my view of the situation is......you seem familiar with that, no?

 

Absolutely Bob. Sorry if that seemed like it was directed at you. It wasn't. I was thinking about how awful the Speed Channel is earlier today and how a lot of people make excuses because of the few crumbs they toss us. Then this thread was started.

 

Thanks for straightening me out. We usually see things close to alike.....could be wrong, but often alike! For my likeing, speed channel is way out of balance....but, i will admit that i enjoy a bit of the Bobsled races, and have done the Bobsled run at Lake Placid several times. However, I only watch it as an alternative to watching Felons playing Round Ball.

34 days to Daylight Saving Time!

 

Maybe all the other race sanctioning bodies can get a new channel started. NASCAR has ruined the Speed Channel.

 

I may been the minority, but without NASCAR Speed Channel would not exist. Imagine a world were we had to rely on the networks to show us any sports car racing. We have seen the lousy coverage they have given F1, CART and others.

Kind of like these boards, watch/read what you are interested in and don't worry about the rest.

Do you ever watch Wind Tunnel? It has a NASCAR slant but they also have some interviews with drivers, owners, officials from many other series.

 

I've just spent the last twenty minutes trying to craft an intelligent response. I can't. I've sadly come to hate Speed. They are no longer a channel for enthusiasts. I've watched some stock car stuff all my life from Buddy Baker & King Richard on down. I'd truly be interested in seeing the occasional race, or highlights, but don't ask me to continue to show respect to the revamped Nascar traveling circus. I recall when Schumi broke the win record it was at the bottom of the Speed news reporting behind video on dirt track midget races. When Speed shows some perspective in regards to its coverage and portrays Nascar and the rest of the circling hoard in the appropriate spot in the motorsports firmament, I'll resume my moderate position. In the meantime, I hope the Nascar juggernaut hits the wall, and hits it hard!

 

I'm writing this with the NASCAR race on, and cannot focus 100% attention (hence I'm on Rennlist...). NASCAR on SPEED all morning (followed by snowmobile drag-racing)...I am fortunate to have cable with included DVR system. I had to search to find road racing this winter. I had to record BTCC, DTM, Australian V-8 Supercars, and European Touring Car at noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Remember when they were on Friday and Saturday evenings? According to the new issue of Autoweek, SPEED will be picking up Champ Car races not televised by CBS and NBC, a total of 8 races on SPEED. I like their coverage of SPEED World Challenge, Grand-Am, ALMS.
What happened to Trans-Am?? Formula 1 coverage is good, including practice sessions and qualifying (Varsha, Hobbs, and Matchett are good). Also like their coverage of endurance races such as Le Mans, Petit, Sebring, Daytona. Still, during the week, I rarely watch SPEED.

 

Don't need to imagine, most of us lived that reality for years!

And, I lived it longer than most of my friends.....until about 18 months ago, I couldn't get Speed Channel. I live in the country where we don't have mail delivery, (we need to pick up the mail at the post office!) and yes, I'm in NJ. Anyway, I got tired of my friends all watching or TIVOing F1, ALMS, Grand-AM, etc. and telling me about it. Then, I finally had digital cable come to me. I dislike Speed Channel and its programming....BUT DON'T TAKE IT AWAY!

 

We are a TV-free household so my knowledge of the chronology is fuzzy. However, from my sporadic viewing of Speedvision, I seem to remember it was fantastic. The entrepreneurs behind speedvision seemed to be a) true racing enthusiasts and b) too strapped to afford high-dollar contracts with the likes of Nascar. As a result, they had quirky but great programing like BMW club races, Vintage race coverage etc. I seem to recall from the business press that Speedvision was sold for ~$70MM or so. Surely that suggests there is an opening for another start-up racing channel that could basically re-invent the old Speedvision??? Although the chilling thought is that maybe SpeedTV owns the broadcast rights to all the series we'd rather watch, and is just sitting on them...

One sidebar: it will be interesting to watch the evolution of GrandAm TV coverage since that is basically a France family initiative, right?

 

I agree w/ everyone's comments & concerns regarding the current state of Speed. I don't even bother looking to see what's on anymore because I know there's little they show that really captures my interest. Quite frankly, the only reason why I have it is because of F1 and the Sportscar races they occasionally show (although they did show a Euro F3000 race last night @ Donington).

I don't really care for NASCAR, but will watch it when they go to Sonoma or the Glen.

 

LOL! Yes, we probably think more alike than you think. I have the same view of Round Ball.

VERY cool that you've been down the bobsled run at Lake Placid. I used to live in upstate NY and always though that would be a real blast.

 

Really? I don't remember reading any accounts of Speedvision going under and that Fox saved it. What I remember is Speedvision was just becoming profitable and Fox bought it because it was cheaper and easier than starting from scratch, especially because it would take time to get all the NASCAR programming.