Will Fox, which polarized hockey fans with a computerized glowing puck, launch NASCAR on Fox Sunday with a glowing car at the Daytona 500?
Mike Joy 30-year motorsports veteran who'll call 'The Great American Race,' only offered a 'maybe' when asked directly. But you know Fox's penchant for video gimmickry, right?
Such a twist would startle viewers of WFXT (Ch. 25)'s noon pre-race and 1 to 4 p.m. coverage who were used to CBS' more traditional approach the last 22 years.
'If I could push a button and light up a lead-lap car or cars momentarily, that would be better than drawing it on a telestrator,' said Joy, a 51-year-old Simsbury, Ct. resident, who anchored the last three years for CBS after 15 years on pit road.
But he indicated intra-Fox debate about bringing a glow to the eight-year, $1.6 billion Fox/FX portion of the revolutionary auto-racing package. NBC and Turner follow in late June with the launch of their six-year, $1.2 billion deal.
'We don't want to alienate the fans who were used to NASCAR on CBS and ESPN,' Joy said. 'But to attract and keep the channel surfers, we want to be more visually appealing, so they'll watch for awhile.'
Joy and Fox officials know that, to justify Fox's $200 million-a-year share of NASCAR TV rights, growth is vital in the face of declines for major team sports.
'We'll have to grow the audience to even greater levels and it can be done,' he declared. 'The Winston Cup dropped seven percent from 1999 after 10- year growth, but last year's Daytona was a snoozer and the next couple of races weren't exciting either. But NASCAR changed aerodynamic rules, so we're looking for a much better Daytona.'
Joy indicated Fox is ready with a new graphics package that includes a stock-ticker type crawl across the TOP of the screen plus a lower-level row of 20 robotic cameras.
'The crawl will have real-time scoring with a car's position, number and the driver's name. And we'll grow that with a second line. Under the driver's name, say Bobby Labonte, will be his speed, last-lap speed and positions gained or lost during the race.'
Joy figures three-time winner Dale Jarrett has the best Daytona chance. But he also likes Dale Earnhardt, who went 19 years as a Daytona hard-luck story before finally breaking through in 1998, and Labonte.
Darrell Waltrip, who'll be Joy's analyst for 20 races, raced for 17 years before winning his only Daytona in 1989. Now 53, he's a three-time Winston Cup champion with 84 career wins, ranking him third all-time.
'One advantage we'll have is, Darrell is fresh off the track and (veteran crew chief) Larry McReynolds is fresh out of the garage,' Joy said. They'll be supplemented by pit reporters Steve Byrnes, Dick Berggren and Matt Yocum.
And their input will be accompanied by a souped-up Fox audio system. 'We're doing things with the sounds of the race, especially the roar of 43 cars speeding past,' said the race-caller, who deems it a Joy-ful noise.
But a glowing car?
'I liked the glowing puck for casual viewers and thought it was better as a replay tool than for live action,' he said. 'Now got to catch that channel surfer.'
