No smoke and mirrors in Fox's HDTV telecast

By SHARON GINN
Published February 21, 2005

[Times photo: James Borchuck] Jeff Gordon is waved on to his third career Daytona 500 victory Sunday.
DAYTONA 500
Last man standing John Romano: Tony tames temper - too bad No smoke and mirrors in Fox's HDTV telecast Unlucky 13 and a job left half done for Stewart Duo not ready to say goodbye just yet Junior picks up where Waltrip leaves off
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Fox is finally showing races in HDTV this season, so those households with high-definition sets - a number that is expected to grow rapidly this year in the Tampa Bay area - were treated to wider shots and super-crisp pictures during the Daytona 500 broadcast.

Most of the camera shots were so impressive that viewers with HDTV could clearly make out fans in the stands, debris fluttering across the track, even clumps of grass in the infield.

But the problem with watching grass grow is that nobody wants to. So if the race isn't interesting, even the most breathtaking visuals are unlikely to keep casual fans from changing the channel.

So little drama unfolded during the first 150 laps of Sunday's race, viewers had plenty of time to ponder the landscape. But once things got interesting, Fox rewarded them by relying on old standbys: sharp analysis and solid reporting.

The network, now in its fifth year of NASCAR coverage, handled two late crashes and Jeff Gordon's victory with ease, providing a clear picture of what was going on even as the lead changed four times in the final nine laps, including the surprising emergence of previously quiet Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Announcer Mike Joy and analysts Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds , covering their third Daytona 500 for Fox, managed to sort through the confusion on the track while the network's reporters got the story from the drivers and their crews.

Fox's Jeannie Zelasko got some of the best interviews of the day in and around pit road. She evidently knows the drivers so well that she can get a little cheeky with Matt Kenseth ("You had said of all the Speedweeks you've been down here, this is the best car you've ever taken to Daytona. What the heck are you doing in the garage?") and he can respond with a chuckle, even on his way out of town.

BEST SHOT: NASCAR in HDTV will be a hit because the sport is such a natural for the widescreen format. With 49 laps to go, 25 cars were bunched up within two seconds of each other, and with the wider shot viewers could see the entire pack close up, including several rows stacked up three-wide on the track.

TACKY, TACKY: It was understandable for Waltrip to show disappointment when brother Michael had to drop out of the race. But D.W. should try to act a little unbiased on the air. "We were going for three (wins) in a row," said D.W., meaning all three Daytona 500 races he has worked for Fox. "I thought we had it today, but tough break for Mikey."

NOTE TO FOX: When you are "cranking it up" in hopes that fans can feel like they are trackside at the race, it's not a good idea to interrupt that Zen moment with an annoying jingle and the answer to the Virtual Crew Chief question of the hour.

BEST LINE: Waltrip noted the spectacular wreck with 15 laps to go left Scott Wimmer's No. 22 car "spinning around like a water spout."

[Last modified February 21, 2005, 04:47:41]