Sports: New deal, new site for NASCAR

New deal, new site for NASCAR

By GREG AUMAN

Two years ago, Sports Illustrated writer Steve Rushin wrote a column about NASCAR that, understandably, wasn't taken too kindly by the sport and its fans.

Rushin called racing fans "tattooed, shirtless, sewer-mouthed drunks and their husbands," and said TBS racing analyst Buddy Baker sounded like "Strom Thurmond, shot full of novocaine, while eating saltine crackers, during larynx surgery."

The latter comment was a particularly low blow, as Baker had filed exclusive columns for CNNSI.com, making him to some extent a colleague.

If it's confusing who's working with whom, the partnerships get more complex this season, because Turner Sports paid $100-million to produce NASCAR's official site, NASCAR.com, for the next six years.

NASCAR's managing director of communications, John Griffin, said in its infancy, NASCAR.com was "really an extension of our PR department." But to give fans the most comprehensive coverage, nothing will be off limits for the Turner staff producing the site. Crashes won't be buried, driver complaints won't be silenced, and even blasphemy such as Rushin's anti-racing sentiments could show up on the site.

"Sure it would," Griffin said. "We might be the first sports league to do this, but we're committed to giving journalistic control of the site over to Turner. There are going to be times when NASCAR or one of the drivers needs to be taken to task about something, and Turner will have that freedom."

For what it's worth, even Rushin appears to have changed his tune. Two weeks ago, he wrote of the joys of February sports, including this weekend's Daytona 500 and last weekend's NBA All-Star Game. "One is a high-octane gathering of the tattooed, the tank-topped and the poorly educated," he wrote. "The other is an automobile race."

Turner obviously has much more interest in NASCAR than Rushin -- CNNSI.com recently hired former Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports writer Mike Fish to cover racing. The new NASCAR.com, which launched last week, has a black-background design Earnhardt fans will appreciate, with innovative features to reach the seasoned pro and racing newbie.

A "Know Your NASCAR" section is a great primer for novices, with links on NASCAR history, a breakdown of what happens in a pit stop and even a beginner's guide to racing lingo (the "track bar," for instance, doesn't serve drinks, and you'll see why drivers want to avoid "marbles" at 200 mph).

The Racecast feature looks promising, with live data, audio from radio broadcasts and driver-crew communications and the ability to track the race, lap by lap, and chat with other racing fans. "Wheel to Wheel" allows fans to compare drivers in Winston Cup, Busch or Craftsman Trucks head-to-head by finish, points or earnings.

"This is the start of something great," Griffin said. "There's a real sense of anticipation here, like any time you can introduce something new."

You also can see the synergy at work -- links aren't as prominent as the ESPN.com family had when it ran the site, but most news content is from CNNSI.com staff, and ads on the site promote SI subscriptions and swimsuit calendars.

TID-BYTES: After losing out on NASCAR.com, ESPN unveiled its own racing page, called RPM Online, at rpm.espn.com. ESPN no longer has the help of a TV contract, but its broadcasts helped bring NASCAR where it is, so expect a strong product. ... Racing has perhaps the best non-media news sites that compete with the big guns -- bookmark thatsracin.com and jayski.com for the latest news, rumors and everything in between. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s official site, dalejr.com, hasn't been updated since he was named to People's 50 Sexiest list in November.

- If you have a question or comment about the Internet or a site to suggest, send an e-mail to staff writer Greg Auman at aumanac1@aol.com.