Dec 11, 2006

A Driver's-Eye View

It could be terrifically interesting or it could be as boring and frustrating as a Friday afternoon commute, but one thing is sure -- the DirecTV coverage of the 2007 season Nextel Cup races, which will allow viewers to watch an entire NASCAR race from within a racecar, is going to shake up racing TV coverage. And if it proves effective, it has the potential to shake up sports coverage in general. Imagine the ability to scan the football field from Peyton Manning's point of view or to see what Alfonso Soriano sees when a 93-mph fastball is coming his way.

The DirecTV coverage of NASCAR will give fans at home the ability to get into the racecar with individual drivers and experience what they are seeing through their windshields for the duration of each race. Five separate channels will be devoted to the effort, each one showing the race from the point of view of an individual driver. The drivers chosen will change on a weekly basis, though you can be sure that fan favorites are very likely to end up on that list week by week.

Lest you fear that the coverage will consist of just one camera pointed out each windshield, you should know that DirecTV, which is owned by Fox, will devote as many as six cameras to each car. Further, each channel will offer two announcers who will concentrate on the racing tactics of each individual driver while, of course, keeping you abreast of the progress of the race. In addition, viewers will be able to hear the audio communication between crew and driver and get an inside look into individual team strategy as each race unfolds.

What one has to wonder is why DirecTV decided to rotate the in-car coverage instead of concentrating on big-name drivers.  It seems more likely that a Junior, Tony Stewart or Jimmy Johnson fan would be willing to pony up the $99 annual fee for the service if they were assured they'd be riding with their favorite driver each week. But, in any case, the experiment should be fascinating. Look for it to begin in February at Daytona.