DaleJrNation

JAYSKI - Daytona Speedweeks TV ratings up in almost all events compared to years past:

Daytona 500 and Daytona Speedweeks TV Ratings: After suffering through a daylong weather delay in 2014, the Daytona 500 began working its way back last weekend, scoring 13.4 million viewers on FOX, a +44% increase over last year's 9.3 million. A total of 23.5 million viewers watched all or part of Sunday's telecast. Additionally, 11 days of Speedweeks programming on FOX Sports 1 enjoyed a 14% increase in average viewership (293,000 vs. 257,000).

NASCAR shoulder programming surrounding the Daytona 500 was strong overall on Sunday, Feb. 22, as NASCAR Raceday averaged 973,000 viewers on FOX Sports 1, a 31% increase over last year's 742,000 for a one-hour edition of the show. NASCAR Victory Lane posted 464,000 viewers, up 21% over the last post-Daytona run in 2013 (383,000). The week leading up to the Daytona 500 was the third most-watched in FOX Sports 1 history and the highest since last season's National League Championship Series.

FOX kicked off the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season Saturday, Feb. 14 with the SPRINT Unlimited averaging 5.6 million viewers, a 60% increase over 2014 (3.5 million) when it aired on FOX Sports 1. The race powered FOX to a first-place finish in prime time among broadcast networks across all key male and adult demos including A18-49 and A18-34.

A variety of sports programming led FOX Sports 1 to its eighth most-watched Saturday since launch, averaging 490,000 viewers on Saturday, Feb. 14. Motor sports programming started at 10:30 am/et with a NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice from Daytona drawing 698,000 viewers, up 27% from the equivalent practice last year (551,000). Saturday afternoon's ARCA Racing Series race from Daytona was the most-watched program of the day on FOX Sports 1 with 919,000 viewers.

Daytona Pole Day Qualifying, airing Sunday, Feb. 15 on FOX, averaged 3.4 million viewers, up 17% from 2014. The first ever "group qualifying" format at Daytona is the highest rated and most watched session since 2009, with Jeff Gordon scoring the pole for his final race at Daytona International Speedway. The four-time champion announced he will be retiring at the end of the 2014 season.

The 2015 Budweiser Duel at Daytona scored 3,018,000 viewers on FOX Sports 1, a slight dip from last year's 3,122,000 prime time debut, but strong enough to be No. 1 in ad-supported cable from 7:00-10:30 PM ET in total viewers and Adults 18-49 on Thursday, Feb. 19. Earlier in the day, a slate of Daytona practices (Sprint Cup Final, NCWTS and NCWTS Final) averaged 244,000 viewers, a 16% increase in viewership (vs. 210,000) compared to the same three Thursday practice sessions last year.

On Friday, Feb. 20, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Daytona garnered 1,550,000 viewers, a 3% increase from last year's 1,502,000 viewers. Earlier in the day, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying posted a 15% gain over 2013 (472,000 vs. 409,000).

The first 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series race under the new television deal on FOX Sports 1 delivered 2,944,000 viewers on Saturday, Feb. 21, an 8% increase over last year's race on ESPN and good for the most-watched sports event on ad-supported cable on the weekend. The race was the 13th most-watched telecast in FOX Sports 1 history.(FOX Sports)(2-26-2015)

JAYSKI - Larson discusses new in car trackbar adjustments:

DID YOU TRY THE ADJUSTABLE TRACK BAR AT ALL THAT YOU CAN WORK ON? HOW WAS THAT?

Larson: "Yeah, that last run I did. I had played with it before at other testing that we did at the end of last year. Really so far when I played with it I thought it affected my exit of the corner. Where I was hoping it would kind of free up my center of the corner. It didn't really touch that just got my exit really loose, when I went up with the track bar. I would say I learned that kind of stuff and how far you can go with it. I think that will be a really neat tool that we get to use as driver. Because when I ran midgets and stuff like that we had shock adjusters. In winged sprint cars you have wing valve adjusters. It is nice that they allow us to put a little bit more into the driver's hands."

DO YOU HAVE TO TELL THE CREW CHIEF WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH THAT ADJUSTMENT OR DO YOU JUST DO IT?

Larson: "I think they can see it right now during the test on the screen. Yeah, once we get done with today I will have to remind them how far I'm moving it up or down. We have a little gauge on our screen that tells us how far we are moving it. It is easy to keep track."

WHERE DID YOU GUYS ELECT TO PUT THE SWITCH FOR THE TRACK BAR ADJUSTMENT AND HAS YOUR CREW CHIEF GIVEN YOU ANY INSTRUCTIONS OR ORDERS ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN USE IT?

Larson: "No, he hasn't given me any order on how far or how much I use it. I think that is all up to me right now. Maybe once I start going too far with it he will crack the whip. My gauge is right next to my seat on my left side, down near my leg brace, kind of. It is easy access. I don't know where other drivers have it, but that is where Jamie (McMurray) and I have ours."

IS IT A DIAL?

Larson: "It's just a switch. I push the switch forward to move it up and back to move it down."

I would want the switch to have some clicks to notify the driver how much he has moved the bar and a light on the dash to tell up vs. down. 

Clyde at February 26, 2015 at 11:50 PM

Unreal, am I on the pole?

Congratulations Clyde .

Row 2! :p

Bob B at February 26, 2015 at 11:54 PM

I would want the switch to have some clicks to notify the driver how much he has moved the bar and a light on the dash to tell up vs. down. 

I noticed that a lot of drivers have said that they won't even use the trackbar switch. Brad even said that his crew hid his from him so he wouldn't adjust it during the run.

There are times I just have to listen to this........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVe-rZBcm4

Seems to me this Track Bar Control should not be a big deal but dang, hiding it ???    Why wouldn't the Teams work out some arrangment where the CC & Driver work together HERE, Driver make changes at CC direction??  I mean damn, the switch is just symnantics annd makes lots more since to lighten the burden of the OTW gang?  ( one less job )...     Surely, a driver can handle making a Track Bar change in the Pits.... yes ??

Row 3 next to Buckshot.  That may be a dangerous place to be.  Congrats to Clyde!  That's your first isn't it?

I'll behave....I promise...   :P  :P

BuckShot at February 27, 2015 at 6:48 AM

Seems to me this Track Bar Control should not be a big deal but dang, hiding it ???    Why wouldn't the Teams work out some arrangment where the CC & Driver work together HERE, Driver make changes at CC direction??  I mean damn, the switch is just symnantics annd makes lots more since to lighten the burden of the OTW gang?  ( one less job )...     Surely, a driver can handle making a Track Bar change in the Pits.... yes ??

I think that the drivers don't want that responsibility. I think that they are afraid that they'll dial the car out by fooling around with it.

Alucard at February 27, 2015 at 9:02 AM

BuckShot at February 27, 2015 at 6:48 AM

Seems to me this Track Bar Control should not be a big deal but dang, hiding it ???    Why wouldn't the Teams work out some arrangment where the CC & Driver work together HERE, Driver make changes at CC direction??  I mean damn, the switch is just symnantics annd makes lots more since to lighten the burden of the OTW gang?  ( one less job )...     Surely, a driver can handle making a Track Bar change in the Pits.... yes ??

I think that the drivers don't want that responsibility. I think that they are afraid that they'll dial the car out by fooling around with it.

yea, that too....... I can understand that..... I would prolly be the same and why I said it would/could be done in the Pits, by the Driver but at the direction of the CC....    

Damn, We've had 20 minutes of practice, 15 minutes of commercials......  I hope thats cause no one is out on the track yet....  8 cars our so far....   and 20 minutes of Mikey & Hollywood......   Geesch....

OOOPSS    Here we go again,  Happy Harvick in the Xfinity 88 is faster than the owner in prior weeks run...... mmmm ???    ( How does that work ???)     :P   :P   :P

UNbelievable !!!!!

KVAPIL'S NO. 44 TEAM XTREME SPRINT CUP CAR STOLEN

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2015/2/27/team-xtreme-sprint-cup-car-stolen-travis-kvapil-atlanta.html

BuckShot at February 27, 2015 at 10:29 AM

OOOPSS    Here we go again,  Happy Harvick in the Xfinity 88 is faster than the owner in prior weeks run...... mmmm ???    ( How does that work ???)     :P   :P   :P

The Harv IS a pretty good racer and he has been racing that team more than the Joonz in the last years.

BuckShot at February 27, 2015 at 11:05 AM

UNbelievable !!!!!

KVAPIL'S NO. 44 TEAM XTREME SPRINT CUP CAR STOLEN

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2015/2/27/team-xtreme-sprint-cup-car-stolen-travis-kvapil-atlanta.html

I can't believe that either. The car must have been towed away by somebody, right?

CHANDRIKA at February 27, 2015 at 11:07 AM

BuckShot at February 27, 2015 at 10:29 AM

OOOPSS    Here we go again,  Happy Harvick in the Xfinity 88 is faster than the owner in prior weeks run...... mmmm ???    ( How does that work ???)     :P   :P   :P

The Harv IS a pretty good racer and he has been racing that team more than the Joonz in the last years.

Agree..... How many times has Junior followed Happy across the finish line??      Maybe that's why Happy drives for JRM now..... huh???