NASCAR on television in the 1980s
Before the existence of ESPN, live coverage of NASCAR Winston Cup races on television was limited. CBS covered the Daytona 500, the June race at Michigan and the July race at Talladega. ABC usually did the Atlanta race in the spring.
List of races televised
1980
Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
2/10 | Busch Clash[1] (Daytona) | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
2/14 | Twin 125's[2] (Daytona) | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
2/17 | Daytona 500[3] | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
3/16 | Atlanta 500[4] | ABC | Al Michaels | Jackie Stewart | |
5/25 | World 600[5] (Charlotte) | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
7/4 | Firecracker 400[6] (Daytona) | ABC | Jim McKay | Sam Posey | Chris Economaki |
7/27 | Coca-Cola 500[7] (Pocono) | ABC | Chris Economaki | Jackie Stewart | |
8/3 | Talladega 500[8] | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
9/1 | Southern 500[9] (Darlington) | ABC | Jim Lampley | Sam Posey | Chris Economaki |
10/5 | National 500[10] (Charlotte) | NBC | Paul Page | Johnny Rutherford | Bruce Jenner Gary Gerould |
11/15 | Los Angeles Times 500[11] (Ontario) | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs | Ned Jarrett Brock Yates |
- On May 29, 1980, CBS paid a fee of roughly US$50,000 or $100,000 to Charlotte Motor Speedway to broadcast the World 600 NASCAR stock car race. Benny Parsons edged out Darrell Waltrip to win a grand prize of $44,850 in a race that was watched by perhaps 3.7 million viewers on the network.[12]
- Prior to the original 1999 contract between NASCAR and NBC, the network aired races such as the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 1979[13][14][15] to 1981,[16] the 1981 Mountain Dew 500[17] at Pocono International Raceway, the Winston 500 at Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1983[18][19] to 1985, and the Miami 300[20] and Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in both 1999[21] and 2000.[22]
1981
- ESPN broadcast its first race in 1981, from North Carolina Motor Speedway[37] (its first live race was later in the year at Atlanta International Raceway), and TNN followed in 1991. All Cup races were nationally televised by 1985; networks struck individual deals with track owners, and multiple channels carried racing action. Many races were shown taped and edited on Wide World of Sports and syndication services like Mizlou and SETN, but almost all races were live by 1989.
1982
Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) |
2/7 | Busch Clash[38] (Daytona) | CBS | Ken Squier | Richard Petty and A. J. Foyt |
2/14 | Daytona 500[39] | CBS | Ken Squier | David Hobbs |
2/21 | Richmond 400[40] | ESPN | Bob Jenkins | Larry Nuber |
3/21 | Coca-Cola 500[41] (Atlanta) | ABC | Al Michaels | Sam Posey |
4/4 | CRC Chemicals Rebel 500[42] (Darlington) | ABC | Al Michaels | Jackie Stewart |
5/2 | Winston 500[43] (Talladega) | ESPN | Bob Jenkins | Larry Nuber |
5/30 | World 600[44] (Charlotte) | Mizlou | Dave Despain | Dick Brooks |
6/6 | Van Scoy 500[45] (Pocono) | Mizlou | Dave Despain | Dick Brooks |
7/25 | Mountain Dew 500[46] (Pocono) | Mizlou | Rick Benjamin | Dick Brooks |
8/22 | Champion Spark Plug 400[47] (Michigan) | ESPN | Bob Jenkins | Larry Nuber |
9/6 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | ABC | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart |
9/12 | Wrangler 400[48] (Richmond) | ESPN | Bob Jenkins | Larry Nuber |
9/19 | CRC Chemicals 500 (Dover) | Diamond P | Gil Stratton | Brock Yates |
11/7 | Atlanta Journal 500 | ESPN | Bob Jenkins | Larry Nuber |
11/21 | Winston Western 500 (Riverside) | Mizlou | Ken Squier | Buddy Baker |
1983
- During its coverage of the 1983 Daytona 500, CBS introduced an innovation which director Bob Fishman helped develop – a miniature, remote-controlled in-car camera called RaceCam.[64][65] Fishman[64][66] directed every Daytona 500 telecast on CBS, with the exception of 1992, 1994 and 1998 because Fishman was away directing CBS' figure-skating coverage for the Winter Olympics.
- TBS broadcast the Richmond spring race, held the week after Daytona Speedweeks, from 1983 to 1995, as well as the fall races at Rockingham (1985-1987), Atlanta (1983-1985) and Riverside (1982-1987).
- TNN started showing races live in 1991,[67] but it had aired taped coverage of a few Winston Cup races in the 1980s on its American Sports Cavalcade program.
1984
- Special Events Television Network (SETN) is the name of a defunct syndicated television package that broadcast tape delayed NASCAR races from 1984 to 1988. SETN aired races (typically from Martinsville and Pocono as well as from Rockingham, Charlotte, Richmond and Daytona for good measure) that didn't have live television deals at the time. The broadcasts were aired on tape delay because certain promoters still feared that live telecasts would hurt their gate.
1985
1986
1987
1988
- After SETN folded, one Pocono race a year was produced by Jim Wiglesworth on pay-per-view for Viewer's Choice (now In Demand) from 1988 to 1990. They were not a huge success, as fans were reluctant to pay for what they could see last week for free. The Viewer's Choice shows were noteworthy in that they premiered viewer phone-in questions during the races.
1989
- At the 1989 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 NASCAR event, ESPN/ABC broadcaster Dr. Jerry Punch was reporting from the pit stall of Richard Petty when a fire broke out, injuring two crew members who Punch proceeded to treat on the spot. Following the incident, in which several items of Punch's clothing were singed or melted, ESPN mandated that its pit reporters wear fire-retardant suits. Other networks have since adopted the practice.[232]
References
- 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1980 Twin 125 Qualifiers on YouTube
- 1980 DAYTONA 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1980 Atlanta 500 on YouTube
- 1980 World 600 on YouTube
- 1980 Firecracker 400 on YouTube
- 1980 Coca-Cola 500 on YouTube
- 1980 Talladega 500 on YouTube
- 1980 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1980 National 500 on YouTube
- 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Los Angeles Times 500 @ Ontario Motor Speedway (Full Race) on YouTube
- "TV Racing's Mantra: 'Show Me the Money!'". Car & Driver. May 2002.
- 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA National 500 @ Charlotte Motor Speedway (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1980 National 500 on YouTube
- 1980 Winston Cup National 500 on YouTube
- 1981 National 500 @ Charlotte on YouTube
- 1981 Mountain Dew 500 @ Pocono on YouTube
- 1983 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Winston 500 @ Talladega - NBC Highlights on YouTube
- 2000 NBS Miami 300 At Homestead-Miami Speedway on YouTube
- 1999 Pennzoil Miami 400 - Part 1 of 19 on YouTube
- 2000 Pennzoil Miami 400 At Homestead-Miami Speedway on YouTube
- 1981 Busch Clash @ Daytona on YouTube
- 1981 UNO Twin 125 Qualifiers on YouTube
- 1981 Daytona 500 | Full Race on YouTube
- 1981 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Carolina 500 @ Rockingham [aka ESPN's First NASCAR Telecast] (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1981 Virginia 500 @ Martinsville on YouTube
- 1981 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1981 World 600 on YouTube
- 1981 Firecracker 400 on YouTube
- 1981 Mountain Dew 500 @ Pocono on YouTube
- 1981 Talladega 500 on YouTube
- 1981 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1981 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1981 Atlanta Journal 500 on YouTube
- "Behind the Microphone with Mike Joy, NASCAR on Fox". Speedcouch.com. 16 February 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- NASCAR 1982 Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1982 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1982 Richmond 400 on YouTube
- 1982 Coca-Cola 500 on YouTube
- 1982 CRC Chemicals Rebel 500 on YouTube
- 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Winston 500 @ Talladega (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1982 World 600 on YouTube
- 1982 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 on YouTube
- 1982 Mountain Dew 500 on YouTube
- 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Spark Plug 400 @ Michigan (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1982 Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400 (Missing Last 100 Laps) on YouTube
- Feb 14, 1982 - The 1979— Daytona 500 was a classic race, and it happened to be the first one televised live, start to finish, by The network could hardly ... and made a deal with the USA cable network to furnish the qualifiers for cablecasting Fri day night. doing this, in effect, satisfies the inter ...
- Feb 16, 1984 - The trucks which pulled Into Daytona International Speedway last week were all not necessarily those containing the cars of the NASCAR drivers ... The USA Network will show the two 125 mile qualifying races Friday night at 8 but that Is under an agreement where the cable network ...
- Mar 29, 1982 - ... ... th Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational Sports has signed a pact with video evangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcast Network for the Dinah ... the right to tape them for replay later which has been in the business of cable since it split coverage of the Daytona 500 with USA Cable ...
- Apr 10, 1982 - an undisclosed fee for two days of broadcast rights USA had so little to do with the telecasts that it had just one of its own people on air ... as he stated it has worked Ratings for the Daytona 500 improved Bait the viewer with cable hook him with the network broadcast not saying I ...
- 1983 UNO Twin 125s on YouTube
- 1983 UNO Twin 125 Qualifiers on YouTube
- 1983 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1983 DAYTONA 500 on YouTube
- 1983 Richmond 400 on YouTube
- 1983 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1983 Marty Robbins 420 on YouTube
- 1983 World 600 on YouTube
- 1983 Firecracker 400 on YouTube
- 1983 Like Cola 500 @ Pocono on YouTube
- 1983 Budweiser 500 on YouTube
- Archived 30 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- Archive index at the Wayback Machine Quote: "Then in 1983, we introduced the in-car camera. We put the average race fan in the driver's seat. They got a sense for speed, a sense of how close the traffic was. Until 1983, cars didn't look that fast on a 19-inch television screen. All of a sudden you're behind the wheel and you learned these cars drive like a sailboat going 200 mph. You got a sense of what it's like to be a driver. It was reality and fantasy television all in one."
- Fay, John (12 February 1999). "Sports on TV-Radio: CBS to let wheels do the talking". The Cincinnati Enquirer. E. W. Scripps Company.
Bob Fishman plans to give viewers a few laps of pure, roaring speed. "We have some great low-angle shots," Fishman said. "It brings those cars right in your face. You see the cars roaring by. I plan to show some laps with nothing but speed shots."
- TNN decided to get into the game in 1991 and that pretty much guaranteed that each weekend's NASCAR race would be shown somewhere on television, whether it was CBS, ABC, WTBS, ESPN or TNN.
- 1984 Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1984 UNO Twin 125 Qualifiers on YouTube
- 1984 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Daytona 500 (SPEED Channels NASCAR Classics) on YouTube
- 1984 DAYTONA 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Miller High Life 400 @ Richmond Fairgrounds on YouTube
- 1984 Transouth 500 on YouTube
- 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Coors 420 @ Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1984 Coors 420 on YouTube
- 1984 Budweiser 500 at Dover Part 1 of 7 on YouTube
- 1984 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 @ Pocono on YouTube
- The Day 1984 Firecracker 400 on YouTube
- 1984 Like Cola 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1984 Like Cola 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Talladega 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Warner W. Hodgdon American 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Atlanta Journal 500 on YouTube
- 1984 Winston Cup Winston Western 500 part 1 of 4 on YouTube
- 1985 Busch Clash won by Terry Labonte on YouTube
- 1985 Daytona 500 (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1985 Daytona 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- February 17, 1985 - Daytona 500 at Daytona on YouTube
- 1985 Richmond 400 on YouTube
- 1985 Carolina 500 @ Rockingham on YouTube
- 1985 Valleydale Meats 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Transouth 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Northwestern Bank 400 on YouTube
- 1985 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1985 The Winston on YouTube
- 1985 The Winston on YouTube
- 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Budweiser 400 @ Riverside (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1985 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Michigan 400 on YouTube
- 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Pepsi Firecracker 400 at Daytona on YouTube
- NASCAR Winston Cup 1985 R09 Talladega 500 on YouTube
- 1985 BUSCH 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400 on YouTube
- 1985 Delaware 500 on YouTube
- 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Goody's 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Nationwise 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Atlanta Journal 500 on YouTube
- 1985 Winston Western 500 on YouTube
- 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1986 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Miller High Life 400 on YouTube
- Richmond 400 Feb 23, 1986 on YouTube
- 1986 Motorcraft 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Valleydale 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Transouth 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1986 transouth 500 at Darlington part 1 on YouTube
- 1986 First Union 400 on YouTube
- 1986 FIRST UNION 400 on YouTube
- 1986 Sovran Bank 500 @ Martinsville on YouTube
- Winston 500 May 4, 1986 on YouTube
- 1986 Winston 500 on YouTube
- NASCAR The Winston May 11, 1986 - Atlanta on YouTube
- NWC 1986 Budweiser 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Budweiser 400 on YouTube
- 1986 Miller High Life 400 on YouTube
- 1986 Summer 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Talladega 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1986 Talladega 500 - Full Race on YouTube
- 1986 Budweiser At The Glen on YouTube
- 1986 Champion Spark Plug 400 on YouTube
- 1986 Busch 500 - Part 1/3 on YouTube
- 1986 Delaware 500 @ Dover (Highlights) on YouTube
- 1986 Goody's 500 on YouTube
- 1986 Holly Farms 400 on YouTube
- 1986 Nationwise 500 @ Rockingham on YouTube
- 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Atlanta Journal 500 @ Atlanta Motor Speedway (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1986 Atlanta Journal 500 @ Atlanta on YouTube
- 1986 Winston Western 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1987 7-Eleven Twin 125s @ Daytona (Highlights) on YouTube
- 1987 Daytona 500 (CBS Broadcast) on YouTube
- 1987 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1987 Miller High Life 400 Richmond on YouTube
- 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Miller High Life 500 @ Pocono (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1987 Atlanta Motorcraft 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Transouth 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1987 First Union 400 on YouTube
- NWC 1987 Valleydale Meats 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Sovran Bank 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Winston 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1987 Winston All Star Part 1 Of 11 on YouTube
- 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series The Winston on YouTube
- 1987 Budweiser 500 @ Dover Downs on YouTube
- 1987 Miller High Life 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Pepsi Firecracker 400 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- NWC 1987 Busch 500 Bristol on YouTube
- 1987 Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400 on YouTube
- 1987 Delaware 500 @ Dover Downs on YouTube
- 1987 Delaware 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Goody's 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Winston Western 500 on YouTube
- 1987 Winston Western 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Busch Clash on YouTube
- 1988 Winston Cup Busch Clash part 1 of 2 on YouTube
- 1988 Twin 125 Qualifiers @ Daytona (Highlights) on YouTube
- 1988 DAYTONA 500 on YouTube
- February 14, 1988 - Daytona 500 at Daytona on YouTube
- 1988 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Daytona 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1988 Pontiac Excitement 400 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1988 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 on YouTube
- 1988 TranSouth 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1988 Transouth 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Valleydale Meats 500 on YouTube
- 1988 First Union 400 Part 1 on YouTube
- 1988 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Winston 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1988 The Winston @ Charlotte on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Coca Cola 600 on YouTube
- 1988 Coca Cola 600 on YouTube
- 1988 Budweiser 400 on YouTube
- 1988 Budweiser 400 @ Riverside on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Miller High Life 500 Pocono on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Miller High Life 400 Michigan on YouTube
- 1988 Pepsi Firecracker 400 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1988 Firecracker 400 on YouTube
- 1988 Talladega DieHard 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Champion Spark Plug 400 on YouTube
- 1988 Busch 500 @ Bristol on YouTube
- 1988 Southern 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Southern 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Miller High Life 400 on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Delaware 500 (re-upload) on YouTube
- 1988 Goody's 500 on YouTube
- NWC 1988 Goody's 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Holly Farms 400 @ North Wilkesboro on YouTube
- 1988 Winston Cup Holly Farms 400 part 1 of 4 on YouTube
- NWC 1988 AC Delco 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Checker 500 on YouTube
- 1988 CHECKER 500 on YouTube
- 1988 Checker 500 [1/7] (Start) on YouTube
- 1988 Atlanta Journal 500 on YouTube
- 1989 Twin 125 Qualifiers on YouTube
- 1989 Daytona 500 on YouTube
- 1989 DAYTONA 500 on YouTube
- 1989 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Season on YouTube
- 1989 Winston 500 on YouTube
- 1989 The Winston (RAW SATELLITE FEED) on YouTube
- NWC 1989 Coca Cola 600 on YouTube
- 1989 Coca-Cola 600 on YouTube
- 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Budweiser 500 on YouTube
- 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Banquet Frozen Foods 300k @ Sears Point/Infineon/Sonoma (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1989 Miller High Life 500 @ Pocono on YouTube
- 1989 Pepsi 400 on YouTube
- 1989 AC Spark Plug 500 on YouTube
- 1989 Talladega DieHard 500 on YouTube
- 1989 The Budweiser At The Glen on YouTube
- 1989 Miller High Life 400 on YouTube
- 1989 Peak Performance 500 on YouTube
- 1989 Goody's 500 on YouTube
- 1989 All Pro Auto Parts 500 on YouTube
- 1989 All Pro 500 on YouTube
- 1989 Tyson Holly Farms 400 on YouTube
- 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Checker Autoworks 500 @ Phoenix (Full Race) on YouTube
- 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Atlanta Journal 500 @ Atlanta Motor Speedway (Full Race) on YouTube
- Hall, Andy (10 April 2012). "Punch's near miss led to safety gear for ESPN's NASCAR pit reporters". ESPN Front Row. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
See also
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