NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway, June-July 2017: NBC analysts pre-race

good afternoon and thanks for joining us today our NBC sports coverage kicks off this weekend and our 20 race schedule all of you have that joining us today our our booth announce team Jeff Burton closest to me Sam flood our executive producer Steve Letarte next to him and Rick Allen our play-by-play broadcaster we're going to start with some opening remarks from each gentleman and then we'll open it up to your questions let's just start on the end here with Jeff well first of all it's great to be back the enthusiasm from Flammarion is really high we spent a lot of time watching the races and watching the this year the quality of racing on the racetrack and every week we've just gotten more excited to get back so to come to Daytona where we are pretty sure it's going to be an interesting race and in a wild race like it always is is a great place for us to come back and I think excitement is the word for us it's really really fun to be back at the racetrack well we wanted to have everyone in here just to celebrate his 50th birthday so that's the most important part of the day is he called him out our young man in the booth no happy birthday to mr. Burton how do you Sam just turn turn quickly we're fired up to get going we've got some some new toys and some new ideas for this year which we think will help engage the fans showcase the sport in a brighter faster way we've got this bat cam that's going to fly down the backstretch here they can go up to 100 miles an hour it goes 0 to 70 in 1.5 seconds so that camera is going to be something that's never been seen before at a NASCAR track and we're really excited about it it's going to be fast and it's going to showcase this speed especially with a pack racing we have here we think will be a fabulous change in addition to the telecast one other model Bolden is carrying that camera right yes our Sprinter Otto Bolden will have it auto who's a multiple time Olympic medal winner and a track analyst for US joins the crew to be the fish-out-of-water a guy coming into the sport which I think everyone in this room knows what it's about but I think there's a lot of America that's scared and doesn't understand the sport Otto's going to be that fish-out-of-water who's going to to sport for the first time and engage in all new ways and he's giving part of a race team one weekend he's the ultimate fan this weekend you'll see him in a swimming pool you'll see him driving a motor coach he's going to do it all this weekend to really get a sense of what it's like to be a NASCAR fan eventually it joins a race team eventually the pit reporter you name it he's going to do it and learn the sport and show that love and passion for the sport and he'll absorb it and give it out to grow the audience we're very excited about that and we're also excited the micellar part is sitting next to me I appreciate what Sam mentions you know the new toys to showcase the sport I'm really looking forward just for the opportunity to get into the booth of these two gentlemen and showcase the sport that I feel has really delivered in the first half of the year the stages were a big unknown but I think they've delivered and showed the creativity both behind the wheel we've seen battles come into stage finishes but we've also seen crew chiefs and engineers find ways to manipulate those stages and understand them better than their competitors and put themselves in position to win a race and that's really what it's all about is getting to Victory Lane and then as well as the races we have basically a new opportunity this year we've created the NBC all-star pit crew when the concept of that is to showcase the men and women in the garage area not the drivers not the crew chiefs they're well documented they're well covered but there are so many men and women that make up the fabric of this sport so we kicked it off last night on NASCAR America lives here from Daytona each week we're going to nominate us two to four people and then in Miami we're going to make a final team of nine or ten so we hope to have 60 or 80 great stories through social on the network on NASCAR America of the people in the garage year that I grew up racing with and the people that really make this happen when you look through there you guys know you come to every race you see the same faces and there are so many great stories whether it's you know perseverance from a challenge whether it's just you know remarkable respect from their peers everyone has the stories we're going to showcase those stories and hopefully you know show the fans what the men and women the garage area who they are and what they do to make a sport great I'm excited just to be sitting next to Steve Letarte because when they announced that there's going to be stages in races the biggest smile got on his face like okay there's or strategy that goes into these races now and there's more moments and there's more things that are going to happen throughout the race that we can highlight and we can get excited about and that's exactly what we're here to do we're here to tell the stories of the participants that are involved in this sport from the drivers all the way to the guy who drives the hauler all the way out here we're going to tell those stories and we're going to make sure to educate everyone about how it how it takes place how everything takes place with this sport because it is it's an it's a massive sport that travels around the country and we want to touch as many people as we can and get them excited about what we have been passionate about for most of our lives so that's what we're excited about to get started and we kick it off in about an hour maybe less why don't you quickly talk about some of your offseason activities on a motorcycle and what's going on with that well actually we're going to we're going to have a show about what I was able to do earlier this year with Kyle Petty every year kyle petty puts together a charity ride across america this year we rode from Portland Oregon all the way to Milwaukee Wisconsin and throughout that process there were cameras we had people that were documenting the whole process that we wanted to tell that story of the campers how it influences not only the people on the ride but it influences lives of people that we may never even see that we're able to give them an opportunity to come to Victory Junction camp and this year I think we raised over 1.3 million dollars for Victory Junction camp and that enables kids to live a somewhat normal life that might not have a normal life and that's going to be documented tonight after the Daytona throwback of the 2004 they tone a throwback race so that's immediately following that and I was lucky enough to be on that ride so it's a incredible experience we hope you enjoy that it really it dives into the stories of the people that are involved with calvetti charity ride ok let's open it up to questions so we'll start here in the front and then get back to you guys go ahead Claire B Lang SiriusXM mascot radio really excited for your season to start what is it that you think will energize the viewers that they're not getting now that you guys feel like they need in the broadcasts in order to have them watching longer I'll start by saying Fox did a great job and really respect the telecast they do in their passion for the sport I think we've got the opportunity this back half of the season with the rice into the playoffs and the drama that goes into that with a number of winners we have this year it's going to change the playoff race a great deal so I think that is the huge advantage we have in our part of the season and no better place to kick it off than here but mr. Burton probably has more thoughts and you'd rather hear him talk anyhow I doubt that but I do believe that the the playoffs are coming and and the pressure is starting to mount and and you know you have drivers and teams that have had success you've had drivers and teams that have it and and when a conversation a little bit ago that's a silly season how that's kind of gotten kicked off and and there's so many things that are going to start happening because the playoffs are coming and and as much as the teams want to say it's not as much as jobbers want to say it's not it is the pressures mounting and it's getting higher and us as fans and viewers as we see in every sport the more stressful it is for the competitors the more fun it is to watch the more loads on the line the more fun there is to watch and having the opportunity to explain those those things explain the emotions we've you know Steve and I and Kyle and Dale Jarrett and we've been in those situations and and and understand those emotions and understand how hard it is and things aren't going well and how great it feels and things are and having that opportunity to explain it we believe that the excitement's they're the the content on the track is fun to watch it's exciting to watch and you know people people watch it they're going to come back and watch more there's enough emotion and enough real competition on the track to have fans a lot of fans a lot of excited fans and Claire we we enjoy getting together as a group and enjoying races with fans and we think that enthusiasm across in our broadcast Dave burns Krista voda Kyle Petty Kelly Stavis Parker Kligerman all here with us right now Marty Snider where we feel like a very tight-knit family of people that just enjoy coming to the races and we get together almost like a family and say all right we're going to watch this race and the rest of the country can see and feel that energy and the love that we have for this sport and we hope they feed off of that and they they enjoy that as well I think that's one of the best things about our team is that we enjoy being together and just having a good time watching the races gene Fernet from the times you need in Jacksonville I'd like both Steve and Jeff to address this that they might obviously so much sentiment for Dale jr. what a lot of so many people wanting him to win this race can you envision a scenario on Saturday night where it's down to the last lap and a driver who's going up against it was already in the playoff maybe not racing him as hard as somebody who has yet to qualify so I think the easiest answer that as I was on the 24 car in 2001 and Atlanta when Kevin Harvick had that memorable win in the 29 and I can assure you through three and four coming down the front stretch we did everything we could do to win that race and while the 29 winning was a great story for the sport at that moment we didn't care no one on our team cared Jeff Gordon didn't care that's what made me fall in love with this for is while those stories are great and they're fun to write they organically happen so spectacularly in the sport it seems like it can't be real but as a competitor who has worked over two decades to win races I don't care about the stories I never did I didn't care who was the most popular winner it was not not an issue for me my goal was to go out and prepare a car to give my driver the best opportunity to win that race and I think there is a group of drivers and crew chiefs in that garage area that that realized that it would be great if he wins as long as it's not at their expense and the truth is it's all at their expense so they don't care and they're going to race him as hard as anyone and I think this racing and this type of race at Daytona has only become more and more aggressive from last one to control the fields and I think that aggression will be clear Saturday night and I would be disappointed and shocked if anybody didn't make the same aggressive move to whomever they were racing whether it's Dale jr. whether it's a teammate whether it's perhaps your brother you know they're going to race each other for the wind so it'd be great if he could win but he's going to have to go out and be Dale jr. and get up front and control this pack and try to win the race I can assure you no one's going to help him or give him a win yeah and and the very essence of the sport is competition the very essence of the sport is enjoying taking a win from someone that's that's what competition is and you know you you live your life in that racecar one way you can't live your life out of that racecar the same way you do you you and they bury you no one comes to your funeral and but the fact of the matter is of you in that race car you don't give a damn about anybody but you and especially coming to the line during the race you work with each other you try to help someone but you're trying to help that person because that helps you and this is a selfish sport you have to be selfish you have to be self-centered you have to be arrogant you have to do a lot of things that your mom told you not to do and that's that's what happens when you put that helmet on and anything less than that those drivers won't be employed very long yeah Mike Embry USA Today let me ask you two things Sam when you're trying to bring in new fans do you emphasize more things gadgets like new cameras etc or do you work on the personalities of the drivers trying to show more about them different angles about the drivers what is there a mix or a balance there or do you tend to lean one way or the other it's a balance it's an important balance act I think I was talking with a group last night about the Sandlin Cup final and how Nashville which is probably more a nascar market nashville than a hockey market and how they fell in love with the sport of hockey and how there's a different passion in that building and a different standing and by the end of the Stanley Cup Finals a whole new group of fans have been created and part of it was we did a few things a little bit differently you know at the intermissions Carrie Underwood popped up and did interview with Liam McEwan Mike Milbury that kind of element probably wouldn't happen a while ago you look at things differently you engage fans differently I think we've got a group that's very welcoming it's really important that the door is open and people feel like they're welcomed into the sport and some of the code and the words that are part of the garage talk have to be explained but not gumming it down there's a balance that has to happen and I do think toys help I think it's nice to have that cam is going to have a cool look that people are going to say wow and if we can get people to watch one more minute two more minutes three more minutes the longer they watch the more they'll fall in love and get to know these stories and the sport has a this great group of young drivers coming in and they're winning races now so how do we expose them how do we get you to care about those personalities because ultimately in any sport it's star driven and secondly there's been a lot of talk lately about a certain retiring drivers possible future in TV and I think you commented some about that if that occurs how do you see him fitting into your broadcast at that but that should happen down the road do I step off the stage I think it's one of those if it happens wonderful will will it'll be a nice problem to have a nice opportunity to have to figure out what we do but he's a special character in the sport he's got a lot to offer his passion for the sport is clear his love for the history of the sport and what it means to him to his family and to the people out there is neat but it's really in his world where he wants to be and what he wants to do once he races his last race at the end of the season I don't think people really like Steve Twitter deserves to you again he's a talented guy if he's available and wants to do it but certainly be open to have that conversation are we called the digital my old my ultra my old job I decided to work there and my new job I have a boss so I just do is I'm a total Jerry Jordan kicking the tires doesn't it PRN Sam curious about the camera you had the clear model in our camera can you explain that a little more detail of how that's going to work it's going to go fast and it's going to go on a cable from point to point in a straight line down the backstretch and you can probably see it if you walk outside you'll see it we're beginning to play around with it today and it's going to be fast and fun and there are two ways you can shoot it you can shoot it going along with the cars or the cars go with it and passed it or you can shoot it going at the cars so you'll have a crisscross and pattern which will really show the speed so there we're going to play and have fun we got a great director of Mike Wells and he's going to make sure his toy is used properly and we'll use it up to seven races is here seven races into the plants up to Bob bockris ESPN Sam I always do the vacuums use been used in other sports but did you have to do any convincing with NASCAR about it and is it being used on the backstretch specifically because of safety reasons I think it's a combination reasons we think the backstretch is a place that could use all extra energy and that's a good place to have it so that's the primary reason but I'm not sure past history would make them as comfortable putting it over the front stretch and the crowd we're keeping it off the track we're keeping it a place that we think will best showcase the speed and ultimately that's the objective it's a lot faster it's a lot faster speed sells so it's all about the speed versus the more traditional Kelley Crandall racer calm so three years in the enthusiasm obviously has not blended that all the objective to find new ways to engage the fans is still there but has this venture coming back in I Sam or anybody has the idea and the and the process of coming back into NASCAR has this been everything you guys thought it would be and has it been worth it totally we are totally in love with the sport in love with a opportunity to grow the sport there are so many good things and good people that we get to work with and our job is to expose them to as many people as possible and keep growing it and we know that the NASCAR grew the most it ever grew during the period from 2001 to 2006 and they're part of a sport and that's our intent and that's the work we're going to lean hard on the rest of this year and throughout this contract and hopefully long long past this contract ends we'll still be partners with NASCAR because we like working with these people we like what the sport represents and we think it's an important part of this country in the sports world Sam lost the last few weeks unrelated to you there was some grumbling within the industry and on social media about late start times how does start time how does a network go about what what is your role in sending a start time well NASCAR sets the start time their decision we we want to try and accumulate the largest possible audience and start times has something to do with that so it's a combination of factors and NASCAR's obviously as the ultimate say on fund of when and where and what time the race is start we do prefer some later start times which will have more people at home people using television later in the day it's just a fact that there are more people available and so that is part of the reason of the timing that makes some sense my second question also not specifically related to you but this our stats of the season had a did not improve in television ratings does that concern you and how do you attack that well I think we can control what we can control and that's putting the best possible product on the air and that's the job of the guys up here next to me and the group over here to make sure it's entertaining and we also make sure that we market and get the word out as as well as we possibly can that this is must-see TV and we've got a good history and a good track record NBC of making events bigger you know you go back through we turn the Kentucky Derby into a national holiday we took Sunday Night Football from a lessor night to the night of football and the number one rated show on television we know how to do this we just need to work hard and it's going to take some digging but we're going to get there because we believe in the sport we believe in these people and we believe that it is a great product on television and we want more people in the stands we want people enjoy it and be as passionate about the sport the way they were in the old one that we came in the first time and we think that's all possible it wouldn't be sitting here and working as hard as we are and planning as hard as we are if we didn't believe that was going to happen anybody else one more over here Jeff Clark from Jeff Clark home for Sam do you guys plan to do anything different after the races in terms of interviews or anything about how you present those race I think you should stick around and find out because it's at Sam flood Sam flood calm we've been talking about it so we got some ideas but hold onto that thought and we'll go from there tease anybody else okay thank you all for joining us today thanks guys you guys it'll be available for a few minutes before they head out