Tom Heath
Tom Heath Web Manager
11/16/11 8:40 a.m.

Definitely maybe.

I'd probably rather have real rally coverage, but it's got to be better than the tow truck show or some of the other stuff they've had lately.

The format sounds less than ideal, but it's likely to be the best footage my TV will display tomorrow. I'll be watching.

alfadriver
alfadriver SuperDork
11/16/11 8:45 a.m.

huh. Not so sure that will be very good- being the kind of show it's implying, it will be heavy on the 'drama', and light on the racing.

OTOH, I can watch WRC on Velocity. and a whole bunch of other motoring shows. Some good, some not so. Outside of F1, Grand Am, and other non-nascar racing, Speed is pretty weak. No, very weak.

Graefin10
Graefin10 HalfDork
11/16/11 8:52 a.m.
alfadriver wrote: huh. Not so sure that will be very good- being the kind of show it's implying, it will be heavy on the 'drama', and light on the racing. OTOH, I can watch WRC on Velocity. and a whole bunch of other motoring shows. Some good, some not so. Outside of F1, Grand Am, and other non-nascar racing, Speed is pretty weak. No, very weak.

I googled "Velocity" and didn't get anything on race video streaming. Can you give us a link to it please?

Ranger50
Ranger50 Dork
11/16/11 8:59 a.m.

If NASCRAP and F1 disappeared tomorrow, SPEED would be on life support. Not to say they aren't already..... Most of what SPEED airs, I can live without seeing.

I just hope that stuff like CafeRacer TV can break out of the HD package lineup and be popular on "normal" TV. Also, I hope Spike's "racing" network programming takes off too....

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury SuperDork
11/16/11 9:03 a.m.
Graefin10 wrote:
alfadriver wrote: huh. Not so sure that will be very good- being the kind of show it's implying, it will be heavy on the 'drama', and light on the racing. OTOH, I can watch WRC on Velocity. and a whole bunch of other motoring shows. Some good, some not so. Outside of F1, Grand Am, and other non-nascar racing, Speed is pretty weak. No, very weak.
I googled "Velocity" and didn't get anything on race video streaming. Can you give us a link to it please?

Velocity = the new name for HD theater (Cable channel). They have Isle of Man TT and WRC coverage thats pretty great. They also have fun stuff like Wheeler Dealer and Cafe Racer etc.

Im a fan of Dave Mirra in BMX, but Im not too familiar with his autosport career except to say I heard he was supposed to start racing cars. Im interested and will probably DVR it for just that.

My fear is that since speed is sooooo grossly propped up by nascar...and subsequently nascar fans, a show featuring predominantly imported awd compacts turning in both directions, most of their fan base will turn the channel. That said, its a step in the right direction for speed, and hopefully a glimpse of whats to come in general in terms of autosport on TV.

The big question I have is will Mr. Block get an invite?

alfadriver
alfadriver SuperDork
11/16/11 9:07 a.m.
Graefin10 wrote:
alfadriver wrote: huh. Not so sure that will be very good- being the kind of show it's implying, it will be heavy on the 'drama', and light on the racing. OTOH, I can watch WRC on Velocity. and a whole bunch of other motoring shows. Some good, some not so. Outside of F1, Grand Am, and other non-nascar racing, Speed is pretty weak. No, very weak.
I googled "Velocity" and didn't get anything on race video streaming. Can you give us a link to it please?

as 4cyl said... http://velocity.discovery.com/videos/

It's not as if they are not free of bad stuff- the front page is about beber's west coast customs stuff. They have gotten some very bad speed shows.

but on an average, they are better, and may get better if they can pick up some more real racing.

jstein77
jstein77 Dork
11/16/11 9:55 a.m.

The two shows that I despise on Velocity are West Coast Customs and Mecum Auto Auctions. Everything else is pretty good, and its one of the channels I turn to first when I turn on the TV.

docwyte
docwyte Reader
11/16/11 11:14 a.m.

I've never seen WRC on Velocity. When does it air?

NGTD
NGTD Dork
11/16/11 11:16 a.m.

The show is hosted by Andrew Comrie-Picard (or ACP as he is known), who actually drives a rally car (RA, CARS and Targa Newfoundland) and actually has real rally drivers on it, so I have some hope for it. I have the PVR set to record it (Thurs - 10 pm EST on Speed), so I guess I will see.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid
SyntheticBlinkerFluid Dork
11/16/11 1:05 p.m.

Does anybody want to physically see how bad of shape SPEED is in?

Just see how many infomercials they air. There are waaaaay too many of them. Even in the middle of the day.

I don't think there is another cable channel currently that shows as many informercials as SPEED does.

GTwannaB
GTwannaB GRM+ Memberand Reader
11/16/11 1:18 p.m.

In reply to docwyte:

I just have it set up on Tivo. Next showing in CA is on 11/27 - Great Britain. These shows are a couple of weeks behind the actual events, so avoid the WRC news if you want to watch it without knowing the results. They usually have three 30 minutes broadcasts, one for each day.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
11/16/11 1:46 p.m.

But it's old men like my Dad that will turn on Speed and watch whatever is on just because it's car related that really keep them on air. I only turn on SPEED when it's airing Grand Am Rolex or Conti series racing and that's aboot it. The Aussie V8 super cars and DTM are the only other times.

DrBoost
DrBoost SuperDork
11/16/11 3:13 p.m.

Is that a show about Rally Cross or the claw that picks up scrap steel?

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
11/16/11 3:37 p.m.

If SPEED went away tomorrow I would not miss them. That about sums up where speed is at the moment.

By the way where is TG US these days? It was starting to grow on me.

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado SuperDork
11/16/11 6:17 p.m.
Tom Heath wrote: Definitely maybe. I'd probably rather have real rally coverage, but it's got to be better than the tow truck show or some of the other stuff they've had lately. The format sounds less than ideal, but it's likely to be the best footage my TV will display tomorrow. I'll be watching.

Meh. "Pinks" meets drifting in Ken Block's backyard. Pass.

White_and_Nerdy
White_and_Nerdy HalfDork
11/16/11 6:53 p.m.

It looks like they're trying to turn Ken Block's Gymkhana videos into a TV show, without Ken Block. It worked for a Top Gear segment, but I'm not sure you can build an entire show on that.

Still, real rally folks are involved. That does give some hope.

Sultan
Sultan Reader
11/16/11 7:37 p.m.

Speed needs more NASCAR!! I want a show about the guys that fix the lawn mowers from the company that does the driver's yards!!!!!!! If that existed then I would finally feel like a NASCAR insider!

Merc
Merc New Reader
11/17/11 2:33 p.m.

Haha!! You guys pretty much summed up what real enthusiasts think about SPEED Channel. They should just call it "The NASCAR and reality shows on vehicles that have nothing to do with speed" channel, or TNARSOVTHNTDES channel for short.

As for Dave Mirra, my impression of him was an X games tournament when he went head to head on an asphalt rally. The guy he was competing against pulled a DNF by hitting a wall, but going for the win, he ended up hitting a wall even though he knew all he needed was to finish. About a few yards from the finish his front wheel came off and he DNF. So that just goes to show if you have a need for adrenaline and have money to crash a few $80,000 rally cars than eventually you'll become good at rally driving. Which I bet he's gotten better at.

bigbens6
bigbens6 Reader
11/17/11 2:59 p.m.

Right direction, not sure its there YET.... i do see this having alot of drama and interviews with minimal racing.... but you gotta start some where

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