NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Automobile Racing |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Starring | Dave Despain |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original channel | SPEED Channel |
| Original run | 1996–Present |
NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup is a show that airs on Monday nights on SPEED Channel during the NASCAR season. Presently hosted by Dave Despain, and formerly hosted by Allen Bestwick, the show is taped every Monday morning at about 11 AM, unless a race postponed to Monday is run, in which case the show takes place live, all of it taking place at SPEED's studios in Charlotte, North Carolina. The "expert panel" usually consists of 3 drivers, the primary three being Ken Schrader, Brian Vickers, and Michael Waltrip, although when one driver is absent for a show, he is replaced by another driver. The primary substitutes are Jimmy Spencer (who's had some funny moments on the show involving his cell phone), and Kenny Wallace.
During the course of each show, Despain reads notes about the previous day's Nextel Cup race while highlights are shown. The panel then analyzes the action taking place in the on-screen video, whether it's a pass for position or a crash. Sometimes, a member of the panel has to analyze a mishap he himself had, which leads Despain and the other two panelists to tease him about it. Other times, though, the panelist will be shown in a moment of success on the track. Also, there are times when two of the panelists will watch themselves in a battle for position, or being caught up in the same crash. After the Nextel Cup highlights, a now-discontinued interview segment called "The Hot Seat" would take place, in which Bestwick and the panel asked the guest questions (and sometimes ribbed him in a friendly way). Guests ranged from drivers to NASCAR officials to even singer-songwriter Edwin McCain, who performed on the segment in July 2004. The guest then stuck around as the latest news and action in the NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series is recapped, as well as the reading of viewer mail. The next Nextel Cup race is previewed, and, in the last few seconds of the show, the panelists plug an appearance they are making later in the week.
On September 5, 2005, a major (and controversial) change took place — Bestwick, removed from his hosting duties, hosted his last show, and was replaced by Dave Despain, who hosts SPEED's WindTunnel with Dave Despain. Johnny Benson, who had also been on the show from the beginning, was replaced by Brian Vickers. Benson was not present for Bestwick's last show. Also, as stated above, "The Hot Seat" segment was dropped. The show became much more tightly controlled (with the panelists holding pads now) and less spontaneous.
Inside Nextel Cup has been on SPEED since the network was called SpeedVision, and was called Inside Winston Cup until the title-sponsor change in 2004. The first episode aired after the 1996 Daytona 500. Host Bestwick and panelists Waltrip, Schrader and Benson were together from the beginning until the 2005 changes. The show has run for 60 minutes except for a brief period during the first few weeks of the 2005 season when it ran for 90 minutes.
In 2001, only one episode aired. Bestwick could not resolve a salary dispute with SpeedVision, and the program was a reunion show with only the regular panelists and Wallace, shooting on location at Schrader's home on Lake Norman in North Carolina.
It also had a spinoff, as Inside NBS debuted in 2003. The show was mostly devoted to the Busch Series, NASCAR version of Triple-A baseball. Bestwick was joined by panelists Hank Parker, Jr. and Randy LaJoie. It only lasted one season.
