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Wallace Welcomes Changes

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By RICK HARMON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 10, 2008

TARPON SPRINGS - ESPN auto racing analyst and former Sprint Cup great Rusty Wallace made a stop at the Tarpon Springs Yacht Club on his way to Daytona Beach for next week's Daytona 500.

Wallace was in town to help TNT announcer and Tarpon Springs resident Bill Weber raise money for the yacht club's Peter T. Assimack Memorial Fishing Tournament.

This season will involve more change for Wallace. When he retired following the 2005 season, he was quickly hired by ESPN, who was getting back in the NASCAR business in 2007. Wallace spent his first season in the booth for IndyCar races and doing some "SportsCenter" NASCAR work.

Last year, he was in the booth for all the Nationwide races and the Sprint Cup races that aired on ABC and ESPN. But with Dale Jarrett joining the team after the first five races, Wallace has the chance to do something new.

"This is a whole new year for me," Wallace said. "This year, I have a new opportunity. They really want to step up the pit studio. When you talk about the 'NFL on Fox,' you don't talk about the announcers. But you talk about Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson.

"They said they want to get myself and Allen Bestwick and Brad Daugherty to pep up the pit studio. There's a lot more television opportunities. I'll be working more with 'SportsCenter' and ESPNews. I'll do nine races from the booth, but Dale Jarrett will be in the booth the rest of the year. I'm going to miss the booth, but I like my new job. I'm looking forward to it."

Wallace also will appear on "NASCAR Now," ESPN's daily NASCAR news and information show.

ESPN's NASCAR season begins with coverage of the Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday at noon on ESPN2. In addition to coverage of all 35 races in the Nationwide Series, ESPN also will telecast the final 17 races of the Sprint Cup Series.

Fox gets first exposure of NASCAR this season, airing 13 Sprint Cup and two Craftsman Truck races.

In its eighth season of NASCAR coverage, Fox's coverage begins with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.

Also for the eighth year, Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds return to the booth. Prerace coverage is again hosted by Chris Myers with analyst Jeff Hammond, and returning to cover pit road are reporters Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Krista Voda and Matt Yocum.

Sandwiched between Fox and ESPN/ABC is Weber and TNT. Weber returns with Wally Dallenbach and Kyle Petty on June 8 with six races, including the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 5.

"This is a season with a lot of unanswered questions. The changes in the car. Obviously the changes in personnel," Weber said. "We had a meeting in Charlotte a few weeks ago with NASCAR and they are trying to be a little more fan-friendly - to take the sport back to where it was and to show more of the personalties. While it is a business, there has to be an entertainment value to it. I really hope you are going to see that in 2008."

The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sept. 14 in New Hampshire and concludes Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. All Chase races are on ABC.

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