See main article: NASCAR on television and radio. One of the earliest telecasts of a NASCAR race was the 1960 Daytona 500, parts of which was presented as part of CBS Sports Spectacular, with announcer Bud Palmer.[1]
In the ensuing years, but before 1979, there were three main sources of NASCAR telecasts:
CBS Sports President Neal Pilson and motor-sports editor Ken Squier believed that America would watch an entire stock car race live on television. On February 18, 1979, CBS presented the first flag-to-flag coverage of the Daytona 500.[2] Richard Petty won NASCAR's crown-jewel race for the sixth time, but the big story was the post-race fight on the track's infield between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, who crashed together on the final lap while leading.[2] The race drew incredible ratings, in part due to the compelling action both on and off the track, and in part because a major snowstorm on the East Coast kept millions of viewers indoors.[3]
From 1962 to 1978, the Daytona 500 was shown on ABC's Wide World of Sports. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the race was filmed and an edited highlight package aired the following weekend.
During the period on Wide World of Sports, the booth announcers typically served as roving pit reporters during the running of the race, as well as interviewing in victory lane. In the event of a three person team only the pit reporter would be reporting while commentary was separately recording. The booth commentary was recorded in post-production.
| Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17 | Keith Jackson[21] | Chris Economaki | |||
| 2/20 | ABC[22] | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki | ||
| 3/5 | Miller High Life 500 (Ontario) | ABC[23] | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart[24] | Chris Economaki |
| 3/12 | Carolina 500 (Rockingham) | ABC[25] | Keith Jackson | Gary Campbell | |
| 3/26 | ABC[26] | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki | Gary Campbell | |
| 4/16 | Rebel 400 (Darlington) | Bill Flemming | Donnie Allison | ||
| 7/4 | Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki | ||
| 9/4 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | Chris Economaki[27] | |||
| 10/8 | National 500 (Charlotte) | Keith Jackson | Roger Penske | Chris Economaki | |
| Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/15 | Twin 125's (Daytona) | ABC[28] | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki |
| 2/18 | ABC[29] | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart[30] | ||
| 4/1 | ABC[31] [32] | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 4/15 | Rebel 500 (Darlington) | ABC[33] | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | |
| 7/4 | Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | ||
| 8/12 | Talladega 500 (Talladega) | ABC | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | |
| 9/3 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | Bill Flemming | Chris Economaki | ||
| 10/7 | National 500 (Charlotte) | ABC | Keith Jackson | Roger Penske | |
| Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14 | ABC[34] | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 2/17 | ABC[35] [36] [37] [38] | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | ||
| 3/24 | Atlanta 500 (Atlanta) | ABC[39] | Keith Jackson[40] | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki[41] |
| 5/19 | Mason Dixon 500 (Dover) | ABC[42] | Bill Flemming | Chris Economaki | |
| 7/4 | Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | ABC[43] | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki |
| 8/11 | Talladega 500 (Talladega) | ABC[44] | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | |
| 9/2 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | ABC[45] [46] | Chris Economaki | Jackie Stewart | |
| 10/6 | National 500 (Charlotte) | ABC[47] | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki | |
In 1974, ABC began the first semi-live coverage (joined-in-progress) of the Daytona 500. Coverage was normally timed to begin when the race was halfway over. Brief taped highlights of the start and early segments were shown, then ABC joined the race live already in progress, picking up approximately the last 90 minutes of the race. This format continued through 1978.
| Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/13 | Twin 125's (Daytona) | Chris Economaki | Jackie Stewart | ||
| 2/16 | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | ||
| 3/23 | Atlanta 500 (Atlanta) | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 4/19 | Rebel 500 (Darlington) | Keith Jackson | |||
| 5/4 | Winston 500 (Talladega) | Ken Squier | |||
| 5/25 | World 600 (Charlotte) | Ken Squier | |||
| 7/4 | Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | Keith Jackson | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 8/24 | Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan) | Ken Squier | |||
| 9/1 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | Keith Jackson | Darel Dieringer | ||
| 10/5 | National 500 (Charlotte) | Jim McKay | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 11/9 | Dixie 500 (Atlanta) | Ken Squier | |||
| Date | Event | Network | Lap-by-lap | Color commentator(s) | Reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/15 | Daytona 500 | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | |
| 3/21 | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | Chris Economaki | ||
| 4/11 | Rebel 500 (Darlington) | ABC | |||
| 5/2 | Winston 500 (Talladega) | Ken Squier | Lee Petty | ||
| 5/30 | World 600 (Charlotte) | CBS | Ken Squier | ||
| 6/13 | Ken Squier | Richard Petty | |||
| 7/4 | Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | Bill Flemming | Sam Posey | Chris Economaki | |
| 8/8 | Ken Squier | Lee Petty | |||
| 8/22 | Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan) | Ken Squier | |||
| 9/6 | Southern 500 (Darlington) | Bill Flemming | Jackie Stewart | ||
| 10/10 | National 500 (Charlotte) | Keith Jackson | Chris Economaki | ||
| 11/7 | Dixie 500 (Atlanta) | Ken Squier | |||
| 11/21 | Los Angeles Times 500 (Ontario) | Jim McKay | Chris Economaki | ||
The 1976 Daytona 500 was held on the same day of the final day of competition in the Winter Olympics (also broadcast on ABC). ABC carried 30 minutes of live coverage of the start of the race, then switched to the Olympics for 90 minutes to carry taped coverage of the final two competitive events (a cross-country ski race and the final runs in the bobsled), held earlier that day. Then it was back to Daytona for about an hour-and-a-half for the finish.
In 1979, CBS instituted the live "flag-to-flag" coverage policy.[48] [49] The ground-breaking 1979 broadcast ushered in the 22-year run of NASCAR on CBS.
During its entire run from 1979 to 2000, CBS also carried the Busch Clash (live), and in most years, carried the Twin 125s (tape-delayed).