Getting A Nose Full

Newsbytes and the NAPA 372 from the rainy Atlanta Speedway at Hampton, Georgia.

Newsbytes.................

I'm hearing that Turner Broadcasting is planning on upping the ante for the 2003 season. Their Turner Network Television (TNT) channel is planning some changes to generate more profit for Turner Broadcasting. Turner is planning on moving the NASCAR races and NBA games to a new channel that may be named TNT Plus.

Word is that Turner Broadcasting is planning on at least a 10% cost hike for the new channel. If cable companies don't come up with the additional costs and subscribe to the channel, then race fans that rely on cable TV to watch the races will be out of luck. The cable companies would continue to get the regular TNT programming, but not the Winston Cup races or NBA games. This will work in favor of the satellite venders, but those fans who are mired in cities who have banned the use of satellite dishes in certain zoned areas to placate the cable companies, may also be out of luck to get race coverage.

It never seems to end. These companies always seem to find a way to up the ante for the race fan. If the cable companies have to come up with more money to get the coverage, they most certainly will pass the added expense on to their customers. The pricing for race fans keeps going up and up every year. One of these days, NASCAR racing will be too expensive for the middle class fans.

It didn't take crew chief Frank Stoddard long to push the envelope with Bill Davis Racing's No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge. Stoddard was fined 10k for unapproved springs on the front of Ward Burton's ride last weekend in the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville. Burton's illegal car finished fifth and should not have been up front fighting the legal competition.

NASCAR also took 25 owner's points away from Bill Davis Racing, and 25 driver's points away from Ward Burton. Burton hasn't exactly been setting the track on fire this season, so the deduction won't really hurt him much. The 25 point loss moved him from the 24th point's position to the 25th.

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