Waltrip: TV Deal Both Good and Bad News

On Thursday afternoon NASCAR announced it had signed a new television contract with FOX and NBC/TBS. Darrell Waltrip, driver of the No. 66 Big Kmart/Route 66 Ford Taurus, has done a great deal of television work throughout his career and spoke about what he feels the new deal will mean to the sport.

DARRELL WALTRIP --66-- Big Kmart/Route 66 Taurus -- WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TV DEAL? "Well, it's good news bad news. The good news is it's gonna bring a lot of money into the sport and that's good for everybody. But, I think, one of the things that we're all gonna have to grow accustomed to is when someone has that much interest in what we're doing, they're probably gonna have a whole lot of say over what we do and how we do. That will be interesting to see how that unfolds as we go forward. I mean, I don't see how a network TV company can allow a four or four-and-a-half hour race on primetime television. I think it's really gonna be good for everybody. If there was a time limit on the races, three or three-and-a-half hours, that would be good for everybody, and it looks like they're gonna be paying everybody enough that they can afford to do just about whatever the TV people want them to do. That's kind of the good news bad news. The good news is there's a lot of money comin' in and if there is any bad news, and I don't really think there is, it's gonna be that we're gonna have some new players that are gonna probably tell us how to run our show."

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW THIS SPORT KEEPS GROWING. ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE HOW THINGS LIKE THIS KEEP HAPPENING? "Those of us in this sport that have been in it as long as I have, know what a great sport this is and what an exciting sport it is and what we bring to the table. I've said for year that dollar for dollar this is the best sports marketing buy in the country. I don't care if you're a sponsor, a fan, or a television network looking to get involved. This is the best sports marketing value dollar for dollar in the country -- in the world as far as that goes, so, no, it doesn't surprise me. It just surprised me that it took so long. People are now finding out what we've known all along, that this is the greatest show on earth. These guys down here in this garage area, I'll put these athletes up against any of the others in any other sport. One on one, they're quicker witted, they've got better personalities, and there's nothing these guys in this garage area can't do better than anybody else in this country when it comes to sports. I'll challenge 'em in golf, football, basketball -- you name it. Let me get my guys together and we'll challenge 'em."