The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey

SHOW #185 – We recap Champion’s Week from Las Vegas, discuss Kurt Busch leaving Penske Racing, and give you all the current NASCAR news. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop.
(About 54 mins)

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NASCAR Fines Kurt Busch For Actions At Homestead-Miami Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 25, 2011) – NASCAR has fined Kurt Busch $50,000 for his actions during the Nov. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR determined that Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – inappropriate hand gesture; abusive language) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book.

SEE THE VIDEO - YOUTUBE LINK (COLORFUL LANGUAGE)

Penske, Kurt Busch respond to Homestead outburst against Dr. Jerry Punch

In issuing the penalty, NASCAR cited Kurt Busch’s “poor judgment in making an inappropriate hand gesture” when he drove his car into the garage early in the race after it experienced transmission problems. In addition, NASCAR said Kurt Busch showed “disrespect towards a media member,” an incident that followed similar inappropriate media confrontations earlier in the season.

FYI WIRZ: NASCAR fans might be wary of the hot Sprint Cup garage

It seems the adage—be careful what you wish for, you might get it—pops up in many places throughout many lives. Here’s a motorsports happening.

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Photo credit: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Often when at a NASCAR race, fans will inquire about the hot pass dangling from a credentials lanyard. They know it means access. Usually fans want to know how to get a hot pass that would allow them into the Sprint Cup garage.

Some fans with sponsor and team connections gain access to the hot Sprint Cup garage, but they are among a select few. Other select fans obtain a cold pass which allows them into the Nationwide and Camping World garages and into the Sprint Cup garage before race car activity when the race cars are not practicing or qualifying.

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SHOW #184 – Guest: David Caraviello from nascar.com, Tony Stewart is Champion, Carl Edwards is runner up. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop
(About 46 mins)

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Finale Earns ESPN’s Largest NASCAR Sprint Cup Viewership Ever

The final race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup featured a down-to-the-wire battle for the championship and earned the largest viewership ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race telecast on ESPN.

With a peak audience of 10.5 million when the checkered flag fell on champion Tony Stewart at 8:08 p.m. ET, ESPN’s telecast of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 20, averaged 6,799,000 viewers and earned a 4.6 household coverage rating (4.0 U.S. rating), according to the Nielsen Company. The viewership average broke ESPN’s previous record of 6,668,000 viewers for the 2008 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Final figures do not include a rain delay from 4:45-6 p.m.

Viewership was up 21 percent and the rating was up 18 percent from last year’s event, which also aired on ESPN and earned a 3.9 coverage rating and averaged 5,605,000 viewers. In addition, the 2011 race out-delivered the 2009 race that aired on ABC and earned 5,607,000 viewers and a 3.6 U.S. rating.

Ratings for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on ESPN and ABC increased 14.8 percent from 2010, averaging a 3.1 U.S. rating compared to 2.7 for last year (not including the rain-delayed Chicagoland Speedway event, which was run on a Monday). Also, excluding rainout races, ESPN and ABC’s NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage for 2011 averaged a 3.2 U.S. rating, up more than six percent from a 3.0