pressdog.com

'Nard Dog Answers Your Questions

Randy "'Nard Dog" Bernard has taken to the You Tube to answer YOUR questions, 'cause that's how he rolls. Witness ...

Sarah Fisher is Preggers!

Big congrats and shout out to Sarah Fisher and her husband, Andy O'Gara, on the impending birth of their first child. Insert copious manly tears here. The youngster is due on Sept. 29.

Sarah announced her pregnancy on her blog today. Read it HERE.

Sarah and Andy made it plain they wanted to start a family, which was one of the primary reasons for Sarah to stop driving and focus on being a team owner this year, so I'm thrilled for them. Sarah's mom, Reba, is going to be en fuego. HUGE.

Post your congratulatory memos below!

Danica-less Nationwide Race Gets a 1.6, Ratings so Far on Par with Last Year

From ESPN PR:

ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Saturday, March 26, earned a final national household coverage rating of 1.6, averaging 2,148,001 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company.

The Fontana race was moved to a different time in the series schedule this year. In comparison to the race that was held at Nashville Superspeedway in the same timeframe last year, the rating was up as the Nashville race earned a 1.1 rating on ESPN. In 2010, the Fontana race was held in February, as the second race of the season, and earned a 1.7 rating on ESPN2.

Overall, the combined network average U.S. rating for the NASCAR Nationwide Series so far this season is a 1.7, the same as it was at this point in both 2009 and 2010.

Our Favorite Android (Kimi Räikkönen) to Compete in NASCAR

Bitter weeping and gnashing of the teeth as word comes via Autosport.com today that Kimi Räikkönen (left) will compete in NASCAR amusing trucks this summer. Story here.

Huge ups to Twitter buddy Mac McCormick III (@KF4LMT) for the tip. The story predicts the Kimster advancing to Nationwide and Cup as well.

Bitter weeping from me because I've long advocated the super-intriguing, no-emotion-showing Kimster participating in the Indy 500, if not the league in general.

Shannon McIntosh Talks about USF2000 Jedi Training

Good stuff from Shannon McIntosh in her latest diary. She gives us a peak inside the brain of someone who is going from being a front-of-the-pack oval driver to a back-of-the-pack (for now) road and street trainee.

Shannon is a warrior and, as such, puts HUGE expectations on herself. So remaining patient with the learning process in USF2000 is going to be a challenge, which Shantastic readily admits. READ IT HERE.

IndyCar in St. Pete Smokes with a 1.4 Overnight Rating

Randy 'Nard Dog" Bernard has to be in the whiskey today with news that ABC ripped down a 1.4 overnight rating for the St. Pete race, according to ABC/ESPN PR. Ratings won't be final rating until Thursday since ABC is a broadcast network.

Last year's race was rained out, ran on Monday, and aired on ESPN2, so comparisons would be bogus. St. Pete was on Versus in 2009 and on ESPN in 2008. A 1-point-anything is a major step forward for IndyCar for any race outside of the Indy 500.

The overnight is just the 55 largest TV markets -- the rating could go up or down based on viewership in the rest of the country.

Later Monday, IndyCar released this re: the ratings

ABC's broadcast of the IZOD IndyCar Series season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 27 delivered its highest overnight rating in metered markets for a race since 2007.

The 1.4 rating for 56 markets was surpassed only by ABC's telecast of the July 2007 race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Final ratings for this broadcast are expected on March 31.

"I'm very encouraged by the ratings for several reasons," said Randy Bernard, CEO of INDYCAR, the sanctioning body of the IZOD IndyCar Series. "First of all, it was standalone. It wasn't in the late time slot, during which there typically is more household viewership. Second, it's our highest-rated non-Indianapolis show since 2007, but even that show had a great lead-in with the British Open (with Padraig Harrington defeating Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff).

"We're ecstatic with our ratings and with the double digit percentage of growth with the live attendance at the event, and we believe INDYCAR is going to continue to make substantial progress in the next couple of years."

ABC's 2-hour, 30-minute telecast of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the scenic 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit featured the dramatic debut of side-by-side restarts, a young female driver dueling with the 2004 champion for third place, bumping and passing, and contenders eliminated in the first turn of the initial green flag lap.

The 100-lap race was won by reigning series champion Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, who started next to pole sitter and 2010 chief championship protagonist Will Power.

NCAA Knows How to Properly Blow Up a Death Star

An Associated Press story entitled "Unthinkable foursome heading to Houston" about the NCAA final four just caught my eye. Exerpt:

Kentucky, Connecticut, Butler and Virginia Commonwealth fill out a Final Four that, by most ways of looking at it, is the most unimaginable in the history of an NCAA tournament that has never lacked surprises.

Notes From the 2011 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Notes taken during the ABC broadcast of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL, March 27, 2011.

Welcome to St. Pete, home of Cameron the Izod IndyCar girl and the merciful end of the LONG off-season.

pressdog® Beer of the Race is Hoegaarden, "Belgian white beer" brewed oddly enough in Hoegaarden, Belgium.

IndyCar Timing and Scoring is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

We excitedly clicked on to timing and scoring from IndyCar.com this morning and got ... nothing. SHOCKER. The technologically advanced racing series has an intermittently putrid online experience. I guess that can never change, despite our continued complaints and whining. So ...

... here's commentary from our boy @Indy44.

Your St. Pete IndyCar Viewing(ish) Guide

St. Petersburg, FLA, home of Cameron Haven (IZOD Trophy Girl) is getting jiggy with the IndyCars this weekend. Here's the skinny:

All times EASTERN. Follow IndyCar practices on Timing & Scoring via IndyCar.com

Friday, March 25

10:15—11:15am IZOD IndyCar Series practice
3:00—4:00pm IZOD IndyCar Series practice

Saturday, March 26

10:10—11:10am IZOD IndyCar Series practice
2:30—3:50pm IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying & Firestone Fast Six

Sunday, March 27

8:40—9:10am IZOD IndyCar Series warm-up
10:30—11:45am Firestone Indy Lights race
12:30—3:00pm IZOD IndyCar Series race, Honda Indy St. Pete (ABC TV)

Full schedule of weekend events is HERE.