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| The channel that began as SpeedVision officially signed off Saturday morning (Google Images) |
So long, Speed. It was an awesome ride.
At 6 a.m. on August 17, motorsports fans across the United States were forced to bid farewell to the television channel that had become the self-proclaimed "Motorsports Authority." Known today simply as Speed, the channel which began life as SpeedVision was the go-to network for race fans and gear heads alike, covering NASCAR, GRAND AM Rolex Sports Car races, V8 Supercars and Formula 1 events, and a wealth of other automotive programs like Pinks, My Classic Car, Chop Cut Rebuild, the drag racing game show Pass Time and Barrett-Jackson auctions from Palm Beach to Las Vegas.
Speed was killed by parent company NewsCorp so it could be replaced with a new network called Fox Sports 1. Featuring NASCAR qualifying and practice sessions and the full Camping World Truck Series season, Fox Sports 1 will also broadcast college sports, baseball, soccer and UFC. It will also feature sports news and feature programming. All of this rebranding is a strategic move that NewsCorp believes will enable Fox to compete with sports juggernaut ESPN; an effort that many Speed fans of Speed believe to be in vein.
The final program to air on Speed was a rerun of Sprint Cup Series qualifying for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 from earlier in the day. Upon the conclusion of the telecast, the network cut to Joy, standing unaccompanied in the Michigan International Speedway press box. The veteran broadcaster spoke eloquently of Speed's history and also of the potential of Fox Sports 1 and he also reminded fans of why he is easily one of the best play-by-play men in the business.
“For 18 years, it’s been our honor and privilege to present motorsports and automotive-related programming to you on the network that began as Speedvision, became Speed Channel and is now known as Speed," said Joy. “From the visionaries who started this network, from maintenance to management, from the talent to the truck drivers, we’ve shared your passion for motorsports over lo these many years."
“We hope you’ll follow us on our new journey to Fox Sports 1," continued Joy, "because all your favorite live NASCAR programming and much more is coming along with us."
Joy then closed, as usual, with class, simplicity and professionalism, “So now, it’s goodnight and farewell to America’s motorsports authority. Speed.”
You can watch Joy deliver this eulogy, of sorts, in the video below. It begins around the 1:20 mark.
The network then cut to Curt Menefee, host of Fox NFL Sunday, who welcomed fans to the new network, vowing that Fox Sports 1 "will share your passion for the game, never take ourselves too seriously and most importantly, never put ourselves above the game nor the athletes."
Menefee also said the new channel will, "be informative without ever sacrificing accuracy. We work for you, the fan, and every day we will live up to this simple promise. Now let’s get on with the show.”
No doubt there are more than a few race fans who are disappointed because of this switch, knowing that their favorite automotive shows, as well as Speed originals like Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, Race Hub and Trackside will no longer have a home. A great many fans will also be perturbed about paying more for a channel that is viewed by some as simply an ESPN clone. The switch will no doubt take some getting used to, but perhaps Fox Sports 1 will indeed prove to be a viable competitor to the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Only time will tell.
But while it is still unclear how Fox Sports 1 will be received by race fans, one thing is for certain: Speed may be gone, but it will not soon be forgotten.
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