By A Nose: Fox Sees Daytona 500 Ratings Jump Slightly From '07

Fox Earns 10.2/20 Fast National Rating For 50th Running Of Daytona 500

REVIEWS: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand wrote Fox' coverage "didn't take long to get in gear" and for all the "chuckles and hype, the coverage doesn't miss much," including analyst Darrell Waltrip spotting Jeff Gordon's suspension failure before the driver left the race due to the problem. Analyst Larry McReynolds said with eight laps remaining, "I'm about to break my finger squeezing my hand so hard." Waltrip later added, "Slap down the big TV. She's going to go for a drive!" Waltrip yelled "pedal, pedal," as eventual winner Ryan Newman approached the finish line, and as he crossed it, play-by-play announcer Mike Joy said, "Hello, Newman!" (USA TODAY, 2/18). However, in Toronto, Chris Zelkovich wrote the announcers "did a lot more crashing ... than the 43 drivers." Zelkovich: "Though McReynolds and Waltrip often sound like they're in town for a Hee Haw reunion, they're not alone on the Fox team when it comes to crimes against the English language or just good old common sense." The best part of the broadcast was the "Crank It Up" feature, which gives viewers the "full sound of all those engines without any commentary." Zelkovich: "It's too bad it's used only three or four times a race. That, like the rest of Fox's non-verbal coverage, is superb." Meanwhile, the Gopher Cam "gave viewers a great sense of the speed those gaudy cars were hitting" (TORONTO STAR, 2/18).

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