Daytona 500 American Idol Possible Conflict?

[dxtrfn]

With the Daytona 500 postponed today due to rain and tomorrow not looking too good either, the Daytona 500 may be held on Tuesday and if they have rain delays and it lasts past 8pm would FOX delay Idol or move Idol to Wednesday to Friday this week. Wonder if the race is postponed to Tuesday they may move the race to Speed to avoid conflicts. Daytona has lights and the race could be held Monday night.

 

[arnoldevns]

It will go to cable if it gets delayed to Tuesday.

 

[crainbebo]

Tomorrow looks even worse, with T-storms. Tuesday looks better, but the audience will be much smaller as people are at work while everyone's racing.

-crainbebo

 

[nathannah]

It won't get anywhere near primetime on Tuesday, that's why they start it around noontime, so it won't be a problem. If there is a delay I imagine they will go for it and delay the show, though not to the point where the lights at Daytona need to be turned on.

There's no way they bump it to cable either; NASCAR paid Fox to broadcast the race over the air, not on Speed or FX, and there would be so much criticism of a move of their Super Bowl of Racing to cable they wouldn't dare try it.

 

[DToTheJ]

Depending on how late in the day the Daytona 500 is run, this could have shades of the first Super Bowl played in February (a.k.a. sweeps month) after 9/11. After the following season, it's been that way ever since. Hopefully, a primetime rating will be a boon for the race.

Either way, all of this would never have happened if NASCAR just didn't leave the Daytona 500 on President's Day Weekend, like it's been the past 50-some-odd years.

 

[mgsports]

They would have put it on ESPN if need or FSN.

 

[DToTheJ]

I don't think ESPN could have aired the Daytona 500: their leg of NASCAR coverage starts in late July.

And this race was going to run on Fox by hook or by crook. Bumping it to a cable property like it's a meaningless mid-season race is just bad business.