Before the existence of ESPN, live coverage of NASCAR Winston Cup races on television was limited. CBS covered the Daytona 500, the June race at Michigan and the July race at Talladega. ABC usually did the Atlanta race in the spring.
List of races televised 1980 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)Reporters2/10 Busch Clash (Daytona) CBS Ken SquierDavid HobbsNed Jarrett Brock Yates2/14Twin 125'sCBSKen SquierDavid Hobbs Ned Jarrett Brock Yates2/17Daytona 500 CBSKen SquierDavid HobbsNed Jarrett Brock Yates3/16Atlanta 500ABCAl MichaelsJackie StewartChris Economaki5/25World 600 (Charlotte) CBS Ken SquierDavid HobbsNed Jarrett Brock Yates7/4Firecracker 400 (Daytona) ABCJim McKaySam PoseyChris Economaki7/27Coca-Cola 500 (Pocono) ABC Chris EconomakiJackie Stewart8/3Talladega 500 CBSKen SquierDavid HobbsNed Jarrett Brock Yates9/1 Southern 500 (Darlington) ABC Jim LampleySam PoseyChris Economaki10/5 National 500 (Charlotte) NBC Paul PageGary Gerould11/15Los Angeles Times 500 (Ontario) CBSKen SquierDavid HobbsNed Jarrett Brock Yates
The Los Angeles Times 500 was switched from Sunday to Saturday to accommodate live CBS Sports coverage.
On May 29, 1980, CBS paid a fee of roughly US$50,000 or $100,000 to Charlotte Motor Speedway to broadcast the World 600 NASCAR stock car race. Benny Parsons edged out Darrell Waltrip to win a grand prize of $44,850 in a race that was watched by perhaps 3.7 million viewers on the network.
Prior to the original 1999 contract between NASCAR and NBC, the network aired races such as the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 1979 to 1981, the 1981 Mountain Dew 500 at Pocono International Raceway, the Winston 500 at Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1983 to 1985, and the Miami 300 and Pennzoil 400 at Homestead–Miami Speedway in both 1999 and 2000.
1981 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)Reporters1/11 Winston Western 500 (Riverside) MRN TV Mike JoyNed Jarrett 2/8 Busch Clash (Daytona) CBS Ken SquierDale Earnhardt Ned Jarrett Brock Yates2/12 UNO Twin 125's (Daytona)CBSKen SquierDavid Hobbs Ned Jarrett Brock Yates2/15Daytona 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs Ned Jarrett Brock Yates3/1Carolina 500 (Rockingham) ESPN Bob JenkinsEli Gold Ned Jarrett 3/15Coca-Cola 500 (Atlanta) ABCJim McKayJackie StewartChris Economaki4/26 Virginia 500 (Martinsville) ESPN Bob JenkinsEli GoldNed Jarrett 5/3 Winston 500 (Talladega) ESPN Dave DespainLarry NuberNed Jarrett 5/17Mason-Dixon 500 (Dover) ESPN Bob JenkinsDick BerggrenNed Jarrett 5/24World 600 (Charlotte) CBSKen SquierDavid Hobbs Ned Jarrett Brock Yates7/4 Firecracker 400 (Daytona) ABC Keith JacksonJackie Stewart Chris Economaki7/26Mountain Dew 500 (Pocono) NBCPaul PageGary Gerould8/2 Talladega 500 (Talladega) CBS Ken SquierDonnie Allison Ned Jarrett Brock Yates9/7Southern 500 (Darlington) ABCBill FlemmingJackie StewartChris Economaki10/11National 500 (Charlotte) NBCPaul PageGary Gerould11/8Atlanta Journal 500 ESPNMike JoyLarry NuberNed Jarrett
ESPN broadcast its first race in 1981, from North Carolina Motor Speedway (its first live race was later in the year at Atlanta International Raceway), and TNN followed in 1991. All Cup races were nationally televised by 1985; networks struck individual deals with track owners, and multiple channels carried racing action. Many races were shown taped and edited on Wide World of Sports and syndication services like Mizlou and SETN, but almost all races were live by 1989.
1982 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)2/7 Busch Clash (Daytona) CBS Ken SquierRichard Petty and A. J. Foyt2/14Daytona 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs2/21Richmond 400 ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber3/21Coca-Cola 500 (Atlanta)ABCAl MichaelsSam Posey4/4 CRC Chemicals Rebel 500 (Darlington) ABC Al MichaelsJackie Stewart5/2 Winston 500 (Talladega) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber5/30World 600 (Charlotte) Mizlou Dave DespainDick Brooks6/6Van Scoy 500 (Pocono) Mizlou Dave DespainDick Brooks 7/25Mountain Dew 500 (Pocono) Mizlou Rick BenjaminDick Brooks8/22Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan) ESPNBob JenkinsLarry Nuber 9/6Southern 500 (Darlington) ABC Bill FlemmingJackie Stewart9/12 Wrangler 400 (Richmond) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber9/19 CRC Chemicals 500 (Dover) Diamond PGil StrattonBrock Yates11/7 Atlanta Journal 500 ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber11/21 Winston Western 500 (Riverside) MizlouKen SquierBuddy Baker
From 1982 to 1984, USA Network broadcast the UNO Twin 125sFeb 14, 1982 - The 1979— Daytona 500 was a classic race, and it happened to be the first one televised live, start to finish, by The network could hardly ... and made a deal with the USA cable network to furnish the qualifiers for cablecasting Fri day night. doing this, in effect, satisfies the inter ...Feb 16, 1984 - The trucks which pulled Into Daytona International Speedway last week were all not necessarily those containing the cars of the NASCAR drivers ... The USA Network will show the two 125 mile qualifying races Friday night at 8 but that Is under an agreement where the cable network ... (now the Gander RV Duel). USA used CBS'Mar 29, 1982 - ... ... th Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational Sports has signed a pact with video evangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcast Network for the Dinah ... the right to tape them for replay later which has been in the business of cable since it split coverage of the Daytona 500 with USA Cable ...Apr 10, 1982 - an undisclosed fee for two days of broadcast rights USA had so little to do with the telecasts that it had just one of its own people on air ... as he stated it has worked Ratings for the Daytona 500 improved Bait the viewer with cable hook him with the network broadcast not saying I ... crew, graphics and announcers. USA also aired the Atlanta ARCA race in 1985 and televised several NASCAR Busch Series races in the late 1980s.
1983 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)2/14Busch Clash (Daytona) CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs2/17UNO Twin 125's (Daytona) USA Ken SquierDavid Hobbs2/20 Daytona 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs2/27Richmond 400 TBSKen SquierCale Yarborough3/13 Warner W. Hodgdon 500 (Rockingham) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber5/1Winston 500 (Talladega) NBC Paul Page Johnny Rutherford 5/7Marty Robbins 420 (Nashville) TNN Brock Yates Steve Evans5/15Mason-Dixon 500 (Dover) Mizlou Ken SquierPhil Parsons5/29 World 600(Charlotte) Mizlou Ken SquierPhil Parsons7/4 Firecracker 400 (Daytona) ABC Bill FlemmingSam Posey7/24Like Cola 500 (Pocono) MizlouKen SquierBuddy Baker7/31Talladega 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs and Ned Jarrett9/18 Budweiser 500 (Dover) TNNBrock YatesSteve Evans10/9Miller High Life 500 (Charlotte) Mizlou Ken SquierDonnie Allison11/6Atlanta Journal 500 TBS Ken SquierGeoff Bodine11/20Winston Western 500 (Riverside) TBSKen SquierCale Yarborough
During its coverage of the 1983 Daytona 500, CBS introduced an innovation which director Bob Fishman helped develop – a miniature, remote-controlled in-car camera called RaceCam. Quote: "Then in 1983, we introduced the in-car camera. We put the average race fan in the driver's seat. They got a sense for speed, a sense of how close the traffic was. Until 1983, cars didn't look that fast on a 19-inch television screen. All of a sudden you're behind the wheel and you learned these cars drive like a sailboat going 200 mph. You got a sense of what it's like to be a driver. It was reality and fantasy television all in one." Fishman directed every Daytona 500 telecast on CBS, with the exception of 1992, 1994 and 1998 because Fishman was away directing CBS' figure-skating coverage for the Winter Olympics.
TBS broadcast the Richmond spring race, held the week after Daytona Speedweeks, from 1983 to 1995, as well as the fall races at Rockingham (1985-1987), Atlanta (1983-1985) and Riverside (1982-1987).
TNN started showing races live in 1991, but it had aired taped coverage of a few Winston Cup races in the 1980s on its American Sports Cavalcade program.
1984 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)2/12 Busch Clash (Daytona) CBS Ken SquierNed Jarrett2/16 UNO Twin 125's (Daytona) USA Ken SquierDavid Hobbs 2/19Daytona 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs and Ned Jarrett 2/26 Richmond 400 (Richmond)TBSKen SquierBuddy Baker3/4Carolina 500 (Rockingham) SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons3/18Coca-Cola 500 (Atlanta) ABC Jim McKaySam Posey4/15TransSouth 500 (Darlington) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber5/12Coors 420 (Nashville) TBS Ken SquierBenny Parsons 5/20 Budweiser 500 (Dover) Mizlou Mike JoyPhil Parsons 6/10 Van Scoy 500 (Pocono) Mizlou/ESPN Mike Joy (Mizlou)Bob Jenkins (ESPN)Donnie Allison (Mizlou)Larry Nuber (ESPN)7/4Firecracker 400 (Daytona) ABC Jim LampleySam Posey7/22Like Cola 500 (Pocono) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber7/29Talladega 500 (Talladega) CBS Ken SquierNed Jarrett and Benny Parsons9/2Southern 500 (Darlington) ESPN Bob JenkinsJack Arute10/21American 500 (Rockingham) SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons11/11Atlanta Journal 500 (Atlanta) TBS Ken SquierGlenn Jarrett11/18Winston Western 500 (Riverside) TBS Ken SquierPhil Parsons
Special Events Television Network (SETN) is the name of a defunct syndicated television package that broadcast tape delayed NASCAR races from 1984 to 1988. SETN aired races (typically from Martinsville and Pocono as well as from Rockingham, Charlotte, Richmond and Daytona for good measure) that didn't have live television deals at the time. The broadcasts were aired on tape delay because certain promoters still feared that live telecasts would hurt their gate.
1985 DateEventNetworkLap-by-lapColor commentator(s)2/10Busch Clash (Daytona) CBSKen SquierDavid Hobbs and Ned Jarrett2/17Daytona 500 CBS Ken SquierDavid Hobbs and Ned Jarrett 2/24 Richmond 400 TBS Ken SquierBenny Parsons3/3Carolina 500 (Rockingham)SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons 4/6 Valleydale Meats 500 (Bristol)ESPN Bob JenkinsBenny Parsons4/14 Transouth 500 (Darlington)ESPNBob JenkinsLarry Nuber4/21Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber 4/28 Sovran Bank 500 (Martinsville) SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons 5/5Winston 500 (Talladega) NBC Paul PageBobby Unser5/25The Winston (Charlotte) Jefferson-PilotMike JoyKyle Petty5/26Coca-Cola World 600 (Charlotte) Jefferson-Pilot Mike JoyJohnny Hayes6/2Budweiser 400 (Riverside) TNN Steve EvansBrock Yates6/9 Van Scoy 500 (Pocono) ESPN Bob JenkinsLarry Nuber6/16Miller 400 (Michigan) CBSKen SquierNed Jarrett7/4 Pepsi Firecracker 400 (Daytona) ABC Al TrautwigSam Posey7/28Talladega 500 CBS Ken SquierNed Jarrett8/24Busch 500 (Bristol) ESPN Larry NuberBenny Parsons9/1Southern 500 (Darlington) ESPN Larry NuberJack Arute9/8Wrangler Sanfor-Set 400 (Richmond) SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons 9/15Delaware 500 (Dover) Mizlou Mike HogewoodDick Brooks9/22 Goody's 500 (Martinsville) SETN Mike JoyBenny Parsons 10/6Miller Genuine Draft 500 (Charlotte) Jefferson-PilotMike HogewoodJohnny Hayes10/20Nationwise 500 (Rockingham) TBSKen SquierBenny Parsons11/3Atlanta Journal 500 TBS Ken SquierDick Brooks 11/17Winston Western 500 (Riverside) TBS Ken SquierBenny Parsons
All Cup races were nationally televised by 1985; networks struck individual deals with track owners, and multiple channels carried racing content. Many races were shown taped and edited on Wide World of Sports and syndication services like Mizlou and SETN, but almost all races were live by 1989.
1986