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ABC’s Trio of Unlikely Amigos

Written by Allan Brewer · May 23, 2006

Marty Reid, Scott Goodyear and Rusty Wallace hosted a teleconference Tuesday that demonstrates the disparity of opinion that makes for interesting life and TV.


Rusty: “I keep telling Tony George and Brian Barnhart not to keep getting beat up by staging races at the same time as NASCAR!”

Scott: “I’m just looking at AOL and see Kenseth and Stewart are at each others’ throats and they (NASCAR) won’t do anything about it because it’s entertainment!”

Marty: “I’ve got ‘Billy-Bob’ and ‘Mr. Wine & Cheese’ for partners now!”

Call them the “Odd Trio”. Call them “The Three Busker-teers”. Just don’t miss them, because they are equally as entertaining as the Don/Howard/Frank combo that ABC rode to success with “Monday Night Football” a generation ago.

Rusty Wallace comes to Indy Racing League action an admitted rookie, with much to learn. “Since this is my first time, I never thought I’d be asked; but I’m humbled by the opportunity and serious about this job. I said ‘Wow!’, then it was fear, then it was ‘Whoa!’ this is really big. Now after hours and hours of TV it feels comfortable. It’s just telling a story, and being passionate, not hogging camera, and working together.”

ABC aims to build fan interest in not only the Indy 500, but IRL racing in general by co-promotion of NASCAR and Indy Car racing. Rusty’s presence is a key element of this plan. His familiar face and voice figure to promote Bubba and Peggy-Sue’s awareness and attendance or viewing of IRL racing events on broadcast TV and ESPN. The network readily admits that the NASCAR-centric perspective Wallace offers on Indianapolis and the League’s series overall creates a dynamic between himself and Goodyear that is intriguing and highly unusual.

Scott Goodyear is well-known to us all: cool, soft-spoken, the thinking man’s commentator. He’s analytical in his assessment of how Rusty has been accepted around the Gasoline Alley garages. For him it’s all about keeping the show light-hearted and demonstrating contrasts between the “Tin-Top’s” and the open-wheel machines. He’s not letting Wallace off easy, though. This is INDY! Its traditions, its history, its long, long shadow are very much on his mind and Rusty will learn it or die trying!

“As a driver, I was na

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Comments

3 Responses to “ABC’s Trio of Unlikely Amigos”

  1. Rev. T. S. Painter (Republican) on May 24th, 2006 2:53 pm

    Here’s something to liven up your forum:

    http://nascarboycott.blogspot.com
    http://boycottford.com

  2. DJ on May 24th, 2006 7:40 pm

    I heard a man say he would take one shot of vodka every time Rusty says “NASCAR” during the Indy 500 - he’ll be knocked out by the prerace show.

  3. george on May 25th, 2006 4:04 pm

    Saw my first Danica puff pieces last night. Thank goodness a toilet was nearby, nearly hurled on my shoes!

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