Dale Jarrett to Replace Rusty Wallace in the ESPN Booth
Thursday January 24, 2008
This may be the best NASCAR news of the week. ESPN announced that 1999 Cup series champion Dale Jarrett will replace Rusty Wallace during ESPN's NASCAR broadcasts. Rusty will help anchor the studio coverage but will not be providing commentary during the live racing.
I originally thought that as an outspoken driver Rusty would be excellent in the booth. However, it takes a special talent to be able to call the race live and Rusty just doesn't have that ability. Now Rusty can provide his expertise during the pre-race show while Dale Jarrett will work the races with Jerry Punch and Andy Petree. I believe that DJ will be an excellent addition to the broadcast and I'm looking forward to ESPN's coverage this season.
Comments
The best news I’ve heard in a long time. I got tired of watching the races on TV but listening to the race being called on the radio. The TV announcers didn’t get it done for me. DJ is great in the booth and will bring back what’s been missing for awhile.
Getting Rusty off and Dale on is good news but the best news is more use of Alan Bestwick covering the race. I wish he was back in the booth with Jarrett and Punch.
I think it is a great switch. DJ will develop into a great announcer, like his dad was. He has a great coach. DJ has a way of keeping his ego in check when in the booth. Rusty was a great driver and has a ton of knowledge, but struggled with keeping his ego in check. Viewers do not sit on the edge of their seat waiting to hear what Rusty would do in a particular situation. Rusty was a little to artificial and too full of himself for me.
I agree oldactor about Alan Bestwick. I enjoyed watching him referee Mikey, Kenny, and JB in “Inside Nextel Cup” show a few years back. I had the pleasure of meeting him in the pits at Daytona a couple years back. It was obvious he was extremely busy, but he took the time to shake my hand and talk for a few minutes.
Rusty or Dw or whom ever, its the racing that should be the topic not who is trying to spin it into fun and excitment.If the racing is great nothing needs to be said, If its a bad race its a bad race no one person or persons should have to try and carry it.
Turn off your sound and watch a race and you will learn nothing changes if the race is solid and your truly watching the race and not following the soap!!
YES! By gosh, if he doesn’t want to race anymore , then let’s see him in the broadcast booth. He has lots of interesting ideas, he’ll be a fresh face, and he KNOWS what he is talking about, not like some ,they have to be”cute” on the air. Bring him on !!! I’M READY!!!! GO DJ !!!!!!
If youwant the BEST, the MAINE MAN – Ricky Craven is the guy!!!!!!!
I am so happy finally, Rusty is going. DW does the best to me and he is fun to watch and enjoys his job. I hate ESPN shows. No intrest in what they are watching and reporting.
I can live without ESPN’s coverage all-together. Give me Darrel Waltrip – boogety boogety boggety – let’s go racin’ boys!!!
Great news. Rusty has great experience but only a select few have the capability of doing live broadcasts. Its all in the personality and unfortunately I don’t think Rusty has the broadcasting personality. I look forward to Dale as he has always been one of my favorite drivers. His father was excellent who I dearly miss in the broadcast booth.
GO DALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE YA AS A DRIVER AND WILL BE A GTREAT ADDITION IN THGE BOOTH. CAN’T WAIT FOR DAYTONA, AND WHAT EVER HAPPENBED TO RICKY CRAVEN????/
This is AWESOME news. I had hoped for this. DJ has always been my driver and I was bummed about him retiring in 2008. Now I won’t miss him so much and he does a great job in the booth as we’ve seen from his previous gigs calling races.
Now for the hardest part…choosing a new driver. DJ’s shoes in that department will be hard to fill. He hasn’t shined much in the past few years but I know he’s still got it and boy back in the day, back in the ‘Dale and Dale show’ days he was always one of the guys to beat on any track at any race!!! Sometimes I really miss those days with DJ and Big E eating the other guys up on the track! But it is what it is and I’m still a race fan to the bone.
Thanks for the news and it is GREAT news too.
By the way love DW too…didn’t always like him but he grew on me and now he’s one of my favorites. Love Alan Bestwick too and miss him on Inside Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup!
I thought I was the only one who thought Wallace was the worst announcer I’ve ever heard covering NASCAR.
Good riddance! Just won’t watch the pre-race. DJ will be great.
THANK GOD AND ESPN!!!!I don’t think I could take much more of Rusty telling us how great he was & is. DW is the best and ESPN is the worst but without Rusty in the booth it will be a little better.
A big welcome to DJ, you are really needed in the booth. Need to Alan Bestwick back in the booth or somewhere, he’s another good one. ESPN might be better now, but I would really like to see SPEED channel broadcast all of the races
This is Best news I heard this post-season.Thank you ESPN & Steven Wallace thanks you too.If Rusty wasn’t so be bias especially when came to “little Stevie”.(Not all of are Rootin on Steve)I rather see Rusty on a racetrack than in a both.I welcome DJ,but also he that doesn’t rattle along about David R,Mikey or the “Toys” of NASCAR.
I rather see the “guy” who called the longest/most caution filled race of 2007? It was the most enjoyable race I watched with sound!
i really like rusty in the booth all dj dose is um um um he dose that alot and no one is better then d.w. so i hope u are already for mistakes by dj . we need jerry punch back in the booth not on pit road or dj’s brother. sorry that’s how i feel. go jr go double vision on you tube great video’s of jr.
i actually think this move was made too soon. espn should have given rusty one more year to improve because he has a great personality and knowledge of nascar. people are going to find the new booth combo to be really boring as none of the anouncers have any sense of humor. just as a heads up dj has one cup championship not two
Dale Jarrett, the golfer & driver! I love him. What makes it better is his daughter is a GEORGIA BULLDAWG!! She’ll love Athens, GA. Hope she’s a KD! GOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! Sick ‘um.
I’m so excited for her.
Ben’s an alumni(1977), Sera(our daughter) is an alumni(2006)
you would think with all the time off this winter that fox sports
might invest some money for larry
mccreynolds at pronunciation classes
this guy sounds like he has crap
rolling around in his mouth. taires
(tires)neow (now) he’s disgusting