For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown from the race on Sunday afternoon.

Here is my breakdown, thoroughly unprofessional, and, hopefully, easy-to-understand. If there are any errors please remember that I have a telephone, a husband, a son, and a subserviant relationship with Mother Nature (when she calls, I listen). I am also not being paid to do this, and no one has offered to compensate me (surprisingly enough).

I do it because I have discovered that the fans out there want the information, and I am glad to provide it for them.

I started recording the times as the Invocation for the race was given at 12:55 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 4:46 PM (all times are EST). I did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage.

Please note that in addition to all of the following, there is always a company logo visible in the upper right hand corner by the race ticker scrolling across the screen.

Of interest this week: One thing that seems to really perturb NASCAR fans is missing a restart while being away at commercial. During Sunday’s broadcast, two times the network got back to the race for a restart with no seconds to spare, but they definitely made it. As a matter of fact, the network interrupted a commercial to come back for one of the restarts, cutting Helen Hunt and Tom Hanks off during an embrace in the movie ‘Castaway’ to do so.

Are the voices of the NASCAR fans being heard? It remains to be seen.

Dover 400 Race and Commercial Breakdown of 09-24-06

Total number of commercials: 146

Total number of companies or entities advertised: 75

Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 15

Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos: 15 (companies: Team Chevy, Bank of America, Nextel, Budweiser, Sony HD Audio, Ford and Ford ‘Race to the Dream’, Wrangler, Burger King, AmeriQuest, ‘Without a Trace’, Craftsman, Garnier, Domino, ‘Flags of Our Fathers’)

Total amount of time these brief promos took during broadcast: app. 1 min. 40 sec.

Also, there is the following race statistics used or mentioned during the broadcast, sponsored by companies:

Budweiser ‘Bud Pole Award’
nascar.com/TrackPass ‘Through the Field’
Cingular ‘Race Talk Question’
DLP ‘Race Recap’
Auto Zone ‘In the Zone Drivers’
Craftsman ‘Pit Summary’
Allstate ‘Good Hands Driver Award’
AFLAC ‘Trivia Question’
Wrangler ‘5 Star Finishes’
Home Depot ‘Virtual Garage’
Chevy ‘Drivers to Watch’

Restarts missed due to being away at commercial: 0

Start time to record race/commercial periods: 12:55 P.M.
End time to record race/commercial periods: 4:46 P.M.

Total minutes: 231 minutes

Minutes of race broadcast: 157
Minutes of commercials: 74

Breakdown of what the commercials were for, by category:

Previews/Promos

‘Without a Trace’ – 4
‘Law & Order’ -3
Mixed Promo (‘Closer’, ‘Without a Trace’, etc.) – 2
‘Castaway’ – 3
‘Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2’ – 2
A&E channel (‘CSI Miami’ reruns) – 1
tbs www.veryfunnyads.com – 1
Total: 16

Movie Previews

‘The Guardian’ – 3
‘School for Scoundrels’ – 2
‘Open Season’ – 1
‘Flag of Our Fathers’ – 1
Total: 7

Local Points-of-Interest in Penna.

Car dealerships (3 Chevy; 1 Nissan; 1 Dodge; 1 Ford) – 6
66 Auto Supply – 1
S & T Bank – 1
Gatto Motorcycle – 1
Total: 9

Restaurants/Food

Dominos – 3
McDonald’s – 3
Pizza Hut – 2
Burger King – 2
KFC – 1
Little Debbie – 1
Total: 12

Beer

Miller Lite – 3
Budweiser – 2
Busch – 2
Total: 7

Car/Truck/Bike

Chevrolet – 4
Ford – 4
Harley Davidson – 4
Auto Zone – 2
Duralast at Auto Zone – 2
Suzuki Blvd. – 1
Suzuki ATV – 1
Yamaha Star – 1
Yamaha ATV – 1
CarQuest – 1
Toyota – 1
Total: 22

Gas/Oil

Shell ‘Million Dollar Giveaway’ – 4
Havoline – 2
Total: 6

Financial/Credit Cards

Principal Financial – 3
Bank of America – 3
Visa – 1
AmeriQuest – 1
Total: 8

Insurance

Allstate – 3
State Farm – 2
AFLAC – 2
Total: 7

Education/Career

I.A.D.T. – 4
P.C.I. (Penna. Culinary Institute) – 2
www.usajobs.gov/impact – 2
Total: 8

Wireless Phone

Nextel – 5
Cingular – 1
Total – 6

Delivery Service

Federal Express – 1
Total: 1

Home Improvement

Home Depot – 2
Lowe’s – 2
Builders Surplus – 1
Total: 5

Technology

DLP – 2
Sony SXRD HDTV – 1
Total: 3

Products/Services for the Home and Personal Use

Craftsman Tools – 5
Garnier Fructis- 2
Old Navy – 2
Edge Active Care Shave Cream – 2
Wrangler Jeans – 2
Ben Gay – 1
Gillette Fusion – 1
Sharpie Minis – 1
www.usepropane.com – 1
Waste Management – 1
Total: 18

Motels

Holiday Inn Express – 1
Total: 1

Racing Related

Nascar.com – 4
Memphis Motor Park – 2
NASCAR – 1
‘Chase to the Cup’ – 1
Nascar.com online car care – 1
Victory Junction Gang Camp – 1
Total: 10

Total commercials: 146

Breakdown of specific times, broken into two categories (race broadcast times, and commercial broadcast times):

Race brdcast times:Total min:Comm. brdcast times: Total min:

12:55 PM – 12:58 PM -3//12:58 PM – 1:00 PM – 2

1:00 PM – 1:03 PM – 3//1:03 PM – 1:05 PM – 2

1:05 PM – 1:13 PM – 8 //1:13 PM – 1:15 PM – 2

1:15 PM – 1:21 PM – 6 //1:21 PM – 1:23 PM – 2

1:23 PM – 1:29 PM – 6 //1:29 PM – 1:31 PM – 2

1:31 PM – 1:37 PM – 6 //1:37 PM – 1:39 PM – 2

1:39 PM – 1:43 PM – 4 //1:43 PM – 1:46 PM – 3

1:46 PM – 1:52 PM – 6 //1:52 PM – 1:55 PM – 3

1:55 PM – 2:01 PM – 6 //2:01 PM – 2:03 PM – 2

2:03 PM – 2:08 PM – 5 //2:08 PM – 2:11 PM – 3

2:11 PM – 2:20 PM – 9 //2:20 PM – 2:23 PM – 3

2:23 PM – 2:28 PM – 5 //2:28 PM – 2:31 PM – 3

2:31 PM – 2:34 PM – 3 //2:34 PM – 2:37 PM – 3

2:37 PM – 2:41 PM – 4 //2:41 PM – 2:44 PM – 3

2:44 PM – 2:53 PM – 9 //2:53 PM – 2:56 PM – 3

2:56 PM – 3:01 PM – 5 //3:01 PM – 3:04 PM – 3

3:04 PM – 3:06 PM – 2 //3:06 PM – 3:09 PM – 3

3:09 PM – 3:11 PM – 2 //3:11 PM – 3:13 PM – 2

3:13 PM – 3:19 PM – 6 //3:19 PM – 3:22 PM – 3

3:22 PM – 3:26 PM – 4 //3:26 PM – 3:29 PM – 3

3:29 PM – 3:37 PM – 8 //3:37 PM – 3:40 PM – 3

3:40 PM – 3:42 PM – 2 //3:42 PM – 3:43 PM – 1

3:43 PM – 3:47 PM – 4 //3:47 PM – 3:49 PM – 2

3:49 PM – 3:53 PM – 4 //3:53 PM – 3:56 PM – 3

3:56 PM – 3:57 PM – 1 //3:57 PM – 3:59 PM – 2

3:59 PM – 4:06 PM – 7 //4:06 PM – 4:09 PM – 3

4:09 PM – 4:11 PM – 2//4:11 PM – 4:14 PM – 3

4:14 PM – 4:18 PM – 4 //4:18 PM – 4:20 PM – 2

4:20 PM – 4:26 PM – 6 //4:26 PM – 4:28 PM – 2

4:28 PM – 4:33 PM – 5 //4:33 PM – 4:35 PM – 2

4:35 PM – 4:46 PM – 11 //4:46 PM – checkered flag waves

Total race brdcst time: 157 minTotal comm. brdcst time: 74 min