ESPN2 INCREASES CAMERAS, STAFF FOR FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

CONCORD, N.C. -- NHRA isn't the only one utilizing an
increase in equipment and manpower to handle the
inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway
this weekend. ESPN2, the longtime television partner
of NHRA, who will bring the historic NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series event to millions watching
at home Saturday (9 p.m. ET) and Sunday (5 p.m. ET),
also has beefed up its on-site presence.

Shawn Murphy, senior coordinating producer for ESPN2's
NHRA coverage, says seven additional cameras, a
helicopter and an estimated 15 more crew members were
needed to pull off coverage of NHRA's first-ever
venture into four-wide drag racing. "We needed the
additional equipment to help tell the story," Murphy
explained. "A single round of racing will take
approximately the same amount of time, but two
additional cars will be in the mix each time. We have
to tell the story about four racers instead of two
during each run, so we'll have to maximize that time
with more camera selections and graphics."

Murphy said ESPN2 added two additional hand-held
cameras for the extra lanes at the starting line, a
new crane camera positioned near mid-track just
outside lane four, an extra super slow-mo camera, a
helicopter-mounted camera to provide dramatic overhead
visuals, a small robotic camera situated on the wall
outside lane four and one additional point of view
camera, bringing the grand total of cameras in use by
ESPN2 at this event to a whopping 28.

"We plan to continuously remind our viewers that four
cars are racing instead of two, that will be very
important," Murphy said. "And we have created a lot of
graphics packages that will reinforce the rules of how
four-wide racing works."