Speedvision Retrospective
I learned about the new Speedvision back on March 25, 2023 when I was watching a commercial on a network on Local Now. Before discussing the new Speedvision and know a lot about its importance to me as an automotive enthusiast and motorsports enthusiast, I must provide some retrospective. Because I have been such an avid Speedvision fan, I have a LOT of retrospective to cover before getting on to the main point of this blog post. Journey with me here...
My Retrospective on Speedvision.
The FOX-owned Speedvision hit airwaves first in 1995. The channel has had a handful of great shows and even at times some automotive-related movies. Speedvision was also well known for coverage of motorsports worldwide. Speedvision was best known for showing most motorsports not usually shown on the major networks. This is what made Speedvision so loved and revered. It would show a lot of racing events ranging from grassroots motorsports all the way to major events such as the Formula 1 World Championship, the World Rally Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.What made Speedvision unique also related their unconditional love of any vehicle with a motor. Usually, Speedvision would dedicate Tuesday to "Two-Wheel Tuesdays," and Wednesdays would be "Wings and Water Wednesdays." Tuesdays were all about motorcycle racing usually with coverage of World Superbike and MotoGP. Tuesdays would also see a quality motorcycle show called "American Thunder," focused on some cool cruiser motorcycles and chopper motorcycles.
"Wings and Water Wednesday" was what it sounded like it was about- planes and boats. So on these days, you would watch things like plane races on the planes side. A handful of races involving powerboats, hydroplanes, jet skis, and more would make up "Wings and Water Wednesday."
Weekends were mostly devoted to both racing action as well as some automobile movies. So you could see movies like "Le Mans" or "The Speed Merchants" on Saturday nights. The weekends also had "Speedvision News" with all of the latest news updates in the world of motorsports. Usually when NASCAR was done, there would be coverage of international racing series such as the British Touring Car Championship, DTM, Australian V8 Supercars, and more.
In addition to quality automotive programming, it also sponsored SCCA racing with touring cars and GT cars with the Speedvision World Challenge series. This was an opportunity to see quality road racing featuring many racing talent racing across tracks in the United States and Canada. These were fun-to-watch racing events that further enhanced the appeal of Speedvision. Speedvision did have something different from the mainstream racing series when the USAR Hooters Pro Cup was featured mostly on Thursday nights. It also played host to covering non-racing events, such as the Barrett-Jackson Automobile Auction. Speedvision even shown off coverage of the SCCA's greatest showcase of talent- the SCCA Runoffs.
Speedvision did have some featured programs that I remember best in the Speedvision days. "Motorsport Mundial" was a great show showcasing the world of racing in a 30-minute program. "Legends of Motorsport" takes you back in time with past names, races, and marques who helped shape motorsports history. Speedvision also featured the "Victory by Design" series, which highlighted on certain world-class marques. The cars were driven and narrated by the late Alain de Cadenet (whom I loved). There was even the fun show, "Dream Car Garage," featuring the late Tom Hnatiw and Peter Klutt. This show had some very nice cars featured and worked on. For some perspective on automotive news, Speedvision shown "Autoline Detroit" with host John McElroy.
A lot of the personalities that made Speedvision included (but not limited to) Bob Varsha, David Hobbs, Calvin Fish, Dorsey Schroder, Rick Benjamin, Greg Creamer, Tommy Kendall, and Alain de Cadenet.
Speedvision had bigger plans for when 2002 came around. Gone was Speedvision and in will become Speed Channel the following year. Speedvision will be gone and be reborn as... Speed Channel.
My Retrospective of Speed Channel.
That magical formula of Speedvision would be modified when Speedvision became Speed Channel in 2002. With Speed Channel, more of Americana would make Speed Channel a bit more mainstream with NASCAR and some other mostly American racing series. Some would feel Speedvision lost its luster when it started being more NASCAR-friendly rather than stick to its love of all things automotive and motorsports. While it wasn't the perfect formula to some, the same love of automotive culture and motorsports was still alive. Many more new shows would surface as well as a broader array of featured motorsports events with Speed Channel.So what did this new Speed Channel bring? Well, there is now two different Speed News shows- one devoted to NASCAR, and one devoted to all other motorsports. NASCAR Practice and Qualifying was on Speed Channel. It was mostly Mondays that were devoted to NASCAR. Tuesdays were still motorcycle-friendly. However, there wasn't any more of "Wings and Water Wednesday." Weekends were still about full-speed racing action. Some Speedvision purists would probably think this new Speed Channel shyed away from what Speedvision was all about. If Speed Channel brought something great, its grandest show was "WindTunnel With Dave Despain," a one-hour call-in show featuring motorcycle aficionado Dave Despain talking about the world of motorsports and interviewing many motorsports and automotive personalities.
What about shows? Between 2002 and Speed's demise, a lot more unique shows came along. Among the many- Hi-Rev Tuners, Sports Car Revolution, LUCAS Oil On The Edge, Fifth Gear, SpeedFreaks, MotorWeek (syndicated), Forza Motorsport Showdown, Pinks, Pinks All-Out, 100 Cars You Must Drive, Pass Time, Wrecked, Test Drive, World's Greatest Auto Shows, Tuner Transformation, I Wanna Date a Race Car Driver, Texas Hardtails, Setup, Drag Race High, and Wrecked. That was quite enough shows to keep automobile fans busy!
As Speedvision became Speed Channel, the Speedvision World Challenge would become the Speed Channel World Challenge. Personally around this time with "Sports Car Revolution," this was where I got to appreciate Chip Herr when he raced in the series. There were still a lot of great series that were aired on the network. In the later years of Speed Channel before its demise, it would even be the home of AMA Supercross.
Most of the same talent that made Speedvision great returned for Speed Channel. Among the newer names were Robin Miller, Leigh Diffey, Jamie Howe, and more.
What is this "demise of Speed Channel" I speak of? Well, some time in 2013, Speed Channel started airing things... other than motorsports. Speed Channel shown a pageant featuring Hooters girls, and they even aired some football (as in soccer) from the English Premier League. This was where Speed Channel was going to become FOX Sports 1. Additionally, Fuel TV, a channel devoted to outdoor sports, was to become FOX Sports 2.
Then on August 17, 2013; Speed Channel would become... FOX Sports 1, and Fuel TV would become... FOX Sports 2. Gone are 18 years devoted to automobile programming and motorsports programming. In their places are a sports network devoted to different kinds of sports but still airs racing from time to time. I called this move as "the biggest middle-finger to motorsports fans" when Speed Channel became FS1. Media would be without a true motorsports home.
Life After Speedvision/Speed Channel.
What happened after Speed Channel became no more? Mostly NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) had a good deal of featuring motorsports including the IndyCar Series, MotoGP, and even Formula 1. When NBC Sports Network became no more, the various NBC Networks (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and USA Network) have shown various racing series as well as other sports. CBS Sports Network featured a lot of motorsports also. This included the LUCAS Oil Off-Road Series and the Blancpain GT3 Series among others. The only networks close to what Speed Channel used to provide are MavTV for motorsports, and then Motor Trend TV for mostly automotive programming, and MTTV shows the 24 Hours of Le Mans on American television.Even with these channels offering here-and-there content, it wasn't Speedvision or Speed Channel. Different channels with the same devotion is like having multiple friends or lovers for different things... only no singular entity offering all that Speedvision had to offer. That is... until 2022 and 2023...
Speedvision Returns!
Now for the main course of this blog post- Speedvision RETURNS! Speedvision returns as a free ad-supported television (FAST) network with over 500 hours of automotive programming. It can be seen on a number of platforms and TV apps. I watch Speedvision on Local Now. However, it can also be seen on other platforms like PLEX.
Speedvision has a lot going for it as a FAST network. Shows new and old are on this new Speedvision. Among them, Gearz, Truck U, Graveyard Cars, AmeriCarna, My Superbike Family, and more. Some other automotive programs are in the pipeline for the future of Speedvision. Shows like "Zero-60," "14th Street Wheels," and "Radford Reborn" are coming in the future as of April 3, 2023.
The new Speedvision does have one or two programs I saw that reminded me of the old Speedvision- two programs devoted to plane documentaries. One of those shows I saw was on the Tuskegee Airmen.
What I Want for the New Speedvision.
The amount of content for Speedvision so far is very good. I do, however, want Speedvision to somehow get itself some motorsports programming. This is to purely be like the former Speedvision. A number of other FAST networks have motorsports coverage, including (but not limited to) MavTV Select, MotorRacing, motorsport.tv, and Auto AllStars. The only thing I'm unsure about is if they could have themselves old school Speedvision and Speed Channel shows- just to take things back in time.I wouldn't mind seeing something like "Legends of Motorsport" return with classic motorsports coverage. On the racing coverage front, I wouldn't mind seeing maybe some Trans-Am, SCCA racing, NASA racing, some grassroots racing, time attack, just a variety of racing. I just want to see a modern Speedvision drawing on past energy to produce some great material for the future.
That is more of what I am after- give newer viewers a quality experience of Speedvision, but then also let the old Speedvision fans get to enjoy the Speedvision that has been absent for a number of years.
Preview and More Information.
This is the official trailer for the new Speedvision. Check it...^ SPEEDVISION is Back - Auto Enthusiasts Rejoice!
...and to learn more about the new Speedvision, please visit www.speedvisionnetwork.com.
I am glad to see Speedvision return, and I have a good feeling this reborn channel will last. At least this will last longer than, say... G4 TV.
Two-thirds of this blog post was retrospective, but I still had my say on the new Speedvision while looking back on the former Speedvision/Speed Channel. I hope you enjoyed my work here! If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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