After a NASCAR spokesman recently made a nascar.com posting criticizing ESPN/ABC for being too negative, NASCAR chairman Brian France this week told The Roanoke Times that while "we welcome criticism on calls," suggested ESPN/ABC is treating NASCAR events differently from other sports. "What we'll ask the commentators to do … is to look at how other professional commentators call other sports."

Novel complaint, since ESPN/ABC isn't exactly known for trying to turn off viewers to anything its airs. Says spokesman Mike Soltys: "We do many things in support of NASCAR, but our goal is to serve fans with authority. We take that approach with every sport we televise."

NASCAR ratings this season dropped on Fox and TNT and are down so far on ABC. The one uptick: ESPN, whose races finished up 2%.