Chat Transcript: Liz Allison

June 15, 2001
11:15 AM EDT (1515 GMT)

NASCAR.com: Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Liz Allison!

Allison

Liz Allison: Hello to everyone this evening. I am glad you could join me on NASCAR.com and I am looking forward to answering your questions.

NASCAR.com: Question from: litlaj Hi Liz, welcome back to NASCAR! Congratulations on your new adventure with TNT! What kind of stories will you be covering?

Liz Allison: Thank you for welcoming me! I will be covering the normal racing stories, as far as the drivers on raceday. I will also do more personal stories about the drivers and their families, as well as some off the track stuff that hasn't been given that much attention in the past.

NASCAR.com: Question from: details Welcome Liz. How many events will you be scheduled to appear live?

Liz Allison: I will be doing everything that TNT does, so that would be most of the Busch races as well as 7 Winston Cup races. TNT also covers the banquet, so I should be there as well.

NASCAR.com: Question from: dalelover Had you given any thought to a career in reporting prior to this opportunity?

Liz Allison: No, I had not. I was always sitting on the other side of the camera getting interviewed. It has been fun for me to actually ask the questions now. I didn't have any other experience other than that.

NASCAR.com: Question from: nascar#1 You've had a lot of experience with being on the other side of the camera. Do you think that will make you a better reporter?

Liz Allison: I hope so! I think that my knowledge of the sport, as well as my relationships, will make me a better one. I did one with the Pettys for TBS and that was great for me. They are great friends of mine and Adam was dear to me. I knew the questions to ask and not to ask, so that was important.

NASCAR.com: Question from: frano How closely have you followed NASCAR the past few years?

Liz Allison: Very close. I have always been a fan of the sport, for as long as I can remember. After Davey's death, I still kept up with it, but not as much as now. Enough time has passed and it is a great place to be. I love it and I am keeping up with it, and I have been over the past few years.

NASCAR.com: Question from: Val Has Benny Parsons or Alan Beswick given you any advice?

Liz Allison: They just said to stay true to myself and that I will do fine. I will make mistakes and they said to just laugh and keep on going!

NASCAR.com: Question from: Kay6 Liz, I was just wondering if your son, Robbie, is interested in racing?

Liz Allison: Yes, he is interested in racing. He just ran his first race back a few months ago and had an accident the first night. That was the end of his little racing career. Mommy put her foot down and said he can't race until he has his driver's license. He will be watching it on TV like most of the other kids.

NASCAR.com: Question from: KevinRaceFan What do you think of the efforts of Sarah Fisher and Shawna Robinson to get into the sport, especially considering that Shawna is a mother?

Liz Allison: I think everyone has to go after their dream and I commmend them for going after it. They are very focused and I admire them. I have known Shawna and her husband for a long time. He worked on the #28 team with Davey. She is doing a great job and my hats off to her.

NASCAR.com: Question from: allisonfan I understand that you'll not only will be doing interviews for TNT, but you'll also be doing a column for NASCAR.com. How will those two differ?

Liz Allison: It will differ sometimes and sometimes it wont. It depends on what is going on at the track and what I am covering there. Sometimes it will be the same subject matter, and sometimes it will be different. You will just have to log on to find out :)

NASCAR.com: Question from: RacingDiva Liz, I was just wondering what prompted you to return to the wonderful sport of auto racing in this capacity?

Liz Allison: Jim Huber! Jim contacted me about this position and asked if I would be interested in this position. He put the little word out there and got me in contact with the guys at Turner. It wasn't anything I ever thought about until they called. One thing led to another, and here we are. I am extremely excited about it and it is going to be a great second half of the racing season. I am looking forward to it.

NASCAR.com: Question from: Dude Any predictions on the points Championship?

Liz Allison: It is still a little early to call that, but Jeff Gordon is hot and everyone knows that. When he gets going, you know he is hard to beat. From where it is right now, that is who it might be. We have half of the season left and a lot can happen. I don't start focusing on that Championship until after we get past the halfway point in the season.

NASCAR.com: Question from: shirleye66 Will you be doing anything in-depth with the wives of drivers?

Liz Allison: Definitely. I will be doing those types of stories, as well as more personal ones with the drivers, not just what is going on at the racetrack. I will see what they are involved with from a charity-standpoint. Turner is interested in bringing a more personal side of the sport to the fans.

NASCAR.com: Question from: Vaerna Liz, what unique insights and perspectives will you bring to the fans of NASCAR?

Liz Allison: I think my personal knowledge of the sport. I hope to be able to share that as well as my personal relationships. Definitely my opinions! Haha

NASCAR.com: Question from: hotrods_2 What are you views on retiring #'s in NASCAR?

Liz Allison: That is a tough call because I know when Davey was killed, I very much felt, as did many fans, that the #28 should have been retired. I was personally hurt it wasn't, but Robert Yates felt that if he retired it, he said it would be like Davey never existed. I think the same thing has come up with other drivers, and of course with Dale Earnhardt's death, this has been discussed. I don't really want to say one way or another, because I see a little on both sides of it. Teams need to make their best decision, whether a driver is just retiring or whether something unfortunate happens, like a driver dying.

NASCAR.com: Question from: phyzerman Will you take your kids with you to the tracks?

Liz Allison: They will go to some of the races, but not to all of them. It would be a tough schedule. They are excited about it and they are looking forward to hanging out with some of the other kids at the MRO on Sundays.

NASCAR.com: Question from: MichiganJosh Are you going to do broadcasts again next season?

Liz Allison: I don't know. We are just focusing on this year and I really don't know at this point.

NASCAR.com: Question from: adam4kyle At yesterday's race, how did you feel seeing the #28 up front again?

Liz Allison: I thought it was great! Ricky has worked hard and the whole Yates team has worked hard. It is great to see someone work hard and have a good run. They are due for a win.

NASCAR.com: Question from: dallison28 Do you plan on making public appearances at the tracks or will you be focusing solely on your duties as a reporter?

Liz Allison: It depends on what is going on from weekend to weekend. There are some things I know that I am doing during the day outside of the racing day, so I will take that on depending on the schedule. Sometimes I will and sometimes I wont, depending on the schedule.

NASCAR.com: Question from: jen4rusty What do Robbie and Krista think of your new job?

Liz Allison: They think it is cool that mommy is going to talk on TV! They think it is great.

NASCAR.com: That's all the time Liz has for us this evening. Thanks Liz! What are your final thoughts?

Liz Allison: Thank you for your support over all the years and I am excited to be back at the track. I look forward to seeing you all week in and week out at the tracks.