'Hollywood Hotel' more than a studio for fans

LONG POND, Pa. -- Despite some of the letters that the "Hollywood Hotel" has received, you can't actually get a room there.

"We actually get letters addressed 'Hollywood Hotel, care of FOX Sports," said NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg. "Somehow, they get to us, like the hotel has its own address."

Co-host and former Cup series crew chief Jeff Hammond is quick to pile on.

"We've actually gotten letters from people asking for reservations."

	Myers and Hammond both say they learned from each other during the FOX broadcasts. Credit: Autostock

The "hotel," actually a mobile studio that's cramped quarters rival a sardine can, is the centerpiece of the NASCAR on FOX pre-race show. But since it debuted at Rockingham in 2001, it's grown from merely a studio to a raceday destination.

The name actually is derived from the nickname FOX analyst Jeff Hammond garnered more than 20 years ago, even before he rose to the level of crew chief in NASCAR's top series.

"I was helping a group do a Mountain Dew commercial in 1981," Hammond said. "They didn't really know about racing, so they asked me to do the driving and to help them make the commercial look authentic.

"When the rest of my team came back to the track while we were doing the commercial, everyone was saying 'that Hammond's gone Hollywood' and the name just stuck."

The nickname took on an entirely new meaning during FOX's broadcast of the Rockingham race when fellow FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip said on the air, "there's Hollywood Hammond in his Hollywood Hotel."

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How strong is its following? Just hang around the structure during the hours leading up to a race.

Barriers keep fans from getting to close to the building, but folks still push the envelope, trying to get a glimpse inside the cut-a-way car Hammond uses to explain problems drivers may have with their car during the race.

Cameras are plentiful, as fans attempt to get a postcard shot of the surprisingly basic structure.

Hollywood types aren't in short supply either, says Hammond.

"We've had four-star generals come visit, celebrities like The Rock, Arnold Palmer, Britney Spears, the folks from 'American Idol.' Everybody, when they come to a race, wants to see the 'Hollywood Hotel.'

The new guy

Chris Myers was no stranger to sports broadcasting when he was offered the chance to host FOX's first foray into NASCAR. He's a former SportsCenter anchor and host of the sports talk show, "Up Close." He's got an Emmy award on his mantle.

But -- by his own admission -- he wasn't a gearhead.

"I didn't know that much about it," said Myers. "I was actually surprised because I thought that we'd be doing the show from the studios in L.A. like they do with the NFL and Major League Baseball, but they told me 'no, you'll be going to Talladega, you'll be going to Daytona.'"

While he might have been nervous at first, in retrospect, Myers said it was a great move.

	Chris Myers, an Emmy-winning broadcaster, says he's learned a lot about NASCAR since FOX began broadcasting the sport in 2001. Credit: FOX Sports

"It was really beneficial to me," he said. "I had been a little involved in racing with some of the ESPN stuff I did, but I wasn't immersed in it. Now, I feel very comfortable."

After being immersed in it for nearly four full seasons, Myers said he's picked up a lot.

"I've really learned a lot about the strategies and the inner-workings of a race," Myers said. "There's a lot more to it that a lot of people that may not follow it wouldn't know about."

Myers has gotten to know a lot of the drivers by doing his "10 laps" segment each week -- where he hits drivers with mostly non-racing questions like "Jennifer Lopez or Pam Anderson" and "Pizza or Pasta."

Myers says that on camera and off, NASCAR drivers match up very well against athletes from other professional sports.

"They have a very good perspective," Myers said, "and they're very unselfish, which certainly makes them a lot different than a lot of other athletes in other sports."

Goldberg said that even though Myers may appear to be a piece that doesn't fit, he plays his role well.

"Chris doesn't pretend to be an expert," Goldberg said. "He can ask the obvious question that the fan at home may be afraid to ask. Plus, he feels comfortable enough to set himself up as the foil, and that's entertainment."

Hammond said Myers has added a needed bit of sanity to what could be a crazy situation.

"They made a very good decision," Hammond said of the call to put Myers in the "hotel." "He knows how to get in and out of situations and he knows how to keep both of us honest."

Goldberg said the final call to bring Myers on board came down to a single sentence.

"We have a ton of experts," Goldberg said. "We needed a TV guy."

Muscling in

His colleagues at FOX call Chris Long "muscles". Once you look at him, you know that nickname is well-earned. He looks better suited for a job on someone's offensive line than calling the shots in a studio.

Long is one of the feature producers on FOX's NASCAR broadcasts, working with fellow producer Bill Richards. Long's been responsible for some of the more unusual features that have made the air during FOX's pre-race broadcast.

	Teleprompter operator Katie Entwistle is one of many crew members that cram into the "hotel" each Sunday. Credit: Autostock

For example, Long was responsible last year's well-known skit involving Myers, Hammond, Kevin Harvick, his wife Delana and a hot tub.

Perhaps even more interesting than the skits that made the air are a few that haven't.

"We had this whole thing set up where we were going to punk Tony Stewart," Long said with a grin. "We had this whole elaborate setup planned, but we decided not to do that."

Another idea that didn't make the grade involved a parody on a famous TV show.

"We were going to do a Starsky and Hutch thing," Long recalled. "Junior was going to be Hutch and Jeff Gordon was going to play Starsky, but we didn't do that one either."

The intense-yet-personable Long says his job is to think outside the box.

"We want to show things that you would never see these guys doing," Long said. "We already show everything that happens to these guys on the racetrack."

Long is forever cracking jokes on this cloudy Sunday at Pocono. Most aren't suitable for publication, but elicit huge laughs, just the same.

The biggest laugh of the day, however, came from Myers when he described Long.

"He's the custodian of the Hollywood Hotel."

Going Hollywood

Hammond said he started thinking about changing careers during the 2000 season, Hammond's last as a crew chief for Roush Racing.

	During the race, Hammond can often be found at the Ford cut-a-way car. Credit: FOX Sports

"It was a matter of time," Hammond said. "For as long as I was a crew chief and for my age, I knew that it wasn't going to be long before they needed to find someone else to do my job."

When he heard in mid-2000 that NBC and FOX were going to be taking over the television duties for NASCAR events in 2001, Hammond knew what he had to do.

"I had heard about auditions in Charlotte and I asked Jack (Roush) if I could go try it," said Hammond. "Jack was nothing but supportive and the opportunity was there.

When he was offered the job with FOX, Hammond didn't hesitate.

"I've done my tour of duty," Hammond said of his crew chief days. "Other than television, there are only a couple of places you go after being a crew chief -- owner, manager or out.

"I knew I didn't want to be out, and "Jack has turned out, not only to be a great boss, but a great ally and friend throughout all of this," Hammond said. "I can't say enough about him."

It wasn't long after Hammond took the job with FOX that his father passed away. While Hammond was mourning his father's passing, he found out a little bit about the company he was about to go to work for.

"These people that I had not worked a minute for yet sent flowers, called and checked on me, just things that you would never expect them to do.

"Everything these people have done for me, it has been a pleasure to work for them."

	Neil Goldberg

Goldberg said Hammond's value goes way beyond what fans may see on TV.

"Jeff would be very comfortable in the booth," said Goldberg. "But what he does for us is he's able to run the race in his head.

"He's able to see trends and let us or the guys in the booth know what's going on or what's about to happen."

A perfect example happened at Dover, Goldberg recalls, when Tony Stewart waved Jeremy Mayfield past him for the lead.

"Jeff saw that and said to me 'Hey Neil, did you see that. Stewart waved him by.' So we were able to replay it and zoom in on it. That kind of stuff happens all the time."

"I always want to hear more from Jeff Hammond."

While most wouldn't see the similarities between TV work and being a crew chief, Hammond said the two jobs have more in common than you might think.

"It's a real team effort," Hammond said of broadcasting a race. "When you do this right, it's as good as winning a race as a crew chief."

"It's fun, too."