Hot Pass gives you awesome access, once again NASCAR and DirecTV get it!

It does not matter if you watch the races on TV, listen to them on radio or are a broadband fan, (computers for those of you less tech savvy) they bring their fans more and cooler innovations.

The coolest and one of the best innovations in sports might just be Hot Pass which is offered by DirecTV. The service allows fans to follow five drivers each week that have their own channels that include cameras and announcers.

FOX, SPEED and now DirecTV’s Larry MacReynolds and I talked about his Hot Pass assignment at the Brickyard 400 with the eventual winner Tony Stewart.

“What is so interesting about the Hot Pass it is like being in the huddle and being able to listen to the coach send the play into the game and then listen as the quarterback tells the play to the rest of the offense. But it is all in real time so you are seeing and hearing all those major strategic decisions being made in every key moment of the race without editing or interruptions,” said MacRenolds.

The concept was developed by FOX and in its first year Hot Pass has quickly become one of DirecTV’s most popular and most ambitious undertakings. The fans also have access to the main audio channel between the crew chief and the driver. Meanwhile they can also watch the race and do a picture in pictureor switch back and forth as they wish giving the fan total control. The service has been up and running all season since the launch at Daytona.

Sirius Satellite radio and NASCAR.COM both offer complete drivers channels so you can watch the races and hear the talk back and forth between the drivers and crews.

Again it is all about the access and NASCAR has once again how flexible they can be.

It still takes an act of congress for a player during and NFL or MLB game to wear a mic and we can hear that only after some serious editing.

Maybe someday the other leagues will catch up but until then you will have total access from NASCAR.