REVIEW: Vroom-vroom on your mobile: NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile gets checked flag

Application: NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile
Running on: Samsung M520 on Sprint Nextel’s network
Yay: A must for NASCAR fans who want to be informed on all things NASCAR, all the time. Fair representation of the desktop NASCAR Web site. It’s free as long as you have a data package.
Nay: Does anyone really need this much access to NASCAR? Pages are quite busy with almost too much info.
We say: For those who like watching a pack of the same cars with different paint jobs go round and round, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile can’t be beat. And the price leaves extra cash in the pocket for another case of PBR.
Review: While NASCAR might be losing some of its luster, there is still a dedicated – and in some cases rabid – fan base that shows its allegiance to certain drivers with bumper stickers on trucks and tattoos on bodies. To help feed that infatuation, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile is perfect to get your fix on the go.
Spawned from Nextel’s massive 10-year, $700 million sponsorship deal with NASCAR beginning in 2004, which morphed into the current Sprint Cup series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile shows Sprint Nextel’s willingness to get all it can out of the sponsorship deal.
The application, which is powered by Hands-On Mobile, is a quick download, and the fact that it’s free makes it a no-brainer. Once launched the user is presented with a graphically intense home page that sports a user interface somewhat similar to ESPN’s mobile offering on Verizon Wireless. The page includes a list of the series’ current point standings, a redundant ticker on the bottom that scrolls the series’ current point standings and links to other offerings, video offerings, news and the series’ broadcast schedule. The home page also features a pop-up menu that provides quick access to several other options, including fantasy racing and alerts.
The video features are a bit of a let down as they do not feature enough close-ups to make what’s being filmed very clear on a small screen, and, as with most streaming video offerings using cellular networks, the quality is hit or miss. The service also offers a list of compelling options during races that include race radio and in-car audio.
NASCAR also offers its own “Trackpass Mobile” service that includes many of the features of Sprint Cup Mobile to select AT&T Mobility phones for $10 per month. So there is at least one reason to be a Sprint Nextel customer.
Overall, the NASCAR Sprint Cut Mobile offering is a must for die-hard NASCAR fans, and since the service is free it’s worth a try for even casual NASCAR watchers. While some of the streaming portions suffer due to the cellular connection, the overall package is worth a test drive.