Omaha Productions Uses Ross Chastain for Unique Race

Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s entertainment company, has joined forces with Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain for a unique race. He tried to beat a tennis ball at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The race was the finale of the July 5 episode of “McEnroe’s Places.” International Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe detailed the history of the tennis serve while budding star Taylor Fritz tested them out with a variety of rackets. One such test was seeing whether Chastain’s ESPN+-branded Chevrolet SS or Fritz’s serve was fastest.

In order to complete this test, McEnroe, Fritz, and Chastain headed to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fritz waited on pit road while the three-time Cup Series winner completed his warmup lap. The tennis player then completed a serve as Chastain headed toward the start-finish line.

Chastain and Fritz had to attempt this race multiple times due to an unexpected judging decision, but they completed it. The NFL Films cameras then showed the winner using footage captured at 1,000 frames per second.

Of course, Chastain was involved, so there was a special celebration. He pulled the Chevrolet SS into Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane at the Florida track, where all three of them smashed watermelons.

The full episode of “McEnroe’s Places” debuted on Wednesday, July 5, on ESPN+. The streaming service is available as a standalone product for $6.99 per month, or it is available in two different Disney+ bundles.

The trio basic which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (with ads) is $12.99 per month. The trio premium bundle which includes Disney+ (ad-free), Hulu (ad-free), and ESPN+ (with ads) is $19.99 per month.

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There Was a Historical Basis for This Test

Using a Chevrolet SS from the NASCAR Racing Experience to test a tennis serve is not something that automatically jumps to the top of the list. However, there was a historical basis for this decision.

As McEnroe explained during the episode, the radar gun was not invented until the 1950s. It is now more common when testing the speed of pitches in baseball and serves in tennis, but there was a different method used in the years prior.

Back in 1940, pitcher Bob Feller agreed to a unique test. He would throw a baseball at a piece of paper held up by a wooden stand while a police officer on a Harley-Davidson would ride toward another piece of paper.

Per the Huffington Post, the test unfolded on a closed-off road that runs through Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The police officer raced past Feller at 86 mph. Once he had a 10-foot head start, the pitcher threw a fastball, which hit the paper target moments before the motorcycle crashed through the other paper target.

Major League Baseball, which put on the test, calculated all of the variable factors and later announced that Feller’s fastball had reached 104 mph.

83 years later, this scientific speed test made a comeback in a unique environment. This time, Chastain was behind the wheel of the ESPN+-branded Chevrolet while Fritz was on pit road with his tennis racket. McEnroe had an up-close view as he rode in the passenger seat. He also experienced a true NASCAR burnout.

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‘McEnroe’s Places’ Joins Another Unique Sports-Themed Program

Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has been busy since launching Omaha Productions in 2020. This company created the alternate NFL broadcast, “Manningcast,” which features Manning and his brother Eli providing commentary during “Monday Night Football.”

Omaha Productions also took over “Peyton’s Places,” the documentary series that follows Manning as he interviews players and coaches about some of the biggest moments from their careers. This series launched in 2019, and it has continued since moving to Omaha Productions.

“McEnroe’s Places” is currently in its first season. The debut episode, which featured Manning as a guest, aired on Wednesday, June 28. Chastain then joined the show for the second episode. The remaining eight episodes will air every Wednesday through September 13.

“No one has more passion for their sport than John McEnroe, we saw it every time he stepped foot on the court and we hear it every time he’s in the announcer’s booth,” Peyton Manning said in a press release. “John brings that same passion to ‘McEnroe’s Places,’ telling the story of tennis with some of the greatest to ever pick up a racket.”

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