Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

The Chase is On: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Live from Kansas on ABC

NASCAR’s version of the playoffs continues this week with the third race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the series visits the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. ESPN on ABC’s high-definition telecast of Sunday’s 400-mile race begins at 1 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ABC will have live coverage of all 10 races that make up the Chase.

ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will have live coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Kansas on Friday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m., and same-day coverage of final practice airs Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. The race telecast re-airs Monday, Sept. 29, at noon on ESPN Classic.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lead announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will be pit reporters with two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Tech Center.

The pre-race NASCAR Countdown show from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick, with 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and analyst Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

Race day on ABC also includes a presentation of Lifelock’s Greatest Racing Identities – Motorsports Explained at 12:30 p.m.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Live on ESPN2 from Kansas

ESPN2’s season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues with a live telecast of the event at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 27, beginning at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The race also airs in high definition on ESPN2 HD and will be simulcast on ESPN Deportes.

In addition, ESPN2 airs same-day coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice from Kansas Speedway on Friday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m.

Analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will call the race with lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty.

Wallace, Evernham, Daugherty on NASCAR Now Monday Roundtable Discussion

The Monday, Sept. 29, edition of NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information show, at 5 p.m. ET will feature host Allen Bestwick leading a roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news and races. Panel members will include ESPN analysts Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham and Brad Daugherty.

Episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. The one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now airs Sunday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs Sunday night at 10 p.m.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Ryan Burr, Nicole Manske and Bestwick and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Tim Cowlishaw, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and D.J. Copp, a member of the Petty Enterprises NASCAR team.

NASCAR Now viewers also benefit from frequent contributions by the NASCAR on ESPN team including Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake.

ESPN Classic Showing One of NASCAR’s Greatest Races – 1976 Daytona 500

The 1976 Daytona 500 is generally regarded as one of the greatest NASCAR races ever, and fans will have a chance to watch highlights from the event on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic.

The race at Daytona International Speedway features the classic finish when Richard Petty and David Pearson crash coming to the line on the last lap, with both cars spinning into the infield. As Petty’s crew rushes to his stricken Dodge, Pearson drives his crumpled Mercury past to take the win at about 10 mph.

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series in Memphis as Countdown Continues

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to 1 continues this week as the series makes its annual appearance at Memphis Motorsports Park for the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will have same-day coverage of qualifying and final eliminations for the event. Qualifying coverage airs Saturday, Sept. 27, at 10:30 p.m. ET, with eliminations coverage airing Sunday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. Eliminations re-air Monday, Sept. 29, at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband television network, will stream live coverage of eliminations rounds from the final six events of the 2008 season. Coverage from Memphis starts at 10 a.m.

Paul Page anchors coverage for ESPN2, with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn co-host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Action from the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series’ recent event at Dallas airs Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2, following NHRA RaceDay.