Big motorsports week for SPEED

• Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix – LIVE on SPEED
• The 55th running of the historic 12 Hours of Sebring – LIVE on SPEED
• 15 hours of NASCAR coverage from the rocket-fast Atlanta Motor Speedway, including exclusive coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – LIVE on SPEED

And that’s all in the first 48 hours of the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

SPEED will puts its versatility and expertise on display in grand fashion this week, tapping the talents of nearly 500 crew and contractors with access to nearly 180 different cameras to bring SPEED viewers complete coverage from the Formula One season opener, the famed 12 Hours of Sebring and the NASCAR weekend in Atlanta.

“This is the kind of weekend where SPEED shines," said Rick Miner, SPEED Sr. VP Production & Network Operations. “We will have nearly 30 hours of live coverage with crews on-site at three major events in three very different settings, giving SPEED viewers the opportunity to experience some of the most diverse and competitive motor sports events of the racing season … all in the span of a few days."

SPEED opens the Formula One season March 15 with Australian Grand Prix practice at 11 p.m. ET. With approximately 60 on-board cameras, no driver will be left uncovered. In 2007, SPEED is teaming with FOX Sports to elevate the exposure of Formula One racing in the U.S., with this year’s U.S. Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix being aired live on FOX, with SPEED on-air talent of Bob Varsha, Steve Matchett, David Hobbs and Peter Windsor, calling the action.

SPEED opens its 12 Hours of Sebring coverage March 17 at 9:30 a.m. for the 55th running of the iconic endurance race that has welcomed some of the greatest racers in history, including Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio and Phil Hill.

Leigh Diffey and Greg Creamer will provide play-by-play for the SPEED coverage of Sebring, with Dorsey Schroeder and Calvin Fish serving as analysts and Brian Till, Chris Neville, Andrew Marriott and Mike Johnson reporting from the pits. Jamie Howe will provide feature reporting.

NASCAR on SPEED begins March 16 from Atlanta Motor Speedway, with live coverage of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series qualifying and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. SPEED will take fans all the way through the NASCAR St. Patrick’s Day Weekend with their popular at-track lineup of shows, including Trackside, NASCAR Live!, NASCAR Performance, Tradin’ Paint, Victory Lane and the definitive NASCAR Nextel Cup Series pre-race show, NASCAR RaceDay, with John Roberts, Jimmy Spencer, Kenny Wallace and Wendy Venturini.

St. Patrick’s Day live or same-day weekend racing schedule on SPEED:

March 15

· Formula One practice, Australian GP (11 p.m. ET, LIVE)

March 16
· NASCAR Live! from Atlanta (12:00 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series final practice from Atlanta (12:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Live! from Atlanta (1:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Busch Series final practice from Atlanta (2 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Nextel Cup Series practice from Atlanta (3:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· Trackside from Atlanta (6 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Nextel Cup Series qualifying from Atlanta (7 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NCTS Set-Up from Atlanta (8:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Atlanta (9 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· Formula One qualifying, Australian GP (11:30 p.m. ET, Same-Day Delay)

March 17
· 12 Hours of Sebring – ALMS season opener (9:30 a.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Busch Series qualifying from Atlanta (11:30 a.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Nextel Cup Series final practice from Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· 12 Hours of Sebring (2:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)
· Australian Grand Prix – F1 season opener (10:30 p.m. ET, LIVE)

March 18
· NASCAR RaceDay from Atlanta (11:30 a.m. ET, LIVE)
· NASCAR Victory Lane from Atlanta (8 p.m. ET, Same-Day Delay)