Motorsports this week on ESPN
ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will present an English-language race telecast utilizing full use of High Definition cameras, Sportvision enhancements and state-of-the-art graphics. ESPN’s Chris Fowler will host the telecast. Play-by-play announcer Jerry Punch will be joined in the booth by 1989 NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree for analysis. Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro will serve as pit reporters. Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. ET with a live edition of NASCAR Now, ESPN’s first daily news and information show totally dedicated to NASCAR. NASCAR Countdown will be aired live at 1:30 p.m. on race day, preceding the 2 p.m. race start, with Fowler joining studio analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty.
ESPN will present a simulcast of ESPN Deportes’ Spanish-language flag-to-flag coverage of the race. ESPN Deportes will feature a unique telecast of the race with its own on-site production team, Spanish-language graphics and commentary and the highlighting of key Hispanic drivers. Play-by-play commentator Andrés Agulla will be joined in the booth by Alex Pombo for analysis. Claudia Trejos and Marcelo Vivo will serve as pit reporters. In addition to offering Spanish-language flag-to-flag coverage, ESPN Deportes will present a pre-race show from location at 1:30 p.m. ET, preceding the 2 p.m. green flag. Immediately following the race the network will present a special one-hour edition of SportsCenter with post-race coverage and interviews from on-site. The simulcast will mark the first time in ESPN’s history that it has telecast an entire event in Spanish.
ESPN360, ESPN’s signature broadband service available in 15 million homes nationwide, will feature a live simulcast of the ESPN2 telecast with a race cast application, plus exclusive content from NASCAR Now, an ESPN360 “Super Highlight" of the race available immediately after the race is complete and post-race coverage including analysis and driver press conferences. In addition, throughout the season ESPN360 will feature exclusive driver-specific video capsules that will be progressively updated to feature season-to-date highlights, interviews, news and all other driver-related video.
ESPN Full Circle will also touch other ESPN multimedia platforms including ESPNEWS, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com, SportsCenter and ESPN2’s Cold Pizza.
D.J. COPP TO MAKE NASCAR NOW DEBUT TUESDAY
NASCAR Now, ESPN’s first-ever daily news and information show totally dedicated to NASCAR, will air at its normal 6:30 p.m. ET time slot Tuesday through Thursday, and at a special time of 6 p.m. ET on Friday. The weekend edition of NASCAR Now will air at 10 a.m. ET Sunday.
This week, D.J. Copp, front tire changer on Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, will make his debut on the program as a feature on Tuesday and Wednesday’s shows.
Host Erik Kuselias in the NASCAR Now studio will be joined by NASCAR driver Stacy Compton and NASCAR insider Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News Tuesday for analysis and debate on current NASCAR topics.
ESPN2 TO HAVE LIVE NASCAR BUSCH SERIES PRACTICE, QUALIFYING COVERAGE FROM MEXICO CITY
ESPN2 will have live coverage of practice and qualifying for this weekend’s NASCAR Busch Series event in Mexico City on Friday and Saturday, March 2-3.
Live coverage of Friday’s one-hour final practice session for the series will be aired from 5-6 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be televised from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Calling the action from the booth will be Jerry Punch with analysts Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns and Jamie Little will report from the pits and garage, while Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will be in the ESPN Pit Studio.
VINTAGE NHRA RACING AIRING ON ESPN CLASSIC
ESPN Classic is reaching into its vast video archive for daily airings of vintage NHRA Drag Racing featuring races dating back to the mid-‘90s. The show airs Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. ET and will run through the end of March with 40 episodes.
NHRA Drag Racing on ESPN Classic features exclusive racing coverage that aired on ESPN and ESPN2. This week’s schedule:
Feb. 27 – NHRA Champion Auto Stores Nationals, Aug. 18, 1996
Feb. 28 – NHRA Drag Racing – Dallas, Nov. 9, 2000
Mar. 1 – NHRA Chief Auto Parts Nationals, Oct. 13, 1996
Mar. 2 — NHRA Pennzoil Nationals, May 1, 1997
Mar. 3 – NHRA Pennzoil Nationals – Rain Make Up, May 10, 1997