FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 20th, 2014

MONACO GRAND PRIX THIS SUNDAY ON NBC HIGHLIGHTS MORE THAN 50 HOURS OF “BIGGEST DAY IN MOTORSPORTS” COVERAGE ACROSS NBC & NBCSN

Monaco Grand Prix Airs Live on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBC – Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett & Will Buxton On-Site from Monaco

Diffey, Hobbs, Townsend Bell, Jeff Burton & Executive Producer Sam Flood Preview “Biggest Day in Motorsports” on Media Conference Call Tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. ET

NASCAR America Super Serves Fans This Week with Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick, & NASCAR Hall of Fame Analysis

Live Coverage of Indianapolis 500 Carb Day Starts Friday at 11 a.m. ET

NBC Sports Live Extra to Stream All Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 Carb Day & Global Rallycross Coverage

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 20, 2014 – NBC Sports Group will present more than 50 hours of motorsports coverage this week leading into the “Biggest Day in Motorsports”, highlighted by NBC’s live presentation of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET. NBC Sports Group’s F1 team of play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey, analysts David Hobbs and Steve Matchett, and F1 insider and pit reporter Will Buxton will call the action on-site from Monte Carlo.

NBC Sports Group’s extensive motorsports coverage this week spans Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, AMA Motocross, Global Rallycross and new original programming, culminating with NBC’s live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix.

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NBC SPORTS GROUP PREVIEWS “BIGGEST DAY IN MOTORSPORTS” ON MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL – WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 AT 12:15 P.M. ET

NBC Sports Group’s lead motorsports play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey, motorsports analysts David Hobbs (F1) and Townsend Bell (IndyCar), and Jeff Burton (NASCAR), and executive producer Sam Flood will preview the “Biggest Day in Motorsports”, consisting of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix (NBC), Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, on a media conference call tomorrow, May 21 at 12:15 p.m. Click here for full information on tomorrow’s conference call.

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F1 MONACO GRAND PRIX COVERAGE BEGINS THURSDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN will kick off NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix with Practice 2 on Thursday morning at 8 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. ET. Diffey, Hobbs, Matchett and Buxton will be on-site for practice, qualifying, and Grand Prix coverage, which begins Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBC.

In addition, NBC Sports Live Extra will present exclusive live streaming coverage of Practice 1 on Thursday at 4 a.m. ET, and Practice 3 on Saturday at 5 a.m. ET.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) looks to continue his dominant start to the 2014 F1 season with a fifth straight win at Monaco this weekend, following his Spanish Grand Prix victory two weeks earlier. Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) have finished 1-2 in four consecutive races, and Rosberg took the checkered flag at the Australian Grand Prix to open the season, giving Mercedes five wins in five tries this campaign.

Last year, Rosberg took the pole at Monaco and led the race from start to finish, 30 years after his father Keke Rosberg won the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix.

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Thu., May 22 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 1 4 a.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 2 8 a.m. NBCSN
Fri., May 23 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 2 (Encore) 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., May 24 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 3 5 a.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying 8 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
GP2 Monaco 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., May 25 F1 Extra – Pre-Race 7 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix 7:30 a.m. NBC
F1 Extra – Post-Race 10 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 10:30 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 11 p.m. NBCSN

 

NBCSN PRESENTS TELEVISION PREMIERES OF /DRIVE ON NBC SPORTS AND OFF THE GRID SATURDAY AT 9:30 A.M. ET FOLLOWING LIVE QUALIFYING

As part of the lead up to Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, NBCSN presents the television premieres of /DRIVE on NBC Sports and Off The Grid this Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET following live coverage of Monaco Grand Prix qualifying.

/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco is the first of 10 episodes that will air on NBCSN this year. The premiere follows hosts Chris Harris, Matt Farah and Mike Spinelli on an adventure across Europe to Monaco in three Formula 1-inspired supercars from F1 constructors Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz AMG and McLaren, as they discover the glitz, glamour and prestige surrounding the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.

NBC Sports’ original series Off The Grid, hosted by F1 insider and pit reporter Will Buxton and NBC Sports Group F1 producer Jason Swales, premieres at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN. The series gives F1 enthusiasts an inside look at the culture that surrounds the sport, both on and off the track. This week’s episode examines the culture surrounding the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, featuring interviews with Force India driver, Nico Hulkenberg and American GP2 drivers Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly.

Click here for a preview of /DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco

Click here for a preview of Off The Grid: Barcelona

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Sat., May 24 /DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco 9:30 a.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona 10 a.m. NBCSN
/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco (Encore) 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona (Encore) 11 p.m. NBCSN
Mon., May 26 /DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco (Encore) 2 a.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona (Encore) 2:30 a.m. NBCSN

 

NBCSN PRESENTS “COUNTDOWN TO MONACO” PRESENTED BY CARFAX ON SATURDAY – 11.5 CONSECUTIVE HOURS OF MOTORSPORTS PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING F1 DOCUMENTARY “1”

Leading into the “Biggest Day in Motorsports”, NBCSN will present the “Countdown to Monaco” Presented by CarFax, highlighted by the North American television debut of the Formula 1 documentary titled “1” at 8 p.m. ET, which examines the history of the sport and drivers that risked their lives to change Formula 1 forever.

NBCSN’s “Countdown to Monaco” kicks off this Saturday starting at 3:30 p.m. ET with an encore presentation of qualifying for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indy 500 Festival Parade at 5 p.m. ET.

Encore presentations of /DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco and Off The Grid: Barcelona will air after “1”, followed by GP2 Race 2 from Monaco at 11:30 p.m. ET, and AMA Motocross coverage from Glen Helen Raceway at 1 a.m. ET.

Buxton will have the call of the GP2 race from Monaco, while Jason Weigandt, Grant Langston and Georgia Lindsay will provide commentary for AMA Motocross coverage. AMA Motocross coverage can be seen live digitally on NBC Sports Live Extra on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

 

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Sat., May 24 AMA Motocross Glen Helen – Race 1 3:30 p.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
Indy 500 Festival Parade 5 p.m. NBCSN
AMA Motocross Glen Helen – Race 2 6 p.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
RacerTV 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
Road to Ferrari 7 p.m. NBCSN
F1 Documentary – “1” 8 p.m. NBCSN
/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco (Encore) 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona (Encore) 11 p.m. NBCSN
GP2 Monaco 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., May 25 AMA Motocross – Glen Helen 1 a.m. NBCSN

 

NASCAR AMERICA SUPER SERVES FANS THIS WEEK WITH INTERVIEWS WITH KURT BUSCH & DANICA PATRICK, ANALYSIS SURROUNDING NASCAR HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENTS

NBCSN will air special editions of NASCAR America this week leading into the “Biggest Day in Motorsports,” including a recap special of Wednesday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction announcements, as well as a live NASCAR America Motorsports Special on Friday that features interviews and reports from Monaco, Indianapolis, California and Charlotte.

  • Tuesday, May 20th @ 5:00 p.m. ETNASCAR America connects with the man of the week, Kurt Busch, amid preparations for Sunday’s bid to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Kelli Stavast sits down with NASCAR’s magnetic Danica Patrick to discuss her impressions of Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch as he prepares for “The Double.” IndyCar’s Marco Andretti also joins to discuss Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
  • Wednesday, May 21st @ 5:00 p.m. ET – NBCSN offers a live special surrounding the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction announcements, complete with discussion and analysis of the next class of honorees.
  • Thursday, May 22nd @ 5:00 p.m. ETNASCAR America introduces “Burton’s Garage” a new production studio location in Concord, N.C., alongside many of the sport’s racing teams. NASCAR America analyst Jeff Burton connects with host Rick Allen to break down the latest story lines and developments.
  • Friday, May 23rd @ 4:00 p.m. ET – NBCSN presents a live, 90-minute “NASCAR America Motorsports Special” heading into what could be the most action packed race weekend of the year. Host Rick Allen, analyst Kyle Petty, reporters Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast deliver the latest developments and connect live with reports from Monaco, Indianapolis and Charlotte. Highlights include a feature on last year’s Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan, as well as an interview with NASCAR’s Tony Stewart, currently the only driver ever to finish the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.  In addition AMA Motocross star James Stewart joins from Glen Helen Raceway in California, site of this weekend’s AMA Motocross event.

 

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS “KURT BUSCH: 36” DOCU ON JUNE 8th 

NBC Sports announced today that it will present an all-access look into the intense preparation, 200+ MPH competition and extreme logistics surrounding Kurt Busch’s upcoming attempt to win IndyCar’s famed Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. The 30-minute special, featuring in-depth interviews, on-track footage, team communications and a seat right next to Busch throughout his races against drivers from two elite series, pulsating travel conditions and the limits of his own endurance, will debut on Sunday, June 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC. A 60-minute “director’s cut” of KURT BUSCH: 36 will air the following day, Monday, June 9, at 11 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Click here for more information regarding KURT BUSCH: 36.

 

LIVE COVERAGE OF INDIANAPOLIS 500 CARB DAY STARTS FRIDAY AT 11 A.M. ET

NBCSN, the cable home of IndyCar, will provide six hours of Indianapolis 500 Carb Day coverage, beginning Friday at 11 a.m. ET. In addition, NBCSN will air a live presentation of the Indy Lights Freedom 100 race at noon ET on Friday. Indy 500 coverage concludes on Saturday with the Indy 500 Festival Parade at 5 p.m. ET.

Veteran motorsports announcer Bob Varsha will lead NBCSN’s Carb Day coverage, filling in for Diffey who will be in Monaco, alongside analysts Townsend Bell, who is driving in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, and Paul Tracy. Jon Beekhuis, Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Robin Miller will handle the pits. Lee, Anders Krohn and Jake Query will call the Freedom 100.

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Fri., May 23 Indy 500 Carb Day 11 a.m. NBCSN
Indy Lights – Freedom 100 Noon NBCSN
Indy 500 Carb Day 1 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., May 24 Indy 500 Festival Parade 5 p.m. NBCSN

 

NBC PRESENTS RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS SEASON-OPENER AT TOP GEAR FESTIVAL BARBADOS ON SATURDAY AT 1 P.M. ET

In addition to F1, IndyCar, NASCAR America, and AMA Motocross coverage, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2014 Red Bull Global Rallycross season begins this Saturday on NBC at 1 p.m. ET with their event from the Top Gear Festival in Barbados. Saturday’s race is the first of nine Red Bull Global Rallycross races on NBC this season.

Additional race locations this year include New York, Washington D.C., Daytona, Detroit, Charlotte, Los Angeles Seattle, and the season finale in Las Vegas in November. Red Bull Global Rallycross features some of the world’s premier rallycross drivers, including Ken Block, Tanner Foust and Scott Speed.

Veteran motorsports play-by-play announcer Tes Sewell will call the action on Saturday, joined by motorsports analyst Townsend Bell.

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S “BIGGEST DAY IN MOTORSPORTS” WEEK-LONG COVERAGE

 

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Tue., May 20 NASCAR America 5 p.m. NBCSN
Wed., May 21 NASCAR America 5 p.m. NBCSN
Thu., May 22 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 1 4 a.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
Thu., May 22 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 2 8 a.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America 5 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., May 23 Indy 500 Carb Day 11 a.m. NBCSN
Indy Lights – Freedom 100 Noon NBCSN
Indy 500 Carb Day 1 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America – 90-Minute Special 4 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR – The List 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
Senna – The Legend 7 p.m. NBCSN
Senna – Documentary 8 p.m. NBCSN
The Last Teammate 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 2 (Encore) 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., May 24 Sebastian Vettel – On Road and On Track 1 a.m. NBCSN
Road to Indy 1:30 a.m. NBCSN
Mobil1: The Grid 2:30 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Practice 3 5 a.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
Road to Ferrari 7 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying 8 a.m. NBCSN
/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco 9:30 a.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona 10 a.m. NBCSN
Red Bull Global Rallycross – Barbados 1 p.m. NBC
AMA Motocross Glen Helen – Practice 1:30 p.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
AMA Motocross Glen Helen – Race 1 3:30 p.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
Indy 500 Festival Parade 5 p.m. NBCSN
AMA Motocross Glen Helen – Race 2 6 p.m. NBC Sports Live Extra
RacerTV 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
Road to Ferrari 7 p.m. NBCSN
F1 Documentary – “1” 8 p.m. NBCSN
/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco (Encore) 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona (Encore) 11 p.m. NBCSN
GP2 Monaco 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., May 25 AMA Motocross – Glen Helen 1 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Extra – Pre-Race 7 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix 7:30 a.m. NBC
F1 Extra – Post-Race 10 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 10:30 a.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
F1 Monaco Grand Prix (Encore) 11 p.m. NBCSN
Mon., May 26 F1 Extra (Encore) 1:30 a.m. NBCSN
/DRIVE on NBC Sports: Monaco (Encore) 2 a.m. NBCSN
Off The Grid: Barcelona (Encore) 2:30 a.m. NBCSN

 

FORMULA ONE™ ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will provide live streaming coverage of this week’s F1 Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 Carb Day, Red Bull Global Rallycross and AMA Motocross events. The majority of content will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Races airing on:

  • NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
  • NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs;
  • CNBC will live stream exclusively through NBC Sports Live Extra via “TV Everywhere.”

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on the Formula One, Verizon IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and all other motorsports racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBCSN productions of IndyCar and F1, including contributions from on-air commentators.

MotorSportsTalk’s content is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:

  • Luke Smith is creator and editor at Richland F1, which begins its second season this year. He’s on Twitter at @LukeSmithF1, primarily handling the F1 scene from Europe in great detail.
  • Tony DiZinno has most recently served as web editor for RACER Magazine and has more than seven years of experience in the industry. Follow him on Twitter at @TonyDiZinno.
  • Chris Estrada launched the Indy Racing Revolution blog site and has served as a contributor to IndyCar’s IndyCar Nation blog. Follow him at @estradawriting.
  • Jerry Bonkowski is a veteran NASCAR reporter with more than 30 years of experience. He has contributed to USA Today, Yahoo! Sports and other websites over the course of his career. Follow him on Twitter @JerryBonkowski.

To explore the site, please visit MotorSportsTalk.com.nbcsports.com or www.NBCSports.com.

SOCIAL: Follow @MotorsportsTalk, @F1onNBCSports and @NBCSN on Twitter and “like” Facebook.com/NBC Sports for the most up-to-date news, videos and commentary about Formula One on NBC Sports and NBCSN.

For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.

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