FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP PLAYOFFS ROLL INTO MARTINSVILLE SUNDAY AT 12:30 PM ET ON NBCSN

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Returns to the NBCSN Broadcast Booth as Guest Analyst

 

NBCSN’s Talladega Sprint Cup Race Viewership Up 4% Vs. Previous Week’s Kansas Race on NBC

 

NBCSN and NASCAR Productions Present NASCAR Seasons: 2001 Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET

 

NASCAR’s Statistical Guru Mike Forde Joins Nate Ryan on this Week’s NASCAR on NBC Podcast

 

STAMFORD, Conn.October 26, 2016 – The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship picture will sharpen this weekend as NBCSN presents the first race in the Round of Eight at Martinsville Speedway. Last weekend’s action-packed race at Talladega ended the campaigns of several Chase hopefuls, including Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski.  Sunday’s playoff event offers the first opportunity for one of the remaining eight Chasers to secure an opportunity to compete for the Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 20. Before the green flag waves this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, pre-race coverage begins at noon ET and includes in-depth interviews, footage and stories from each of the Chase drivers still standing.

 

NBCSN PRESENTS FIRST RACE IN NASCAR SPRINT PLAYOFF ROUND OF 8 SUNDAY AT 12:30 P.M. ET

 

NBC Sports kicks off its second consecutive standalone Sprint Cup coverage Friday with Sprint Cup practice at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. An on-site edition of NASCAR America from Martinsville Speedway wraps up the day at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Saturday’s coverage includes practice at 9 a.m. ET on CNBC, followed by final practice at noon ET on NBCSN. Race Day coverage begins on NBCSN with NASCAR America at 12 p.m. ET followed by Countdown to Green at 12:30 p.m. ET. Race coverage of the first playoff race in the Round of 8 begins at 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The checkered flag is immediately followed by an on-site post-race show, as well as a trackside edition of Victory Lap beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Race announcer Rick Allen calls this weekend’s action alongside analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton. Pre- and post-race coverage is handled by host Krista Voda, and analysts Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett. Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns and Kelli Stavast report from pit road. Rutledge Wood contributes to NBCSN’s coverage Friday and Sunday.

 

ONE MORE TIME! DALE EARNHARDT JR. RETURNS TO THE NBCSN BROADCAST BOOTH THIS SUNDAY IN MARTINSVILLE

 

After  last week’s successful visit as a guest analyst in the NBCSN broadcast booth in Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns this Sunday to lend his knowledge as an analyst during NBCSN’s coverage from Martinsville Speedway. Earnhardt will again work alongside his former crew chief Steve Letarte, race announcer Rick Allen and fellow analyst Jeff Burton.

 

Portions of Earnhardt’s work as an analyst on Sunday at Talladega can be read here.

 

NBCSN’S TALLADEGA SPRINT CUP RACE VIEWERSHIP UP 4% AMONG AVERAGE VIEWERS, COMPARED TO NBC’S KANSAS RACE

 

NBCSN’s presentation of the NASCAR Sprint Cup elimination race from Talladega Superspeedway averaged 3.6 million viewers and a 2.2 HH rating. In comparison to last week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Kansas, which aired on NBC, Sunday’s race from Talladega was up 4% among average viewers. Sunday’s NASCAR race from Talladega drove NBCSN to the No. 1 cable network during the race window of 2:15-5:45 p.m. ET, and ranked as the second most watched cable sports telecast of the day, behind NFL Network’s presentation of Giants vs. Rams from London. Live streaming of Sunday’s race generated 4.4 million live minutes, and 62,000 unique devices, up 40% and 29% compared to the same event last year.

 

NBCSN AND NASCAR PRODUCTIONS PRESENT NASCAR SEASONS: 2001 – SUNDAY AT 6:30 PM ET

 

Immediately following this Sunday’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage at Martinsville Speedway, NBCSN presents NASCAR Seasons: 2001, a new, 60-minute documentary that chronicles a NASCAR season and a year that will never be forgotten. Unfolding through Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death at the 2001 Daytona 500, the enormous outpouring of emotions that followed, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s stirring victory at the July Daytona race, NASCAR Seasons: 2001 also covers the sport’s passionate reaction to the tragic events of the September 11th attacks.

 

Produced in partnership with NASCAR Productions, the documentary candidly presents the events through rarely seen archival footage and new interviews with those who experienced the season firsthand. NASCAR Seasons: 2001 premieres Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. A full release outlining the special is available here.

 

STATISTICAL GURU MIKE FORDE JOINS NATE RYAN ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST

 

NASCAR’s senior manager of content communications, and resident statistical guru, Mike Forde, joins Nate Ryan on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. Forde provides an analytical analysis of the Round of 8 championship contenders, as well as an inside look at the sanctioning body’s Loop Data, which fuels an increasing amount of strategy for race teams. Available on NASCAR Talk, iTunes, AudioBoom, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and podcasting apps, the NASCAR on NBC podcast discusses the latest NASCAR news each week with major stars and personalities.

 

UPCOMING NASCAR PROGRAMMING

 

Date Coverage Time (ET) Network
Wed., Oct. 26 NASCAR America 5:30 PM NBCSN
Thurs., Oct. 27 NASCAR America 5:30 PM NBCSN
Fri., Oct. 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series First Practice – Martinsville 11:00 AM NBCSN
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Martinsville 4:30 PM NBCSN
NASCAR America 6:00 PM NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Second Practice – Martinsville 9:00 AM CNBC
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – Martinsville 12:00 PM NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 30 NASCAR America 12:00 PM NBCSN
NASCAR Sprint Cup Countdown to Green 12:30 PM NBCSN
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing – Martinsville 1:00 PM NBCSN
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show 5:00 PM NBCSN
NASCAR Victory Lap 5:30 PM NBCSN

 

All of NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR coverage is available to stream on NBCSports.com and via the NBC Sports app. Powered by Playmaker Media, the NBC Sports app is available on Apple iOS, Android and select Samsung devices, as well as on Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku.

 

NASCARTalk on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on NASCAR drivers, teams and industry news. For all the latest NASCAR content socially, fans can follow @NASCARonNBC and @NASCARTalkNBC on twitter and like the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page.

 

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