FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 27th, 2017
NBCSN PRESENTS INDYCAR PHOENIX GRAND PRIX IN PRIMETIME AND FORMULA ONE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX THIS WEEKEND
IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix – Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Formula One Russian Grand Prix – Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN
IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama Viewership Up 68% vs. 2016
Red Bull Global RallyCross Season Opens in Memphis Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 27, 2017 – NBCSN presents live IndyCar and Formula One race coverage this weekend, beginning under the lights in primetime on Saturday night with the IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix at 9 p.m. ET. Coverage continues on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET with live coverage of the F1 Russian Grand Prix from Sochi, Russia – home of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
In addition, NBC Sports Group begins its coverage of the 2017 Red Bull Global RallyCross season with the first event from Memphis this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of this week’s motorsports action.
INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF PHOENIX – SATURDAY AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series rolls into Phoenix for its first oval race of the season following a thrilling Grand Prix of Alabama last Sunday on NBCSN. Josef Newgarden won his first race as a member of Team Penske, his second career win at Barber Motorsports Park, holding off four-time series champion Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing). Dixon took the checkered flag at Phoenix last season, leading 155 of 250 laps en route to victory.
Coverage from Phoenix begins with Friday night at 11 p.m. ET with qualifying, which will stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. NBCSN will present qualifying on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, prior to live race coverage at 9 p.m. ET.
Rick Allen, who serves as NBC Sports Group’s lead NASCAR play-by-play announcer, will handle the play-by-play duties for this week’s Phoenix Grand Prix, filling in for lead IndyCar and F1 announcer Leigh Diffey, who will call the F1 Russian Grand Prix. Allen will be joined by analysts Paul Tracy and Townsend Bell. Marty Snider, Robin Miller, Kevin Lee, and Katie Hargitt will handle coverage in the pits in Phoenix.
Last Sunday’s thrilling Grand Prix of Alabama on NBCSN (3:40-5:42 p.m. ET) averaged 470,000 viewers, up 68% vs. last year’s event, to rank as the most-watched Grand Prix of Alabama on the network. Through two races, NBCSN’s 2017 IndyCar coverage is averaging 395,000 viewers, up 17% vs. the average viewership of the 2016 Long Beach and Alabama races (339,000 viewers).
FORMULA ONE RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN
The 2017 F1 season continues this weekend on the streets of Sochi, Russia, home of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, with this year’s Russian Grand Prix. Mercedes has dominated all three of the races that have been held in Sochi, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg combining to lead ever single racing lap in the history of Sochi Autodrom.
Mercedes and Hamilton will likely face a challenge this weekend from Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. The four-time World Champion has won two of the first three races of the 2017 campaign, including a victory in Bahrain two weeks ago. Mercedes’ Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finished second and third, respectively, in Bahrain, despite Vettel’s win. Ferrari (102 points) currently holds a slight edge over Mercedes (99 points) in the Constructor Standings.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream Practice 1 live tomorrow at 4 a.m. ET, followed by Practice 2 on NBCSN at 8 a.m. ET. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app stream Practice 3 on Saturday at 5 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying on CNBC at 8 a.m. ET (encore on NBCSN on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET).
F1 Countdown kicks things off on Sunday morning at 7 a.m. ET prior to live race action from Sochi at 7:30 a.m. ET, followed by F1 Extra at 10 a.m. ET. NBCSN will air an encore presentation of the race on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Lead F1 announcer Leigh Diffey will call this weekend’s action, and will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, and analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will serve as the team’s on-site reporter from Sochi Autodrom in Russia.
RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS – MEMPHIS – SUNDAY AT 1 P.M. ET ON NBC
NBC Sports Group begins its coverage of the 2017 Red Bull Global RallyCross season this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC with the first event of the season in Memphis, Tenn. The field of competitors will all look to topple defending two-time champion Scott Speed (Volkswagen Andretti). He may face the strongest competition from teammate Tanner Foust, who won four races last season and finished second to Speed in the final standings by just four points. Toby Moody (play-by-play) and Will Christien (analyst) will call the action.
Following is this week’s motorsports coverage schedule on NBCSN:
| Date | Program | Network | Time (ET) |
| Thurs., April 27 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – Bristol | NBCSN | 11 p.m. |
| Fri., April 28 | F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 1 | Streaming* | 4 a.m. |
| F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 2 | NBCSN | 8 a.m. | |
| Mecum Auctions – Monterey (Encore) | NBCSN | 12 p.m. | |
| IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix – Qualifying | Streaming* | 11 p.m. | |
| Sat., April 29 | F1 Russian Grand Prix – Practice 3 | Streaming* | 5 a.m. |
| F1 Russian Grand Prix – Qualifying | CNBC | 8 a.m. | |
| F1 Russian Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) | NBCSN | 6 p.m. | |
| IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) | NBCSN | 7:30 p.m. | |
| IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix | NBCSN | 9 p.m. | |
| IndyCar Post-Race | NBCSN | 11:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., April 30 | F1 Countdown | NBCSN | 7 a.m. |
| F1 Russian Grand Prix | NBCSN | 7:30 a.m. | |
| F1 Extra | NBCSN | 10 a.m. | |
| Red Bull Global RallyCross – Memphis | NBC | 1 p.m. | |
| F1 Russian Grand Prix (Encore) | NBCSN | 4:30 p.m. |
*NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app
NBC SPORTS GROUP STREAMING, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL CONTENT
NBC Sports Group will provide comprehensive streaming and digital coverage surrounding its motorsports properties via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – and NASCAR Talk and MotorSportsTalk, NBC Sports Group’s digital home for the latest motorsports news.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide season-long live streaming coverage of all Formula One practices, qualifying sessions and Grands Prix, including exclusive coverage of practices that will not air on NBC or NBCSN. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream NASCAR and IndyCar content that will air on NBC and NBCSN (race coverage and some practice and qualifying), as well as the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Red Bull Global RallyCross series, and Red Bull Air Race.
MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on Formula One, the Verizon IndyCar Series, and other open-wheel and off-road 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.
SOCIAL: NBC Sports Group will continue to provide comprehensive motorsports social coverage across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Twitter, fans can follow @MotorsportsTalk for all-encompassing content across NBC Sports Group’s motorsports properties. @NASCARonNBC and@NASCARTalkNBC share the latest NASCAR content, @F1onNBCSports provides the latest news in Formula One, and @IndyCaronNBCSN delivers up-to-the-minute information on the Verizon IndyCar Series.
In addition, the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page will provide users with videos, interactive content and much more. Fans should also “like” NBC Sports on Facebook for the most up-to-date news, videos and commentary about NBC Sports Group’s motorsports properties.
For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
– NBC SPORTS GROUP –
