FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 11th, 2018

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

21 Hours of NASCAR Coverage Including 16 Hours of Trackside Coverage from the Bluegrass State

 

Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. Join Upcoming NASCAR America “Wednesdays with Dale Jr.” Episodes

 

STAMFORD, Conn.July 11, 2018 – NBC Sports Group rolls into its third week of 2018 NASCAR on NBC racing with 21 hours of NASCAR programming, culminating with the Quaker State 400 this Saturday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC Sports will super serve fans with 16 hours of trackside coverage from Kentucky Speedway including Xfinity Series racing on Friday, July 13, at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Entering Saturday’s Cup Series race, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, continues to lead the field with 749 points and 5 wins, followed by Kevin Harvick (692 points, 5 wins) and Martin Truex Jr. (629 points, 3 wins). NASCAR’s “Big Three” will have to contend with Brad Keselowski, who has won three of the seven previous races at Kentucky Speedway. Erik Jones and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota took home the checkered flag this past Saturday in Daytona, narrowly beating Truex Jr. in overtime. Saturday’s win at the “World Center of Racing” marked Jones’ first-ever Cup Series win.

 

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM KENTUCKY – SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

 

Saturday’s pre-race coverage includes a feature on Erik Jones and how his late father’s Corvette helped get him to victory lane for the first time this past weekend. In addition, Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, will join NASCAR on NBC’s pre-race coverage live from Sparta, Ky. Coverage will also include a special feature on 19-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series, and 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Davey Allison.

 

NBCSN kicks off Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage Friday with first practice at noon ET, followed by final practice at 2 p.m. ET. An on-site edition of NASCAR America at 6 p.m. ET leads into NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Race day coverage begins Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NASCAR America, live from the speedway’s pit road. Countdown to Green begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and leads into live race coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following the checkered flag, NBCSN will present a one hour post-race show at 11 p.m. ET.

 

NBC Sports’ lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will call the action alongside 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton). Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte) will call the race from a second booth alongside NBC Sports’ newest on-air contributor Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr).

 

NASCAR on NBC pre-race host Krista Voda (@Kristavoda), auto racing icon Kyle Petty (@KylePetty), and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett) host NASCAR America as well as all pre- and post-race coverage. Marty Snider (@heymartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@kellistavast), Dave Burns (@tvdaveburns) and Parker Kligerman (@Pkligerman) will report from pit road and the garages.

 

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM KENTUCKY – FRIDAY AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

 

NBC Sports’ Xfinity Series coverage from Kentucky begins Thursday with first practice at 4 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 6 p.m. ET, both available streaming on the NBC Sports app. Race day coverage kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. ET with qualifying, followed by Countdown to Green at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Live Xfinity Series racing begins at 8 p.m. ET, followed by NBCSN’s post-race show at 10:30 p.m. ET.

 

Race announcer Rick Allen and analysts Jeff Burton, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will call the race from NBCSN’s traditional broadcast booth above the start-finish line. Steve Letarte will call Friday night’s action “On the Box” atop NBC Sports Group’s new “Peacock Pit Box,” on pit road.

 

KYLE BUSCH, CHASE ELLIOTT AND MARTIN TRUEX JR. JOIN UPCOMING NASCAR AMERICA “WEDNESDAYS WITH DALE JR.” EPISODES

 

NASCAR America “Wednesdays with Dale Jr.,” NBCSN’s weekly motorsports show featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr., welcomes three of the biggest stars in the sport as special guests during the next three weeks.

 

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, will join “Wednesdays with Dale Jr.” live from the “Big Oak Table” at NBC Sports’ NASCAR office in Charlotte, N.C. next Wednesday, July 18 at 5 p.m. ET. Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, will join the studio show Wednesday, July 25. In addition, defending Monster Energy Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr. will join the show Wednesday, August 1 for in-depth discussions and free-flowing conversation.

 

RACE TEAM ALLIANCE CHAIRMAN ROB KAUFFMAN JOINS NATE RYAN’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST THIS WEEK

 

Race Team Alliance chairman and minority owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, Rob Kauffman, joins Nate Ryan (@nateryan) on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. Kauffman discusses his background in racing and his vision for how NASCAR and teams can build a better business model and competitive environment. Kauffman also touches on his business, RK Motors, that restores and resells vintage and performance cars.

 

The NASCAR on NBC podcast is available on NASCAR Talk, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and podcasting apps. For more info click here.

 

THIS WEEK’S NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING

 

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Wednesday, July 11 NASCAR America “Wednesdays with Dale Jr.” 5 p.m. NBCSN
Racing Roots 6 p.m. NBCSN
Racing Roots 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
Thursday, July 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice – Kentucky 4 p.m. NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com
NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – Kentucky 6 p.m. NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com
Friday, July 13 NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Kentucky 12 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Kentucky 2 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – Kentucky 5 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America 6 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Kentucky 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Kentucky 8 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday, July 14 NASCAR America 6 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green 7 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Race – Kentucky 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show 11 p.m. NBCSN

 

NASCAR ON NBC

 

The official home of the NASCAR Playoffs, NBC Sports Group will present the final 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, and select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events in 2018. NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show NASCAR America, coverage of NASCAR’s Awards Ceremonies, the annual NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as well as original programming specials.

 

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 —