FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS CONTINUE WITH FINAL RACE IN ROUND OF 16 FROM CHARLOTTE THIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

“There is not a part that I see that is not terrifying and treacherous.” – Dale Jarrett on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s new ROVAL

 

“It is more terrifying to these drivers than Talladega.” – Steve Letarte on the ROVAL

Parker Kligerman to Serve as Special On-Track Analyst for NASCAR on NBC’s 18 Hours of Trackside Coverage

President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., Marcus Smith Joins Nate Ryan’s NASCAR on NBC Podcast

 

STAMFORD, Conn.September 26, 2018 – NBC Sports surrounds the final race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 16, and the debut of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s all-new ROVAL course, with more than 18 hours of trackside coverage this week from the “Mecca of Motorsports,” in Concord, N.C. NBC Sports’ live race coverage begins Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the second race of the Xfinity Series Playoffs, and culminates Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, with NASCAR Cup Series racing.

 

Following a dominating win this past Saturday at Richmond Raceway, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, officially clinched a spot in the Round of 12. With the victory, Busch (2125 points) and defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (2,141 points) joined Brad Keselowski (2,111 points) in advancing to the next round. Four Playoff contenders will be eliminated this weekend at the ROVAL. Those in danger include Jimmie Johnson, who seeks to continue his run for a record-breaking eighth Cup Series title.

 

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

 

NBCSN kicks off coverage of the final Playoff race in the Round of 16, this Friday at noon ET, with first practice live from Charlotte Motor Speedway. A 30-minute edition of NASCAR America at 4 p.m. ET, leads into qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. A special “fans edition” of NASCAR America then wraps up the day at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Saturday’s coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET with practice, available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. NASCAR America follows at 1 p.m. ET live on CNBC, and final practice wraps up the day at 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC.

 

Sunday’s race-day coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on NBC with NASCAR America, followed by pre-race Countdown to Green coverage at 1:30 p.m. ET.  Live Playoff racing begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

 

NASCAR on NBC’s lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will call the action, alongside Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte), from NBC Sports’ traditional broadcast booth above the start/finish line. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) will be teamed with 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton) in NBCSN’s “Drivers Booth.”

 

NASCAR on NBC’s Parker Kligerman (@Pkligerman) will serve as a special on-track analyst, adding his perspective from different locations around the 17-turn ROVAL.

 

Krista Voda (@KristaVoda) will host pre- and post-race coverage alongside Kyle Petty (@KylePetty), and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett). Marty Snider (@HeyMartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@Kellistavast) and Dave Burns (@tvdaveburns) will report from pit road, alongside features reporter Rutledge Wood (@Rutledgewood).

 

XFINITY SERIES RACE COVERAGE FROM CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY – SATURDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

 

NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the second Xfinity Series Playoff race of 2018 begins Friday, with first practice at 1 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

Race day coverage begins Saturday at noon ET on CNBC with Xfinity Series qualifying. Pre-race Countdown to Green coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and race coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. A live on-site post-race show wraps up the evening at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

 

DALE JARRETT, STEVE LETARTE, DALE EARNHARDT JR. & JEFF BURTON ON CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S ROVAL

 

Dale Jarrett: “There is not a part that I see that is not terrifying and treacherous. I thought it was a challenge running a passenger car around there at 60 mph.”

 

Steve Letarte: “This race we are going to see is such an unknown. It is more terrifying to these drivers than Talladega.”

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “Nobody is going to sleep this week…I’m ready to go to that ROVAL and see what happens. It’s going to be an exciting race.”

 

Jeff Burton: “All the guys (on the Playoff bubble) have to go attack the race track. A place they have never been to, and a place where we have seen all these crashes in practice. There are so many unknowns. That is a recipe for disaster. But they have no choice.”

 

CEO OF SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS INC. MARCUS SMITH JOINS NATE RYAN’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST THIS WEEK

 

President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., Marcus Smith, joins Nate Ryan (@nateryan) on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. Smith discusses Charlotte Motor Speedway’s new road course, how his vision for the ROVAL came to be, and how Mario Andretti was involved in the track’s development.

 

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

 

UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING

 

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Wednesday, Sept. 26 NASCAR America 5 p.m. NBCSN
Thursday, Sept. 27 NASCAR America 5 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR K&N Pro Series – New Hampshire 6 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Whelen Modified – New Hampshire 7 p.m. NBCSN
Friday, Sept. 28 NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Charlotte 12 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice – Charlotte 1 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Decades 2 p.m. NBCSN
Racing Roots 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – Charlotte 3 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America 4 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Charlotte 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America “Fans Edition” 6 p.m. NBCSN
Saturday, Sept. 29 NASCAR Cup Series Second Practice – Charlotte 11 a.m. NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com
NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – Charlotte 12 p.m. CNBC
NASCAR America 1 p.m. CNBC
NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Charlotte 1:30 p.m. CNBC
NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Charlotte 3 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show 5:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Decades 6 p.m. NBCSN
Racing Roots 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sunday, Sept. 30 NASCAR America 1 p.m. NBC
NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green 1:30 p.m. NBC
NASCAR Cup Series Race – Charlotte 2 p.m. NBC

 

 

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