NBC Sports Presents 24 Hours of Continuous Coverage from Daytona International Speedway Across NBCSN, NBCSports.com and NBC Sports App
Leigh Diffey, A.J. Allmendinger & Calvin Fish to Make IMSA Broadcast Debut on NBC Sports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joins Steve Letarte and Krista Voda Inside “Peacock Pit Box”
Rick Allen, Paul Tracy, Townsend Bell, and Brian Till Fill Out Additional Announce Booth
Reporters Include Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast, Parker Kligerman, Kevin Lee, Jon Beekhuis, and Rutledge Wood
Pre-Race Coverage Includes Sit-Down Interview with CART Champion, Paralympian & Rolex 24 Participant Alex Zanardi
Earnhardt Jr. Recounts Racing in 2001 Rolex 24 with Late Father in Interview with NBCSports.com Lead Motorsports Writer Nate Ryan
STAMFORD, Conn. – January 17, 2019 – Over the course of 24 hours, NBC Sports will utilize 17 of its IMSA, NASCAR, and INDYCAR commentators, analysts and reporters on-site for its inaugural presentation of the 57th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona from Daytona International Speedway starting Saturday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Beginning this season, NBC Sports is the exclusive home of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).
Continuous 24-hour coverage from the iconic Daytona International Speedway will feature a rotating cast of commentators, analysts and reporters, headlined by NBC Sports’ lead IMSA commentating team of play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey, former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver A.J. Allmendinger (analyst), and former IMSA GT driver and analyst Calvin Fish (analyst).
“There is no better spectacle in U.S. racing over a 24-hour period than this event with these drivers, who have incredible storylines,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer and President of Production, NBC Sports. “From the all-female IMSA team to Alex Zanardi racing on U.S. soil again to our very commentators driving in the race, we couldn’t ask for a better way to launch our partnership with IMSA.”
NASCAR legend-turned analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins analyst Steve Letarte and host Krista Voda inside the “Peacock Pit Box,” a state-of-the-art remote studio set designed to bring viewers closer to the action. Built within a traditional pit box frame, the “Peacock Pit Box” will be set up along pit road.
An additional broadcast booth comprised of NASCAR on NBC lead announcer Rick Allen, INDYCAR on NBC analysts Paul Tracy and Townsend Bell, and Brian Till will be featured throughout the weekend. Bell will compete in all rounds of the upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while Allmendinger will participate in IMSA’s endurance races. Both will race in the Rolex 24.
NASCAR on NBC reporters Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman will join INDYCAR on NBC reporters Kevin Lee and Jon Beekhuis to share in pit road duties. In addition, Rutledge Wood will showcase stories around the Daytona International Speedway.
The following is a snapshot of NBC Sports’ on-site commentating coverage from Daytona:
| Time (ET) | Platform | Commentators | Pit Crew | “Peacock Pit Box” |
| 2 – 5 p.m. | NBCSN | Diffey, Fish & Allmendinger | Snider, Burns & Stavast | Voda, Letarte, Earnhardt & Bell |
| 5 – 9 p.m. | NBC Sports App | Allen, Tracy, Bell & Till | Beekhuis, Lee & Kligerman | Voda |
| 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. | NBCSN | Diffey, Fish, Allmendinger & Till | Snider, Burns & Stavast | Voda, Letarte & Earnhardt |
| 12 – 3 a.m. | NBCSN | Allen, Tracy & Till | Beekhuis, Lee & Kligerman | N/A |
| 6 – 9 a.m. | NBCSN | Diffey & Fish | Snider & Burns | N/A |
| 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | NBCSN | Allen, Tracy, Allmendinger & Bell | Beekhuis, Lee & Kligerman | Voda, Letarte & Earnhardt |
| 12 – 3 p.m. | NBCSN | Diffey, Fish, Allmendinger & Bell | Snider, Burns & Stavast | Voda, Letarte & Earnhardt |
*Subject to change
Coverage from Daytona begins Thursday, Jan. 24, with a special IMSA preview show, which features a sit-down interview with driver and Paralympian Alex Zanardi, who is scheduled to race in the Rolex 24. In 2001, Zanardi lost both of his legs in an accident at EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Klettwitz, Germany, and has since gone on to win two Paralympic gold medals in Para-cycling, most recently at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.
Additionally, Earnhardt Jr. recounts racing the 2001 Rolex 24 with his late father, when the two split time driving the No. 3 Corvette C5-R as part of an interview with NBCSports.com lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan. Thursday’s coverage continues with live qualifying from 3-5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Ryan will lead extensive digital coverage throughout the week on MotorSportsTalk, NBCSports.com’s vertical dedicated to open-wheel and sports car racing.
IMSA ON NBCSPORTS.COM AND THE NBC SPORTS APP
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will provide live streaming coverage of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
-NBC SPORTS-