FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 10th, 2019
NBC SPORTS PRESENTS FIRST RACE OF THE 2019 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Coverage from Las Vegas Begins Thursday, September 12 with NASCAR America Special Burnout Boulevard
“I don’t know who the favorite is. It has gotten completely mixed up. It’s as equal as I remember seeing it.” – Jeff Burton’s Outlook on 2019 Playoffs
Seven-Time NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson Featured Guest on Dale Jr. Download Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN
“I know what I’m capable of. I’ve been here before. The fire is there. I’m not done yet.” – Jimmie Johnson on Dale Jr. Download on Missing 2019 Playoffs
NBC Sports Presents Final Race of 2019 Xfinity Series Regular Season from Las Vegas This Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 10, 2019 – NBC Sports roars ahead into the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this weekend in Las Vegas with live coverage of the South Point 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev., this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC Sports’ will kick off weekend race coverage with the final regular season race of the Xfinity Series with the Rhino Pro Truck Outfitter 300 this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Following Kevin Harvick’s win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, the field of 16 drivers is officially set for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Kyle Busch leads the field with 2,045 points going into Las Vegas, followed by Denny Hamlin (2,030 points), Martin Truex Jr. (2,029 points), Kevin Harvick (2,028 points), and Joey Logano (2,028 points). Clint Bowyer (2,000 points) and Ryan Newman (2,000 points) qualified for the final two Playoff spots on Sunday in Indianapolis with top-ten finishes.
If one of the 16 Playoff drivers were to win at Las Vegas, that driver would automatically advance to the Round of 12.
2019 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF DRIVERS & STANDINGS:
| Drivers | Points |
| Kyle Busch | 2,045 |
| Denny Hamlin | 2,030 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 2,029 |
| Kevin Harvick | 2,028 |
| Joey Logano | 2,028 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2,024 |
| Chase Elliott | 2,018 |
| Kurt Busch | 2,011 |
| Alex Bowman | 2,005 |
| Erik Jones | 2,005 |
| Kyle Larson | 2,005 |
| Ryan Blaney | 2,004 |
| William Byron | 2,001 |
| Aric Almirola | 2,001 |
| Clint Bowyer | 2,000 |
| Ryan Newman | 2,000 |
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM LAS VEGAS – SUNDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage begins Thursday at 6 p.m. ET from the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas with interviews from the driver Media Day and continues at 7 p.m. ET with the NASCAR America Burnout Boulevard by Goodyear special, as the 16 drivers kick off the Playoffs with a parade of victory burnouts on the Las Vegas Strip. Kelli Stavast will host with Dale Jr and Steve Letarte as analysts, judging and scoring the burnouts by each driver in this high octane entertaining hour. Marty Snider will provide commentary and NBC Sports’ Parker Kligerman will lead the parade in NBC Sports’ Toyota on-track car.
Friday’s coverage from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NBCSN kicks off with the first Cup Series practice Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the final practice at 7:30 p.m. live ET. Coverage continues Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN with Cup Series qualifying, which will re-air Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
Sunday’s race-day coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET with NASCAR America live from the Peacock Pit Box on pit road followed by Countdown to Green at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Pre-race coverage will also highlight Las Vegas natives Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch and their local ties. Kyle Busch will narrate a grassroots essay on Las Vegas racing and Kurt Busch will be featured in the latest installment of Behind the Driver. Live coverage of the South Point 400 begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Wrapping up race-day coverage, NBCSN will present a half-hour post-race show at 11 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports’ lead race announcer Rick Allen will call the action alongside 21-time Cup Series winner Jeff Burton. Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte and two-time Daytona 500 Champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will provide commentary from a second booth.
NBC Sports’ NASCAR pre-race host Krista Voda, auto racing icon Kyle Petty, and NBC analyst and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett will host NASCAR America as well as all pre- and post-race coverage. Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will provide commentary and interviews from pit-road. Following race-day coverage from Las Vegas, the NBCSN original series Proving Grounds, hosted by NBCSN’s own Parker Kligerman, will air at 11:30 p.m. ET.
JIMMIE JOHNSON FEATURED GUEST ON DALE JR. DOWNLOAD TODAY AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Today’s episode of the Dale Jr. Download will air tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN will feature one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, Jimmie Johnson. The seven-time Cup Series champion will discuss the rest of the 2019 season after missing the Playoffs for the first time in his career, and will share his thoughts on the Playoff drivers as they head into Las Vegas. Click here to watch a preview of today’s episode.
Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.
XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM LAS VEGAS – SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports’ Xfinity Series coverage from Las Vegas begins Friday with first practice at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 6:30 p.m. ET which will be on NBCSN. Race day coverage kicks off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET with qualifying, followed by live Xfinity Series racing at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Tyler Reddick (1,078 points, 4 wins), Christopher Bell (1,028 points, and 6 wins) and Cole Custer (965 points, 6 wins) are the top three drivers going in to the last race of the Xfinity Series regular season.
NASCAR AMERICA MOTORMOUTHS AIRS WEDNESDAY AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Tomorrow’s episode of NASCAR America Motormouths at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN will feature special guest Matt DiBenedetto. The current Cup Series driver will join Rutledge Wood and Kyle Petty. On Tuesday, it was revealed that DiBenedetto will drive the iconic Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford for the 2020 season, replacing Paul Menard, who is retiring from full-time competition. Motormouths are all about the viewers, providing regular opportunities for fans to call into NASCAR America and speak with hosts, analysts, and a rotation of current drivers live on NBCSN.
JACKPOT FOR “NASCAR PICK ‘EM” FREE-TO-PLAY GAME ON NBC SPORTS PREDICTOR APP HITS $50,000 JACKPOT, HIGHEST SO FAR THIS SEASON
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- Nearly 40,000 fans competed participated in NBC Sports’ free-to-play NASCAR Pick ’Em game at Indianapolis, but none were able to record a perfect score, so the jackpot now swells to $50,000 for this weekend’s race in Las Vegas. This is the biggest NASCAR prize to date.
- For each race stage, pick the driver that will have the best finish from a group of four drivers.
- Then, out of the entire field, pick which drivers will finish the race in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place – in exact order.
NBC SPORTS AND NASCAR #MYTRACKMYROOTS GRASSROOTS RACING TOUR
NBC Sports and NASCAR have partnered to launch the #MyTrackMyRoots Grassroots Racing Tour – a grassroots initiative which celebrates and promotes local tracks across America that have launched the dreams and careers of NASCAR drivers and continue to cultivate a passion for racing in their local communities.
Current and former drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Gander Outdoor Truck Series have joined with NBC Sports and NASCAR to spearhead a nationwide initiative to visit and promote more than 500 local tracks across the country during the 2019 season. Click here for more details.
Following is this week’s NASCAR programming across NBC Sports:
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Tues., September 10 | Dale Jr. Download w/ Jimmie Johnson | 9 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Wed., September 11 | NASCAR America Motormouths w/ Matt DiBenedetto | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Thur., September 12 | NASCAR America Media Day Coverage | 6 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America Burnout Boulevard presented by Goodyear | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Fri., September 13 | NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice – Las Vegas | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Las Vegas | 4:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice – Las Vegas | 6:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Las Vegas | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat., September 14 | Racing Roots – Denny Hamlin | 2 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – Las Vegas | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Las Vegas | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Las Vegas | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., September 15 | NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (Encore) | 4 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America Pre-Race Show | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 6:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Race – Las Vegas | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 11 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Proving Grounds | 11:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE
The official home of the NASCAR Playoffs, NBC Sports 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 2019. NBC Sports’ 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.
–NBC SPORTS–
