FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 9th, 2015
NBCSN PRESENTS PRIMETIME NASCAR SPRINT CUP AND XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY THIS WEEKEND
Coverage Begins Friday (XFINITY) and Saturday (Sprint Cup) at 7 p.m. ET
Renowned Crew Chief and Owner Ray Evernham Joins Krista Voda and Kyle Petty on Countdown to Green Pre-race Shows as Guest Analyst
Pre-Race Features Include Interview with Austin Dillon and Family following Saturday Night’s XFINITY Series Win and Monday Morning’s Epic Crash
Coverage from Daytona Draws 17.7M Total Viewers on NBC and NBCSN
NBCSN’s IndyCar Coverage Completes Triple-Header Weekend of Racing with Live Coverage from the Milwaukee Mile, Sunday at 5 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 9, 2015 – NBC Sports Group follows up last week’s launch of NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series coverage with a double slate of primetime races this weekend on NBCSN from Kentucky Speedway. Friday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing from Kentucky, Presented by K&N, begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with the Countdown to Green pre-race show. On Saturday, NBCSN celebrates the network’s first-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series broadcast at 7 p.m. ET with the presentation of NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing from Kentucky, Presented by KFC.
Pre-race host Krista Voda, who hosted more than five hours of rain delay coverage last weekend from Daytona International Speedway, hosts NBCSN’s pre-race coverage alongside analyst Kyle Petty on Friday and Saturday from Kentucky Speedway. They welcome former crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham to NBC Sports’ new open-air, pre-race set overlooking pit road. Evernham reached Victory Lane 47 times as crew chief and leader of the famed “Rainbow Warrior” team with driver Jeff Gordon over a dominating six-year stretch (1994-1999). As a team owner, Evernham oversaw an additional 13 Sprint Cup victories.
In addition to setting the stage for the upcoming race, Saturday night’s Countdown to Green, Served by Sonic pre-race show will include an in-depth feature on Austin Dillon’s eventful weekend in Daytona. Pit Road reporter Marty Snider caught up with Dillon, his grandfather and team owner Richard Childress, and father Mike Dillon this week in Charlotte, where all three reflected on an unforgettable weekend that included Austin’s Saturday night XFINITY Series victory, and Monday morning’s breathtaking last-lap crash.
Saturday’s 7 p.m. pre-race show will also include NBC NASCAR analyst Jeff Burton’s view of Kentucky Speedway from behind the wheel of NBC Sports’ Toyota Camry On Track Car, as well as a segment from features reporter Rutledge Wood that will offer a look at the experience of attending a race at Kentucky Speedway, the youngest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. Contributing to pre-race coverage and then patrolling pit road during Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series racing on NBCSN are reporters Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro. NBCSports.com lead motorsports writerNate Ryan handles breaking news.
When engines start and the green flag is set to wave, NBCSN’s coverage shifts to the booth, where Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte and 21-time Sprint Cup winning driver Burton join race announcer Rick Allen for the call of the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Friday and the Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday. On the preliminary entry lists for both races are last week’s Sprint Cup Series winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time and defending Kentucky Sprint Cup winner Brad Keselowski, five-time Kentucky Speedway winner Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Brendan Gaughan, Landon Cassill,Joey Gase, Jeff Green and J.J. Yeley.
WEEKEND COVERAGE FROM DAYTONA DRAWS 17.7M TOTAL VIEWERS
Despite the rain that affected NBC Sports Group’s launch of NASCAR coverage last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, 17.7 million total viewers tuned into all or part of the weekend coverage on NBC and NBCSN. This is up 48% from the 12 million that watched last year when practice, qualifying, pre-race, rain delays and race coverage were spread over three networks (TNT, ESPN2, FS1).
NBC’s coverage of the Coke Zero 400 Presented by Coca Cola Sprint Cup race averaged nearly 4 million viewers and posted a 2.7 HH rating, up +13% from TNT’s 2.4 for the same race last year, which was also rain delayed, and eventually aired on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. ET.
NBCSN’S INDYCAR COVERAGE CONTINUES THIS SUNDAY FROM MILWAUKEE
NBCSN’s extensive coverage of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series continues this weekend from the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, with a live presentation of the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 from the Milwaukee Mile this Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Group lead IndyCar play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will call the action alongside analyst and former driver Paul Tracy, a four-time winner at the Milwaukee Mile, and veteran motorsports analyst and driver Townsend Bell. Robin Miller, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee and Katie Hargitt will handle pit reporting duties. A more detailed press release surrounding IndyCar coverage on NBCSN will be distributed later today.
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Thur., July 9 | XFINITY Series Practice | 2 p.m. | NBCSN |
| XFINITY Series Final Practice | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Fri., July 10 | Sprint Cup Series Practice | 10:30 a.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| Sprint Cup Series Practice | 11:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Final Practice | 1 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| *NASCAR K&N Series Race – Columbus | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Qualifying | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Qualifying | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Countdown to Green | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Race | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat., July 11 | NASCAR America Saturday | 6 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Sprint Cup Countdown to Green Pre-race Show | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Race | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Victory Lap | 11 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., July 12 | Indy Lights Milwaukee | 11 a.m. | NBCSN |
| IndyCar Chronicles (Encore) | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 – Qualifying* | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
Bold type denotes same-day tape delay
*NASCAR K&N Series Race from Columbus took place on July 4th
MOTORSPORTS ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA
NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will stream this week’s NASCAR and IndyCar coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play and Windows Store, Roku Channel Store and Apple TV.
NASCAR COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.com and NASCARTALK
NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBCSN productions of NASCAR, including contributions from on-air commentators.
To explore the site, please visit NBCSports.com/NASCAR and NASCARTalk.NBCSports.com/
@NASCARonNBC: @NASCARonNBC The official Twitter account of NASCAR coverage on NBC and NBCSN provides exclusive access to drivers, NBC Sports NASCAR experts and behind-the-scenes content, as well up-to-the-minute news and highlights, including video and articles from MotorSportsTalk on NBCSports.com.
For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
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