FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 19th, 2015
NASCAR, INDYCAR AND FORMULA ONE ALL ON NBCSN THIS WEEKEND
NBCSN Presents NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing from Bristol Motor Speedway Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, Followed by Saturday’s Sprint Cup Race at 7:30 p.m. ET; 13 Consecutive Hours of NASCAR Coverage on Friday
IndyCar ABC Supply 500 from Pocono Airs Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Live Coverage of Formula One Belgian Grand Prix Airs Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN
Leigh Diffey and Steve Matchett to Call Both F1 Belgian Grand Prix and IndyCar at Pocono on Same Day
Nearly 1 Million Viewers Tune In To Series Premiere of Mobsteel – New Episode Tonight at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – August 19, 2015 – NBCSN presents more than 50 hours of motorsports content this week, providing fans with live race action from four different racing circuits in one weekend – NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series, Verizon IndyCar Series, and Formula One.
Race coverage begins with NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing from Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, and continues with Sprint Cup Series Racing from Bristol Presented by No Escape on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The action continues Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET with the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, and concludes with 500 miles at Pocono Speedway in the IndyCar ABC Supply 500 at 2 p.m. ET.
In addition, Sunday’s F1 and IndyCar coverage will be highlighted by a unique broadcasting doubleheader. Lead F1 and IndyCar play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey and F1 and IndyCar analyst Steve Matchett will call the Belgian Grand Prix from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., then quickly travel to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania to call IndyCar action.
This weekend’s motorsports coverage also includes the season finale of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship with the Ironman National in Indiana. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will stream this weekend’s NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One and Pro Motocross race coverage.
NBCSN PRESENTS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM BRISTOL FRIDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET, FOLLOWED BY SATURDAY’S SPRINT CUP RACE AT 7:30 P.M. ET
Fresh off Matt Kenseth’s domination at Michigan International Speedway, NBCSN’s NASCAR coverage heads to the “The Volunteer State” for an unprecedented weekend of racing from Bristol, Tenn. Friday’s 13 consecutive hours of NASCAR coverage begins at 9:30 a.m. ET with XFINITY Series practice. Dave Burns calls the action alongside analysts Kyle Petty and Frank Stoddard. Reporters Alex Hayden and Parker Kligerman report trackside. The first Sprint Cup Series practice presented by DraftKings begins at 11:30 a.m. ET, with Rick Allen, Petty, Stoddard, Hayden and Kligerman on the call. A special 30-minute NASCAR America anchored by Krista Voda alongside analyst Dale Jarrett starts at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the final Sprint Cup Series practice at 1:30 p.m. ET. Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte and 21-time Sprint Cup winner Jeff Burton join Allen to cover the Sprint Cup practice in the booth, while Marty Snider and Mike Massaro report the action from Bristol’s unique pit road.
NBCSN’s Friday coverage shifts back to XFINITY racing at 3:30 p.m. ET with qualifying hosted by Burns, Kligerman and Jarrett. Pit road reporter Kelli Stavast joins Hayden trackside. A second 30-minute NASCAR America anchored by Voda alongside Petty and Stoddard begins at 5 p.m. ET. Specialty reporter Rutledge Wood and NBCSports.com lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan contribute to the coverage. Sprint Cup Series qualifying from “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” track begins at 5:30 p.m. ET announced by Allen, Letarte, Burton, Snider and Massaro.
XFINITY Series Countdown to Green Pre-Race show kicks off at 7 p.m. hosted by Voda alongside Petty and Jarrett. Also contributing to the coverage are reporters Snider, Massaro, Stavast, Burns and Wood. The green flag drops on XFINITY Series racing at 7:30 p.m. ET with Allen, Burton and Letarte in the booth and Snider, Massaro, Stavast and Burns patrolling pit road.
NBCSN’s second evening of NASCAR coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday with NASCAR America Sunday presented by DraftKings, hosted by Voda alongside Petty, Jarrett, Wood and Ryan. Coverage kicks into high gear at 7 p.m. ET with Sprint Cup Countdown to Green Served by Sonic, as Massaro, Stavast and Burns join the coverage to break down the field.
The green flag drops on Sprint Cup racing in Bristol at 7:30 p.m. ET with Allen, Burton and Letarte calling action and Snider, Massaro, Stavast and Burns patrolling pit road, followed by the post-race show at 11 p.m. ET. NBCSN’s weekend of race coverage concludes at 11 p.m. ET with NASCAR Victory Lap hosted by Dave Briggs and Brian Vickers.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES PRE-RACE FEATURES
In Saturday’s pre-race features, 2004 Bristol Cup winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. voices a look back at the history of Bristol International Speedway and the momentous moments his family has shared at “Thunder Valley.” Earnhardt Sr. earned his first career Cup win at Bristol International Speedway in 1979, and went on to win nine more Cup races at the track throughout his career. The most memorable of which was Earnhardt Sr.’s ninth and final Bristol win, where Earnhardt Sr. tapped Terry Labonte from behind, sending Labonte into a spin with half a lap to go, and allowing Earnhardt Sr. to take the checkered flag.
NBCSN will take a look at the partnership between Kurt Busch and his crew chief Tony Gibson. After joining Busch’s team mid-way through the 2014 season, Gibson’s old school style and mastermind strategy has proven to be a good match for Busch, helping his resurgence in the Sprint Cup field.
NBCSN’s specialty reporter Rutledge Wood takes viewers around the “loudest NASCAR track” and explains why it earned the nickname. Wood also breaks down how the “Last Great Colosseum” will be transformed into a football venue next year, hosting the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tennessee Volunteers in September of 2016. In his weekly feature, Burton showcases the high-banked, quarter-mile race track from behind the wheel of NBC Sports’ Toyota Camry On Track Car.
INDYCAR ABC SUPPLY 500 FROM POCONO AIRS SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN presents the penultimate race of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with live coverage of the ABC Supply 500 from Pocono Raceway. Graham Rahal’s (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing; 456 points) victory at Mid-Ohio on August 2 has brought him to within nine points of Juan Pablo Montoya (Team Penske; 465 points) for first place in the driver standings. Rahal has notched eight top-five finishes this year, including four consecutive finishes in the top five. Montoya won last year’s race at Pocono, while Rahal has not finished higher than 18th in his two career races at Pocono.
Coverage from Pocono begins Saturday with qualifying at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, prior to Sunday’s live race action at 2 p.m. ET. Leigh Diffey will call the race, alongside former IndyCar driver Paul Tracy and Steve Matchett. Robin Miller, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee and Katie Hargitt will patrol the pits.
LIVE COVERAGE OF FORMULA ONE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX AIRS SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Formula One season continues this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET with the Belgian Grand Prix on NBCSN. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (202 points) and Nico Rosberg (181 points) continue to occupy the top two spots in the driver standings, followed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel (160 points). Vettel won the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, his second win of the year, and the trio has combined to win all 10 races this season. Vettel has won twice at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (2011, 2013), while Hamilton won at Spa in 2010.
Coverage of the Belgian Grand Prix begins with Practice 1 on Friday at 4 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Live Extra, followed by NBCSN’s coverage of Practice 2 on Friday at 8 a.m. ET. Live Extra airs Practice 3 on Saturday at 5 a.m. ET, followed by CNBC’s live coverage of qualifying at 8 a.m. ET. NBCSN’s live coverage of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix begins on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET, followed by post-race analysis on F1 Extra at 10 a.m. ET.
Diffey (play-by-play), Matchett (analyst) and veteran analyst and former driver David Hobbs will call the Belgian GP. Will Buxton will serve as the team’s on-site reporter from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
LEIGH DIFFEY AND STEVE MATCHETT TO CALL BOTH F1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX AND INDYCAR AT POCONO
Lead F1 and IndyCar race-caller Leigh Diffey and F1 and IndyCar analyst Steve Matchett will pull a broadcasting doubleheader this Sunday, calling the F1 Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. ET and the IndyCar ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Diffey and Matchett will arrive at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn. on Sunday morning prior to their 4 a.m. ET production meeting. Following the F1 race, the duo will depart from Stamford at 10:30 a.m. ET, take a charter flight, and arrive at Pocono Raceway in time to call the IndyCar race on NBCSN at 2 p.m. ET.
Following is the schedule for Diffey and Matchett for Sunday’s broadcast doubleheader:
- 4 a.m. ET – Production meeting at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
- 5:30 a.m. ET – F1 Rehearsal
- 7:30 a.m. ET – F1 Belgian Grand Prix on NBCSN
- 10:30 a.m. ET – Depart Stamford for charter flight to Pocono
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Arrive at Pocono Raceway
- 1 p.m. ET – IndyCar Rehearsal
- 2 p.m. ET – IndyCar ABC Supply 500 at Pocono
- 6 p.m. ET – Off-air
NEARLY 1 MILLION VIEWERS TUNE IN TO SERIES PREMIERE OF MOBSTEEL ON NBCSN; NEW EPISODE AIRS TONIGHT AT 10 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Mobsteel, NBCSN’s new automotive reality series which debuted on Sunday evening (6:10-7:10 p.m. ET) following NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing from Michigan, averaged 965,000 viewers to become NBCSN’s most-watched original series premiere to date. Viewership was up 54% vs. NBCSN’s average post-Sprint Cup Sunday programming. The show delivered a 0.62 HH rating.
Mobsteel follows founder Adam Genei and his team of custom-car specialists, including his wife Pam Genei, as they restore vehicles ranging from the finest relics of the American automotive boom, to an old International Harvester Loadstar, and much more. Mobsteel is an existing custom-car shop that was founded more than 10 years ago, using vintage parts and Detroit steel to bring these ancient American cars back to life.
New episodes will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET, including tonight’s episode which will highlight the restoration of a 1963 Lincoln Continental. In addition, NBCSN will air an encore presentation of Sunday’s premiere tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
NBCSN AND NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA PRESENT LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS SEASON FINALE FROM IRONMAN NATIONAL
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season comes to a close on Saturday with coverage of the Ironman National from Indiana. Ryan Dungey has already secured the championship in the 450 Class, but the 250 Class is coming down to the wire, where Jeremy Martin (461 points) holds a slim lead over Marvin Musquin (459 points) heading into the weekend.
Coverage begins Saturday on Live Extra at 10:30 a.m. ET with practice, followed by the pre-show on Live Extra at noon ET. MAVTV airs Moto 1 coverage at 1 p.m., followed by Live Extra’s Moto 2 coverage at 3 p.m. ET. NBCSN will air Moto 2 action at 11 p.m. ET.
Veteran play-by-play voice Jason Weigandt, analyst and two-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Grant Langston, and pit reporter Georgia Lindsay will call the action.
Following is NBC Sports Group’s motorsports coverage this week:
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Wed., August 19 | Mobsteel (Encore) | 9 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Mobsteel (New Episode) | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Thur., August 20 | NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – Motordrome** | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Auctions – Monterey (Encore) | 8 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Dealmakers – Seattle | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Fri., August 21 | Global RallyCross – Washington D.C. (Encore) | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| F1 Belgian Grand Prix – Practice 1 | 4 a.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| F1 Belgian Grand Prix – Practice 2 | 8 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Final Practice – Bristol | 9:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series First Practice – Bristol | 11:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 1 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – Bristol | 1:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series – Evergreen** | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Qualifying – Bristol | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Bristol | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Countdown to Green Pre-Race Show | 7:00 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Race – Bristol | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat., August 22 | F1 Belgian Grand Prix – Practice 3 | 5 a.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra |
| F1 Belgian Grand Prix – Qualifying | 8 a.m. | CNBC | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Indiana – Practice | 10:30 a.m. | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Indiana – Pre-Show | Noon | NBC Sports Live Extra | |
| F1 Belgian Grand Prix – Qualifying (Encore) | 12:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Indiana – Moto 1 | 1 p.m. | MAVTV | |
| Indy Car Series Qualifying – Pocono | 2 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar Chronicles – Scott Dixon | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Countdown to Green Pre-Race Show | 7:00 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Race – Bristol | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sprint Cup Series Post Race – Bristol | 11 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Indiana – Moto 2* | 11:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., August 23 | GP2 Racing – Belgium* | 1:30 a.m. | NBCSN |
| F1 Belgian Grand Prix | 7:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| F1 Extra | 10 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar ABC Supply 500 at Pocono | 2 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Victory Lap | 11 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mon., August 24 | NASCAR America | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
*same-day delay
**taped last week
NBC SPORTS GROUP CELEBRATES THE CHASE FOR THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP WITH THE QUICKEN LOANS $16M PERFECT GRID CHALLENGE
NBC Sports Group has teamed up with Quicken Loans, the nation’s third largest mortgage lender, to provide fans with the Quicken Loans $16M Perfect Grid Challenge.
Fans can register at NBCSports.com/GridChallenge to fill out a NASCAR Grid from the round of 16 drivers who qualified for Chase and predicting how they will advance through each round of The Chase through the final race. The lucky fan with a perfect bracket at the end of the season will win a 16 million dollar prize, one million to represent each of the 16 drivers in the Chase. Fans will be able to make their picks following the Federated Auto Parts 400 Sprint Cup Series race on September 12 on NBCSN from Richmond International Raceway, and will have until the 15 minutes prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup September Chicagoland Race the following Sunday, September 20, to submit their grids and get ready to cheer on their picks.
In addition to the $16 Million Perfect Grid Challenge, fans will also have the opportunity to compete in the Weekly Playoff Grid Challenge. Each week participating fans are entered to win great prizes including a Roku streaming player and NBC Sports prize packs. At the end of the 10 weeks the fan with the most points will receive a free mortgage for a year from Quicken Loans.
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 motorsports 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.
MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on Formula One, the Verizon IndyCar Series, and other open-wheel and off-road racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBCSN productions of IndyCar and F1, including contributions from on-air commentators.
MotorSportsTalk’s content is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:
- Luke Smith is creator and editor at Richland F1, which begins its second season this year. Smith works alongside Tony DiZinno in providing F1 content on MotorSportsTalk He’s on Twitter at @LukeSmithF1, primarily handling the F1 scene from Europe in great detail.
- Tony DiZinno has most recently served as web editor for RACER Magazine and provides open wheel coverage on MotorSportsTalk. DiZinno has more than seven years of experience in the industry. Follow him on Twitter at @TonyDiZinno.
To explore the site, please visit MotorSportsTalk.nbcsports.com or www.NBCSports.com.
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/
@NBCSportsPR: @NBCSportsPR Publicity group Twitter account for NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regionals, NBC Sports Radio & all NBC Sports digital properties.
@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.
– NBC SPORTS GROUP –
