FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 19th, 2017
NBC SPORTS PRESENTS MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY SUNDAY, JULY 23 AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
NBC Sports Group Presents 18 Hours of NASCAR Cup & XFINITY Series Trackside Coverage from “The Brickyard”
NASCAR Helps Drive NBCSN’s Most-Watched Day of 2017
New Hampshire Race Winner, Denny Hamlin, Joins NASCAR America from NASCAR Hall Of Fame – Tonight at 6 P.M. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 19, 2017 – NBC Sports Group gears up for its fourth week of live 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series racing, with 18 hours of trackside coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis, Ind. NBC Sports Group’s race coverage from “The Brickyard” begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with XFINITY Series racing, and culminates Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing.
Denny Hamlin’s victory last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway secured his place as the 11th driver to make the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. With only seven races left before the Playoffs begin, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth currently hold the five remaining spots in the Playoffs based on points, but have yet to secure a race win to guarantee their positions.
In addition to live television coverage on NBC and NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR action.
NASCAR HELPS DRIVE NBCSN’S MOST-WATCHED DAY OF 2017
NBCSN’s live telecast of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from New Hampshire Motor Speedway led the network to its most-watched day of 2017, averaging 737,000 Total Day viewers (6A-6A). Viewership of the race averaged 3.2 million viewers, and peaked in the final minutes as 3.7 million viewers watched Denny Hamlin hold off Kyle Larson to secure his place in the 2017 Playoffs. NBCSN’s programming this past Sunday was also highlighted by an encore presentation of the IndyCar Toronto race, which took place earlier in the day on CNBC, as well as live coverage of the 104th Tour de France.
Coverage of the 2017 IndyCar season on NBCSN is averaging 477,000 viewers, through seven races. Three IndyCar races on NBCSN this season (Texas, Road America and Iowa) have delivered more than 500,000 viewers. In addition, NBCSN’s live telecasts of the 2017 Tour de France are averaging 298,000 viewers, up 4% vs. last year (286,000). Last Sunday’s live coverage of Stage 9 of The Tour earned 424,000 viewers, and ranks as NBCSN’s most watched Tour de France telecast since the 2014 competition.
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM INDIANAPOLIS – SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
NBC Sports Group kicks off its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on CNBC, with first practice and second practice. A special 30-minute edition of NASCAR America begins at noon ET on NBCSN. NASCAR Cup Series qualifying wraps up the evening in Indianapolis at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Sunday’s race-day coverage begins with NBC Sports Group’s pre-race show, Countdown to Green, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. NASCAR Cup Series racing begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. NBCSN wraps up coverage at 6 p.m. ET, with a live on-site NASCAR Cup Series post-race show and complete coverage of the winning team kissing the historic bricks.
NBC Sports Group’s lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will call this weekend’s Monster Energy and XFINITY Series action, alongside Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte) and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton). Pre- and post-race coverage will be hosted by Krista Voda (@KristaVoda). Voda will be joined by auto racing icon 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. In addition, features reporter Rutledge Wood (@rutledgewood) will bring viewers closer the sights, sound and energy of “The Brickyard.”
XFINITY SERIES COVERAGE – SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports Group’s XFINITY Series coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins this Friday, with first practice at 1 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 3 p.m. ET, available on NBCsports.com and the NBC Sports app. Coverage continues Saturday with XFINITY Series qualifying at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Pre-race Countdown to Green coverage starts at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET.
NASCAR on NBC’s Parker Kligerman (@Pkligerman) joins Marty Snider and Dave Burns as a pit-reporter for Saturday afternoon’s race. Rutledge Wood will also contribute coverage from “The Racing Capital of the World.”
DENNY HAMLIN JOINS NASCAR AMERICA FROM NASCAR HALL OF FAME – TONIGHT AT 6 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Tonight at 6 p.m. ET, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin will join Rick Allen, Kyle Petty, and Dale Jarrett, from Glory Road, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, in Charlotte, N.C.
Hamlin will discuss his win this past weekend in New Hampshire, and what he is looking forward to now, after officially clinching a spot in the Playoffs.
As part of NBCSN’s comprehensive coverage of the 2017 NASCAR season, NASCAR America will present a live show each week from the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Each live episode will include an in-depth interview with an active driver, and highlight their journey to professional racing.
DARRELL WALLACE JR. JOINS NASCAR AMERICA THIS THURSDAY
Darrell Wallace Jr. will stop by NBC Sports Charlotte, in Charlotte, N.C., this Thursday, July 20, for a live in-studio interview on NASCAR America. Wallace will discuss his transition from the XFINITY Series to Richard Petty Motorsports’ iconic No. 43 Ford in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
ELDORA SPEEDWAY GENERAL MANAGER ROGER SLACK JOINS NATE RYAN’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST
Eldora Speedway general manager Roger Slack joins NBCSports.com’s lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan (@nateryan) on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast to discuss this week’s annual Eldora Dirt Derby in the Camping World Truck Series, the essence of dirt racing, and what it is like having track owner Tony Stewart as a boss. The NASCAR on NBC podcast is available on NASCAR Talk, Apple Podcasts, AudioBoom, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and podcasting apps. For more info click here.
NBC Sports’ weekly race recap podcast, Monday Morning Donuts, hosted by Carolyn Manno (@carolynmanno) and Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman), is also available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, with new episodes available each Monday.
UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Wednesday, July 19 | NASCAR America | 6:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Thursday, July 20 | NASCAR Whelen Series – New Hampshire | 4:30 PM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Whelen Series – New Hampshire | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Friday, July 21 | Scan All Special | 7:00 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series First Practice – Indianapolis | 1:00 PM | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – Indianapolis | 3:00 PM | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com | |
| NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR K&N Series – New Hampshire | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Saturday, July 22 | Scan All Special | 6:00 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Indianapolis | 9:00 AM | CNBC | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Indianapolis | 11:00 AM | CNBC | |
| NASCAR America | 12:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying – Indianapolis | 12:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Indianapolis (Encore) | 2:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green | 3:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing – Indianapolis | 3:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Indianapolis | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Sunday, July 23 | NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 2:00 PM | NBC |
| NASCAR Cup Series Racing – Indianapolis | 2:30 PM | NBC | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Victory Lap | 6:30 PM | NBCSN |
NASCAR ON NBC
In 2017, NBC Sports Group will present the final 20 NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events and select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events.
NBC Sports Group’s 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 Group concluded the 2016 NASCAR season presenting more hours of trackside coverage and programming than ever before.
In 2016, NBC Sports Group continued to innovate and entertain race fans with 630 hours of NASCAR programming, including interactive watch parties, documentary specials and new shoulder programming, in addition to its 366 live trackside hours from 22 different states. In 2016, overall consumption of NASCAR content on NBC Sports’ Digital properties was up 50% vs. 2015, and NASCAR on NBC’s social platforms generated a triple-digit increase in video views, as well as double-digit increase in fan base and impressions compared to the 2015 season.
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 —
