FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 26th, 2017
NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM POCONO RACEWAY SUNDAY, JULY 30 AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
XFINITY Series Racing from Iowa Speedway – Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC
NBC’s Presentation of Brickyard 400 Ranks as Most Watched Sports Event of the Week
Daniel Suarez Joins NASCAR America from NASCAR Hall of Fame – Tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 26, 2017 – NBC Sports Group moves into its fifth week of live 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series racing, with sixteen hours of trackside coverage from Pocono Raceway, in Long Pond, Pa., and Iowa Speedway, in Newton, Iowa. NBC Sports Group’s race coverage begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with XFINITY Series racing from Iowa’s “Fastest Short Track on the Planet,” and culminates Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing from Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle.”
Kasey Kahne’s thrilling victory last weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway secured his place as the 12th driver to make the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. With only six races left before the Playoffs begin, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Chase Elliott and Matt Kenseth currently hold the four 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.
NBC’S PRESENTATION OF BRICKYARD 400 RANKS AS MOST WATCHED SPORTS EVENT OF THE WEEK
NBC Sports’ presentation of this past Sunday’s NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series race from Indianapolis Motor Speedway ranked as the most watched sports event of the week. Coverage of the Brickyard 400 on NBC drew a Total Audience Delivery of 5.6 million viewers, and peaked with a TV only audience of nearly 6.8 million. In addition, Sunday’s broadcast on NBC delivered a 3.38 rating, up 9% vs. the 2016 Brickyard 400 (NBCSN 3.10). The 5.6 million viewers for the race ranks as the best delivery for the Brickyard 400 since 2011 (ESPN 6.4 million). The marathon race, which ran into the twilight hours, helped position NBC as the No. 1 network on television, among P18-49 and P25-54, during the race window (5-9 p.m. ET).
Sunday’s race also marked NBC Sports Group’s most-streamed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race on record, garnering 6.7 million live minutes streamed. Additionally, NBCSN’s coverage of this past Saturday’s XFINITY Series race from Indianapolis ranked as NBC Sports Group’s most-watched cable XFINITY Series race on record, with 1.7 million viewers.
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM POCONO – SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports Group kicks off its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Pocono Raceway this Saturday at 9 a.m. ET on CNBC with first practice, followed by final practice at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN.
Sunday’s coverage begins with qualifying at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. A special two-hour edition of NASCAR America kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and leads into NBC Sports Group’s pre-race show, Countdown to Green, at 2:30 p.m. ET. NASCAR Cup Series racing begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and is followed by a live on-site NASCAR Cup Series post-race show.
NBC Sports Group will broadcast NASCAR Cup Series practice and race coverage using a new technique, dubbed the “What-Why Booth.” The NASCAR on NBC team will utilize two booths at Pocono Raceway to provide a cross-examination of pivotal game-changing events throughout the race.
Lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will pair with Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett) in one booth to call the race action live. Meanwhile, Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte), and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton), will contribute deep-dive analysis, from a second booth, using animation graphics and telestrator technology.
Krista Voda (@KristaVoda) will host pre- and post-race coverage alongside auto racing icon Kyle Petty (@Kylepetty), and Dale Jarrett.
Pre-race coverage will include a special “Driver to Driver” interview between Burton and Matt Kenseth, discussing prospects for Kenseth’s 2018 season. Kyle Petty will interview car owner Felix Sabates, about his incredible return to NASCAR, after falling into a coma one year ago. In addition, Rutledge Wood will give an all-access look at how teams are preparing for qualifying, and a race, on the same day.
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 inside “The Tricky Triangle.”
XFINITY SERIES COVERAGE FROM IOWA SPEEDWAY – SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
NBC Sports Group’s XFINITY Series coverage from Iowa Speedway begins this Friday on NBCSN, with first practice at 5 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 6:30 p.m. ET. Coverage continues Saturday, with XFINITY Series qualifying at 12 p.m. ET on NBCsports.com and the NBC Sports app. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET, coverage of qualifying will also be available on NBCSN. Pre-race Countdown to Green coverage starts at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. Race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Dave Burns calls the XFINITY action from Iowa Speedway, alongside analyst Kyle Petty. NASCAR on NBC’s Parker Kligerman (@Pkligerman) joins Marty Snider as a pit-reporter for Saturday afternoon’s race.
DANIEL SUAREZ JOINS NASCAR AMERICA FROM NASCAR HALL OF FAME – TONIGHT AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Tonight at 5 p.m. ET, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez will join Marty Snider, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton, from the Hall of Honor, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, in Charlotte, N.C.
The driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Toyota will discuss his successful rookie season, with six career top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place finish last weekend at “The Brickyard.”
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.
MATT DIBENEDETTO JOINS NASCAR AMERICA THIS THURSDAY AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Matt DiBenedetto, driver of Go Fas Racing’s No 32 Ford, will stop by NBC Sports Charlotte, in Charlotte, N.C., this Thursday, July 27, at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN, for a live in-studio interview on NASCAR America. DiBenedetto will discuss how the 15-employee team has remained competitive during the 2017 season, garnering an eighth-place finish last weekend in Indianapolis, and a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500.
TONY STEWART JOINS NATE RYAN’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST
Three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart joins NBCSports.com’s lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan (@nateryan) on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. The motor-racing icon discusses his new life after retirement, stories from his iconic career, and a humorous antidote about driving the T-shirt and merchandise hauler for his sprint car team. 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, 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 26 | NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Thursday, July 27 | NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Ride To Victory: Stories of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Friday, July 28 | NASCAR XFINITY Series First Practice – Iowa | 5:00 PM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series FinalPractice – Iowa | 6:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| Saturday, July 29 | NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Pocono | 9:00 AM | CNBC |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Pocono | 11:30 AM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying – Iowa | 12 PM | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com
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| NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying – Iowa | 12:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green | 3:00 PM | NBC | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing – Iowa | 3:30 PM | NBC | |
| Sunday, July 30 | NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono | 11:30 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America | 12:30 AM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 2:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Racing – Pocono | 3:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 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 —
