FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 27th, 2017
NBCSN PRESENTS PIVOTAL MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF ELIMINATION RACE FROM DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, AT 2 P.M. ET
XFINITY Series Playoff Coverage From the “Monster Mile” – Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN
NBC Sports Group Surrounds Decisive Weekend of NASCAR Playoff Racing With More Than 15 Hours of Trackside Coverage
Quotes from Kyle Petty & Dale Jarrett on Cup Series Drivers Advancing to the Round of 12
STAMFORD, Conn. – September 27, 2017 – NBC Sports Group surrounds the final race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 16, with more than 15 hours of trackside coverage from Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Race coverage from the “Monster Mile” begins Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the second race of the XFINITY Series Playoffs, and culminates Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the pivotal NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 16 elimination race.
Going into Sunday’s Cup Series race, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch have both secured spots in the Round of 12, by virtue of a win, while Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski are officially in based on points. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. currently occupy the final eight transfer spots for the Round of 12, but have yet to secure a spot. Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne currently stand below the Round of 12 cut line, and face elimination.
One race into the XFINITY Series Playoffs, Justin Allgaier currently leads the field with 2,057 points, followed by Cole Custer (+31 points above the cut line), Elliott Sadler (+29), Daniel Hemric (+26), William Byron (+25), Brennan Poole (+21), Matt Tifft (+10) and Ryan Reed (+8). Veteran driver Brendan Gaughan is currently 8 points below the cut line for the final transfer spot for the Round of 8.
In addition to live television coverage on 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.
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN kicks off its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Dover International Speedway this Friday at 10 a.m. ET with first practice, followed by qualifying at 3:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET on CNBC with second practice, followed by a special 30-minute edition of NASCAR America at 12:30 p.m. ET. Final practice wraps up the day at 1 p.m. ET on CNBC.
Sunday’s race day coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with NBC Sports Group’s pre-race show, Countdown to Green. NASCAR Cup Series racing begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and is followed by a live on-site post-race show. NBCSN wraps up coverage at 6 p.m. ET, with Victory Lap, NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR post-race show originating from Stamford, Conn.
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).
Krista Voda (@KristaVoda) will host pre- and post-race coverage alongside auto racing icon Kyle Petty (@Kylepetty), and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett). Marty Snider (@HeyMartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@Kellistavast), Dave Burns (@tvdaveburns) and Parker Kligerman (@Pkligerman) will report from pit road.
XFINITY SERIES COVERAGE FROM DOVER – SATURDAY AT 2:45 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN’s XFINITY Series coverage from Dover begins Friday, with practice at Noon ET and 2:30 p.m. ET. Race day coverage begins Saturday with XFINITY Series qualifying at 11:30 a.m. ET on CNBC. Pre-race Countdown to Green coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and race coverage begins at 2:45 p.m. ET.
RICKY STENHOUSE JR. JOINS NATE RYAN’S NASCAR ON NBC PODCAST
Driver of Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 17 Ford, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., joins Nate Ryan (@nateryan), on this week’s NASCAR on NBC podcast. Stenhouse Jr. shares his thoughts on his first Cup Series Playoff appearance and the pressure heading into the elimination race at Dover this weekend. 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.
QUOTES FROM KYLE PETTY & DALE JARRETT ON CUP SERIES DRIVERS ADVANCING TO THE ROUND OF 12
During Tuesday evening’s NASCAR America, NASCAR on NBCSN analysts Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett, shared the following thoughts on which bubble drivers will advance on to the Round of 12.
Petty: “My pick is Austin Dillion. He is right there at the cut line, but I think he drives his way in. He has had two solid races, driven his butt off, but had little results. I think this time he gets the results he needs.”
Jarrett: “I’m going with the Richard Childress Racing camp. Ryan Newman, somehow or someway, always finds a way to get through these rounds. He pointed his way all the way to Homestead, and almost had a championship a few years ago. I know they haven’t been that strong, but this is the type of race and track where he and Luke Lambert can pull some magic.”
The full clip is available here.
UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Thursday, September 28 | NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Whelen Series – New Hampshire | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Friday, September 29 | NASCAR Cup Series First Practice – Dover | 10:00 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Scan All Special | 11:30 AM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series First Practice – Dover | 12:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – Dover | 2:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Dover | 3:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR The Decades | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Saturday, September 30 | NASCAR Cup Series Second Practice – Dover | 10:30 AM | CNBC |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying – Dover | 11:30 AM | CNBC | |
| NASCAR America | 12:30 PM | CNBC | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice – Dover | 1:00 PM | CNBC | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown to Green | 2:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing – Dover | 2:45 PM | NBCSN | |
| Sunday, October 1 | NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 1:30 PM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series Racing – Dover | 2:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 5:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| Victory Lap | 6:00 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.
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 —
