FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 17th, 2020

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS 104TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, ON NBC AT 1 P.M. ET

104th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge – Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC

Carb Day Coverage Begins Friday at 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold

Indy 500 Media Conference Call Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET – Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick, Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy and Sam Flood

Marco Andretti Wins the Pole for Sunday’s ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 17, 2020 – NBC Sports presents the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge this Sunday, August 23, with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Following last week’s nearly 40 hours of on-track practice and qualifying coverage, this week’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins with Carb Day on Friday on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s broadcast of the Indy 500 on NBC will mark the first time the race will be held in August.

NBC Sports’ Indy 500 commentators Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Indy 500 host Mike Tirico, Indy 500 analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick as well as executive producer Sam Flood will preview the 104th Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call on Wednesday, August 19, at 12 p.m. ET.

Yesterday, Marco Andretti won the pole position during qualifying, where he narrowly topped current points leader and five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon, to lead the field to the green flag for Sunday’s race.

Following are highlights of NBC Sports’ comprehensive weekend Indianapolis 500 coverage.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 – PRE-RACE COVERAGE BEGINS AT 1 P.M. ET ON NBC

NBC Sports will present five hours of live coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day – Sunday, August 23 – beginning with pre-race coverage on NBC at 1 p.m. ET with the green flag slated to wave at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and Paul Tracy (analyst) will call the 104th Indianapolis 500 alongside pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Kevin Lee.

Bell and Tracy have combined to make 17 career Indy 500 starts. Tracy was the runner-up in the 2002 Indy 500, while Bell registered a career-best fourth-place Indy 500 finish in 2009. Diffey will call his second consecutive Indy 500 and has additionally called many of motorsports’ most prestigious events, including the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

NBC Sports’ comprehensive Indy 500 commentary team includes host Mike Tirico and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick, who made eight Indy 500 starts in her career (best finish of third in 2009) and was the first woman to lead laps in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ NBC Sports’ motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood will provide on-site reports from in and around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indianapolis 500 Victory Special, featuring the winner of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500, will be available on-demand on NBC Sports Gold‘s INDYCAR Pass beginning on Tuesday, August 25.

CARB DAY COVERAGE BEGINS FRIDAY AT 11 A.M. ON NBCSN & NBC SPORTS GOLD

NBC Sports will present Carb Day this Friday, August 21, with 2.5 hours of coverage on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Diffey, Bell and Tracy will have the call on Carb Day along with Snider, Stavast and Lee providing reports from the pits.

Following is this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 coverage across NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold:

Date Coverage Network/Platform Time (ET)
Fri., Aug. 21 Indianapolis 500 Carb Day NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold 11 a.m.
Sun., Aug. 23 Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race NBC 1 p.m.
  104th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge NBC 2:30 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Post-Race NBC 5:30 p.m.

–NBC SPORTS–