FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 4th, 2020
2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE DECIDED AT PHOENIX RACEWAY THIS SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBC
Cup Series Championship Coverage Begins at 1:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR America on NBC; Green Flag at 3 p.m. ET
NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship – Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Tim Layden Pens Essay on NASCAR Legacy of Jimmie Johnson
Seven-Time Champion Crew Chief Chad Knaus Joins Dale Jr. Download Today at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 4, 2020 – The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship will be decided at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday on NBC, with NASCAR America pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. A special hour-long edition of Countdown to Green will air at 2 p.m. ET, leading into the start of the Championship race shortly after 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
The NASCAR Cup Series Championship is a highlight of NBC Sports’ “Big Event Weekend,” featuring the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC), No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame (Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC), Liverpool v. Manchester City (Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on Peacock Premium) and Tom Brady and the Buccaneers hosting Drew Brees and the Saints on Sunday Night Football (Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC).
Chase Elliott secured a spot in the Championship 4 with his victory at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Elliott joined Joey Logano as drivers who automatically advanced to the Championship race with victories, while Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin earned spots in the season finale due to their point totals. The highest finisher among the four remaining contenders at Phoenix will win the Cup Series title.
2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP 4 DRIVERS
| Drivers | Season Wins |
| Denny Hamlin | 7 |
| Chase Elliott | 4 |
| Brad Keselowski | 4 |
| Joey Logano | 3 |
NBC SPORTS 2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA AVAILABILITY – TOMORROW AT 1:30 P.M. ET
- WHAT: 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Virtual Media Availability
- WHO: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Rick Allen
- WHEN: Tomorrow, Nov. 5, at 1:30 p.m. ET
Please RSVP to James Hallas (jhallas@nascar.com) and Matt Potolski (matt.potolski@nbcuni.com) with your name, affiliation, title, email, phone number and name of editor/producer. Email confirmations will be sent prior to the event.
NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RACE FROM PHOENIX – SUNDAY AT 1:30 P.M. ET ON NBC
Host Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage. Analyst Brad Daugherty will contribute on-site from Phoenix. NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood will engage fans remotely using #HeyRut on Twitter as well as be joined by ‘Champions’ throughout the weekend, including three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and the eventual NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
Pre-race coverage will feature an essay penned by Tim Layden about the historic legacy that seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has left on the sport of NASCAR.
The NBC Toyota Camry On-Track car will return on Sunday, when “The Mayor” of NASCAR, Jeff Burton, will drive around Phoenix Raceway to give viewers an inside look at the unique, one-mile oval where the Championship race will take place.
NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup Series championship race this weekend from Phoenix Raceway alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, two-time Daytona 500 champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Burton.
Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters on-site from Phoenix.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP RACE FROM PHOENIX – SATURDAY AT 4:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Coverage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race will begin with Countdown to Green on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, leading into race coverage from Phoenix Raceway at 5 p.m. ET. Last weekend, Harrison Burton won in the Xfinity Series’ return to Martinsville Speedway, marking Burton’s second consecutive victory. Three of the final four Championship drivers were decided by points — Justin Allgaier, Justin Haley and Austin Cindric — joining Chase Briscoe, who secured a spot in the Championship 4 with a win at Kansas Speedway in October.
Allen, Letarte and Burton will call the Xfinity Series championship race with Snider, Stavast, Burns and Kligerman providing reports from pit road.
2020 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP 4 DRIVERS
| Drivers | Season Wins |
| Chase Briscoe | 9 |
| Austin Cindric | 5 |
| Justin Haley | 3 |
| Justin Allgaier | 3 |
2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS
During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special.
ENASCAR COCA-COLA IRACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship race will be presented on NBCSN Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET immediately following post-race coverage of the real-world NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Letarte and Kligerman will provide commentary and be joined by Earnhardt Jr. in a special guest appearance during the one-hour race broadcast.
MOTOGP EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 9:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
The 2020 MotoGP season continues Sunday in Spain with the European Grand Prix from Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. With three events left in the season, Suzuki Ecstar rider Joan Mir leads the points standings.
CHAD KNAUS JOINS THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD – TONIGHT AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Chad Knaus is this week’s guest on The Dale Jr. Download that airs tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Knaus, who was part of Jimmie Johnson’s team that won seven Cup Series championships and is currently the crew chief for William Byron, will move to an executive position within Hendrick Motorsports following Sunday’s season finale.
Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., The Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.
Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Wed., Nov. 4 | The Dale Jr. Download – Chad Knaus | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Xfinity Series – Countdown to Green | 4:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship – Phoenix | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Xfinity Series Post-Race | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | NASCAR America | 1:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Cup Series – Countdown to Green | 2 p.m. | NBC | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Phoenix | 3 p.m. | NBC | |
| Cup Series Post-Race | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| MotoGP – European Grand Prix* | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
*same-day delay
NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE
NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.
–NBC SPORTS–
