FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022

DALE EARNHARDT JR., DALE JARRETT, JEFF BURTON, STEVE LETARTE, AND SAM FLOOD PREVIEW NBC SPORTS’ 2022 NASCAR COVERAGE

“The storylines are just truly abundant with all of the variety, the new teams, the success on and off the racetrack…that are making this year fascinating.” – Steve Letarte on 2022 NASCAR Season

“He’s got a really amazing story…Daniel’s story is descriptive of a Hollywood movie. He’s a great person to cheer for.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Daniel Suarez’s Historic Victory

“I really expect the racing to be even better on the track with these Next Gen cars this year… It hasn’t disappointed anywhere this year, and I don’t think it will this weekend either.” – Dale Jarrett on NASCAR Returning to Nashville for Second Consecutive Year

NASCAR Returns to NBC this Weekend at Nashville Superspeedway

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 22, 2022 – NBC Sports NASCAR analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, and NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood previewed the upcoming second half of the 2022 NASCAR season on a media conference call yesterday, Tuesday, June 21.

For a complete transcript, click here. Following are highlights from the call:

Sam Flood on NBC Sports’ upcoming NASCAR coverage: “We’re going to be really reaching into the fans … (We’re) going to have some more fun with drones and Bat Cam. We’re going to have a new robotic camera on the pace car that’s going to be a part of every Cup race where we’ve got a new home on USA, and [we] can’t wait to be a part of the USA/NBC world…A lot of excitement and energy coming to USA…making USA the home of NASCAR for the second half of the season.”

Steve Letarte on the drama heading into the second half of the 2022 NASCAR season: “The storylines are just truly abundant with all of the variety, the new teams, the success on and off the racetrack…There’s just so many different aspects, both technical and personal, that are making this year fascinating.”

Dale Jarrett: “We couldn’t ask for a better handoff and better scenario to be literally put there right in front of us with everything, the excitement about the sport right now, the new car which has far exceeded any expectations I may have had of the car… I applaud NASCAR.”

Jeff Burton: “Every stage matters, every race finish matters, and it’s all happening at the same time you have this incredible change in the sport with this new car and the quality of racing through the roof. The intensity and aggressiveness…is through the roof, and it just makes everything that much more important.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on what Daniel Suarez’s historic victory means for the sport: “Aside from the fact that he’s just a great guy and a really nice guy and a person to be around, but he’s just got a really amazing story… Daniel’s story is descriptive of a Hollywood movie. He’s a great person to cheer for and a good dude to support, but globally the sport needs international flair and different drivers from different parts of the world competing and being successful.”

Jarrett on NASCAR’s return to Nashville for a second consecutive season: “I really expect the racing to be even better on the track with these Next Gen cars this year, but the level of excitement was almost unmatched from the fan side of it, and even from the competitors, for being able to go to a new venue…  I think the full experience is something that we have to look at, and the racing will take care of itself. It hasn’t disappointed anywhere this year, and I don’t think it will this weekend either.”

Earnhardt Jr. on Ross Chastain’s 2022 season thus far: “Hopefully for us as viewers going forward, he continues to put on a show. He’s one of the best things going right now for the sport in terms of entertainment. He’s got a little personality to him, which is always important. I hope for our sake that he continues all of his ambitious moments going forward, and especially once we get into the playoffs and it really starts to count and matter.”

***

NBC Sports kicks into gear its portion of the 2022 NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Over three days, NBC Sports will present nearly 15 hours of practice, qualifying and race coverage for the Cup and Xfinity Series across NBC, Peacock and USA Network.

NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green pre-race coverage will get underway in Nashville Sunday at 4 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock leading into Ally 400 race coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will present post-race coverage immediately following the checkered flag at 9 p.m. ET.

Countdown to Green ahead of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 gets underway Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, leading into race coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET. Post-race coverage will begin at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network. Click here for more details.

Below is a schedule for this weekend’s NASCAR coverage in Nashville on NBC, Peacock and USA Network:

Date Coverage Platform Time (ET)
Fri., June 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice USA Network 5:30 p.m.
  NASCAR Cup Series Practice USA Network 6:30 p.m.
Sat., June 25 NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying USA Network Noon
  NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying USA Network 1 p.m.
  Countdown to Green – NASCAR Xfinity Series USA Network 3 p.m.
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 USA Network 3:30 p.m.
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race USA Network 6 p.m.
Sun., June 26 Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series Peacock 4 p.m.
  NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 NBC, Peacock 5 p.m.
  NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Peacock 9 p.m.

 

—NBC SPORTS—