ESPN To Offer Extended Coverage Of NASCAR’s Season Ender All Week

Courtesy: ESPN

The final round of NASCAR’s “Chase for the Championship” is officially upon us. Eight drivers have been cut to only four. In anticipation of the season’s final race, the Ford Ecoboost 400, ESPN will follow all four contenders—Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, and Joey Logano—all week. ESPN will have reporters with each team—Dave Burns with Joey Logano, Marty Smith with Kevin Harvick, Ryan McGee with Denny Hamlin, and Mike Massaro with Ryan Newman –early this week. And SportsCenter will air multiple live reports from the shops of each of the contenders’ teams Monday and Tuesday. They will air between 9:30am and 2:00pm ET. ESPN will offer extended coverage on each team and their preparations during the 6pm and 11pm editions of SportsCenter.

On Wednesday, there will be a press conference live from Miami featuring all four of the championship contenders and their team owners. SportsCenter will have interviews and reports from the day’s events. On Thursday, ESPN will head back to the shops with the championship contenders. ESPN’s reporters will follow the drivers’ pre-race preparations before things pick back up on track this Friday. Sunday’s season-ending race will be broadcast live on ESPN. It will be preceded by a special two-hour edition of NASCAR Countdown beginning at 1pm ET. The green flag is expected to fly at 3:16pm ET. All four of the championship contenders will appear on Countdown from the ESPN Pit Studio.

ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven will be on SportsCenter frequently throughout the race weekend with insight into the race and the championship contenders. He will also have an interview with the newly crowned champion after the race Sunday night.

None of the four final drivers in this year’s championship hunt have won a championship at NASCAR’s top level before. All four come from multi-car race teams. And they each represent one of NASCAR’s car makers—Ford, Chevy, Toyota.

More information on ESPN’s coverage of the 2014 NASCAR Championship week and weekend is available online at:

Website: http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ESPN

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

NNS Going Night Racing At Kentucky Speedway Friday Night

Courtesy: NASCAR/ESPN/ESPN2/ABC

NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Brendan Gaughan scored a surprise win over the weekend as the Nationwide Series made its way to Road America. Gaughan, who drives for Richard Childress Racing in the Nationwide Series, currently sits in seventh place overall in the series’ driver standings after his win. And despite a thirteenth place finish in Saturday’s race, JR Motorsports driver Regan Smith still sits atop the Nationwide Series driver points standings. He leads JGR’s Elliot Sadler by ten points after leaving Road America. This Friday night, Gaughan will look to prove last week’s win was no fluke. And Smith will look to bounce back and open his lead even more over Sadler as the Nationwide Series hits the track at Kentucky Speedway.

Friday night’s race will be simulcast on ESPN and online via WatchESPN. Coverage of the 300-mile race starts at 7pm ET with ESPN’s weekly pre-race NASCAR Countdown broadcast. The green flag is expected to drop at 7:45pm ET. Allen Bestwick will anchor Friday night’s broadcast. He will be joined by analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree in the booth.

More information on ESPN’s Nationwide Series coverage is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. To Serve As In-Race Reporter Tomorrow Night In O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

Courtesy: NASCAR/ESPN/ESPN2/ABC

The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads this week from NASCAR’s smallest track to one of its biggest.

Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith are now tied atop the NNS points standings as the NNS gears up for Round 6 of the series’ schedule. Round 6 brings the NNS to Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 live from. ESPN2 will have live flag-to-flag coverage of tomorrow night’s race beginning with the network’s weekly pre-race show, NASCAR Countdown at 8pm ET.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will make a rare appearance tomorrow night, driving the #88 Ragu Chevy Camaro. He will also serve as ESPN2’s in-race reporter. ESPN analyst Rusty Wallace will discuss the race with Earnhardt during the race’s pace laps and caution laps.

Pre-race coverage on ESPN2 is expected to begin at 8:30pm ET.

More information on tomorrow night’s coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 and the rest of the 2014 NNS schedule is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Championship Battle Still Very Tight As NNS Heads West Again For Week Five

Courtesy: NASCAR/ESPN/ESPN2/ABC

The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads back out west this weekend for week five of the series’ schedule.

JR Motorsports driver Regan Smith will look to make a dent in his current single-point lead over Roush Racing driver Trevor Bayne this Saturday when the NNS takes to the track for the Treatmycot.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.  Saturday’s telecast begins at 4:30pm ET on ESPN with ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown pre-race show.  The green flag is expected to drop at 5:17pm ET.

Allen Bestwick will call the race.  He will be joined in the booth by former NASCAR crew chief Andy Petree.  Rusty Wallace will sit in for former Winston Cup Champion and fellow ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett this week.  Nicole Briscoe will host NASCAR Countdown.  She will be joined by ESPN analysts Ricky Craven and Brad Daugherty.

More information on ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

NASCAR’s Next Generation Tries Its Luck This Weekend In Vegas

Courtesy: NASCAR/ESPN/ESPN2/ABC

NASCAR  Nationwide Series points leader Regan Smith looks to expand his lead over second place driver Trevor Bayne this weekend as the Nationwide series continues its western swing.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads from Phoenix to Las Vegas this weekend for the Boyd Gaming 300.  The green flag is expected to drop at 4:31pm ET.  Allen Bestwick will anchor the broadcast.  He will be joined in the booth by former Winston Cup champion and ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett and former crew chief Andy Petree.  Saturday’s broadcast will be preceded by NASCAR Countdown at 4pm ET.

More information on this weekend’s race and all of ESPN’s coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

NNS Series “Heats Up” This Weekend In Phoenix

Courtesy: NASCAR/ESPN/ESPN2/ABC

NASCAR’s next generation heads out west this weekend.  The second race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ 2014 season takes the series to Phoenix International Speedway for the Blue Jeans Go Green 200.  ABC will have all of the action beginning with NASCAR Countdown at 3:30pm.  The green flag is expected to drop at 4pm ET/1pm PT.

All eyes will be on the current NNS points leader Regan Smith when the NASCAR Nationwide Series takes to the track at Phoenix International Speedway this weekend.  Smith, who has been an underdog since his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at the 2007 Daytona 500, looks to keep his momentum going from last weekend’s huge win.  He currently sits atop the NNS points standings, six points ahead of Trevor Bayne, who won the 2011 Daytona 500.

Allen Bestwick will call all of the lap-by-lap action for Saturday’s broadcast.  He will be joined by former Winston Cup Champion and ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett and former crew chief Andy Petree.  More information on this weekend’s coverage is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN To Air NASCAR SCS, NNS Finales This Weekend

Courtesy: ESPN

And then there was one.  This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ 2013 series comes down to a winner take all race that will decide who takes the Sprint Cup Championship.  Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson have been locked in a head to head battle since the start of the annual “Chase for the Championship.”  But Kenseth has fallen off track in recent weeks.  He trails Jimmie Johnson by almost thirty points as the series heads into its season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.  Allen Bestwick will anchor this weekend’s broadcast.  He will be joined by analysts and NASCAR veterans Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree.  Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, and Vince Welch will have all the latest in-race news live from the pits.  ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will be anchored by Mike Massaro.  He will be joined by NASCAR veteran Rusty Wallace, former crew chief and Evernham Racing head Ray Evernham, as well as team owner Brad Daughtery for analysis.

The Ford Econoboost 400 closes out the Sprint Cup Series’ 2013 season.  It will be broadcast live this Sunday beginning with a special two-hour edition of NASCAR Countdown beginning at 1pm ET.  The green flag is currently scheduled to drop at 3:15pm ET.  ESPN will have also air practice and qualifying live this Friday at 1:30pm and 6pm ET respectively.

Along with its broadcast of the Sprint Cup Series season finale, ESPN will also have full coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ finale Saturday afternoon.  Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish, Jr. will take it right down to the wire Saturday for the series’ championship in the Ford Econoboost 300.  Broadcast of the race begins with NASCAR Countdown live at 4pm.  The green flag is expected to drop at 4:46pm ET.

ESPN will build up to this weekend’s championship battle by embedding reporters Ryan McGee and Shannon Spake with Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth’s teams respectively today and tomorrow, November 12^th and 13^th.  They will bring reports from both camps on ESPN’s flagship show, SportsCenter.  NASCAR fans can also tune in to ESPNEWS this Thursday, November 14^th for a special hour-long program that will come live from the NASCAR Championship Contenders news conference.  That broadcast will kick off live at 12pm ET from Miami.

More information on this weekend’s races is available online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

ESPN Takes Over NASCAR Broadcasts Beginning This Weekend

Courtesy: ESPN

NASCAR shifts gears again this weekend, literally.  Its top series, the Sprint Cup Series, will shift coverage of its races to ESPN beginning with coverage of the annual Brickyard 400 Sunday, July 28^th.  Sunday’s telecast is sponsored by Golden Corral.  It all kicks off with the NASCAR Countdown pre-race show at noon ET.  The pre-race show will broadcast live from the IMS’ legendary Pagoda.  It all leads up to the drop of the green flag, which is expected at 1:19pm ET.

Along with Sunday’s broadcast, ESPN will also handle coverage of Brickyard qualifying Saturday, July 27^th at 2pm ET.  ESPN2 will carry Sprint Cup practice at 9am. 

ESPN also has live coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race this weekend beginning with pre-race coverage on NASCAR Countdown at 4p.m. ET.  The green flag for the Nationwide Series race is expected to drop at 4:50pm ET.  Sprint Cup Series driver and 5-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will be in the broadcast booth for part of the Nationwide Series race.

ESPN will have a number of cameras covering what is one of the biggest of NASCAR’s biggest races each season.  It will have a camera mounted on a helicopter to get aerial shots.  There will also be eight in-car cameras that will give viewers at home an “inside” look at the race.  In all, ESPN will have a total of seventy-two high definition cameras position around Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this weekend’s coverage of the Brickyard 400.  That number includes four Ultra Hi Motion cameras for replays and other unique shots.  Another will be mounted on pit wall near the “Yard of Bricks” at the track’s Start/Finish line.  And another robotic Ultra Hi Motion camera will be mounted to show a low shot in Turn One.  Turns two and four will also have cameras mounted. 

Recently enshrined NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and 1999 Winston Cup Champion Dale Jarrett will be joined by two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree and lap-by-lap announcer Allen Bestwick in the booth during the race.  Marty Reid will take over calling lap-by-lap action for ESPN’s broadcasts of the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  Nicole Briscoe will be joined by 1989 Winston Cup Series Champion and fellow NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Wallace, three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham, and team owner Brad Daughtery for ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown pre-race broadcast.  Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, and Vince Welch will all be in the pits for all of the action trackside. 

During pre-race coverage, ESPN will take a look at a handful of notable drivers at this year’s Brickyard 400.  Those drivers are Juan Montoya, Danica Patrick, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart.  Each driver will have a special feature that focuses specifically on them during ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown.

NASCAR fans can catch up on all of the latest on this weekend’s race online at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/. 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.