Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Live in Prime Time on ESPN from California Speedway

The fast and competitive California Speedway near Los Angeles will host the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race presented by Principle Financial on Sunday, Sept. 2, for 500 miles of prime-time racing. ESPN will have live coverage from the 2-mile Fontana, Calif., oval beginning at 7 p.m. ET with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program.

With only two races left before the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup begins, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other drivers are trying to earn spots in the Chase, while other drivers higher in the standings will try to improve their positions for the Chase.

ESPN, which has televised more NASCAR Cup races than any other network, and ABC will have live coverage of the final 17 races of the 2007 season, including ESPN on ABC’s presentation of all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Dr. Jerry Punch will handle play-by-play for the California race, joined in the booth for expert analysis by 1989 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Brent Musburger will host NASCAR Countdown, joined by analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch and Truck series, in the ESPN Pit Studio.

A simulcast of the race can be seen on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network. In addition, the race can be seen live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband service.

NASCAR Busch Series Action Live in Prime Time on ESPN2 Saturday Night from California

On Saturday night, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live, prime-time racing from California Speedway. The telecast of the CampingWorld 300 presented by RVs.com begins at 9:45 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

The 2-mile California Speedway, located near Los Angeles, has hosted the NASCAR Busch Series every year since the track opened in 1997, and two races a year since 2004. Kasey Kahne is the race’s defending champion, while Matt Kenseth scored a victory when the series was at the track in February.

Dr. Jerry Punch will anchor ESPN2’s coverage from California, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake, while two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown, joined by analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch and Truck series, in the ESPN Pit Studio.

A simulcast of the race can be seen on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network. In addition, the race can be seen live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband service.

NASCAR in Primetime Five-Part Series Continues Wednesday on ABC

The ABC News five-part series NASCAR in Primetime continues Wednesday, Aug.. 29, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. The series takes a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation, logistics, drama and competition of NASCAR.

For the first time, NASCAR has given uncensored access to the lives of some of its top drivers, including Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya and Mark Martin. Millions see the NASCAR world every weekend, but with cameras rolling for five months ABC News documented what really goes on and what the drivers are really made of.

The unscripted ABC News documentary series chronicles NASCAR and a range of its competitors on and off the track to explain the sport's growth, multi-dimensional appeal and cultural phenomenon.

NASCAR Now Schedule

NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily news and information show dedicated to NASCAR, will have its expanded one-hour program today at 5:30 p.m. ET. The program will contain highlights of Saturday night’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway as well as the latest NASCAR news and information.

The program will air at 6 p.m. in its normal 30-minute format Tuesday through Thursday of this week, and Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The one-hour weekend edition will air Sunday at 10 a.m., with extensive highlights of Saturday night’s NASCAR Busch Series race at California Speedway and a preview of Sunday night’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at the same track. The weekend wrap-up edition will air Monday at 1 a.m.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Erik Kuselias, Ryan Burr or Allen Bestwick and originates from ESPN’s High Definition studios in Bristol, Conn., with reporters Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake. Contributors include analysts Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Stacy Compton and Boris Said, along with NASCAR insiders Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, Tim Cowlishaw, David Newton and Marty Smith, as well as D.J. Copp, a member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR team.

ESPN2 To Have More Than 10 Hours of NHRA U.S. Nationals Coverage This Weekend

The biggest event of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season will kick off the second phase of the NHRA’s new Countdown to the Championship this weekend with the running of the 53rd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. ESPN2 will have more than 10 hours of coverage from the U.S. Nationals, including qualifying and eliminations action.

Each Labor Day weekend, NHRA racers and fans descend on O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis for the biggest, richest and most prestigious drag race in the world. The fabled quarter-mile is regarded by many as one of the smoothest on the circuit, an appropriate staging ground for the Countdown to 4 segment of the championship chase. The marathon also hosts two high-dollar bonus events, the $100,000-to-win Skoal Showdown for Funny Cars and the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, which pays $25,000 to the winning Pro Stock Motorcycle rider.

ESPN2’s coverage begins Sunday morning with a one-hour qualifying wrap-up program at 12:30 a.m. ET. More coverage will air at 2 p.m. and midnight Sunday. On Labor Day Monday, ESPN2 will be on the air from noon until 3 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. with coverage of finals action.

Paul Page will anchor ESPN2’s coverage from Indianapolis, joined in the booth for analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff will report from the pits.

U.S. Nationals coverage also will include the 30-minute NHRA Race Day program at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, setting the stage for that day’s activities with host Dave Rieff and a panel of guests. An episode of American Dragster will air at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28.

IndyCar Series Live on ABC Sunday from Detroit

A popular racing venue in Detroit is being revived this weekend as the IndyCar Series competes on the Belle Isle road racing circuit in the Detroit IndyCar Grand Prix presented by Firestone. ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of the event Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The battle for the IndyCar Series championship is coming down to the wire with only one race left following the Detroit event. With a late-season surge, former IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon has closed on Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti and his road racing success in the series could serve him well at Detroit.

Marty Reid will anchor ESPN on ABC’s coverage, with analysis by former IndyCar Series star Scott Goodyear. Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch will report from the pits.

Champ Car World Series Continues European Tour in The Netherlands

The Champ Car World Series concludes its two-race European swing this weekend with an event at the TT Circuit Assen in Assen, Holland. The race will be televised live Sunday at 7 a.m. ET on ESPN Classic.

Three-time Champ Car Series champion Sebastien Bourdais, who will be moving to Formula One next season, will be among the top contenders, along with series star Paul Tracy and rookie phenomenon Will Power. At least 13 events in the international open-wheel racing series are being televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic and ABC in 2007, with the networks exclusively airing the series in 2008.

Veteran play-by-play announcer Rick Benjamin and color analyst and former Atlantic racer Jon Beekhuis will call the action for the race.

Indy Pro Series Sonoma Action Will Air Friday

The Indy Pro Series, the feeder series for the IndyCar Series, will be on the air Friday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2 with a one-hour recap of last weekend’s action from Infineon Raceway. The Indy Pro Series drivers and teams ran in conjunction with the IndyCar Series at the road course in Sonoma, Calif.

Bob Jenkins will call the action in the telecast, joined for analysis by Robbie Buhl and Mike King. ESPN2 has tape-delayed coverage of all Indy Pro Series events this season.

Champ Car Atlantic Series Action Airs on ESPN2 Tuesday

The Champ Car Atlantic Series, the feeder series for the Champ Car World Series, airs exclusively on ESPN2 this season. Action from the series will be shown Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. ET.

The historic Atlantic Series has been a training and proving ground for many of the stars of open-wheel racing.

SpeedFreaks to Highlight ESPN2 Garage Programs Airing This Week

Five episodes of SpeedFreaks will air this week as part of the ESPN2 Garage block of automotive programming. In addition, new episodes of Race Wizard with Ray Evernham and King of the Strip will premiere.

SpeedFreaks will air two times Thursday and three times Friday of this week. The Freaks are four colorful characters featured in a motorsports radio show, and the TV episodes are taped on-site at some of the top auto racing events around the country. The shows includes unique interviews with top drivers, crew chiefs, and auto racing experts talking all things motorsports.

Back-to-back 30-minute episodes will air Thursday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET, and in the same time slots Friday. An additional episode will air Friday at 5:30 a.m.

Race Wizard with Ray Evernham will air Tuesday, Aug. 28, and Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 5 p.m., and Sunday at 11 a.m. King of the Strip will air Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Other ESPN2 Garage programs scheduled to air this week include Hot Rod Television on Monday and Thursday at 5 p.m. and The Bidding Wars on Sunday at 5:30 a.m.

Designed to complement ESPN’s extensive coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car and NHRA racing in 2007, ESPN2 Garage is dedicated to the automotive, motorcycle and motorsports worlds. ESPN2 will air more than 1,100 hours of motorsports programming in 2007.