NASCAR Countdown Previews: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series Live in Prime Time at California Speedway

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at 7 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN; NASCAR Busch Series at 9:45 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series head west to California Speedway in Fontana this weekend for night racing on the 2-mile oval.

ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will have a live preview of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at California presented by Principle Financial on Sunday, Sept. 2, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Brent Musburger will host NASCAR Countdown, while two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from ESPN’s DISH Tech Center. Some highlights:

In or Out -- Will Dale Jr. Make the Chase?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 158 points outside of the 12th and final position in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, but if anyone can make a comeback and earn a spot, it’s Earnhardt Jr. Currently 13th in the standings, he’s not only chasing Kurt Busch (12th), but also Kevin Harvick (10th) and DEI teammate Martin Truex, Jr. (11th). NASCAR Countdown will find out what all the drivers in the Chase and on the bubble are thinking, moments before the green flag.

Coming Home 

Seven NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers call California home including defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. ESPN cameras went behind the scenes with Johnson, as he spent his “homecoming” week visiting his old high school, hosting his first annual charity golf tournament and lending a hand for Habitat for Humanity.

NASCAR Busch Series: Live at California Speedway on ESPN2 

On Saturday, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live coverage at California Speedway. The telecast of the CampingWorld 300 presented by RVs.com begins at 9:45 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN’s Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown at Bristol, joined in the pit studio by analysts Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Highlights include:

NASCAR Busch Series Rookie Brad Keselowski Still Negotiating with DEI

ESPN NASCAR reporter Shannon Spake will report on NASCAR Busch Series rookie Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 88 for JR Motorsports. Keselowski has been the top rookie finisher in two of the five races he’s entered for JR Motorsports and finished 7th at Bristol Motor Speedway last week, yet his “audition” continues. Keselowski has two races left on his current contract. Spake will report on his chances of extending that deal through the end of the season.

Kasey Kahne Lights up Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne is fresh off a huge weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he won the NASCAR Busch Series race and finished second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race. Kahne also swept the both the Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup races at California Speedway  this time last year. ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Mike Massaro will interview Kahne live before Saturday’s green flag to talk about his recent successes and his thoughts on racing at California.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ESPN on ABC has comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.