NASCAR Countdown Previews: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series Live in Prime Time at Richmond International Raceway

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN on ABC; NASCAR Busch Series on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series race under the lights at Richmond International Raceway this weekend, when the field of 12 drivers will be set for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, which begins with ESPN on ABC’s presentation of the Sept. 16 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway.

ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will have a live preview of the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond on Saturday, Sept. 8, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown, which will feature a performance by the band Daughtry. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from ESPN’s DISH Tech Center. The race telecast begins at 8 p.m. Some highlights:

Miracle Kid: Can Dale Jr. Make Chase Happen?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 128 points behind 12th-place driver Kevin Harvick for the final spot in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. NASCAR Countdown analysts will talk about the scenarios necessary for Junior, the fan favorite, to make the championship playoffs in his final season with Dale Earnhardt Inc. They’ll also talk to the drivers Junior is trailing, including Harvick, Earnhardt’s DEI teammate Martin Truex Jr. and Kurt Busch, while taking a look back at the roller-coaster year Earnhardt himself has experienced.

Gibbs Drivers React to JGR Heading to Toyota

What do drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch think about Joe Gibbs Racing’s decision to switch from Chevrolet to Toyota for the 2008 season? NASCAR Countdown will have reaction from Stewart, a two-time Cup champion, as well as his two 2008 teammates.

NASCAR Busch Series: Live at Richmond International Raceway on ESPN2 

On Friday, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live coverage at Richmond International Raceway. The telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown, hosted by Allen Bestwick, joined by analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch and Truck series, in the ESPN Pit Studio. Highlights include:

Keselowski Returns After ‘Wreck of the Year’

Announced this week as the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports for the remainder of 2007, NASCAR Busch Series driver Brad Keselowski will speak with NASCAR Countdown about his horrific wreck in California and his thoughts on returning to racing. 

RIR NASCAR Busch Series Spring Race Winner Clint Bowyer

NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer returns to Richmond International Raceway after winning the spring NASCAR Busch Series race at the track. ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little will talk with Bowyer about his chances for another win and whether thoughts of making the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup will break his concentration.

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.