ESPN’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Coverage Launches with Big Week Leading to Allstate 400

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to ESPN with a full week of NASCAR-related programming July 21-28, culminating with live, flag-to-flag coverage of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27, at 1 p.m. ET. And ESPN continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, prime-time telecast of the event at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m.

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is the first of 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup events on the ESPN networks to close out the 2008 NASCAR season. The first six air on ESPN, with the final 11 on ABC, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

ESPN’s coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway includes a live telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Saturday, July 26, at 10 a.m., and live coverage of two practice sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars on the famed 2.5-mile track, all on ESPN2. ESPN360.com, the signature broadband TV network, and ESPN MobileTV, the company’s 24/7 mobile video network, also will simulcast the race, qualifying and the two practice sessions. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language channel, will simulcast the race.

Five former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions will be an integral part of ESPN’s coverage team at the Brickyard, including analyst Dale Jarrett, the 1999 driving champion, who will work with two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree and lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch in the booth. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Tech Center, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake.

The pre-race NASCAR Countdown show from the ESPN pit studio will feature analysis by 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace and three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham, with host Allen Bestwick and analyst Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

NASCAR Nationwide Series coverage of the one-day event from O’Reilly Raceway Park includes ESPN2 telecasts of final practice at 12:30 p.m. and qualifying at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday from the 0.686-mile track. Marty Reid will handle play-by-play, with analysis by two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Randy LaJoie. Jack Arute and Vince Welch join Burns as pit reporters for the event.

Monday Roundtable on NASCAR Now Opens Week

NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information show, kicks off the week with a one-hour roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news on Monday, July 21, at 5 p.m. Panelists joining host Allen Bestwick will be Associated Press NASCAR writer Jenna Fryer, USA Today motorsports writer Gary Graves and NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith.

Half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now air at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and at 6 p.m. Friday on ESPN2. A one-hour edition airs Sunday at 10 a.m. to preview that day’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and NASCAR Now’s Sunday night weekend wrap-up program returns for the rest of the season that evening, airing for one hour starting at 10 p.m.

Final Two Episodes of Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears Air Tuesday, Friday

Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears, the sports documentary chronicling NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his unprecedented move from the team founded by his father to Hendrick Motorsports, returns to ESPN for the final two episodes on Tuesday, July 22, and Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m. The new episodes, each one hour in length, are the fourth and fifth installments of the five-part series.

ESPN Classic Airs Five Classic Brickyard 400 Races

ESPN Classic helps NASCAR fans get ready for the big race with a week of classic action from the annual NASCAR event at Indianapolis. Monday through Friday at noon, ESPN Classic replays a past running of the Brickyard 400, starting with the inaugural event in 1994 on Monday, July 21. The 1995 event airs Tuesday, with the 1998 race airing Wednesday. The race from 2000 airs Thursday while last year’s event closes out the week on Friday.

NASCAR Programming Schedule on ESPN Networks July 21-28

Monday, July 21	Noon	1994 Brickyard 400	ESPN Classic
Monday, July 21	5 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Tuesday, July 22	3 a.m.	NASCAR Now *	ESPN2
Tuesday, July 22	Noon	1995 Brickyard 400	ESPN Classic
Tuesday, July 22	5 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Tuesday, July 22	7 p.m.	Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears	ESPN
Wed., July 23	Midnight	NASCAR Now *	ESPN2
Wed., July 23	Noon	1998 Brickyard 400	ESPN Classic
Wed., July 23	5 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Thurs., July 24	Midnight	NASCAR Now *	ESPN2
Thurs., July 24	Noon	2000 Brickyard 400	ESPN Classic
Thurs., July 24	5 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Thurs., July 24	7 p.m.	Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears *	ESPN2
Friday, July 25	Midnight	NASCAR Now *	ESPN2
Friday, July 25	Noon	2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard	ESPN Classic
Friday, July 25	3:30 p.m.	NASCAR Sprint Cup practice	ESPN2
Friday, July 25	6 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Friday, July 25	7 p.m.	Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears	ESPN
Sat., July 26	10 a.m.	NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying	ESPN2
Sat., July 26	12:30 p.m.	NASCAR Nationwide Series practice	ESPN2
Sat., July 26	2 p.m.	NASCAR Sprint Cup practice	ESPN2
Sat., July 26	4:30 p.m.	NASCAR Nationwide Series qual.	ESPN2
Sat., July 26	7:30 p.m.	NASCAR Countdown	ESPN
Sat., July 26	8 p.m.	NNS at O’Reilly Raceway Park	ESPN
Sunday, July 27	2 a.m.	Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears *	ESPN2
Sunday, July 27	3 a.m.	Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears *	ESPN2
Sunday, July 27	4 a.m.	NNS at O’Reilly Raceway Park *	ESPN2
Sunday, July 27	10 a.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Sunday, July 27	1 p.m.	NASCAR Countdown	ESPN
Sunday, July 27	2 p.m.	Allstate 400 at the Brickyard	ESPN
Sunday, July 27	10 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2
Monday, July 28	2:15 a.m.	Allstate 400 at the Brickyard *	ESPN2
Monday, July 28	5 p.m.	NASCAR Now	ESPN2

* indicates re-air

ESPN PR

Edwards dominates at Gateway

Carl Edwards (Photo Credit: Padraic Major for NASCAR)

MADISON, Ill. — It took three days for Carl Edwards to get to Gateway International Raceway from his home in Columbia, Mo. — on a bicycle.

Once at the track, however, Edwards picked up his pace considerably for Saturday night’s Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Nationwide Series race. In the final 55-lap green-flag run, Edwards’ No. 60 Ford streaked away from the No. 20 Toyota of Joey Logano, taking the checkered flag 6.877 seconds ahead of the 18-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing phenom.

“That was unbelievable,” said Edwards, who picked up his second win of the season and the 15th of his career to the delight of a strong contingent of supporters in the grandstands. “It’s unreal. There won’t be a guy tomorrow who has a better day than me. Thank you everybody up in the grandstands. Thanks a lot.”

On This Day…July 20

July 20, 2002: A 22-year-old from Columbia, Mo., makes his first Nationwide Series start, finishing 38th at what he one day will call his “home” track, Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Carl Edwards doesn’t stick around long (valve), completing 35 of 200 laps in Danny Bost’s No. 9 Waterloo Tool Storage Chevrolet. Greg Biffle wins the Charter Pipeline 250 by 1.95 seconds over Ron Hornaday Jr.

Benson uses daring pass to win at Kentucky

Johnny Benson celebrates his win at Kentucky Speedway and his second win of the 2008 season. (Photo Credit: Ronda Greer/NASCAR)

SPARTA, Ky. — Johnny Benson made a daring four-wide pass to take the lead with 32 laps remaining and cruised on to victory Saturday night in the Built Ford Tough 225 Craftsman Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

Benson was third behind Bill Davis Racing teammate Michael Annett and Dennis Setzer for the restart on Lap 119 of 150 on the 1.5-mile track. Chad Chaffin was the top truck a lap down on the inside.

“I had a tremendous run off Turn 2 and got alongside the 18 (Setzer),” Benson said. “We both had good runs on the 22 (Annett), and we made a made dash to the corner (Turn 3). I expected (Setzer) to turn left, and he did and I had to turn left. I had the best spot.

Notebook: Logano eager to drive No. 20 Cup car

MADISON, Ill. — Joey Logano makes no secret of his desire to drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota next season — in the Sprint Cup Series.

Competing in the Nationwide Series for the first time in a month at Gateway International Raceway, Logano, 18, qualified fourth for Saturday night’s Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250, but his sights are set higher long term.

If team owner Joe Gibbs and president J.D. Gibbs offer Logano the No. 20 Sprint Cup car Tony Stewart will leave at the end of the season, there is no question as to what Logano’s answer will be.

McMurray captures pole for Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250

Jamie McMurray (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jamie McMurray earned his second career Nationwide Series pole after completing a lap of 33.809, running 133.101 mph.  His first and last career pole came at New Hampshire July 24, 2004.

Fellow Sprint Cup Series driver, Reed Sorenson, will start on the outside of McMurray for tonight’s Nationwide Series race.  The last four race at Gateway International Raceway have been won from a top-2 starting position.

Carl Edwards qualified third with a lap around the Gateway International Raceway of 33.898.  Edwards currently holds the track race record of 119.412 mph, which he ran July 26, 2006.

Skinner gets pole in Kentucky

Mike Skinner (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

51-year-old Mike Skinner wheeled his Toyota Tundra to win the Keystone Light Pole Award for The Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers.

Skinner ran a lap of 31.487 seconds at 171.499 mph to get his 45th career pole in his 167th career Craftsman Truck Series start.  This is Skinner’s third pole and ninth top-10 start so far in this 2008 season.  This is his first pole at Kentucky, but his third top-10 start at the track.

“Our truck wasn’t really good enough to get the pole today, but I’m not sure how many of these things we’ve gotten because I was dumb enough to hold the thing wide-open and not hit the fence,” Skinner said.

On This Day…July 19

July 19, 1992: Harry Gant finishes second for the 35th and final time in his Cup career. Darrell Waltrip gets the win in the Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Pocono, with Gant 1.31 seconds back. Gant closes out his career in 1994 with 18 wins in 474 starts.

No Buts About it, Get Used to Kyle Busch

Guest Column By Cathy Elliott

Nothing in life, it seems, is really ever easy or very clear-cut. Some typical phrases that tend to really rile up the naysayer lurking inside might include:

“Those roses are absolutely gorgeous.”

“Good ol’ Kenny Perry won the Buick Open this year!”

Kyle Busch hunting for NASCAR record at Kentucky

Kyle Busch (Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Kyle Busch will attempt to make history Saturday in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway by becoming the first driver to win consecutive races in each of NASCAR’s three national series.

Busch set up his run for the record book by winning the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway last weekend. His only NASCAR race this weekend will be the Built Ford Tough 225 in Sparta, Ky. The Cup series is taking a rare weekend off, and the Nationwide Series also runs Saturday night, at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis.

Busch, 23, is committed to running as many CTS races as possible to help Billy Ballew take the owners’ championship. Busch’s ambition has made for some hectic travel when the trucks aren’t at the same track as the Cup races.

On This Day…July 18

July 18, 1965: Marvin Panch leads the final 53 laps to win The Glen 151.8 at Watkins Glen. The 66-lap race is the final NASCAR race held at Watkins Glen for more than 20 years. NASCAR returns to the track in 1986 and has been running races there every year since.

Edwards going home at the right time

Carl Edwards (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

When times are challenging, it’s always comforting to go home and recharge your batteries before tackling your troubles head on. For Carl Edwards, a trip to his home track, Gateway International Raceway in suburban St. Louis, couldn’t have come at a better time.

Edwards and the No. 60 Ford team had a rough outing last weekend in Chicago, finishing a lap down and falling one position — to fourth — in the Nationwide Series point standings. The defending champion is 254 points behind current leader Clint Bowyer after 20 of the series’ 35 races.

Actually, 2008 as a whole has been an obstacle for Edwards. At this time last season, Edwards had four wins and a colossal 716-point lead over Kevin Harvick in the series standings.

Hunter Stewart Reaching Victory On and Off the Track

Hunter Stewart (Photo Credit: Racing Solutions PR)

San Diego, CA — Human Relations Media, a leading K-12 publisher of supplemental educational products, has chosen Hunter Stewart to be featured in an upcoming film titled “Amazing Kids of Character”. The film will capture a day in the life of Hunter as he prepares for and races in his next event July 26 & 27 at the
Championship Off-Road Race (CORR) in Chula Vista, California. But beyond capturing Hunter’s racing routine, the film will focus to educate about the powerful effects that kids’ positive character can have on others no matter their age.

Hunter Stewart began racing just over a year ago at age-7 around Southern California in Off-Road Trophy Karts. Just when young Hunter was about to face his new challenge of driving a race car, the Stewart family was faced with a much greater challenge. Hunter’s Mom (Alycia Stewart) was diagnosed with Stage-2 Breast Cancer at just 34. In an effort to keep the family moving along normally, Alycia encouraged Hunter to continue his racing endeavor. Hunter began to experience the challenges of racing, but also experienced the heavy emotional and physical strain that Cancer brought to his Mom and into his home.

On This Day…July 17

July 17, 1970: Bobby Allison and polesitter Cale Yarborough swap the lead nine times in the Volunteer 500 at Bristol, with Allison leading the final 279 laps. Allison leads 357 laps and gets the lead for the final time when Yarborough, who leads the other 143 laps, crashes and finishes 17th.

Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears Returns to ESPN with Final Two Episodes

Shifting Gears returns to ESPN for the final two episodes on Tuesday, July 22 and Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m. ET

Dale Jr. - Shifting Gears, the sports documentary chronicling NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his unprecedented move from the team founded by his father to Hendrick Motorsports, will return to ESPN for the final two episodes on Tuesday, July 22 and Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m. ET.

The new episodes, each one hour in length, are the fourth and fifth installments of a five-part series and air during the week leading up to ESPN’s live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday, July 27, at 1 p.m. from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The July 22 debut of the new episode will feature, among other things, reaction to the emotional conclusion of the Crown Royal 400 in May at Richmond International Raceway. It will segue into the July 25 finale, which highlights the driver’s popular Father’s Day victory at Michigan International Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson wins Best Driver ESPY

Courtesy: XSP Images

LOS ANGELES — Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is now a first-time ESPY Awards winner. Johnson was honored with the Best Driver award Wednesday night at the 16th annual ESPN-hosted sports awards show at Nokia Theatre.

The ESPYs are determined by online fan voting. Johnson was chosen over current Sprint Cup points leader Kyle Busch; 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion — and now NASCAR rookie — Dario Franchitti; this year’s Indy 500 winner, Scott Dixon; Formula One star Lewis Hamilton; and four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.

“I’m so honored the fans voted for me,” Johnson said. “There were so many great drivers nominated, and I’m humbled that I was chosen for the ESPY. It was definitely a team effort, and my guys are the best in the garage.”

Busch Chases NASCAR History In Kentucky

Courtesy: XSP Images

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch stands a victory away from making NASCAR history as the first driver to win a race in all three of the NASCAR’s national series in successive starts.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner in 2008, hopes to add Saturday’s Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway to last weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series sweep at Chicagoland Speedway.

Busch already is a member of a select group of drivers who have won in all three national series in the same season, posting a victory each year from 2005-08. Terry Labonte (1995) and Kevin Harvick (2003) also pulled off that triple.

CJM Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing Form Technical Alliance

Mooresville, NC – CJM Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced a newly formed alliance under which CJM Racing will receive technical support as well as information pertaining to research and development in the Nationwide Series.

CJM Racing will continue to run Chevrolet Monte Carlos for the remainder of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season and will transition to a TRD supported team in 2009. The team will be powered with Toyota engines while continuing to build chassis in-house.

“We are excited about the opportunity to build a relationship with JGR,” announced Tony Mullet, co-owner of the CJM team along with his brother Bryan. “They are dedicating an incredible amount of time, energy and resources to build their program. For us to be able to tap into some of that is great. Even better that we share the same goals and values outside of racing.”

Hitachi Power Tools sponsors Kvapil for 6 races

CONCORD, N.C. — Yates Racing announced today that Hitachi Power Tools, a world-wide leader in professional grade power tools and accessories, will sponsor the No. 28 entry with driver Travis Kvapil for a total of six races in the remaining NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. The primary sponsorship will debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27th and the race will mark the first time Hitachi Power Tools has been a primary sponsor in NASCAR’s most elite division, the Sprint Cup Series.

“This is a really powerful sponsorship for our Yates Racing organization,” commented Kvapil. “I am thrilled that Hitachi Power Tools has chosen to partner with our team and it’s a tremendous honor to be able to welcome a new sponsor to the Sprint Cup Series level on our No. 28 Ford. We’ve been fortunate as an organization to have the support from numerous partners already this season and I feel that this new partnership with Hitachi Power Tools is going to be another great addition to our team. I’m looking forward to successful races ahead for our No. 28 Hitachi Power Tools Ford, and I am honored to have been the driver selected to represent their company in NASCAR’s highest division.”

“Hitachi Power Tools is proud to sponsor the No. 28 Ford Fusion with Yates Racing and is excited for the opportunity to have a presence at the Cup level for the first time as a primary sponsor,” said John Fries of Hitachi Power Tools. “Our organization feels that this sponsorship works well in our overall marketing plan. The goal is to increase exposure of the Hitachi brand and promote lithium-ion cordless tools to NASCAR fans. When the opportunity came for us to partner with Yates Racing, we felt that it was exactly the right fit for us. Doug Yates is a tremendous talent as an engineer and his knowledge of technology and machinery attracted us to this team. Travis is a proven winner and champion in the truck series and we look forward to partnering with Yates Racing and Travis Kvapil for his first win at the Cup level.”

Atlanta speedway turns to agency to boost attendance

Atlanta Motor Speedway has retained Blue Sky Agency, an Atlanta-based advertising firm, to launch a brand campaign to increase attendance.

Many tracks that host NASCAR Sprint Cup races have reported flat or declining attendance the past few years, and AMS has seen a double-figure drop across all of its events in the past three to four years, according to Ed Clark, the speedway’s president. Those tracks don’t release specific attendance numbers.

The decline is usually blamed on the expense of gas because NASCAR depends on fans to travel long distances, many in gas-guzzling RVs and campers. Part of the new marketing plan likely will involve shrinking the radius around Atlanta to which AMS markets, Clark said.