Motorsports This Week on ESPN: March 31 - April 6

NASCAR Nationwide Series Live from Texas on ESPN2

March 31, 2008 -- After a weekend off, the NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to action this weekend and ESPN2 will have live, flag-to-flag coverage of the 300-mile race from Texas Motor Speedway Saturday, April 5, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast is presented by Star Motorcycles. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN2’s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and two-time Cup Series champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

The race will be simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband sports network, and on ESPN Deportes, the domestic Spanish-language network. The event also will be simulcast on ESPN MobileTV.

Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears Airs Saturday on ESPN2

Race fans who missed original airings of the television series Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears, chronicling the move of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will have a chance to watch again. ESPN2 airs a one-hour episode Saturday, April 5, at 1:30 p.m. ET, leading to live coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved with the five-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award recipient leaving Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the team founded by his late father. Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is produced by Earnhardt Jr.’s Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard.

The final two episodes air on ESPN in prime time the week of the July 27 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, ESPN’s first live NASCAR Sprint Cup event of the season.

NASCAR Now To Feature Monday Roundtable Discussion

NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information show, features news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track.

On Monday, April 7, host Allen Bestwick leads a discussion of the Texas Motor Speedway weekend and other NASCAR news in a one-hour episode airing at 5:30 p.m. ET. Joining Bestwick will be a panel of ESPN’s NASCAR analysts and reporters.

Half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at 6 p.m. and Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. The one-hour weekend edition airs Sunday at 10 a.m. with a preview of the NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Texas.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Ryan Burr, Nicole Manske and Bestwick and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Tim Cowlishaw, ESPN.com reporters Terry Blount and David Newton and D.J. Copp, a member of Bobby Labonte’s NASCAR team.

NASCAR Now viewers also benefit from frequent contributions by the NASCAR on ESPN team including Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake.

ESPN Classic Featuring Daytona, Atlanta NASCAR Cup Series Races

NASCAR fans will have the opportunity to watch two classic NASCAR races on ESPN Classic this week.

The 1990 Daytona 500 airs Thursday, April 3, at noon ET, and the 2000 Cracker Barrel 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway airs Friday, April 4, at 3 a.m.

IndyCar Series Hits Streets in St. Petersburg on ESPN

The IndyCar Series visits one of its most scenic locations of the season this weekend and ESPN will have live coverage of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Sunday, April 6, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The event will be run on a temporary street circuit that includes part of the downtown and bayfront areas of St. Petersburg, Fla.

All IndyCar Series race telecasts this season are in high definition, and the St. Petersburg event features a 360-degree onboard camera that will be carried by several cars in the race.

Marty Reid will be the lead announcer for ESPN’s coverage, with former winning IndyCar Series driver Scott Goodyear providing expert analysis. Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch will report from the pits.

The race will be simulcast on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network. The race also re-airs on ESPN Classic Monday, April 7, at 7 a.m.

Firestone Indy Lights Series on ESPN2 Thursday

The first event of the 2008 season for the newly-named Firestone Indy Lights Series from Homestead-Miami Speedway airs Thursday, April 3, at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The series, formerly known as the Indy Pro Series, is the developmental series for the IndyCar Series.

Bob Jenkins, Robbie Buhl and Mike King call the action.

NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series Airs Sunday on ESPN2

Action from the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series airs Sunday, April 6, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The program features racing from the NHRA event in Houston. Dave Rieff hosts the coverage for ESPN2.

Featuring race vehicles that range from 5-second Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars to 15-second Stockers, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is the premier Sportsman series in drag racing. Eight categories are included in the series, which is showcased at select NHRA national events.

NHRA Fans Can Relive Events from 2005 on ESPN Classic

Fans of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will have opportunities all week to relive some of the great events of the 2005 season as ESPN Classic opens the archives and brings the events back to life on TV. The programs air at 11 a.m. ET Tuesday through Friday.

On Tuesday, April 1, fans can watch the action of the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, while Wednesday’s program features the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. The K&N Filters NHRA Supernationals air Thursday with the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals on the air Friday.

ESPN2 is the home for the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Two Episodes of Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex Airing Saturday

A new season of the ESPN2 reality show Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex continues with two episodes this week.

The show features popular New York TV and radio personality Funkmaster Flex, who opens each episode with “music is my life but cars are my passion.” Flex oversees a competition involving amateur car customizers and the real-life drama associated with the contest. The contestants put everything on the line to win.

Back-to-back episodes air Saturday, April 5, beginning at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN2, ESPN Classic Airing Classic Car Auction Programs

ESPN2 and ESPN Classic are the homes for lovers of classic car auction programs, and viewers will have the opportunity this week to see multiple hours of programming.

ESPN Classic will air an episode of RM Classic Car Auctions Tuesday, April 1, at 9 p.m. ET.

Back-to-back episodes of The Bidding Wars air Saturday, April 5, beginning at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, followed at noon by back-to-back episodes of Mothers Car Show. An episode of Russo and Steele Classic Car Auction airs at 1 p.m.

Source: ESPN

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