In addition to all 35 NBS races, the networks
will telecast practice and qualifying from 17 races,
the season-ending banquet and a season preview
and review specials. There will also be a
dedicated pre-race program for each race called NASCAR
Busch Series Countdown as well as comprehensive
coverage of the Busch Series in ESPN2’s NASCAR
news and information program, NASCAR Now. And,
for the first time in televised motorsports, all
will be produced in High Definition.
To help fans prepare for the new season, NASCAR
Now will debut on Feb. 5, marking the
network’s first-ever daily program
solely dedicated to NASCAR, delivering the
latest race news and information. Also on
Feb. 5, ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE)
will start a countdown of the “100
Defining Moments” in NASCAR history.
These 30-second vignettes will lead to ESPN
and ESPN on ABC’s airing of the NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series, beginning July 29 at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
ESPN’s comprehensive NASCAR Busch
Series coverage will extend to ESPN.com,
ESPN Deportes, SportsCenter, ESPN
The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio,
ESPN360, ESPN International and EOE, among
other ESPN platforms.
“Having ESPN2 showcase the
excitement and anticipation of the
season-opening Daytona 300 from Daytona
International Speedway is the perfect
way to open the NASCAR Busch Series
season,” said speedway president
Robin Braig. “We’re
excited to have ESPN’s multi-media
platforms showcase this great
event to millions of fans around the
world.”
In 2006, Chevy driver Kevin
Harvick captured the coveted NASCAR
Busch Series season title by a
record margin of 824 points over
Carl Edwards.
“It is great that
ESPN is rejoining NASCAR,” said
Harvick. “I think it
will help the sport and with
ESPN’s full-season broadcast
of the Busch Series, I believe
it will help owners secure
more sponsorship dollars for
their Busch programs. I also
think that ESPN will bring
a lot of new features to their
broadcast that will entice
more fans to join the world
of NASCAR.”
ESPN2 will become the
motorsports destination
for NASCAR Busch Series
fans with more than 500
hours of motorsports programming
in 2007.
ESPN and ESPN
on ABC will have
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 ABC. Additionally,
ESPN2 will be the
home of the NASCAR
Busch Series all
season.
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.