ABC To Televise Busch Race
The NASCAR Busch Series heads to one of NASCAR’s most unique race tracks, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, this weekend and ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of Saturday’s 250-lap race. The Bristol event is the first short track race of the season for the NASCAR Busch Series and one of six select NASCAR Busch Series races this season that will air on ABC, with the other 29 to be televised by ESPN2. Coverage will begin with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown show at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3 p.m.
At just over a half-mile in length, with turns banked a steep 36 degrees, Bristol is NASCAR’s highest-banked track. Lap times for NASCAR Busch Series cars are in the 16-second range and the tight confines of the track create racing conditions not seen anywhere else, helping to make Bristol one of the most popular tracks among fans. More than 100,000 seats encircle the track in a stadium setting.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver who runs only a handful of NASCAR Busch Series races, will compete in the Bristol event, seeking his second Bristol NASCAR Busch Series win. Kyle Busch won last year’s race after battling to the front from the 20th starting position.
Rusty Wallace, who was a nine-time winner at Bristol during his NASCAR Cup driving career, will lend his knowledge of the track to ESPN’s coverage as analyst, working alongside two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree in the booth with lead announcer Jerry Punch.
ESPN’s pit reporter team will have a new face at Bristol as Shannon Spake, who has been reporting for ESPN’s SportsCenter, NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now this season, will join the telecast team working with Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro as regular pit reporter Allen Bestwick has the weekend off. Brent Musburger will host the telecast and studio analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will join Musburger in the ESPN Pit Studio.
ESPN2 Will Have Live NASCAR Busch Series Practice, Qualifying Coverage From Bristol. ESPN2 will have live coverage of practice and qualifying for this weekend’s NASCAR Busch Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday and Saturday, March 23-24. Live coverage of Friday’s one-hour final practice session for the series will be aired from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be televised from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Qualifying at Bristol takes on special importance as it marks the first event of the season in which the top 30 in 2007 NASCAR Busch Series car owner points are automatically set for qualifying. Calling the action from the booth will be Jerry Punch with analysts Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits and garage, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Pit Studio with host Brent Musburger.
The NASCAR Busch Series heads to one of NASCAR’s most unique race tracks, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, this weekend and ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of Saturday’s 250-lap race. The Bristol event is the first short track race of the season for the NASCAR Busch Series and one of six select NASCAR Busch Series races this season that will air on ABC, with the other 29 to be televised by ESPN2. Coverage will begin with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown show at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3 p.m.
At just over a half-mile in length, with turns banked a steep 36 degrees, Bristol is NASCAR’s highest-banked track. Lap times for NASCAR Busch Series cars are in the 16-second range and the tight confines of the track create racing conditions not seen anywhere else, helping to make Bristol one of the most popular tracks among fans. More than 100,000 seats encircle the track in a stadium setting.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver who runs only a handful of NASCAR Busch Series races, will compete in the Bristol event, seeking his second Bristol NASCAR Busch Series win. Kyle Busch won last year’s race after battling to the front from the 20th starting position.
Rusty Wallace, who was a nine-time winner at Bristol during his NASCAR Cup driving career, will lend his knowledge of the track to ESPN’s coverage as analyst, working alongside two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree in the booth with lead announcer Jerry Punch.
ESPN’s pit reporter team will have a new face at Bristol as Shannon Spake, who has been reporting for ESPN’s SportsCenter, NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now this season, will join the telecast team working with Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro as regular pit reporter Allen Bestwick has the weekend off. Brent Musburger will host the telecast and studio analysts Tim Brewer and Brad Daugherty will join Musburger in the ESPN Pit Studio.
ESPN2 Will Have Live NASCAR Busch Series Practice, Qualifying Coverage From Bristol. ESPN2 will have live coverage of practice and qualifying for this weekend’s NASCAR Busch Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday and Saturday, March 23-24. Live coverage of Friday’s one-hour final practice session for the series will be aired from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be televised from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Qualifying at Bristol takes on special importance as it marks the first event of the season in which the top 30 in 2007 NASCAR Busch Series car owner points are automatically set for qualifying. Calling the action from the booth will be Jerry Punch with analysts Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits and garage, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Pit Studio with host Brent Musburger.