54^th Daytona 500 on Sun. Feb 26 Highlights 12^th Season

Coverage Begins with Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 18

New York & Los Angeles – FOX Sports gears up for its 12th season of NASCAR coverage by unveiling the 2012 NASCAR on FOX broadcast schedule featuring 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup points races and 15 events total,  highlighted by the 54th running of the DAYTONA 500, live on Sunday, Feb. 26 (1:00-5:30 PM ET) from Daytona International Speedway.  Coverage of the “Great American Race” begins that day with a special one-hour pre-race program (12:00-1:00 PM ET) from the DIS infield and a completely remodeled Hollywood Hotel.  The flag officially drops on FOX Sports’ 2012 Speedweeks coverage with the BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT, live on Saturday, Feb. 18 in prime time (8:00-10:00 PM ET), followed by live coverage of DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING on Sunday, Feb. 19 (1:00-4:00 PM ET).

Michael Waltrip, driver, owner and pitch-man extraordinaire, joins the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace team, taking a seat in the famed Hollywood Hotel alongside big brother Darrell Waltrip and host Chris Myers. Darrell and former champion crew chief Larry McReynolds return to provide race analysis for all NASCAR on FOX Sprint Cup events, and Mike Joy returns as race announcer.  Veteran analyst Jeff Hammond takes his extensive experience as a former championship-winning crew chief to the action in the garages and on pit road.  Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Krista Voda also return to cover pit road.  NASCAR on FOX “storm scout” and meteorologist Rick Dickert of FOX-owned KTTV in Los Angeles rejoins the crew to provide weather updates to viewers on the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace show as well as during race coverage.

FOX’s 2012 NASCAR schedule is highlighted by races from Phoenix International Speedway on Sunday, March 4; Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 11; Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 18; Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 14; Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, April 28; Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, May 6; and the NASCAR on FOX season finale from Dover, Delaware on Sunday, June 3.

The network’s presentation of the first 13 races of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup series hit a three-year high averaging 8.6 million viewers per race, up +9% over 2010 (7.9 million viewers).  The 2011 Daytona 500 crowned the event’s youngest champion ever and delivered ratings and audience gains for FOX Sports.  A total audience of just over 30 million Americans watched the race, making the 2011 Daytona 500 the most-watched NASCAR race since 2008.  The 30.1 million total viewers, a measure of the audience that saw at least a portion of the race, is +1% higher than 2010’s total audience of 29.8 million and +15% better than 2009′s 26.2 million.

FOX Sports commands the well-earned distinction as television’s most innovative sports broadcaster.  Ranking high among the network’s achievements are honors for its NASCAR coverage.  NASCAR on FOX has garnered 15 Emmy Awards for its coverage including three for Outstanding Sports Series (2001, 2005, 2007), five for Outstanding Live Event Audio Sound (2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010), one for Outstanding Graphic Design (2001), five for Outstanding Technical Team Remote (2001, 2003-05, 2007) and one for Promotional Announcement Episodic (2008).

NASCAR on FOX 2012 Schedule

Date                             Track                                        Event                                       Coverage Begins

Sat. Feb. 18                  Daytona Int’l Speedway             Budweiser Shootout                                   8:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 19                 Daytona Int’l Speedway             Daytona 500 Qualifying                              1:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 26                 Daytona Int’l Speedway             Daytona 500                                            12:00 PM

Sun. March 4                 Phoenix Int’l Speedway              NASCAR Racing from Phoenix                   2:30 PM

Sun. March 11               Las Vegas Motor Speedway      NASCAR Racing from Las Vegas                2:30 PM

Sun. March 18               Bristol Motor Speedway            NASCAR Racing from Bristol                     12:30 PM

Sun. March 25               Auto Club Speedway                 NASCAR Racing from Fontana                   2:30 PM

Sun. April 1                   Martinsville Speedway               NASCAR Racing from Martinsville             12:30 PM

Sat. April 14                  Texas Motor Speedway             NASCAR Racing from Fort Worth                7:00 PM

Sun. April 22                 Kansas Speedway                     NASCAR Racing from Kansas City           12:30 PM

Sat.  April 28                 Richmond Int’l Raceway             NASCAR Racing from Richmond                7:00 PM

Sun. May 6                   Talladega Superspeedway         NASCAR Racing from Talladega               12:00 PM

Sat.  May 12                 Darlington Raceway                   NASCAR Racing from Darlington                6:30 PM

Sun.  May 27                 Charlotte Motor Speedway         NASCAR Racing from Charlotte                  5:30 PM

Sun.  June 3                  Dover Int’l Speedway                 NASCAR Racing from Dover                     12:30 PM

All times Eastern; Schedule subject to change

NASCAR And Turner Sports Restructure And Extend

Digital Partnership Through 2016

Sanctioning Body To Operate Its Digital Platforms Starting In 2013;

Turner To Continue Exclusive Advertising Sales

Daytona Beach, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2012) — NASCAR and Turner Sports announced today a restructuring and extension of their long-standing digital partnership. The new agreement takes the relationship through 2016, with NASCAR managing business and editorial operations for its digital platforms beginning in 2013 and Turner Sports continuing to oversee advertising sales and sponsorships across NASCAR-branded digital platforms.

“Turner Sports has been, and will continue to be, a great partner for NASCAR,” said Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR. “Taking a leadership role as it relates to our digital rights is something we as the sanctioning body know is important for the future of our sport, the development of our drivers and most importantly, the experience for both our current fans and future followers.”

“Turner Broadcasting and NASCAR have helped make each other successful for more than 28 years through a working relationship that, over time, has evolved with the media and technology landscape,” said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. “The latest extension of our partnership is a strategically and fiscally enhanced business model for our company and ensures that NASCAR.COM remains a core asset of Turner’s leading digital ad sales portfolio.  Our unrivaled sports assets and scale offer advertisers the means to deliver the most targeted and relevant marketing messages across multiple digital and mobile platforms and properties.”

Under the new partnership, NASCAR will assume operational control in 2013 of all of its interactive, digital and social media rights including technical operations and infrastructure of all NASCAR digital platforms. Turner will continue to represent sponsorships and advertising for all NASCAR digital platforms, with the unique users from the NASCAR digital properties continuing to roll up to the Turner digital portfolio.

NASCAR’s comprehensive digital and social media portfolio includes NASCAR.COM, the official online destination of NASCAR which provides racing enthusiasts with an all-inclusive offering of engaging content including fantasy games, video highlights, social elements and in-depth editorial content. NASCAR.COM, and the sport’s other digital and social media platforms, have been managed by Turner Sports since 2001.

“This move is about the media, our sponsors and most importantly, our fans,” said Marc Jenkins, vice president of digital media for NASCAR. “We will build an innovative portfolio of platforms that strives to be as diverse as it is comprehensive. For our fans our digital platform will become the online destination for all things NASCAR. For everyone else, it will be the vehicle we’ll use to turn them into fans.”

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 languages. In the U.S., races are broadcast on FOX, TNT, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. NASCAR fans are among the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. Also part of NASCAR is GRAND-AM Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the 54th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, will air Feb. 26th on FOX at 1:00 p.m. ET. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

About Turner Sports

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular digital sports platforms. Turner Sports’ television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company’s digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

Finale Earns ESPN’s Largest NASCAR Sprint Cup Viewership Ever

The final race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup featured a down-to-the-wire battle for the championship and earned the largest viewership ever for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race telecast on ESPN.

With a peak audience of 10.5 million when the checkered flag fell on champion Tony Stewart at 8:08 p.m. ET, ESPN’s telecast of the Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 20, averaged 6,799,000 viewers and earned a 4.6 household coverage rating (4.0 U.S. rating), according to the Nielsen Company. The viewership average broke ESPN’s previous record of 6,668,000 viewers for the 2008 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Final figures do not include a rain delay from 4:45-6 p.m.

Viewership was up 21 percent and the rating was up 18 percent from last year’s event, which also aired on ESPN and earned a 3.9 coverage rating and averaged 5,605,000 viewers. In addition, the 2011 race out-delivered the 2009 race that aired on ABC and earned 5,607,000 viewers and a 3.6 U.S. rating.

Ratings for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on ESPN and ABC increased 14.8 percent from 2010, averaging a 3.1 U.S. rating compared to 2.7 for last year (not including the rain-delayed Chicagoland Speedway event, which was run on a Monday). Also, excluding rainout races, ESPN and ABC’s NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage for 2011 averaged a 3.2 U.S. rating, up more than six percent from a 3.0 for last year.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN produces comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Additionally, ESPN2 is the television home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, WatchESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide.

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2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart to Present Annual ‘Stewie Awards’ Live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Dec. 1

Three-time champion and his co-host, Matt Yocum, will host from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

Annual highlight of NASCAR Champions Week honors the best, boldest and funniest moments from the NASCAR season

NEW YORK – November 22, 2011 - Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart will host the fifth annual ‘Stewie Awards’ show on Thursday, December 1, live from Las Vegas on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The ‘Stewies,’ which features Stewart’s entertaining and irreverent take on the best, boldest and funniest moments from the 2011 NASCAR season, will be awarded during a live broadcast hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, December 1 (9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT).  The live broadcast will air nationwide on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90 on Sirius and XM Premier (formerly known as “The Best of Sirius”).  The broadcast will be open to the public for fans in Las Vegas.

Stewart won his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title after a remarkable postseason run that saw him win five of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  His down-to-the-wire battle with Carl Edwards created one of the most exciting finishes in NASCAR history, as Stewart overcame early-race troubles and held off Edwards to win the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and claim the crown.  In just his third year as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing, Stewart becomes the first driver/owner to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki did it in 1992.  He was the last driver to win the championship before Jimmie Johnson went on his historic five year title run.

The ‘Stewie Awards’ event will feature live interviews with several of Stewart’s competitiors in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, plus other special guests.

“Hosting the ‘Stewies’ is always one of the highlights of Champions Week for me and this year’s show will be incredibly special,” said Stewart.  “This has been an amazing season for me and the team and it’ll be great to share the excitement of Champions Week with the fans in Las Vegas and those listening around the country on SiriusXM.”

Fans can vote for the ‘Stewie Award’ winners online at www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards.

The 2011 ‘Stewies’ nominees are:

Best Original Drama – For the year’s most dramatic moment or sequence.

• Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick battle Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin to end of Aaron’s 499 at Talladega only to be bested by Jimmie Johnson, who tied a record for slimmest margin of victory at .002 secs thanks to a late push by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Brad Keselowski drives to victory in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono with a broken ankle. During a red flag for rain, Kez had fluid drained from his ankle, which had swollen to the size of a softball.
• Kyle Busch wins 18 combined series races and passes Mark Martin on all-time NASCAR Nationwide Series win list, yet makes headlines for a series of “less attractive” reasons.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans thought his 104-race winless drought was over, but on final turn of green-white-checker finish, Junior runs out of gas and Kevin Harvick wins Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
• Tony Stewart overcomes pit road issues, debris damage, a lengthy red flag and down-to-the-wire challenge from Carl Edwards to win season finale Ford 400 at Homestead.  Smoke has to climb his way to the front of the field twice and he and Edwards trade lead several times.  The 1-2 finish leaves them tied in points but tie-breaker, and championship, goes to Stewart.

Bonehead Move of the Year Award

• Leading the Daytona 500 with two laps to go, David Ragan changes lanes before reaching start/finish line during a restart and is black-flagged to end of lead lap.  He finishes 14^th.
• Carl Edwards destroys his car’s front end during post-race celebration after winning $1 million NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte.
• Kyle Busch’s win at the Quaker State 400, NASCAR’s inaugural Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky, gets overshadowed by reports of 15-mile traffic jams on I-71.
• Perhaps unaware of in-car cameras, Chad Knaus is heard telling Jimmie Johnson before Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega, “If we win this race, you have to crack the back end of the car.”
• JJ Yeley pushes Matt Kenseth when #17 runs out of gas at Geico 400 at Chicagoland but, since it is illegal to receive assistance on final lap, Kenseth is dropped from 8^th to 21^st place finish.

“Feels Like The First Time” Award – For the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.

• On the day after his 20^th birthday, Trevor Bayne wins Daytona 500 in his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start.
• After 105 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series attempts, Regan Smith finds Victory Lane in the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington while driving for a single car team.
• Avoiding a wreck-fest in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, David Ragan redeems himself from five months earlier (Daytona) by getting his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.
• Coming from a family with deep racing roots, Paul Menard becomes first in his family to kiss bricks at Indy after getting his first win in Brickyard 400.
• Australian champion Marcos Ambrose gets his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen.

Best Vocal Performance – For the year’s most memorable quote. (Visit www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees.)

• Clint Bowyer once exclaimed during a 2008 race that, “Michael Waltrip is the worst driver in NASCAR, period.”  Skip ahead to this year, at press conference announcing Bowyer as the newest driver at Michael Waltrip Racing, the two discuss Waltrip’s driving prowess.
• Kenny Wallace delivers a memorable command to fire engines in the UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky.
• After some “you dumped me, so I’ll dump you” talk between Brian Vickers and Tony Stewart in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Smoke waxes poetic with the media about being blocked.
• After winning the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol, Brad Keselowski celebrates in Victory Lane with help from his sponsor.
• Pastor Joe Nelms of Family Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN, channels his inner “Ricky Bobby” during the pre-race invocation for the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville.

Best “Driver2Crew Chatter” – (Visit www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees.)

• The #88 crew helps Dale Earnhardt Jr. mark his pit stall in the STP 400 at Kansas.
• Comedian Larry the Cable Guy, honorary pace car driver for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, details the biggest challenge of driving at NASCAR’s highest level.
• In the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson pay their “respects” to one of the year’s biggest success stories.
• Kurt Busch expresses his “displeasure” with how things are progressing in the Matthew & Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond.
• Greg Biffle and then crew chief Greg Erwin discuss their “winning plan” during Coca-Cola 600.

Best Original Comedy – For the year’s most entertaining “incident.”

• With three regular season races remaining, Tony Stewart questions his team’s “Chase” abilities during a post-race ESPN interview at Michigan.  Smoke goes on to win five postseason races and win his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.
• On the final green-white-checker attempt, Justin Allgaier begins thanking his team for win at Bucyrus 200 at Road America but runs out of fuel and fails to maintain caution speed.  Ron Fellows and Reed Sorenson advance, but after Fellows also fails to maintain caution speed, Sorenson is declared winner.
• When Kyle Busch pits during the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, crew chief Dave Rogers reminds team to “tighten the lugs,” but as Kyle pulls away his front left wheel detaches and rolls down the track.
• Thinking Greg Biffle was racing dirty in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Boris Said requests a “meeting” with “The Biff” after the race.  In the ensuing encounter, Biffle takes a swing at Said and Said answers back with verbal TKO.
• Battling teammate Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. blows an engine on last lap of US Cellular 250 at Iowa.  The combination of oil on the track and blinding smoke on Edwards’ windshield causes Carl to slam into Stenhouse and push him to win.

Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – For the year’s most remarkable crash.

• At the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Denny Hamlin hits the tire wall at 76 mph.  Hamlin emerges from his car under his own power – sore, but safe.
• At the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, David Ragan hits wall at 100 mph.  Ragan then hits David Reutimann who cartwheels into Turn 2 fence.  Everyone emerges safely.
• Battling Carl Edwards during the 5-Hour Energy 200 at Dover, Joey Logano gets loose, bounces off wall and collects Clint Bowyer, who flips on his side as both cars are destroyed and several other cars get caught in the mess.  The drivers are uninjured.
• In Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville, Martin Truex Jr.’s throttle sticks entering Turn 3 causing him to crash into the SAFER barrier at high speed.  Grateful for NASCAR’s safety improvements Truex says afterward, “Ten years ago I wouldn’t be here.”
• At Aaron’s 312 at Talladega, Mike Wallace hits Jason Leffler and goes airborne, flipping completely over before landing back on his wheels.  Wallace finishes the race in 18th place.

‘Boys, Have At It” Award – For the year’s most memorable on- or off-track bumping and/or dumping.

• Robby Gordon gets put on indefinite NASCAR suspension after an incident with Kevin Conway in the Las Vegas garage.  Few people witness the altercation but the two drivers have an unpleasant history following their 2010 partnership.
• After an on-track battle at the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington, Kevin Harvick throws a punch at Kyle Busch on pit road.  Busch rams Harvick’s car into pit road wall and fight breaks out between the two race teams.
• Steve Wallace spins Patrick Carpentier during NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal to prematurely end the final race of Carpentier’s career.  Carpentier’s crew chief, Jerry Baxter, reaches into car to pull Wallace’s hair.  Wallace states later, “Only girls pull hair.”
• After multiple incidents, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya visit the NASCAR hauler.  It is rumored Newman throws a punch during the meeting but “Rocket Man” will only say, “What happens in the trailer stays in the trailer.”
• Nearing the checkered flag in the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega, Jeff Gordon gets dumped by his tandem draft partner, Trevor Bayne, for another Ford driver.  Gordon goes from being a contender to win to finishing 27^th, 12 spots behind Bayne.

The Social Stewie Award – For the year’s best social media quote.

• Matt Kenseth via Twitter after his wife’s “Better Half Dash” practice injury. @matt_kenseth17: “Katie is feeling pretty good today, and I got to learn something new…how to put a bra ON!”
• Would-be-father Scott Speed via Twitter. @scottspeed: “At the obgyn to find out if @Amanda_Speed has bad eggs or if my swimmers are just turning left n going in circles lol”
• Comedian Jim Gaffigan opines via Twitter about “horse power.” @jimgaffigan: “Horse racing is just NASCAR for gamblers, right?”
• Kevin Harvick weighs in via Twitter about Ron Hornaday being dumped.  @kevinharvick: “Great night for the 2 truck!! Just watched the race replay and saw what I already knew @kylebusch is a b****…”
• Jimmie Johnson pleads with “NASCAR Nation” via Twitter.  @jimmiejohnson: “I’m amazed how many of you admit to owning a shake weight.  Please stop buying them so it goes away. #publicservice.”

Golden Stewie Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum and honoring a legendary figure from the Golden Era of racing, the winner of this award will be revealed the night of the event.

“Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum, the winner of this award will be revealed the night of the event.

SiriusXM is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, broadcasting every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, the only radio channel dedicated to NASCAR 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For more info please visit www.siriusxm.com.

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ESPN’s Coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Season Finale Expands with New Elements

ESPN’s coverage of the final weekend of the NASCAR season will include some new elements as one of the closest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship battles in history concludes Sunday at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway. ESPN’s telecast of the Ford 400 begins with NASCAR Countdown at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 20, with the race’s green flag at 3:15 p.m.

ESPN will use 72 cameras in the Ford 400 telecast, including two stationed high above the 1.5-mile superspeedway that will solely focus on championship contenders Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, giving ESPN the ability to show viewers the two drivers at any time during the race. In addition, both will carry onboard cameras, and Stewart will be ESPN In-Race Reporter and will speak with ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett on the race’s pace laps and during caution periods, bringing viewers the perspective of a driver competing in the race.

ESPN also will have robotic cameras in the garage stalls of both contenders, permitting overhead views of the respective race teams at work during ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup practice on Friday and views if one or both must go to the garage for repairs during Sunday’s race.

NASCAR Countdown will include a feature on Stewart and his relationship with legendary racer A.J. Foyt, who was the inspiration for Stewart to carry No. 14 when he started his own NASCAR Sprint Cup team three years ago. NASCAR Countdown also will include a feature on Edwards and his Roush Fenway team being “championship ready” and an orchestral salute to Jimmie Johnson, whose reign of five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles ended this year. Actor Ron Perlman will appear in the opening segment, which was shot at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

ESPN news and information programs SportsCenter and NASCAR Now will have reporters Shannon Spake (Edwards) and Marty Smith (Stewart) following the two contenders in Miami on Thursday and at the track Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The newly-crowned champion will be interviewed by ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch after climbing from his car at the end of the race and Punch will serve as master of ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy presentation. The champion will travel to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Ct., for appearances on various ESPN platforms on Monday, Nov. 21.

Punch also will be master of ceremonies for the presentation of the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship trophy after Saturday’s season finale for that series, which airs on ESPN2 starting with NASCAR Countdown at 4 p.m.

ESPN’s telecasts of the 10 races in the Chase feature NASCAR NonStop, a split-screen commercial format that brings more racing action to viewers. The format shows the advertisement on the left side of the screen and a continuation of racing action on the right side. ESPN’s scoring ticker continues to move across the top of the screen, allowing NASCAR fans to follow the running order of the race during the breaks. NASCAR NonStop takes effect at or near the halfway point of the race, with the first half of the race presented in the traditional commercial break format.

All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Telecast schedule (all times Eastern):

 Rusty Wallace to Enter St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame

ESPN NASCAR analyst Rusty Wallace will be inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday night. Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and a St. Louis native, retired at the end of the 2005 season with 55 wins, eighth on NASCAR’s all-time list. He joined ESPN in 2006. Other sports figures being enshrined with Wallace include former St. Louis Rams Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt and former St. Louis Blues coach Scotty Bowman. Wallace was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN produces comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Additionally, ESPN2 is the television home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, WatchESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide.

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What are your overall thoughts on the championship battle going into the last race?

DALE JARRETT: Last week at Phoenix, Carl and Tony separated themselves from everyone else. They’ve been doing this and they’ve been doing it the right way – racing for the lead, finishing first and second, second and third, and getting as many points as they can. I’m just so intrigued by how they’ve gone about this differently. Tony’s won four races in the Chase, and Carl’s been just totally consistent the entire time, not finishing worse than 11th. They’ve scored the same number of points in these nine races. It’s just incredible. And now they go to Homestead with basically the idea that whoever wins the race is going to win the championship, and that’s the way that it should be.

RICKY CRAVEN: They went into a race facility that was new with a lot of unknowns and a lot of apprehension, and they took care of business. So now they go into the last race focused squarely on one another. If ever the two of them are going to wear on one another, it will be this weekend because they will dominate the conversations.

RUSTY WALLACE: What a great battle going into the last race with two of the most popular guys. One of the newer guys that a lot of older fans have picked up is Carl. Both of them are so popular. Of all the championships I can remember in a long time, no disrespect to anybody, these are two powerhouse drivers in a big Ford-Chevy shootout going into the last race. They have to go all-out. They have to drive their butts off.

What has turned Tony Stewart’s season around?

CRAVEN: A lot’s been asked about Tony Stewart, like where did this come from? It’s like a transformation. If you go back and look at the tapes and the interviews and the demeanor of Tony Stewart in the first 20 races, versus say the last dozen, or at least Michigan on, Tony Stewart is himself. Tony Stewart is the driver. In the last 10 races, all I’ve seen, and all I’ve heard, is the guy I raced against in the 20 car. OK, a replica. Before that, I kind of saw this owner-driver. There’s no attention right now being given to Tony Stewart the owner. This is Tony Stewart the driver.

Will Edwards’ record at Homestead benefit him?

WALLACE: If you look at Carl by the numbers, he should have this thing won and in the bag by the numbers because he’s run so well there. When I watch Carl’s style, he can really run that top lane and really knows how to lay that thing up against the wall, and in the current configuration of that track, you’ve got to run right up against the fence in turns 3 and 4 to run fast and Carl’s one of the best at doing that. It’s a treacherous line. He just flat loves that place. He hasn’t won the races this year, which is the big negative in my opinion. But this is one that he’s had circled on his calendar for a long time because he’s so good there. Tony has won races there but on the old track, which is a totally different animal. Carl’s got him beat by the numbers at that place but Tony’s got momentum, and this is a revitalized Tony we’re seeing, but Carl did beat him last week.

For the first time in many years, Jimmie Johnson’s not in the hunt in the last race – will he be back in it next year?

JARRETT: Five in a row is just phenomenal and I’ll go out on a limb and say we’ll never see anything like this again in the Sprint Cup Series. It’s just too hard to do. It’s too competitive. I’m sure everyone is amazed, even Jimmie and his race team, at how they did it. It has come to an end but he still has a lot to battle for, trying to stay in the top five since he’s never finished outside the top five. Their biggest concern is can they keep this race team together now that they’ve had what they consider to be a losing season.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN produces comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Additionally, ESPN2 is the television home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, WatchESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide.

NASCAR.COM today announced the launch of NASCAR.COM LIVE, a new app available on Google TV, the open TV platform that brings entertainment from the Web to your TV.  Through NASCAR.COM LIVE, fans can access interactive features including HD video on-demand clips, driver profiles, standings and schedules for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR.COM LIVE is the first racing app for Google TV.

NASCAR.COM LIVE provides users with exciting free content throughout the week and brings fans closer to the action during the race. On a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race day, users can launch “Live Mode” to access the app’s lap-by-lap updates and follow lead changes and statistics with the live leaderboard.   Additionally, users can complement their viewing experience of the live race broadcasts on FOX, TNT and ESPN/ABC by pairing the app’s “Live Mode” with their existing TV service’s picture-in-picture feature. On Non-Race Days, users can access a library of HD video on-demand clips, upcoming race schedules, standings, archived race results, driver profiles and a NASCAR 101 section with information about the points system, common NASCAR terms, and an overview of how the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup works.

“NASCAR.COM LIVE is an exciting option for fans looking to consume NASCAR.COM content through their television experience,” said Justin Williams, senior director of business operations for NASCAR.COM. “Our partnership with Google TV is another example of NASCAR.COM’s efforts to deliver content through emerging platforms and technologies.”

“For the first time ever, NASCAR fans can consume the sport’s most popular content on one screen, on demand, and in High Definition,” said John Martin, managing director of digital media for NASCAR.  “NASCAR.COM Live is our first foray into the interactive TV space, continuing our commitment to provide the most loyal fans in sports with NASCAR content in as many places as possible. This new app will be a great complement to the television broadcast, giving our fans the ultimate companion viewing experience.”

Fans will see much of the same content that they see every day on NASCAR.COM as they navigate through the app, including the latest video features and preview shows, all optimized for web-enabled televisions running Google TV. Additional features for NASCAR.COM LIVE include:

• Driver Profiles: Accessible through the standings and drivers sections, fans can drill down for additional details about NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers including current ranking, photos, and team and car details.
• Schedules: Before the drop of the flag, fans can access a schedule of races for each series (NSCS, NNS, NCWTS). In addition, users will be better able to tune-in to NASCAR programming by setting reminders that alert them to the beginning of the qualifying round and official start of each race.
• Real-Time Race Updates: In addition to lap-by-lap updates and live leaderboard module, on race day the app will automatically change its race flag background to green, white, yellow, red or checkered to reflect the current status in the race.

Google TV launched in 2010 and is a platform that brings all the great entertainment from the Web to your TV. Google TV is available on select televisions, Blu-Ray players from Sony, and a companion box from Logitech.

To access screenshots of NASCAR.COM LIVE click the link below:

http://galleries.nascar.com/gallery/NASCAR.COM_LIVE

ABOUT NASCAR.COM

NASCAR.COM, managed by Turner Sports, is the official online destination of NASCAR. As one of the top three sports leagues sites on the Internet, NASCAR.COM provides racing enthusiasts with an all-inclusive offering of engaging content including  fantasy games, video highlights, social elements, in-depth editorial content, schedules and standings. NASCAR.COM also offers interactive platforms including the award-winning TNT RaceBuddy and TrackPass RaceView.

Visit Turner Sports online pressroom at http://news.turner.com. Follow Turner Sports on Twitter @TurnerSportsPR.

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HOLLYWOOD HOTEL GOES ALL-WALTRIP IN 2012

Michael Takes Prerace Seat Next to Big Brother Darrell

Hammond Brings Crew Chief Expertise to Garage & Pit Road

New York – All-Waltrip, all season. Alright!

Bonded by blood and their limitless passion for NASCAR, Michael Waltrip, driver, owner and pitch-man extraordinaire joins the FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace team next season, taking a seat in the famed Hollywood Hotel alongside big brother Darrell and host Chris Myers.  And in an innovative new role for NASCAR’s No. 1 prerace show, veteran analyst Jeff Hammond takes his extensive experience as a former championship-winning crew chief to where the action is, in the garages and pit road.  Both moves were announced today by FOX Sports Media Group President, Co-COO and Executive Producer, Eric Shanks.

“Michael is simply one of NASCAR’s most gregarious, genuine personalities, and we loved the dynamic between him and Darrell when we paired them up on occasion last season,” said Shanks. “Michael has also been featured in numerous television commercials over the last decade, which makes him familiar to a much broader audience.  I expect a lot of ‘gotta see’ TV coming out of an all-Waltrip Hollywood Hotel next season.”

In addition to his FOX NASCAR SUNDAY prerace work, the younger Michael also contributes analysis and updates in-race as time permits.

Michael Waltrip adds NASCAR on FOX to on-air positions that already include FOX’s sister network SPEED and Showtime’s “Inside NASCAR.”  He joined the broadcasting world with the launch of SPEED in 1996 as an analyst for what is now titled THIS WEEK IN NASCAR.  Additionally, Waltrip’s credits at SPEED include FAST TRACK TO FAME, TRACKSIDE, and NASCAR NATION.  He’s nationally renowned for numerous commercial appearances for major marketers including NAPA, Aarons, Best Western, Coca-Cola and Toyota.  Waltrip is a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, the first full-time three-car team to field Toyota Camrys when Toyota entered the Sprint Cup racing in 2007.  Currently, MWR features Sprint Cup drivers David Reutimann (#00) and Martin Truex Jr. (#56).  Waltrip made his NASCAR Sprint Cup series debut in 1985 at the Coca-Cola 600 and is a two-time Daytona 500 Champion (2001, 2003).  His first book, “In the Blink of an Eye,” marking the 10th anniversary of his 2001 Daytona 500 victory, was released in February 2011, and spent 11 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Shifting to Hammond, the plan is to use his extensive experience as a former NASCAR crew chief to work the pavement and mine the grease pits for the latest news and go wherever big stories develop all race-day long.  Having a former crew chief serve in this role is a first for network television’s NASCAR coverage.

“We’re excited about Jeff’s new role,” said Shanks. “It’s a first for televised NASCAR coverage, and no one knows more about cars than Jeff does.  Now he’ll be in a much better position to cover and humanize that side of the sport for viewers.”

Hammond has been a member of the NASCAR on FOX broadcast team since 2001 the network’s first covering the sport.  He’s also a frequent contributor on SPEED, nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle.  Hammond received a Sports Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst in 2006.  In 1982, he became a NASCAR Cup crew chief, working for Darrell Waltrip at the pinnacle of the legendary driver’s career. Together, they saw Victory Lane an impressive 43 times, including Waltrip’s memorable Daytona 500 victory in 1989.

Hammond, known as a methodical strategist, was Waltrip’s pit boss in two of his three NASCAR Championship seasons (1982 and 1985).  In total, he has 508 NASCAR Cup races on his crew chief resume, while his television credits also includes work for FX, ESPN, Turner and TNN.

Follow the following NASCAR on FOX personalities on Twitter: Jeff Hammond – @hollywoodjeff; Chris Myers – @the_chrismyers; Michael Waltrip – @mw55; Darrell Waltrip – @allwaltrip.

- FOX SPORTS -

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup To Be Seen Like Never Before

NASCAR, Turner Sports And ESPN To Make RaceBuddy And WatchESPN Available To Fans For The First Time Ever During the Chase

Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 14, 2011) — Heading into the start of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR, ESPN and Turner Sports, which manages NASCAR.COM, announced today details of a new partnership that will provide race fans with a never-before-seen digital viewing experience during the sport’s postseason run. NASCAR.COM’s RaceBuddy product will be available for the first time ever during the Chase while NASCAR content will appear for the first time ever in ESPN’s WatchESPN.com platform and WatchESPN app.

RaceBuddy, NASCAR.COM’s popular, interactive live video product, will feature two mosaics with a mix of eight in-car and stationary cameras positioned around the track for the nine Chase races airing on ESPN. Fans wanting to watch ESPN’s live telecast on their computer, smartphone or tablet will now be able to do so through ESPN’s groundbreaking application, WatchESPN and WatchESPN.com.

“Enhancing the viewing experience and improving the sport’s digital and social presence for our millions of fans, at the track, at home and everywhere in between, is a goal we never lose sight of,” said Marc Jenkins, NASCAR’s vice president of digital media. “Being able to offer this series of interactive products during the Chase will further engage our fans with a robust digital presence that will forever change how the championship points battle is consumed.”

RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM, which debuted in 2008 and has predominately served as an enhancement to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on TNT, will return on September 18 for the Geico 400 from Chicagoland Speedway (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET). In addition to the two mosaics with a total of eight camera angles, RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM will continue to offer DVR Functionality, the Enhanced LIVE Leaderboard and RaceView’s position tracker.

“Turner Sports is delighted to partner with NASCAR and ESPN to expand the award-winning RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” said Matthew Hong, senior vice president and general manager, sports operations, Turner Sports. “Feedback from fans has been that they wish RaceBuddy were available for additional races outside the TNT portion of the season, so we’re proud to be able to bring them ‘ChaseBuddy’ and extend the interactive and immersive experience of RaceBuddy to nine playoff races.”

WatchESPN and WatchESPN.com, which give sports fans access to 24/7 live programming from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU, will, for the first time ever, exclusively feature the live ESPN telecasts of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. WatchESPN is available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN.com and the free WatchESPN app, which are accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider.

Also, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program, “NASCAR Now”, will be available on multiple devices to NASCAR fans for the first time ever through WatchESPN and WatchESPN.com. Telecasts of NASCAR Nationwide Series races on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be available. ESPN first launched an online-accessible authenticated version of ESPN in October, 2010.

The Chase races will air on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET, with the exception of the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 15 (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET) and the final three races of the year, all of which will air on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET.

“Our mission is to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere, and with WatchESPN and our new partnership with NASCAR and Turner, we can now extend that mission by making our NASCAR programming available to race fans wherever they might be,” said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming and acquisitions. “I can’t think of a more perfect time to launch this than the beginning of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.”

ABC To Be Exclusive Broadcast Network Partner for IZOD IndyCar Series

 A Memorial Day weekend television tradition will continue with a new, six-year rights agreement that will keep the Indianapolis 500 on ABC through 2018, extending one of the longest-running relationships between a sporting event and a television network past the half-century mark.

ESPN on ABC will broadcast the 500 Mile Race for the 48^th consecutive year on May 27, 2012, and, with the new agreement taking effect in 2013, also will televise the 100^th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 2016.

As part of the new agreement, ABC will be the exclusive broadcast network partner for the IZOD IndyCar Series from 2013-2018 and will continue to televise four races each year in addition to the Indianapolis 500. The worldwide presence of the Indianapolis 500 and the series on television will continue as ESPN also has international syndication rights for all IZOD IndyCar Series races.

“The Indianapolis 500 and ABC have been together since 1965 and we are very proud to extend the relationship with this new agreement,” said George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports. “The 500 is a uniquely American event and a Memorial Day tradition, and we especially look forward to televising the 100^th edition of the race in 2016.”

The Indianapolis 500 aired as part of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” from 1965 until 1971, when it was broadcast for the first time as a same-day, stand-alone, tape-delayed telecast in prime time. It was shown on a delayed basis until the first live telecast in 1986. This past May, ESPN’s production of the Indianapolis 500 telecast used 64 high definition cameras, a satellite-activated effects system and more of the most modern television technology available.

Beginning in 2012, ABC’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500 and the IZOD IndyCar Series will be expanded to include live streaming of ABC’s onboard cameras on ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband sports network. The streaming of the onboard cameras also will be available to ESPN3 subscribers via www.indycar.com.

“We value our partnership with ABC and ESPN and are pleased that the relationship will continue into the future,” said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. “Along with a vast understanding of the Indianapolis 500 and the sport of IndyCar racing, ESPN’s production team continues to seek out innovative ways to televise our sport. As broadcast technology advances and opportunities arise to implement new technology, we can count on ESPN to bring the best quality production to our viewers.”

ABC has televised IZOD IndyCar Series races every year since the formation of the series in 1996 and has aired five races each year under the current agreement, which began in 2009 and runs through the 2012 season.

“INDYCAR is very excited about our continued relationship with ABC,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. “This allows the series long-term growth on the network. This new contract also helps us expand our presence around the world with ESPN representing our international rights. I want to thank ABC for their strong confidence and commitment in our brand and series. This deal will help our series, team owners, sponsors and fans for the long term with a much more solid foundation.”

ESPN also has highlight rights for the ABC races across all ESPN platforms. The next IZOD IndyCar Series race airing on ABC will be at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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