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NBC SPORTS AND INDYCAR ANNOUNCE 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES RACE TELECAST SCHEDULE

March 3, 2021 By admin Leave a Comment

Record Nine Races on Broadcast Network NBC, Including Indy 500, Season Opener at Barber, Laguna Seca and Dual in Detroit

105th Running of Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge – Sunday, May 30 – Coverage on NBC Begins at 11 a.m. ET

Six of First Eight Races on NBC to Open 2021 INDYCAR Season

Inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville – Aug. 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

INDYCAR-NASCAR Crossover Weekend from IMS on Aug. 14-15

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 3, 2021 – NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the full 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES telecast schedule, featuring a record nine races on broadcast network NBC, highlighted by the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 30, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

Six of the first eight races of the season will air on NBC, including the season opening Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m. ET.

The 17-race season, which will be exclusively presented across NBC Sports, also features the inaugural presentation of the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Aug. 8, at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2021 INDYCAR schedule, which features a mix of ovals, road and street courses, include:

  • The 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. ET;
  • The 2021 season gets underway on network television with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC;
  • Six of the first eight races of the season will air on NBC, including the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (April 25), the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (May 15) and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear doubleheader (June 12-13);
  • The inaugural presentation of the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, Aug. 8, at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN;
  • Return of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, headlining a revamped Brickyard Weekend on Aug. 14-15, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN;
  • The record nine NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on NBC also include INDYCAR’s race at Mid-Ohio on the Fourth of July and the season ending West Coast swing in Portland (Sunday, Sept. 12) and Laguna Seca (Sunday, Sept. 19);
  • The season concludes with one of INDYCAR’s longest-running events – the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Following is NBC Sports’ 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race schedule:

Date Race/Track Network Time (ET)
Sun., April 18 Barber Motorsports Park NBC 3 p.m.
Sun., April 25 Streets of St. Petersburg NBC 12 p.m.
Sat., May 1 Texas Motor Speedway – Race 1 NBCSN 7 p.m.
Sun., May 2 Texas Motor Speedway – Race 2 NBCSN 5 p.m.
Sat., May 15 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Road Course) NBC 2:30 p.m.
Sun., May 30 The 105th Indianapolis 500 NBC 11 a.m.
Sat., June 12 Raceway at Belle Isle Park/Detroit – Race 1 NBC 2 p.m.
Sun., June 13 Raceway at Belle Isle Park/Detroit – Race 2 NBC 12 p.m.
Sun., June 20 Road America NBCSN 12 p.m.
Sun., July 4 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course NBC 12 p.m.
Sun., July 11 Streets of Toronto NBCSN 12 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 8 Streets of Nashville NBCSN 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 14 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Road Course) NBCSN 12:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 21 World Wide Technology Raceway NBCSN 8 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 12 Portland International Raceway NBC 3 p.m.
Sun, Sept. 19 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca NBC 3 p.m.
Sun, Sept. 26 Streets of Long Beach NBCSN 3 p.m.

Note: dates and networks are subject to change

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

PEACOCK PREMIUM BECOMES HOME OF INDYCAR PRACTICE, QUALIFICATIONS & MORE FOR 2021 SEASON

January 25, 2021 By admin

Additional NTT INDYCAR SERIES Coverage on Peacock Includes Indy Lights, Race Cutdowns and Full-Event Replays

NBC and NBCSN Set to Broadcast all 2021 INDYCAR Races

STAMFORD, Conn., NEW YORK, N.Y. & INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Jan. 25, 2021 – Peacock Premium becomes the new streaming home of NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage beginning with the 2021 season. NBC Sports’ exclusive streaming coverage will move from NBC Sports Gold’s “IndyCar Pass,” to Peacock Premium, which is available for $4.99 per month.

Peacock Premium will provide fans in the U.S. with live coverage of 2021 INDYCAR qualifying and practice sessions as well as coverage surrounding the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Indy Lights races, race-day warmups and full-event replays of INDYCAR races in 2021. Peacock Premium will surround the 105th Indianapolis 500 with exclusive practice and qualifying coverage as well as ancillary content.

“Peacock Premium will offer NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans in-demand track action at tremendous value,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “Alongside NBC Sports, we’re providing comprehensive coverage of practice and qualifications throughout our season, while also connecting to a larger platform with a world-class roster of programming.”

INDYCAR on Peacock Premium will also feature INDYCAR archival and library content, and other motorsports shoulder programming.

As previously announced, all 2021 INDYCAR races, along with select additional Race Weekend sessions, will be broadcast on either NBC or NBCSN.

INDYCAR will join a robust library of live sports on Peacock Premium. Highlights of Peacock Premium’s live sports offerings include Premier League, a Sunday NFL Wild Card playoff game, U.S. Open golf, U.S. Women’s Open golf, and upcoming Olympics and Paralympics coverage, plus the Peacock Originals Lost Speedways, hosted by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and In Deep with Ryan Lochte. For more information, click here.

Viewers can sign up for Peacock at peacocktv.com. Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices including Android™, Android TV™ devices, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation4 and PlayStation 4 Pro; and VIZIO SmartCast™ TVs and LG Smart TVs. Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, as well as eligible Cox Contour customers, enjoy Peacock Premium included with their service at no additional cost.

-NBC SPORTS-

Filed Under: IndyCar, Motorsports, NBC, peacock, Uncategorized

NTT INDYCAR SERIES DRIVES SOLID VIEWERSHIP FOR 2020 SEASON ACROSS NBC SPORTS

October 27, 2020 By admin

Excluding Indy 500 and Friday Afternoon Race on USA Network, 2020 Season Averages 664,000 Viewers; Up 2% vs. 2019

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 27, 2020 – Despite extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES concluded its 14-race 2020 season on Sunday with solid year-over-year viewership across NBC, NBCSN, USA Network and NBC Sports digital platforms.

When excluding this year’s Indianapolis 500 — which took place in August instead of May for the first time ever — and a unique Friday afternoon race that aired on USA Network, the remaining 12 races (6 NBC; 6 NBCSN) averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 664,000 viewers, up 2% vs. 2019 (15 races; 649,000). The six races on NBC averaged 891,000 viewers, while the six NBCSN races averaged 432,000 viewers, according to Official National data provided by The Nielsen Company and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

This past Sunday’s season-concluding Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, in which Scott Dixon won his sixth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, averaged a TAD of 675,000 viewers on NBC, up 6% and 18%, respectively, vs. two NBC races earlier this fall — Mid-Ohio (9/13; 639,000) and Harvest GP at IMS road course (10/3; 570,000).

The 2020 season was originally scheduled to begin on March 15 in St. Petersburg, but that race and numerous others were postponed due to the pandemic. After vigorous rescheduling, the season eventually began on June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway in primetime on NBC, which averaged a TAD of 1.256 million viewers to become NBC Sports’ most-watched INDYCAR race on record and the series’ most-watched race since 2016, excluding Indy 500s. It was the first of 14 total races in 2020 compared to 17 last year.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

SCOTT DIXON AND JOSEF NEWGARDEN RACE FOR 2020 INDYCAR CHAMPIONSHIP AT FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

October 22, 2020 By admin

2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion to Be Crowned at Season Finale For 15th Consecutive Season

Qualifying from St. Pete Begins Saturday Live at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Gold; Encore Presentation on NBCSN Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

Leigh Diffey Speaks with Dixon and Newgarden ahead of Championship Finale

“We’ve got two champions that represent power teams in the sport both trying to add to their championship tallies.” – Leigh Diffey

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 22, 2020 – The 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship will be decided this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, as five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon battles reigning champion Josef Newgarden for the season title at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

The result of Sunday’s season finale will have historic ramifications. Some notable information on both contending drivers is below:

  • Dixon and Newgarden have combined to win 5 of the last 7 championships, including the past three:
    • Dixon: 2018, 2015, 2013
    • Newgarden: 2019, 2017
  • If Dixon wins,
    • He would capture his sixth series championship – second-most all time behind A.J. Foyt (seven)
  • Newgarden won the season opener at St. Pete last year, with Dixon finishing second.

Dixon has never won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and has not finished better than eighth in his four prior starts, but is coming off a win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta last weekend.

Trailing Dixon by only 32 points, Newgarden has an opportunity to win the title over Dixon if he finishes second or better and Dixon finishes 23rd or worse. Dixon, on the other hand, will clinch the championship with a finish of ninth or better, regardless of what Newgarden does.

Live INDYCAR coverage from St. Pete begins this Saturday with practice exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass at 10:55 a.m. ET. On Saturday afternoon, qualifying will be featured live at 3 p.m. on INDYCAR Pass, while an encore presentation will be shown in the evening on NBCSN at 8 p.m. ET.

Sunday’s season finale green flag will wave shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), 2003 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Paul Tracy (analyst), and Townsend Bell (analyst) will have the call of the Championship race. Marty Snider and Kevin Lee will provide reports from pit road.

Diffey spoke with both Championship contenders earlier this week. You can view his interview with Dixon here and his conversation with Newgarden here. A few highlighted quotes from the drivers as well as Diffey and Bell previewing the Championship race are below:

Dixon on mentality heading into the season finale: “You’ve got to keep it simple. You don’t want to complicate things, make things cloudly, say ‘we only need to be ninth, doesn’t matter where we qualify,’ that kind of thing. You don’t want to put yourself in that situation because then you become more vulnerable…I would much prefer the situation we’re in then the situation Josef (Newgarden) is in, but it doesn’t guarantee you anything…We’re going there to win and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”

Newgarden on Streets of St. Petersburg race circuit: “The fun of a street course at St. Pete is that you don’t really know what is going to happen. It can cause some chaos, which is not a bad thing, it spices up the race…For me, it says opportunity is going to be present.”

Townsend Bell on Sunday’s championship race: “Obviously, Scott Dixon going for his sixth championship is the most significant storyline, but statistically this weekend represents a bit of a perfect storm. Josef Newgarden won last year’s race at St. Pete, and Scott Dixon coming off what is essentially the worst four-race stretch in his career since 2005. But Dixon won at Road Atlanta last weekend in the IMSA Petit Le Mans, and anyone who knows Scott Dixon knows he’s the last guy in the paddock to panic when the pressure is ratcheted up.”

Leigh Diffey: “We couldn’t ask for more – for the 15th consecutive year, the title is going to be decided at the last race of the season. We’ve got two champions that represent power teams in the sport both trying to add to their championship tallies. Scott Dixon is trying to create a history mark in the sport as he aims for his sixth career championship, something that hasn’t been done in 45 years.”

Below is this weekend’s INDYCAR coverage from St. Pete across NBC Sports:

Date Coverage Network/Platform Time (ET)
Sat., Oct. 24 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Practice 1 NBC Sports Gold 10:55 a.m.
  Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Qualifying NBC Sports Gold 3 p.m.
  Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Qualifying* NBCSN 8 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 25 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Warmup NBC Sports Gold 10:40 a.m.
  Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg NBC 2:30 p.m.

* same-day delay

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

NASCAR PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 CONTINUES AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY THIS SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

October 21, 2020 By admin

Sunday’s Cup Series Coverage Begins at 2:30 p.m. ET With NASCAR America Pre-Race Show on NBCSN; Green Flag at 3:30 p.m. ET

Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden Battle for 2020 INDYCAR Championship in Streets of St. Petersburg – Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC

NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8 in Texas – Coverage Begins Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN

MotoGP Teruel Grand Prix – Presented Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 21, 2020 – The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 continues at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET with the NASCAR America Pre-Race Show on NBCSN. Pre-race coverage will continue with Countdown to Green at 3 p.m. ET, leading into the green flag waving shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

The 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship will be decided on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, as five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon battles reigning champion Josef Newgarden for the season title at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 continues at Texas on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with Chase Briscoe having secured a spot in the Championship 4 after his win at Kansas Speedway last weekend.

Joey Logano earned a spot in the Cup Series Championship 4 following his victory in Kansas on Sunday. A win by any of the seven remaining contenders over the upcoming pair of races at Texas and Martinsville earns them an automatic berth in the Championship race at Phoenix (Sun., Nov. 8 on NBC).

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Joey Logano 1 win
Kevin Harvick 4115
Denny Hamlin 4094
Brad Keselowski 4082
Chase Elliott 4074
Alex Bowman 4055
Martin Truex Jr. 4051
Kurt Busch 4009

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM TEXAS – SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Host Krista Voda, NASCAR on NBC analyst Brad Daugherty and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup Series race this weekend from Texas Motor Speedway alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. NBC Sports’ booth commentators will be on-site to call the remaining three races of the NASCAR season.

Kelli Stavast, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters on-site from Texas.

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM TEXAS – SATURDAY AT 4 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 rolls on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway, with coverage on NBCSN beginning with Countdown to Green at 4 p.m. ET leading into Xfinity Series racing at 4:30 p.m. ET. Playoff contender Austin Cindric won at Texas in July on his way to capturing the regular season championship.

2020 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Chase Briscoe 1 win
Justin Allgaier 3068
Brandon Jones 3066
Austin Cindric 3059
Justin Haley 3057
Ross Chastain 3047
Ryan Sieg 3042
Noah Gragson 3026

Allen, Letarte and Burton will call the race. Stavast, Burns and Kligerman will provide reports from pit road.

2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special.

2020 INDYCAR CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

The 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship will be decided at the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Five-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon and reigning INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden will battle for the title on a 1.8-mile street circuit in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Trailing Dixon by only 32 points, Newgarden has an opportunity to win the title over Dixon if he finishes second or better and Dixon finishes 23rd or worse. Dixon, on the other hand, will clinch the championship with a finish of ninth or better, regardless of what Newgarden does.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), 2003 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Paul Tracy (analyst), and Townsend Bell (analyst) will have the call of the Championship race. Marty Snider and Kevin Lee will provide reports from pit road.

CHASE BRISCOE JOINS DALE JR. DOWNLOAD – TONIGHT AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Current NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and Championship 4 contender Chase Briscoe is this week’s guest on the Dale Jr. Download that airs tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Earlier this week, it was announced that Briscoe will take over the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford car in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.

Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.

MOTOGP TERUEL GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 4:30 P.M. ET ON NBC; ENCORE SUNDAY AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2020 MotoGP season continues Sunday in Spain with the Teruel Grand Prix from MotorLand Aragón at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Suzuki Ecstar rider Joan Mir leads the points standings after a third-place finish in last week’s Aragón Grand Prix. An encore of the race will be presented Sunday evening at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK/PLATFORM
Wed., Oct. 21 Dale Jr. Download – Chase Briscoe 5 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 24 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Practice 10:55 a.m. NBC Sports Gold
  INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Qualifying 3 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
 

 

Xfinity Series – Countdown to Green 4 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Texas 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Xfinity Series – Post Race 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
  INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Qualifying* 8 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 25 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Warmup 10:40 a.m. NBC Sports Gold
  INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2:30 p.m. NBC
  Cup Series – NASCAR America Pre-Race Show 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Cup Series – Countdown to Green 3 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Texas 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
  MotoGP – Teruel Grand Prix* 4:30 p.m. NBC
  Cup Series Post-Race 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
  MotoGP – Teruel Grand Prix (encore) 9 p.m. NBCSN

*same-day delay

NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE

NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, motogp, NASCAR, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NBC, Uncategorized

NASCAR PLAYOFFS CONTINUE AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY THIS SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

September 30, 2020 By admin

Sunday’s Cup Series Coverage Begins at 1 p.m. ET on NBC With NASCAR America Pre-Race Show

NASCAR Xfinity Series Racing at Talladega – Coverage Begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Return to Nashville Superspeedway Kicks Off NBC Sports’ 2021 NASCAR Schedule

INDYCAR Harvest GP Doubleheader at IMS – Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 30, 2020 – The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue this weekend from Talladega Superspeedway on NBC Sports, as pre-race coverage begins this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC with the NASCAR America Pre-Race Show, followed by Countdown to Green. Coverage of the Cup Series YellaWood 500 begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

Saturday’s Xfinity Series pre-race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the green flag slated to wave shortly after 4:30 p.m. ET.

With his overtime victory on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch became the first driver to claim a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8. Regular season champion Kevin Harvick is currently best on points, trailed by Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski.

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Drivers Points/Wins
Kurt Busch 1 win
Kevin Harvick + 61
Denny Hamlin + 58
Brad Keselowski + 16
Martin Truex Jr. + 15
Joey Logano + 11
Chase Elliott + 10
Alex Bowman + 9
Kyle Busch – 9
Clint Bowyer – 20
Aric Almirola – 27
Austin Dillon – 32

 

The return to Nashville Superspeedway begins NBC Sports’ portion of the 2021 NASCAR schedule, beginning June 20, and culminating with the Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 6-7. Nashville is the first of 39 total races NBC Sports will present in 2021, which once again includes the entire NASCAR Playoffs.

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM TALLADEGA – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

Host Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and analyst Brad Daugherty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. will call the race from the broadcast booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will be providing analysis on-site for the weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Kelli Stavast will serve as pit reporters on-site from Talladega.

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM TALLADEGA – SATURDAY AT 4:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports’ Xfinity Series coverage from Talladega begins Saturday with Countdown to Green at 3:30 p.m. ET leading into Xfinity Series racing at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The Xfinity Series Playoffs began last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Chase Briscoe earned his series-best eighth victory of the season. The win propels Briscoe to Round 2 of the Playoffs, while Austin Cindric and Noah Gragson round out the top three in the standings.

Allen, Earnhardt Jr., Burton and Letarte will call Saturday’s Xfinity race on NBCSN with Snider and Stavast reporting from pit road.

2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special.

MIKE SKINNER JOINS DALE JR. DOWNLOAD – TONIGHT AT 5 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Mike Skinner is this week’s guest on the Dale Jr. Download that airs tonight at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Skinner was the 1995 NASCAR Gander Truck Series champion and currently co-hosts Skinner Round-Up on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with his wife Angie Skinner.

Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.

INDYCAR HARVEST GP – RACE 1 FRIDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON USA NETWORK; RACE 2 SATURDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

The 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season returns to action with the INDYCAR Harvest GP doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on Friday and Saturday. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon (456 pts) can capture his sixth career INDYCAR championship if he finishes fourth or better in all three remaining races this season (this weekend’s doubleheader and the season finale at St. Petersburg on Sunday, Oct. 25).

Coverage from IMS begins Thursday with a practice session at 2:25 p.m. ET, followed later in the afternoon with qualifying coverage starting at 6:20 p.m. ET, both exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass. Race 1 will be presented on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Saturday’s coverage begins with qualifying at 10:20 a.m. ET exclusively on NBC Sports Gold. The second race of the INDYCAR Harvest GP doubleheader will be presented on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and Paul Tracy (analyst) will have the call for the weekend doubleheader with Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch providing reports from the pits.

LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS THUNDER VALLEY – SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season continues with the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colo., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Zach Osborne leads the 450MX Class points standings, while Dylan Ferrandis is atop the 250 MX Class standings with two rounds remaining in the 2020 campaign.

Veteran play-by-play voice Jason Weigandt, analyst and two-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Grant Langston, and pit reporter Will Christien will call the race.

In addition to coverage on NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold’s Pro Motocross Pass will super-serve Motocross fans everywhere with programming that includes live, commercial-free coverage of every Moto 1 and Moto 2 from each round.

Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Wed., Sept. 30 Dale Jr. Download – Mike Skinner 5 p.m. NBCSN
Thurs., Oct. 1 INDYCAR Harvest GP Practice 2:25 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  INDYCAR Harvest GP Race 1 Qualifying 6:20 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
Fri., Oct. 2 INDYCAR Harvest GP Race 1 3:30 p.m. USA Network
Sat., Oct. 3 INDYCAR Harvest GP Race 2 Qualifying 10:20 a.m. NBC Sports Gold
  INDYCAR Harvest GP Race 2 2:30 p.m. NBC
  Xfinity Series – Countdown to Green 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
 

 

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Talladega 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Xfinity Series Post-Race 7 p.m. NBCSN
  Lucas Oil Pro Motocross – Thunder Valley 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 4 NASCAR America Pre-Race Show 1 p.m. NBC
  Cup Series – Countdown to Green 1:30 p.m. NBC
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Talladega 2 p.m. NBC
  Cup Series Post-Race 6 p.m. NBCSN

 

NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE

NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.

 

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, NASCAR, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NBC, Uncategorized

NBC SPORTS ANNOUNCES REMAINDER OF 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES TELECAST SCHEDULE

September 9, 2020 By admin

Mid-Ohio Doubleheader This Weekend – Race 1 Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, Race 2 Sunday on NBC at 1 p.m. ET  

2020 Championship Race from Streets of St. Petersburg Presented Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 9, 2020 – NBC Sports has announced the remainder of its telecast schedule for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, featuring a doubleheader from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Race 1 of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be presented on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, while coverage of Race 2 will begin on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Coverage returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for a doubleheader on Oct. 2-3, featuring Race 1 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP on Friday, Oct. 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, followed by Race 2 on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

The 2020 season concludes with the Championship race on Sunday, Oct. 25, with live coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Following is the remainder of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule across NBC Sports:

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Sat., Sept. 12 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio – Race 1 NBCSN 4:30 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 13 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio – Race 2 NBC 1 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 2 INDYCAR Harvest GP – Race 1 USA Network 3:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3 INDYCAR Harvest GP – Race 2 NBC 2:30 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 25 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg NBC 2:30 p.m.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

NASCAR RETURNS TO NBC THIS SATURDAY FOR REGULAR SEASON FINALE FROM ICONIC DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

August 26, 2020 By admin

More Than 30 Hours of Motorsports Coverage Throughout the Week; Cup Series Pre-Race Coverage Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and Xfinity Series Pre-Race Coverage Friday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN

INDYCAR Doubleheader from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway – Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN

NBC Sports’ Motorsports Coverage This Past Weekend Reaches 11.4 Million Total Viewers Across INDYCAR, NASCAR, IMSA and MotoGP

Nearly 15 Hours of Coverage from Mecum Auctions Kissimmee Summer Special

Dale Jr. Download with Featured Guest Danny ‘Chocolate’ Myers – Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 26, 2020 – NASCAR returns to NBC and the “World Center of Racing” this Saturday night in primetime with the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 – the regular season finale — under the lights at Daytona International Speedway at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC Sports will super-serve fans with more than 30 hours of motorsports programming this week, including an INDYCAR doubleheader from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill., on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN; NASCAR Xfinity Series racing from Daytona on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN; and Mecum Auctions from Kissimmee, Fla., starting tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

With 13 drivers locked into the 16-driver Cup Series Playoffs, the last three Playoff spots are on the line in Saturday’s regular season finale, which is being held at Daytona for the first time. Clint Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto and William Byron currently hold those three spots, while drivers on the outside of the Playoff picture, including 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, are down to their last chance to make the post-season. In addition, Kevin Harvick will be officially presented with the 2020 regular season championship, which he clinched during his seventh win of the season last Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM DAYTONA – SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBC

Saturday’s coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with the NASCAR America Pre-Race Show, followed by Countdown to Green at 6:30 p.m. ET. Coverage will include a narrated segment by NBC Sports’ lead motorsports reporter, Nate Ryan, on Ryan Newman’s return to the 2.5-mile Daytona oval after his crash in February’s Daytona 500.

Host Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, and analyst Brad Daugherty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will call this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series races from the broadcast booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Marty Snider will serve as pit reporters on-site from Daytona. Rutledge Wood will be celebrating the fans that are back on track at Daytona with special features through pre-race coverage.

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM DAYTONA – FRIDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Friday’s coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with an abbreviated Countdown to Green, leading up to live Xfinity Series racing from Daytona. Austin Cindric continues to lead the Xfinity Series’ regular season standings with 5 wins and 929 points, ahead of Chase Briscoe (series-high 6 wins, 867 points) and third-place Noah Gragson (2 wins, 832 points).

Current Navy Reserve Lt. Commander and NASCAR Truck Series Driver Jesse Iwuji will join NBC Sports as driver analyst and reporter during the Xfinity Series broadcast.

CHOCOLATE MYERS JOINS DALE JR. DOWNLOAD – SATURDAY AT 11:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Danny “Chocolate” Myers is this week’s guest on the Dale Jr. Download. A long-time staffer for Richard Childress Racing, he earned six NASCAR Cup Series championships as the fueler for Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s iconic #3 Chevrolet. He is the current curator of the team’s museum and a daily host on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.

INDYCAR BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 – RACE 1 SATURDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN; RACE 2 SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway was won by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato, who claimed his second Indy 500 victory in four years under caution following a late-race duel with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. Dixon (335 points) remains atop the NTT IndyCar Series standings, now leading by 84 points over reigning champion Josef Newgarden (Team Penske, 251 points). Sato beat Ed Carpenter by four-hundredths of a second to win last year’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Saturday’s coverage of Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Race 1 will be featured at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and Race 2 on Sunday will also be presented at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. A 30-minute post-race program will follow both races at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Live coverage begins with a practice session on Friday at 4:30 p.m. exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass. Qualifying will be presented live on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET exclusively on NBC Sports Gold.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and Paul Tracy (analyst), who won the inaugural IndyCar race from WWT Raceway in 1997, will call both races alongside James Hinchcliffe, coming off a 7th place finish at the Indy 500, and Kevin Lee, who will report from the pits in Madison, Ill.

LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS IRONMAN NATIONAL – MOTO 2 ON SATURDAY AT 12:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season continues this Saturday from Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Ind. In last weekend’s Loretta Lynn’s 2 National, Zach Osborne won his second straight race in the 450MX Class, while Jeremy Martin took home the victory in the 250MX Class, his first win since the 2018 season.

Saturday’s coverage of the Ironman National Moto2 on NBCSN begins at 12:30 a.m. ET. Live coverage of qualifying on Saturday begins at 10:10 a.m. ET exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s Pro Motocross Pass.

Veteran play-by-play voice Jason Weigandt, analyst and two-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Grant Langston, and pit reporter Will Christien will call the race action.

NEARLY 15 HOURS OF MECUM AUCTIONS COVERAGE FROM KISSIMMEE BEGINS TOMORROW AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Nearly 15 hours of coverage of the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee Summer Special from Osceola Heritage Park will be presented over the course of the week on NBCSN. Coverage begins tomorrow with a 3.5-hour window at 3 p.m. ET and will continue at 2 a.m. ET. More than 8 hours of coverage will be featured on Friday and Sunday, including three hours of coverage on Friday, beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Highlighted cars among the 1,000 vehicles expected to cross the auction block in Kissimmee include a 2018 Ford GT, a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z28 and a 1955 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.

Scott Hoke will host coverage on-site in Kissimmee, alongside analysts John Kraman and Stephen Cox, and reporters Bill Stephens and Katie Osborne.

NBC Sports’ Motorsports Coverage This Past Weekend Reaches 11.4 Million Total Viewers Across INDYCAR, NASCAR, IMSA and MotoGP

Led by the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on NBC, NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage this past weekend reached 11.4 million total viewers. In addition to the Indy 500, coverage featured a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series doubleheaders from Dover, and two telecasts each for IMSA and MotoGP.

This weekend’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Thurs., Aug. 27 Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee* 3 p.m. NBCSN
Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee* 2 a.m. NBCSN
Fri., Aug. 28 Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee* 4 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Practice 4:30 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
Countdown to Green 7 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Daytona 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee* 1 a.m. NBCSN
Sat. Aug 29 Gateway INDYCAR Qualifying 12 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
Gateway INDYCAR Pre-Race 3 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Race 1 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Post-Race 5:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR America Pre-Race Show 6 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series – Countdown to Green 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Race – Daytona 7 p.m. NBC
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race 11 p.m. NBCSN
Dale Jr. Download 11:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., Aug. 30 Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee^ 12:30 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Pre-Race 3 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Race 2 3:30 p.m. NBCSN
Gateway INDYCAR Post-Race 5:30 p.m. NBCSN
Mecum Auctions – Kissimmee^ 11 p.m. NBCSN

*Same-day delay

^ Next-day delay

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, mecum, NASCAR, NBC, Uncategorized

104TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 DELIVERS NBC SPORTS’ SECOND-MOST WATCHED INDYCAR RACE ON RECORD

August 25, 2020 By admin

First-Ever Indy 500 in August Averages Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.737 Million Viewers; Peaks at 4.641 Million Viewers

Sunday’s Indy 500 is NBC Sports’ Second-Most Watched Event Since NFL Divisional Playoff in January

STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 25, 2020 – NBC Sports’ presentation of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 3.737 million viewers, making it NBC Sports’ second-most watched INDYCAR race on record and NBC’s second-most watched sports event since January, according to Fast National Data from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Sunday’s race was the first-ever Indy 500 to take place in August, following 103 runnings in May, and the first “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to run without spectators. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Takuma Sato won his second Indy 500 under caution following a late-race duel with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon.

Following are additional viewership highlights from Sunday’s Indy 500 (2:31-5:45 pm ET), which faced uncommon competition from the NBA, PGA TOUR and NASCAR:

  • The TAD of 3.737 million viewers is NBC Sports’ second-most watched INDYCAR race on record behind only last year’s Indy 500 — the first ever on NBC — which averaged a TAD of 5.489 million viewers and was up 11% vs. the 2018 race on ABC (4.913 million TV-only). Last year’s race did not face any significant sports competition.
  • TV-only coverage of the race peaked at 4.641 million TV-only viewers towards for the race’s conclusion (5:30-5:45 pm ET).
  • Sunday’s race is NBC Sports’ second-most watched sporting event since an NFL Divisional Playoff game on Jan. 11 (Min-SF, 30.2 million).
  • The 104th Indianapolis 500 is also the most-watched motorsports race to take place in August in three years, since a NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol (2017, 3.838 million). It delivered a 2.29 household rating.
  • Across NBC Sports streaming platforms, the 104th Indianapolis 500 averaged an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 17,800 viewers, making it the second-most streamed INDYCAR race on record, behind only last year’s Indy 500 in May (45,600).
  • Indianapolis delivered a local rating of 24.9 to lead all markets.

Following are the Top 10 local markets for Sunday’s Indy 500:

Rank Market HH Rating
1 Indianapolis 24.9
t2 Cincinnati 4.1
t2 Columbus, Ohio 4.1
t2 Las Vegas 4.1
5 Nashville 3.8
6 Hartford-New Haven 3.7
t7 Milwaukee 3.6
t7 West Palm Beach 3.6
t9 Sacramento-Stockton 3.3
t9 Tampa-St. Petersburg 3.3

 

NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR Series continues this weekend with a doubleheader from World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: Indy 500, IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

TAKUMA SATO WINS THE 104th RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC – NOTES AND QUOTES

August 23, 2020 By admin

“This is unbelievable, thank you so much. I can’t find the words.” – Takuma Sato

“He is the ‘Wild Thing’ no more. He was ‘Super-Cool Sato’ today.” – Paul Tracy

“Takuma was meant to be one who was to run with the Olympic flame. That of course didn’t happen, so in replacement of that, if he wins his second Indy 500 – that will be quite the buzz.” – Leigh Diffey

“We miss you. I wish you guys were here because the energy that you bring makes this day so memorable.” – Danica Patrick on the Indy 500 Fans

STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 23, 2020 – NBC Sports presented exclusive coverage of the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 this afternoon on NBC from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Takuma Sato won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for the second time in his career, outdueling five-time Series champion Scott Dixon. Graham Rahal, Sato’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate, finished in third place to round out the podium.

NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play) and analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy called NBC Sports’ broadcast of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC, alongside pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, and Kevin Lee.

Mike Tirico anchored coverage alongside guest analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick. NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood also contributed to the network’s Indy 500 presentation by reporting on-site at IMS.

Post-Race

Sato to Snider following the win: “This is unbelievable, thank you so much. I can’t find the words.”

Sato on impact on his win in his native country of Japan: “Especially for Japan, sacrificing a lot after the earthquake in 2011. I hope this gives a little boost for the energy and thank you for a lot of support.”

Diffey on Sato winning the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500: “I can tell you that this race will not be red-flagged, it will finish under yellow with Takuma Sato winning his second Indianapolis 500 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. His other win was for Michael Andretti, this one for Bobby Rahal, Mike Lanigan and David Letterman…Takuma has done it for a second time in three years.”

Tracy on Sato: “He is the ‘Wild Thing’ no more. He was ‘Super-Cool Sato’ today. We have to come up with a new nickname because he played his cards perfect today.”

Bell on Sato: “It was the defensive driving that Sato displayed. The things he learned from watching (Simon) Pagenaud do the same thing last year. He did that for a few laps and that took the advantage off Dixon’s tires to respond.”

Dixon to Stavast following his second-place finish: “It’s definitely a hard one to swallow for sure. We had such a great day. With fuel mileage, I really can’t see how they were going to make it…first time I’ve seen (the race officials) let it run out like that. I thought they were definitely going to throw a red flag, which would have been exciting for the last four or five laps…it’s hard when it slips away like that.”

Patrick, who won an INDYCAR race in Japan, on Sato’s win and the Japanese INDYCAR fans: “Japanese fans get coined ‘superfans’ because they are that passionate about their athletes and about sports. I have no doubt that when he arrives back in Japan, whenever he does, they should have a camera at the airport for everyone there that will be greeting him.”

Patrick on race finishing under a yellow flag: “I think it was a stretch to call a red flag. I think there was probably grounds for it, but it would have been pushing it, and it was fair to do it the way it was done.”

Patrick on 2021 Indy 500: “I have a feeling that the 2021 Indy 500 is going to be perhaps the biggest one yet.”

Tracy on the finish: “No shortage of drama even though we didn’t have fans. What a race today.”

Tracy on Sato’s win: “When it came down to the final 10 laps, Sato had the final car and started to pull away.”

Race on NBC (2:30 p.m. ET)

Tracy on Spencer Pigot wreck with 4 laps to go: “That is why we have the safer aeroscreen, I really believe that saved his life…the new aeroscreen has just done unbelievable things for the safety of these drivers.”

Diffey on Sato: “Takuma was meant to be one who was to run with the Olympic flame. That of course didn’t happen, so in replacement of that he wins his second Indy 500 – that will be quite the buzz.”

Patrick on how hard it is to get the perfect car setup following Rossi’s crash on Lap 143: “What I heard from Ed Carpenter the other day when I was talking to him was that the cars are even more difficult than in any other year to really get right. The window is even smaller. From my experience, the window felt small a couple years ago, and so I said, ‘Smaller than that?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, much smaller than that.’ So, I think that’s why you hear so many drivers saying, ‘I don’t know what happened, it just went on me.’”

Tracy on Alexander Rossi’s pit road penalty on Lap 124: “You think he was angry after last year’s Indy 500? He’s going to be furious…he’s had such a tough start to the year, and it just continues. He’s geared his whole season around trying to win this race.”

Bell on Dixon and Rossi swapping the lead at Lap 106: “Nobody wants this lead right now. This is all about the cat-and-mouse of fuel mileage.”

Tracy on strategy during the caution on Lap 88: “This puts everyone back on the same strategy. Everything is back to square one.”

Bell on the Team Penske exit from pit road: “That’s like flying in sequence like The Air Force that flew over the track in the pre-race.”

Patrick on pit stops: “There’s a lot to think about and a lot of pressure. You know that there’s football fields of lengths on the line if you come in a little slow or out a little slow. We’ve seen a lot of mistakes…. it will be interesting to see how this shakes out.”

Pre-Race on NBC (1 p.m. ET)

Patrick on race without fans: “We miss you. I wish you guys were here because the energy that you bring makes this day so memorable.”

Mario Andretti on the past week since Marco Andretti won the pole: “I’ve been on ‘Cloud 98’ for the whole week. Being on the pole at Indianapolis, you get to savor it for an entire week…we’re all-in. He’s (Marco) going to have a lot of energy coming from us, but he doesn’t need it. He knows what he’s doing, he’s proven that.”

Andretti on what it’s like to have three generations of Andretti’s (Mario, Michael and Mario) on-site today at IMS: “Precious, just precious moments. This is something that we’ll savor for the rest of our lives…we’re blessed to have this opportunity. Three generations, who would have known…this place has given us so much, but we want some more.”

Bell on the walk down gasoline alley with no fans: “In this moment, the shock will be for the veteran drivers.”

Tracy on Marco Andretti: “He’s got impossible shoes to fill with Mario and his dad. They won so much throughout their career that it’s an impossible goal to find. I’ve gotten to know Marco a lot better over the past couple of years and I can tell you, he has been concerned with what people think on the outside…right now, he has found another gear and I think he is going to take his career to the next level today.”

Tirico on Scott Dixon: “He reminds me of Tim Duncan. He’s phenomenal, but it’s not flamboyant. In the racing world, it’s like Jimmie Johnson.”

Patrick on Dixon: “I can tell you from the inside looking out, you never overlook Jimmie Johnson or Scott Dixon. They’re incredible drivers. Now, maybe their personality doesn’t drive as much media attention. Maybe they don’t put their foot in their mouth as often as some other people. Their driving on track and record book is completely different.”

Pre-race coverage included:

  • Simon Pagenaud – NBC Sports profiled defending Indy 500 champion Simon Pagenaud and what it meant for one of INDYCAR’s most accomplished drivers to win the 500 for the first time in 2019;
  • Mario Andretti – Danica Patrick and Mike Tirico sat down with Andretti on the pagoda to talk about his family’s legacy and how much it means that his grandson, Marco, is sitting on the pole this year;
  • Marco Andretti – Leigh Diffey spoke with Andretti about what the family names means when headed into a race like the Indianapolis 500;
  • Alexander Rossi – Marty Snider spoke with Rossi about his gut-wrenching loss to Pagenaud last year, what kind of passion it takes to come back and his win of the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500;
  • “Message In A Milk Bottle” – NBC’s Rutledge Wood highlighted the new fan and driver time capsule installation that will be opened next year;
  • The “Wreath Lady” – Rutledge Wood visited Julie Vance who has created the Indianapolis 500 wreath for the last 28 years;
  • The Fastest Seat in Sport with Mario and Michael Andretti having three Andretti’s on the track at once;

Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgery residents Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson, the “Singing Surgeons”, performed the National Anthem ahead of the race with for the first time ever, a flyover by The US Airforce Thunderbirds. “Back Home Again in Indiana” was sang by Chicago Blackhawks anthem singer Jim Cornelison.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: Indy 500, IndyCar, NBC, Uncategorized

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