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NBC SPORTS PRESENTS INDY 500 SPECIAL: BACK HOME AGAIN SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

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On Date of Originally-Scheduled 2020 Indy 500, Enhanced Broadcast Special Includes 2019 Indy 500 Re-Air, Driver Interviews, Musical Performances, and Honors Military and Healthcare Workers

Mayo Clinic Orthopedic Surgery Residents Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson Perform God Bless America on the Yard of Bricks

Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Rascal Flatts Headline Star-Spangled Banner Performance by Big Machine Label Group Artists

Interview with USS Indianapolis Commander Colin Kane

Mike Tirico Interviews 2019 Indy 500 Champ Simon Pagenaud and 2016 Champ Alexander Rossi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Exclusive Commentary from NTT INDYCAR Series Stars Pagenaud and Rossi Throughout Key Moments of 2019 Indy 500

NBC Sports’ Tim Layden Pens Essay Honoring Indy 500 and Return of Racing

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 21, 2020 – On the date of the originally-scheduled 2020 Indianapolis 500, NBC Sports will celebrate the traditions of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with its enhanced presentation of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 – Indy 500 Special: Back Home Again – this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

The enhanced race broadcast will feature a new pre-race program from Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted by Mike Tirico, honoring the military traditions of the Indy 500 and the healthcare workers who are currently fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-race coverage will include:

 

  • A star-studded Star-Spangled Banner performance by more than a dozen Big Machine Label Group artists, headlined by Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Rascal Flatts;

 

  • A special message from USS Indianapolis Commander Colin Kane;

 

  • Mike Tirico’s interview with 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and 2016 Indy 500 champion and 2019 runner-up Alexander Rossi.

 

Click here to see some behind-the-scenes footage of NBC Sports’ production shoot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indy 500 Special: Back Home Again.

Once the green flag drops, Pagenaud and Rossi will provide exclusive commentary during the broadcast, sharing their perspectives on key moments throughout the race and their memorable back-and-forth battle.

Coverage will also include an essay by Tim Layden on a look at a different “Month of May” and a look ahead to the return of racing at IMS. NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will provide commentary looking ahead to the start of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6.

NBC Sports’ inaugural presentation of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC in 2019 averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.475 million viewers, up 11% vs. the 2018 race (TV-only 4.913 million, ABC). Overall, viewership for the 2019 INDYCAR season on NBC and NBCSN (16 races) was up 9% vs. 2018 season viewership (ABC, NBCSN, digital).

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS “INDY 500 SPECIAL: BACK HOME AGAIN” – ENHANCED 2019 INDIANAPOLIS 500 BROADCAST – SUNDAY, MAY 24 ON NBC

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Program Features Special Encore Presentation of Thrilling 2019 Indy 500

Mike Tirico to Interview 2019 Indy 500 Champion Simon Pagenaud and 2016 Champ and 2019 Runner-Up Alexander Rossi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Enhanced Race Presentation to Feature Exclusive Commentary from NTT INDYCAR Series Stars Pagenaud and Rossi Throughout Key Moments of 2019 Indy 500

Pre-Race Coverage to Honor Military Traditions of Indy 500 and Recognize Healthcare Workers on Front Lines of COVID-19 Pandemic

NBC Sports’ Tim Layden Pens Essay Honoring Indy 500 and Return of Racing

Lead NBC Sports INDYCAR Voice Leigh Diffey Looks Ahead to Start of 2020 INDYCAR Season at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6, on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 14, 2020 – Indianapolis 500 champions Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi will join NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico for an enhanced encore presentation of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 – Indy 500 Special: Back Home Again – on Sunday, May 24, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, celebrating “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and providing fans with exclusive, new content from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The enhanced presentation will feature a pre-race conversation on-site from Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Tirico, 2019 champion Simon Pagenaud, and 2016 champ and last year’s runner-up Alexander Rossi, alongside the famed Yard of Bricks.

Once the green flag drops, Pagenaud and Rossi will provide exclusive commentary during the broadcast, sharing their personal perspectives on key moments throughout the race and their memorable back-and-forth battle. which punctuated NBC Sports’ inaugural Indy 500 broadcast last year.

“The goal of our enhanced broadcast is to honor the traditions of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ and re-live elements of last year’s race through Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi as they battled back-and-forth to the checkered flag,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC and NBCSN. “We know the excitement, anticipation and intensity will be that much higher for the 2020 Indianapolis 500 on August 23 on NBC, and we’re excited for the return of INDYCAR at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6 on NBCSN.”

“For more than a century, the Indy 500 at the Racing Capital of the World has served as a powerful and stirring tribute to our nation’s shared history of service, sacrifice and excellence,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said. “While this Memorial Day weekend will certainly be different, we’re pleased to join our partners at NBC Sports in continuing this tradition through this special TV presentation. We look forward to recognizing both our military and frontline COVID-19 heroes while providing motorsports fans some intense and behind-the-scenes INDYCAR action through the race replay.”

The enhanced broadcast will also feature traditional pre-race elements to recognize the military traditions of the Indy 500, as well as special additions to honor those who are currently fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coverage will also include an essay by Tim Layden on a look at a different “Month of May” and a look ahead to the return of racing at IMS. NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will provide commentary looking ahead to the start of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6, on NBCSN.

NBC Sports’ inaugural presentation of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC in 2019 averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.475 million viewers, up 11% vs. the 2018 race (TV-only 4.913 million, ABC). Overall, viewership for the 2019 INDYCAR season on NBC and NBCSN (16 races) was up 9% vs. 2018 season viewership (ABC, NBCSN, digital).

–NBC SPORTS–

SIMON PAGENAUD WINS THE 103RD INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC – NOTES AND QUOTES

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“The ending was storybook. You couldn’t write it any better.” – Danica Patrick

“Simon Pagenaud sweeps the month of May and wins his maiden Indy 500.” – Leigh Diffey

 “It’s a dream come true. It’s been a life of trying to achieve this. I’m just speechless. It’s just incredible.” – Simon Pagenaud

 “This is some of the greatest driving I’ve ever seen.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 26, 2019 – NBC Sports’ exclusive coverage of the 103rd Indianapolis 500 culminated this afternoon in historic fashion on NBC at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as Simon Pagenaud edged out Alexander Rossi for his first career Indy 500. Pagenaud’s victory marks the 18th Indianapolis 500 win for Team Penske, who came in first, fourth, and fifth in this year’s Indy 500.

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

Mike Tirico – in his first INDYCAR assignment – anchored coverage alongside NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was at his first Indy 500, and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick. NBC Sports motorsports host Krista Voda and reporter Rutledge Wood also contributed to the network’s Indy 500 presentation.


Post-Race

Tirico: “On the way to our set on the track before, one of the members on Team Penske handed me a coin and it’s Roger [Penske’s] favorite saying: ‘Effort equals results.’ First, fourth, and fifth – Team Penske. One more time.”

Earnhardt Jr. on back-and-forth finish: “This was just so emotional. To watch this whole race play out, what a break for Pagenaud. Incredible driving from Rossi, but when it counted at the end, incredible driving from Pagenaud.”

Patrick on finish: “Wow. I got pretty animated. I feel very fortunate that was my first race I could watch as a retired driver here at the track. So exciting. Their driving was amazing. The ending was storybook. You couldn’t write it any better.”

Simon Pagenaud on his victory: “It’s a dream come true. It’s been a life of trying to achieve this. I’m just speechless. It’s just incredible. I never expected to be in this position.”

Bell on Pagenaud’s final lap: “That guy was swerving like a cobra snake.”

Alexander Rossi on runner-up finish: “Unfortunately, nothing else matters here except winning. This one will be a hard one to get over.”

Team owner Roger Penske on Pagenaud’s victory: “What a job Simon did this month. What a guy. Can you believe it? And he won that thing…I just cannot believe it.”

Diffey on Pagenaud’s victory: “Simon Pagenaud sweeps the month of May and wins his maiden Indy 500…Two-tenths of a second is all that separated Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi.”


Race on NBC

Tracy on Pagenaud-Rossi battle for the finish: “Pagenaud can’t get away, Rossi says he wants it. He’s angrier than anyone else in the field.”

Patrick on final laps during red flag: “As drivers, this is always a very confusing time because this isn’t a sport where you can plan a play. It’s almost impossible. So, in my opinion, this is where experience, maturity, confidence and just the pure handling of your car is going to come in handy in every aspect.”

Tracy on final laps during red flag: “This is now a knife fight until the end.”

Diffey on final laps during red flag: “Make no mistake about it, this is the calm before the storm.”

Earnhardt Jr. on today’s Indy 500: “Rossi is sort of on a mission all his own, doing things I’ve never seen racecar drivers do. This is some of the greatest driving I’ve ever seen. You watch this race on TV, it’s up in the cockpit. When you’re here in person, you can see that, you can see the danger that he’s putting himself in. It’s incredible. Incredible bravery.”

Graham Rahal on contact with Sebastien Bourdais: “I respect Sebastien a lot, I don’t respect that move, but I do respect him as a driver tremendously and I’m sure he feels the same right now… I’m just not a fan of squeezing people and putting people in those positions. It’s not necessary.”

Patrick on Bourdais’ spotter during crash: “You have a spotter in your ear calling inside. I love Bourdais, he was having a fantastic day, but his spotter should have – if he wasn’t, but probably was – calling inside. You’ve got to make a decision as a driver to go “I’ve got to give room””.

Patrick on hitting the next level in driving: “As drivers we’re in a mentally different space the entire time, it’s a very focused space. But there is a next level, there is a next elite level that I believe that as an athlete if you can tap into that more often, that’s what makes you great. Rossi’s in that. You can see that with all of his passes.”

Diffey on Rossi fueling issues on lap 139: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rossi flip out like that… This is a cool guy, very understated. You don’t see Rossi flip out like this.”

Patrick on her experience and the beginning of the race: “For my first time here on pit lane watching it, it’s exciting, number one, and number two, I’m right so far. Simon is still leading. Of course it’s early, but it looks tough to pass. Look, conditions are different today than they were on Carb Day. Heard a lot of issues on Carb Day come up that they hadn’t had yet this month. So here we are now in another day and it’s a different condition than Friday.”

 

Pre-Race on NBC (11 a.m. ET)

Bell: “I’ve done this race many times… Whether I finished in the top five or finished at the back, you always have a life-changing, ultimate life moment here at Indy and today feels no different.”

Tirico on Mario Andretti on 50th Anniversary of his 1969 Indy 500 win: “He might be 79, but he has the spirit of a 30-year-old.”

Tirico: “They call it the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. It’s everything they say it is, and more.”

Bell: “As I look out at the biggest crowd in all of sports, I realize that in the 10 Indy 500s that I did here, I never actually took it in like I am today because I would come out here in a laser-like focus. I’m in a tunnel, almost like a white-out focus, as I think about the mission ahead. Not only was I chasing the biggest prize in racing, I was taking the biggest risk each year. This is the most dangerous race on the schedule. And as these guys start to strap in, and look down to turn one, there’s only one question in their mind: who’s going to get their first?”

 

Pre-Race on NBCSN (9-11 a.m. ET)

Bell: “This place will focus your attention more than anywhere else in the world. The biggest prize is at the end of those 500 miles. It’s the biggest prize in racing, it’s also the greatest risk these drivers will take all year.”

Bell on Roger Penske: “The intensity is insane… He’s 82 years old, he’s a billionaire. He can be anywhere in the world on this Sunday doing anything he wants. He’s here in Indianapolis competing with every bit of intensity that he had back in 1969 and the record is unbelievable.”

Tracy: “This race is the biggest race in the world. This is a race that when you win, it lifts the weight of the world off your shoulders.”

Tracy on Penske: “I know first-hand, I was signed to Roger Penske as a young driver, and any time that you get signed to his team you are expected to win Roger a championship and/or an Indy 500 for him. This is what it’s all about for him.”

Tirico: “300,000 people all taking in everything there is about Indy and the race itself, a day where hearts are broken and dreams are made.”

Patrick: “As a kid, I remember watching this race every year… every single year it was a ceremony, it was a routine. I just have such a love for it.”

Earnhardt Jr. on the Snake Pit: “This is crazy. I’ve always wanted to come to the Indy 500… The one thing everybody says that you’ve got to go to is the Snake Pit. I mean this is crazy… It’s 9 a.m. and this place is packed.”

Pre-race coverage included:

  • James Hinchcliffe and Robert Wickens – NBC Sports examined the relationship between Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates James Hinchcliffe and Robert Wickens, whose friendship dates back to their high school years – and how their bond has sustained through the ups and downs of their careers. Hinchcliffe suffered a life-threatening crash at IMS in 2015 and missed qualifying for the Indy 500 in 2018. Towards the latter part of an impressive rookie season in 2018, Wickens suffered a crash at Pocono that left him paralyzed from the waist down and is in the midst of his road to recovery;
  • Will Power – NBC Sports profiled defending Indy 500 champion Will Power and what it meant for one of INDYCAR’s most accomplished drivers to win the 500 for the first time in 2018;
  • Patrick on Indianapolis 500 traditions – Patrick, who recorded six Top-10 finishes in eight Indy 500 starts, took fans through some traditions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including a look at the iconic Borg Warner Trophy and a walk down Gasoline Alley;
  • Earnhardt Jr. on track with Mario Andretti at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – In addition to his role as official pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500 before the green flag was waved, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a ride around the track in a two-seat INDYCAR with Mario Andretti;
  • If These Bricks Could Talk – Mario Andretti narrated a segment about Indianapolis Motor Speedway and famed INDYCAR drivers who have crossed the Yard of Bricks as Indy 500 winners;
  • Wood visits Kuehnert Dairy Farm – Rutledge Wood visited the fifth generation Indiana dairy farm and spoke with Andrew Kuehnert, who delivers the traditional bottle of milk to the winning Indy 500 driver;
  • Bell and Conor Daly Fly in F-16 Fighter Jet – NBC Sports’ Indy 500 analyst Townsend Bell took a trip in an F-16 with INDYCAR driver Conor Daly to see the comparison between Air Force pilots and INDYCAR drivers. Daly qualified in 11th position for this year’s race and his car is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force;
  • “How Far, How Fast” – Fifty years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Ice-T narrated “How Far, How Fast,” which also featured Apollo 10 astronaut Gen. Thomas P. Stafford and showcased what astronauts and racers have in common – a passion for speed and pushing themselves to the limit.

The Voice star Kelly Clarkson performed the National Anthem ahead of the race, Chevel Shepherd (Season 15 winner of The Voice, on Clarkson’s team) sang “God Bless America”, and Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (American Ninja Warrior) served as the Indy 500 Grand Marshals. Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale waved green flag at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET, signaling the beginning of the race.

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

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“This is just so special for us, so significant for us to finally have a shot at calling ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’” – Leigh Diffey

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 24, 2019 – NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 commentators Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst)and Paul Tracy (analyst), Indy 500 host Mike Tirico, analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick; and NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as executive producer Sam Flood, previewed the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on a national media conference call yesterday, Thursday, May 23.

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be the first ever on NBC. Coverage begins on Sunday, May 26, with eight hours of programming: a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9 am ET; race coverage at 11 am ET on NBC; and a post-race show at 4 pm ET on NBCSN.

 

For a complete transcript, click here. Following are highlights from the call:

Flood on Indy 500 coverage: “This is one of the greatest sporting events in the entire world and the center of the racing world comes to this event on this Sunday. The big statement to our team is that this isn’t just a race, it’s an event, and the number of people who will show up in person and the spectacle that is this racetrack with the zooney-looney crazy group of crowd from the Snake Pit to the stands to the fancy pants to the suites — it’s got everything.”

Tirico on hosting the Indy 500: “It is a personal thrill for me growing up watching this event over the years on ABC, people like Jim McKay hosting it, to have the honor to host this broadcast. For me, the chance to watch Leigh and Townsend and Paul work at the Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago and all their broadcast, their team, along with all the reporters, was outstanding; and for our pre-race show and my role, I get to be around Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and if you drop anyone anywhere in America and say, ‘Hey, can you name two drivers in auto racing in America who have been popular and who you know?’ They’re going to mention Dale Jr. and Danica, and I get the chance to watch the 500 with them and experience that with them. Couldn’t be luckier.”

Diffey on calling his first Indy 500: “Just a couple of days away, it still feels quite surreal that we have this amazing opportunity to bring you the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. For all of us who work on each and every regular-season round of the NTT IndyCar Series, this is just so special for us, so significant for us to finally have a shot at calling The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. We almost have to teach or tell ourselves, ‘Yes, it’s a round of the regular championship,’ but pass those thoughts for a moment because this is 200 laps in front of more than 300,000 people of just something that is, a word that’s used too often, but this truly is awesome.”

Bell on being a part of NBC Sports’ Indy 500 broadcast team: “I was absolutely thrilled when the announcement came out last year that NBC would be broadcasting the Indy 500. At the time a lot of great statements were made, grand statements were made about what NBC would bring to the table in terms of resources and promotion and investment, and this week and frankly the last couple of weeks have really been a moment of pride for me to see the company really follow through on what they said over a year ago…it’s really fun to see everything that the network is doing to promote this and to be a part of that team is an honor.

For me personally, I think back to the first time I came here as an 11-year-old and sitting in the grandstands and then getting to race here 10 times and now broadcasting, I’ve got to pinch myself.”

Tracy: “This is the beginning of a new era for INDYCAR. The commitment level, the production level, the commitment from the top brass at NBC, it’s second to none on this, and we hope to deliver the absolute best performance or best broadcast that this race has ever seen. We’re fully committed — like any race driver is going to be out there on Sunday to try to win this race, we want to win this race, this telecast for the fans.”

Patrick: “It’s an incredible team that’s been put together with talent in all areas. I mean, the incredible job from the truck to the on-camera talent that knows what they’re doing, and Leigh does such a fantastic job of transitioning through things, and Mike is going to just carry me the entire day, I’m sure, on Sunday. And then to all of the experience that Townsend and Paul have, and then to have Dale’s perspective from the NASCAR side of things, having never been here for the race, is — look, I’m not an expert at every different category, but NBC has covered an expert in every category, and so I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Earnhardt Jr. on attending his first Indy 500:  “ I can’t wait to get to work with my buddy Rutledge Wood and see what the Indianapolis 500 is all about. It’s going to be a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. It’s going to be something like I’ve never witnessed before, and I can’t wait to have fun on Sunday during the show.”

Patrick on moving from the track to the booth: “Mike and I are just going to start to go over those things, what he’s seen and what he thinks and his experience and how that can help me and try and come up with some ways to connect with the audience. Sometimes they’ll be tuning in for that race only or might not even watch racing otherwise. Maybe it’s even their first time. I think that it’s important to connect the dots on a human level beyond just racing itself and the technical side of things and what we know so well. So we’re going to try and do that, and then also what I bring to the table is obviously that insight. I always love watching sports when they have an athlete that has recently retired that’s part of their broadcast because I believe them.”

Earnhardt Jr. on driving the Indy 500 pace car:   “I’ll have that opportunity to sort of really get a close-up front view of the nervous energy that Paul talks about, and that — I will as a driver, past driver, sort of revert to those emotions and those feelings and be able to relate to what those guys are going through. They’ve dreamed about this day, and a lot of these guys have never won this race, and they’re imagining themselves going through that process and having that potential. So that will be a very emotional experience for me looking in the mirror as I’m driving the pace car. To look in the mirror and see the whole field right there behind me, the pressure that that’s going to give me, I’ll feel that intensity.”

***

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be the first ever on NBC. Coverage begins on Sunday, May 26, with eight hours of programming: a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9 am ET; race coverage at 11 am ET on NBC; and a post-race show at 4 pm ET on NBCSN.

Time (ET) Event Network
9 a.m. ET Pre-race NBCSN
11 a.m. ET Race NBC
4 p.m. ET Post-race NBCSN


For more information on NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the Indy 500, click here.

 

TRANSCRIPT – 2019 NBC SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL

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Thursday, May 23, 2019

Mike Tirico

Danica Patrick

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Leigh Diffey

Paul Tracy

Townsend Bell

Sam Flood

MODERATOR: Thank you to all the press that are calling in for our NBC Sports Indy 500 press call. We are just a few days away from May 26, when NBC Sports will broadcast its inaugural Indy 500. Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. on NBCSN and then continues at 11:00 a.m. on NBC. Joining us for our call today are Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Sam Flood, the executive producer of NBC Sports.

We’ll take opening remarks first with Sam Flood.

SAM FLOOD: Thank you all for joining us. We are really excited to be here in Indianapolis. This is one of the greatest sporting events in the entire world and the center of the racing world come to this event on this Sunday. The big statement to our team is that this isn’t just a race, it’s an event, and the number of people who will show up in person and the spectacle that is this racetrack with the zooney-looney crazy group of crowd from the Snake Pit to the stands to the fancy pants to the suites — it’s got everything, and we can’t wait to share all of that with everyone at home and give them the best seat in the house for the six-plus hours that we plan to broadcast from here on a bright sunny day at Indianapolis. With that, I hand it over to our host, Mr. Tirico.

MIKE TIRICO: Good afternoon. I’ll go quick so you can hear from the people who matter. It is a personal thrill for me growing up watching this event over the years on ABC, people like Jim McKay hosting it, to have the honor to host this broadcast. I got to know a lot of the people who were part of the IndyCar and covering the Indy 500 at ESPN during my 25 years there, and a thank-you to all the folks who made 54 years of elevating this event to a next level on the television broadcast.

We are so lucky to be surrounded by as good a team as has covered this event, present company excluded, to elevate this to the next level.

For me, the chance to watch Leigh and Townsend and Paul work at the Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago and all their broadcast, their team, along with all the reporters, was outstanding; and for our pre-race show and my role, I get to be around Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and if you drop anyone anywhere in America and say, ‘Hey, can you name two drivers in auto racing in America who have been popular and who you know?’ They’re going to mention Dale Jr. and Danica, and I get the chance to watch the 500 with them and experience that with them.

Couldn’t be luckier. Thrilled to be a part of our team, and Leigh Diffey is the man whose voice will be on the 500, and I’ll pass it off to him now.

LEIGH DIFFEY: Thanks and good afternoon, everyone. Just a couple of days away, it still feels quite surreal that we have this amazing opportunity to bring you the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. For all of us who work on each and every regular-season round of the NTT IndyCar Series, this is just so special for us, so significant for us to finally have a shot at calling the great spectacle in racing. We’re thrilled. We almost have to teach or tell ourselves, yes, it’s a round of the regular championship but pass those thoughts for a moment because this is 200 laps in front of more than 300,000 people of just something that is, a word that’s used too often, but this truly is awesome.

For Townsend and for myself in the booth and our colleagues on pit lane, to be able to do this and bring this to you and have this opportunity, we’re immensely honored. We’re thrilled.

TOWNSEND BELL: Just thinking about how I’ve been involved in this sport for almost 20 years now, and I was absolutely thrilled when the announcement came out last year that NBC would be broadcasting the Indy 500, and at the time a lot of great statements were made, grand statements were made about what NBC would bring to the table in terms of resources and promotion and investment, and this week and frankly the last couple of weeks have really been a moment of pride for me to see the company really follow through on what they said over a year ago, which I think is rare, unfortunately, in this business. And so it’s really fun to see everything that the network is doing to promote this and to be a part of that team is an honor.

For me personally, I think back to the first time I came here as an 11-year-old and sitting in the grandstands and then getting to race here 10 times and now broadcasting, I’ve got to pinch myself. So incredibly proud for everyone, excited to share the greatest race in the world with the country.

PAUL TRACY: Hi, everybody. Just to kind of echo what Townsend said, I’m super excited to be involved with this. This is the beginning of a new era for IndyCar, like Townsend said. The commitment level, the production level, the commitment from the top brass at NBC, it’s second to none on this, and we hope to deliver the absolute best performance or best broadcast that this race has ever seen. We’re fully committed — like any race driver is going to be out there on Sunday to try to win this race, we want to win this race, this telecast for the fans, as well.

DANICA PATRICK: Hi, everyone. Such an honor to have last year come back to retire here at the Indy 500, but then to sort of come back for what almost feels like an encore of the Indy 500 to do the broadcast, so thanks to Sam Flood and thanks to NBC for asking me to do it.

The rumblings of this were almost a year ago, even last summer I remember hearing about it, so it’s an incredible team that’s been put together with talent in all areas. I mean, the incredible job from the truck to the on-camera talent that knows what they’re doing, and Leigh does such a fantastic job of transitioning through things, and Mike is going to just carry me the entire day, I’m sure, on Sunday. And then to all of the experience that Townsend and Paul have, and then to have Dale’s perspective from the NASCAR side of things, having never been here for the race, is — look, I’m not an expert at every different category, but NBC has covered an expert in every category, and so I’m honored to be a part of it.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.: Hey, everybody. As Danica said, I’m here for the first time. NBC has been sending me all over the place for the last several months to experience a lot of new things, and this is another amazing trip, and I can’t wait to get to work with my buddy Rutledge and see what the Indianapolis 500 is all about. It’s going to be a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. It’s going to be something like I’ve never witnessed before, and I can’t wait to have fun on Sunday during the show. Pre-race is going to be a lot of fun, at least for us as we move around, and I’m going to be able to see this race for the first time from such an incredible perspective as part of this broadcast team.

Just coming out here — I would be here anyway whether NBC sent me or not, but this will be from a perspective like no other.

Q. Slightly off topic, you come to Detroit after Indianapolis, and I guess for either Mike or Leigh, could you comment on how Indianapolis will set up what you do in Detroit and how important will it be for you to carry whatever momentum you’ve generated into Detroit and beyond?
LEIGH DIFFEY: Thanks for the question. It’s immensely important to carry that momentum because it’s a big weekend for us, for the NBC Sports Group, because not only is it a double-header within the IndyCar Series, but the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship is there, as well. It was always going to be a big weekend for us anyway, but we welcome the opportunity to carry that momentum through into Detroit.

Back in the day, as many know, the traditional follow-on event from Indy was at the Milwaukee Mile, but Roger Penske and has staff in Detroit have done such a good job at making that Detroit double-header a real landmark on the annual IndyCar calendar, a landscape, and again, that’s another first for us because we had never broadcast that race weekend, either.

So as much as this weekend is a first, so is next, and we just look very much forward to carrying the good vibes through.

MIKE TIRICO: And as the Detroit resident, it’s my responsibility to tell everyone how great downtown is now and pass along good restaurant recommendations, which thankfully there are plenty of, so I’ll be doing that Sunday afternoon. I’ll be handing out cards on the way out.

Q. This is a question for Mike, just about your preparation going into broadcasting your first Indy 500. You’re obviously the seasoned broadcast expert, but people like Dale and Danica are the retired drivers and can paint a little bit of a different picture. How do you envision all of you working together, and what kind of presentation do you expect to give fans watching?
MIKE TIRICO: Sure. From my role and my perspective, I just take it across the various sports. When I sit with Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison on Football Night in America, I don’t pretend to be a football expert. Same with Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss, our horse racing team, and so on. So the best thing you try to do is to elicit responses that perhaps the audience at home would care about, be fully cognizant that while we have the hard-core IndyCar fans watching, we also have fans who are watching their first or perhaps their only race of the year, so how can we get — in the pre-race show with Danica and Dale Jr. and the other correspondents on that show, how can we help connect the stories that matter at the 500 and the event that is the 500 to everyone at home; if you’re not here, make you wish that you were. If you’re going to sit at home and watch the next three, four hours, let you know about the interesting people and the stories that matter, and if you choose to care and connect to them, then when we pass it off to Leigh, Townsend and Paul to call the race, those guys will chronicle somebody who you may not have known about at 10:00 a.m., but by 3:00 p.m. you’re standing up in front of your TV rooting for them to take the checkered flag.

So I just take the general observations of what I’ve done over the years and try to apply to it this sport. Leigh, Townsend and Paul do all races this year, got to see them in action in person during the Grand Prix, watched a lot of the IndyCar events, and I’ve gone back and watched the last couple of 500s, as well, the race and the pre-race show.

All those things mean I will stay out of the way as much as possible and let the experts talk — if you hear me say the word “gearbox,” then I’ve made a mistake, but we’ll let the experts take care of the expert stuff, and I’ll handle the TV part.

Q. Danica, as the, I guess, rookie of the NBC crew, what has been the best piece of advice you have received this month, and is this something you would like to do more of in the future?
DANICA PATRICK: The best thing I heard is that Mike Tirico was going to do it with me, and I was like, done. Done, I’ll just sit there. I mean, advice? I think that Mike and I are just going to start to kind of go over those things, what he’s seen and what he thinks and his experience and how that can help me and try and come up with some ways to connect with the audience. As he said, sometimes they’ll be tuning in for that race only or might not even watch racing otherwise. Maybe it’s even their first time.

I think that it’s important to connect the dots on a human level beyond just racing itself and the technical side of things and what we know so well.

So we’re going to try and do that, and then also what I bring to the table is obviously that insight. I always love watching sports when they have an athlete that has recently retired that’s part of their broadcast because I believe them. So thank God people might believe me.

Q. Townsend, Paul and Danica — having driven in the race, what’s the most difficult part about driving around this track? And given your experiences on the track, what are you trying to convey to viewers?
PAUL TRACY: I mean, probably one of the most difficult things is this race is unlike any typical race because there’s such a long kind of a lead-up, just getting ready to go racing. You’re here for three weeks, and then you finally get to race day and the traffic is insane. You’ve got to be in the track, if you’re not staying in the track in a motor home, at 6:00 in the morning for a 12:00 race.

The pre-race activities, when you’re a driver, you’re like a thoroughbred, you’re like a horse that’s in the gate ready to go, and there’s just a lot of time to wait and there’s a lot of things you have to do and a lot of process you have to go through, which is all an amazing process when you’re living it in the moment, but as a driver you just want to get out there because you’re nervous, as well, and your tension is up. There’s a lot of nervous energy on the grid.

So that was always the biggest thing for me. Once the race started, you kind of get in your own zone and the race unfolds, but for me it was just the process of getting to actually go racing.

TOWNSEND BELL: Just picking up on what Paul said, what makes the Indy 500 really unique in the context of the rest of the IndyCar schedule is that the drivers will have a 90-minute practice tomorrow on Friday, and we’ll cover that on NBCSN, and then you won’t see anyone sitting in a race car until Sunday at noon, and when you do, you will line up three wide, 11 rows deep for the start of the race. No other race on the calendar with the officials or — nobody would ever allow that. You wouldn’t have practice much closer to the race.

So it’s this crazy situation in a way, especially when you consider that what makes Indy additionally unique is — I used this analogy the other night at dinner. This is a sporting competition that has a prize and you’re running to go get that prize. You want to be the first one to grab the trophy. The difference here at Indy is the race, you’re riding across a highwire that’s a thousand feet above the ground. So you have this crazy scenario of not having a lot of time in the car prior to the race, three wide for the start, and it’s super risky, and that’s where the intensity and the focus and the pressure comes from, and we’ll be doing our best to convey that on Sunday.

DANICA PATRICK: I can tell you that it’s difficult to come back after seven years; that was hard. And that just sort of highlights how challenging the task is. These cars are super fast, snappy, the handling is critical, and you’ve got what you’ve got. From my stock car experience, your car can start one way and be another way by the end, but for the most part, your car is how kind of how it is. So I would say at Indy you can’t hide. So that’s a challenge here is that if the car is bad, you’re hanging on for dear life and the corners just seem to come up so quick, and you just want a yellow so you can work on it on a pit stop and take some front wing out or add it or whatever it may be, change the tire pressure. I mean, you do have gadgets in the car that can help you with that.

But there’s nowhere to hide here, and I would say that the other part that’s mental is that it’s never over. I would say that if you’re on the lead lap, you should never count yourself out, and I got that advice my very first Indy 500 was that it’s never over. It might have been from Al Jr. or someone like that because I asked everyone for their expertise and their experience to help me out.

It was great advice because in my first Indy 500, I stalled at the beginning, and there was a spin three quarters of the — that was sort of the first quarter. Then in the beginning of the last quarter I spun and my front wing got torn off and chaos happened, and I was at the back again. And I almost won the race.

From a mental standpoint you can easily get very frustrated here, but you have to keep a level head because you’re never out of it here because there are so many pit stops and so much can happen.

Q. Dale, can you talk a little bit more about what it’s going to be like to attend the Indy 500 for the first time and what some of your expectations are for the weekend?
DALE EARNHARDT JR.: Well, from the people that I got advice from, everybody says the most important thing that I don’t need to miss out on is standing down on the grid right before the drivers get in the cars. Fortunately for me I’m going to be driving the pace car, so I’ll have that opportunity to sort of really get a close-up front view of the nervous energy that Paul talks about, and that — I will as a driver, past driver, sort of revert to those emotions and those feelings and be able to relate to what those guys are going through. They’ve dreamed about this day, and a lot of these guys have never won this race, and they’re imagining themselves going through that process and having that potential. So that will be a very emotional experience for me looking in the mirror as I’m driving the pace car. I’m looking forward to that, looking in the mirrors and seeing those cars and just thinking, these guys are getting ready to go do this; it’s here and now, the preparation is drawn out. The drivers, all they want to do is just get the race started. They’ve been feeling that way for weeks. So to look in the mirror and see the whole field right there behind me, the pressure that that’s going to give me, I’ll feel that intensity. That will be pretty neat for me.

Hanging out with Rut is going to be a lot of fun. The guy is a professional. We’re great friends, and so having him sort of take me on a tour of the facility, if you will, in the morning, I’m looking forward to learning a lot. It’ll be very similar to how I anticipate how the Kentucky Derby went. That was basically — I had never been to that race. I got the best tour that you could possibly ask for while we were working that show, and I kind of anticipate this being the same way. I’m going to learn a lot.

Q. Sam, what are the major production highlights that you’ll have in store for fans that are watching the race, and for a race that’s so steeped in tradition, how are you going to put NBC’s little twist on the event?
SAM FLOOD: Well, I think the key is creating an event, and we’re on the air at 9:00 in the morning and we’re going to take you through the timeline of everything that happens between then and the green flag to build up to that moment, the anticipation. So we’ll be on all areas of the racetrack. You might find Danica and Mike on the racetrack early in the day in a car, different things to connect you with this track and the people we have on this team who are able to connect with the audience and the people here.

Dale Jr., there’s a very good chance he and Rutledge will experience the Snake Pit. If we get them back for later in the show, we imagine there will be a lot of fun things they can do. But we have some really special taped elements highlighting some of the stories of the drivers and people connected to this event. Chris has got that in a press release that can detail a lot of the stories we have filmed.

But our features team has been working and building to this moment for the last few months, and our start was even earlier than that when we went over to Croatia and to Italy with Mario Andretti to tape his documentary which aired a few weeks ago, which was a spectacular look at his life and the back story that I don’t think everyone had a full understanding of where he came from and what he was able to accomplish from these very humble roots.

And that story is symbolic of what we try and do at NBC, make you care about people, take you inside a story at a different level, and that’s the training we have here for years, and we’re hoping we can tell those same kind of stories on Sunday and get more people to come back beyond the 500. We hope if the fans can fall in love with some of these drivers in this sport and this event that they’ll join us the following weekend in Detroit for the double-header there. And that’s part of the job is welcoming the entire sports fan world to this and not just the race car fan.

Q. Danica, this is a horribly mainstream question, but your media resume is already pretty voluminous. If you had a magic wand projecting into the future and could be doing anything in media you wanted to do, what would it be?
DANICA PATRICK: Geez. Reporting from the beaches with seashells with my mai-tai. You mean be part of a broadcast, like announce or something like that? Is that what you’re talking about?

Q. Well, I mean, above and beyond everything you’ve done racing and as a race analyst, you’ve done hosting, you’ve done videos, I think you hold the record for appearing in the most Super Bowl commercials, and you’re only 35 years old. What do you want to do — this is a long way from South Beloit.
DANICA PATRICK: Yeah. Yeah, it is. You know, it’s just a general answer, but I mean, whatever I do moving forward, I just hope it inspires people to figure out what it is that they love to do and do it. Just inspire people to look within themselves, to grow and to take chances, and step outside their comfort zone. I would say that — I don’t know what that is. I can’t just give you an answer for what my dream job would be as far as like being on TV for something. But I can tell you that it’s taken some balls to say yes to some of those things that I’ve done, and I am only better for it.

So I would say that whether it’s coming back for my final race at the Indy 500 or hosting the ESPYs or whatever it’s been, these are things that were incredibly scary to me, but you don’t grow from a place of comfort, so hopefully by doing different things and sort of spreading my wings that people will be inspired to do that, as well.

NBCUNIVERSAL SYMPHONY SURROUNDS 103RD INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON NBC

By

Consumer Engagement Promotion and Editorial to Air Across NBCUniversal Properties Including TODAY, Nightly News, Golf Channel & More

Three Days Until NBC’s Inaugural Broadcast of the Indy 500 on May 26

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 23, 2019 – With NBC Sports’ first-ever broadcast of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 26, NBCUniversal is surrounding coverage of the event through its “Symphony” marketing program, which generates massive awareness for important company initiatives by utilizing NBCUniversal’s abundant and diverse broadcast, cable, regional, digital, social, radio and theme park assets.

NBCUniversal programs such as TODAY, NBC Nightly News, and Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, among others, are celebrating the 103rd “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with related promotion and editorial content leading up to Sunday’s big event.
Following is a summary of NBCU’s comprehensive efforts throughout the Month of May and this week leading into Sunday’s Indy 500 on NBC:

  • TODAY Show at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – This morning, the 8-9 a.m. ET hour of TODAY aired live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tom Hanks joined Savannah Guthrie to co-host a special edition of TODAY live from IMS. The event celebrated former Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s Hidden Heroes organization, which supports military caregivers. Al Roker and Sheryl Crow, among others, were all included in the live broadcast.
  • Danica Patrick on Weekend TODAY – This Saturday, May 25, former INDYCAR driver and NBC Sports’ Indy 500 analyst Danica Patrick will join the TODAY Show live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway to preview NBC’s Sunday coverage of the event.
  • Mario Andretti on NBC Nightly News – This Saturday, May 25, the night before the Indy 500 on NBC, Nightly News will profile 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti as he looks back at the 50th anniversary of his victory in Indianapolis. The segment will feature interviews by Nightly News correspondent Anne Thompson with both Andretti and lead Indy 500 play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as portions of Drive Like Andretti, NBC Sports’ documentary profiling Andretti’s journey from war refugee and immigrant to racing legend and cultural icon.
  • Indy 500 on Morning Drive – IndyCar and Golf Channel will be shooting and producing content this week with Golf Channel’s personalities being chauffeured in an IndyCar to Colonial Country Club in Dallas, Texas, for the Charles Schwab Challenge on Golf Channel. Morning Drive will air the content on Friday leading up to the event.
  • NBC Celebrities at Indy 500 – Kelly Clarkson (The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show) will sing the National Anthem at the Indianapolis 500, Chevel Shepherd (Season 15 Winner of The Voice, on Clarkson’s team) will be singing God Bless America, and Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (American Ninja Warrior) will serve as the Indy 500 Grand Marshals. Numerous NBCU programs and social accounts will promote these honorary positions.
  • NBC News Channel Interviews – NBC News Channel will collect numerous interviews with Indy 500 drivers and NBC Sports commentators this week leading up to the race to service NBC’s 200-plus affiliates.
  • Mario Andretti & Family on TODAY & The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Ahead of the Indy 500, Mario Andretti, son and current team owner Michael Andretti, and grandson and current IndyCar driver Marco Andretti appeared on TODAY and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to reveal the car that Marco will be driving in this year’s Indy 500 and discuss the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
  • Drive Like Andretti Free Screening – NBC Sports will host a second free screening of Drive Like Andretti at Newfields in Indianapolis this Friday evening, May 24, ahead of the Indy 500 on Sunday. Click here to reserve your free tickets.
  • Josef Newgarden at the Kentucky Derby – This year’s Kentucky Derby featured significant promotional content for the Indy 500, including an interview with INDYCAR driver Josef Newgarden from Churchill Downs with NBC Sports’ motorsports commentators Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rutledge Wood. Click here to watch the segment.
  • Secret Life of Pets 2 – NBC Sports partnered with film studios Illumination and Universal Pictures to create two separate pieces of custom promotional content tying Secret Life of Pets 2 with the Indy 500, which will run across NBC Sports platforms and be shared on Universal Pictures’ social channels leading up to the event.
  • Bad Actors. Great Drivers. – NBC Sports shot and produced content with INDYCAR drivers comically reciting lines from some of NBCUniversal’s most iconic shows (i.e. NBC’s This Is Us, Chicago Fire, The Office; Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York, Vanderpump Rules; Universal Pictures’ Jaws, Back to the Future; E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians; USA’s Chrisley Knows Best). This content will be shared on the different NBCU shows and network social accounts this week leading up to the Indy 500.
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine Speed Trivia – NBC Sports shot content with Melissa Fumero (Amy Santiago in NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine) in the backseat of an INDYCAR two-seater driven by Mario Andretti. While driving at top speeds, NBC Sports quizzed Fumero with trivia about her show, which will be shared on the NBC & Brooklyn Nine-Nine social accounts leading up to the Indy 500.
  • Comcast XFINITY – NBC Sports partnered with Comcast XFINITY to create a commercial starring Mario Andretti and NBC Sports figure skating commentator and Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski that pushed to Comcast’s xFi internet and the Indy 500.
  • Indy 500 Drivers at Universal Studios Orlando – Various Indy 500 drivers will be at Universal Studios Orlando this week to tour the park, share content on social media, and help amplify this weekend’s big race.
  • NBCU Social Stunt – Shows and networks across NBCUniversal will bombard their respective social media accounts with Indy 500 content on Sunday morning prior to the race.

***

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be the first ever on NBC. Coverage begins on Sunday, May 26, with eight hours of programming: a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9 am ET; pre-race coverage continues at 11 am ET on NBC; race coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC; and a post-race show at 4 pm ET on NBCSN.

Time (ET) Event Network
9 a.m. ET Pre-race NBCSN
11 a.m. ET Pre-race NBC
12:30 p.m. ET Race NBC
4 p.m. ET Post-race NBCSN

For more information on NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the Indy 500, click here.

– NBC SPORTS GROUP –

REMINDER — NBC SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRESS EVENT TODAY, MAY 23, AT 11 A.M. ET, FOLLOWED BY CONFERENCE CALL AT 12:30 P.M. ET

By

NBC Sports Indy 500 Commentators Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be Available to Press

National Media Conference Call to Follow NBC Sports Press Event at Indy 500 Media Day – Dial 334-323-0522 to Participate

103rd “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Airs This Sunday, May 26, on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 23, 2019 – Six of NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 commentators will preview the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at a press event today, Thursday, May 23, at 11 a.m. ET. The one-hour event will take place in the North Chalet of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Plaza, near Pagoda Plaza.

Participants include NBC Sports’ INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and Paul Tracy as well as Indy 500 host Mike Tirico, in his first INDYCAR assignment; analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick; and NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will attend his first-ever Indy 500.

Following are details for today’s press event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

  • WHAT: NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 Press Event
  • WHO: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • WHEN: Today, Thursday, May 23, at 11 a.m. ET
  • WHERE: North Chalet of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Plaza Center

NATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TO FOLLOW NBC SPORTS PRESS EVENT AT INDY 500 MEDIA DAY

Following the press event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, members of NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team will preview the 103rd Indianapolis 500 on a national media conference call today, Thursday, May 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Participants include NBC Sports’ INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play) and analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy, who have combined to make 19 career Indy 500 starts; as well as Indy 500 host Mike Tirico, in his first INDYCAR assignment; analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick; NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will attend his first-ever Indy 500; and NBC Sports’ Executive Producer and President of Production, Sam Flood.

Dial 334-323-0522 to participate; conference call ID 5374806.

***

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be the first ever on NBC. Coverage begins on Sunday, May 26, with eight hours of programming: a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9 am ET; race coverage at 11 am ET on NBC; and a post-race show at 4 pm ET on NBCSN.

Time (ET) Event Network
9 a.m. ET Pre-race NBCSN
11 a.m. ET Race NBC
4 p.m. ET Post-race NBCSN

For more information on NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the Indy 500, click here.

–NBC SPORTS–

MEDIA ADVISORY — NBC SPORTS INDIANAPOLIS 500 CONFERENCE CALL THURSDAY, MAY 23, AT 12:30 P.M. ET

By

Dial 334-323-0522 to Participate

 

Media Conference Call to Follow NBC Sports Press Event at Indy 500 Media Day

 

103rd “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” Airs Sunday, May 26 on NBC

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 21, 2019 – Members of NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team will preview the 103rd Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call this Thursday, May 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Participants include NBC Sports’ INDYCAR broadcast team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play) and analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy, who have combined to make 19 career Indy 500 starts; as well as Indy 500 host Mike Tirico, in his first INDYCAR assignment; analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick; NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will attend his first-ever Indy 500; and NBC Sports’ Executive Producer and President of Production, Sam Flood.

Dial 334-323-0522 to participate; conference call ID 5374806.

***


CONFERENCE CALL TO FOLLOW NBC SPORTS PRESS EVENT AT INDY 500 MEDIA DAY

The six members of NBC Sports’ Indy 500 commentary team on the call will also preview the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at a press event on Thursday, May 23, at 11 a.m. ET, prior to the media conference call. The one-hour press event will take place in the North Chalet of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Plaza, near Pagoda Plaza.

Following are details for Thursday’s press event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

  • WHAT: NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 Press Event
  • WHO: Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick & Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • WHEN: Thursday, May 23, at 11 a.m. ET
  • WHERE: North Chalet of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Plaza Center

 

***

The 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will be the first ever on NBC. Coverage begins on Sunday, May 26, with eight hours of programming: a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9 am ET; race coverage at 11 am ET on NBC; and a post-race show at 4 pm ET on NBCSN.

Time (ET) Event Network
9 a.m. ET Pre-race NBCSN
11 a.m. ET Race NBC
4 p.m. ET Post-race NBCSN

 

For more information on NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the Indy 500, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

NBC SPORTS SURROUNDS 103RD INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRESENTED BY GAINBRIDGE WITH NEARLY 50 HOURS OF COVERAGE THIS WEEK ON NBC AND NBCSN

By

103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge – Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC; Sunday’s Pre-Race Coverage Begins at 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN

Daily Coverage This Week on NBCSN from Indianapolis Motor Speedway – INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 Airs Monday-Thursday at 6 p.m. ET

Carb Day Coverage Beginning Friday at 11 a.m. ET Kicks Off 13 Hours of Wall-To-Wall INDYCAR Coverage on NBCSN

New Episodes of Proving Grounds and Off The Grid From Indianapolis This Week on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 20, 2019 – NBC Sports surrounds the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge with nearly 50 hours of coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week on NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and NBC Sports Gold, leading into NBC’s inaugural broadcast of the Indy 500 this Sunday, May 26, beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

Following are highlights of NBC Sports’ comprehensive week-long Indianapolis 500 coverage.


SUNDAY, MAY 26 – PRE-RACE COVERAGE BEGINS AT 9 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports will present more than eight hours of live coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on race day – Sunday, May 26 – beginning with extended pre-race coverage on NBCSN at 9 a.m. ET. Coverage shifts to NBC at 11 a.m. ET with the green flag slated to wave at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and Paul Tracy (analyst) will call the 103rd Indianapolis 500 alongside pit reporters Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee, Jon Beekhuis, Robin Miller and Dillon Welch.

Bell and Tracy have combined to make 19 career Indy 500 starts. Tracy was the runner-up in the 2002 Indy 500, while Bell registered a career-best fourth-place Indy 500 finish in 2009. Diffey has called many of motorsports’ most prestigious events, including the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

NBC Sports’ comprehensive Indy 500 commentary team includes host Mike Tirico and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Danica Patrick. NBC Sports’ Motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rutledge Wood will provide on-site reports from in and around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Krista Voda will also host pre- and post-race festivities.


CARB DAY COVERAGE BEGINNING FRIDAY AT 11 A.M. ET KICKS OFF 13 HOURS OF WALL-TO-WALL INDYCAR COVERAGE ON NBCSN

NBC Sports will surround Carb Day this Friday, May 24, will 13 hours of wall-to-wall coverage on NBCSN beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Coverage on NBCSN will include the Indy Lights Firestone 100 at 1 p.m. ET, a live edition of NASCAR America from Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 3:30 p.m. ET with Krista Voda, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte, A.J. Allmendinger and Marty Snider, and new Indy-centric episodes of Proving Grounds and Off The Grid. Jake Query will call the Indy Lights Firestone 100 alongside analyst Anders Krohn and pit reporter Katie Hargitt.


INDYCAR LIVE FROM THE INDY 500 – MONDAY-THURSDAY AT 6 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports presents daily live coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week on NBCSN with INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 airing at 6 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday. The program will feature numerous members of NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team throughout the week, including Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Kelli Stavast and Kevin Lee. INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 will include daily interviews with drivers and team members in preparation for race day on Sunday.


NEW EPISODES OF PROVING GROUNDS AND OFF THE GRID FROM INDIANAPOLIS THIS WEEK ON NBCSN

NBC Sports will debut new Indy-centric episodes of Proving Grounds and Off The Grid this week on NBCSN. Proving Grounds, NBC Sports’ reality series which features a fast-paced immersion into auto racing and testing, debuted last fall and will return for Season Two later this year.

This special edition of Proving Grounds, hosted by NASCAR driver and NBC Sports analyst Parker Kligerman, alongside automotive journalist Sam Smith and Sports Car Champion driver Leh Keen, takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and includes a ride around IMS with INDYCAR driver Tony Kanaan in a 1912 National.

New episodes of Off The Grid focus on Indianapolis as well as Birmingham from this year’s Grand Prix of Alabama. Off The Grid is hosted by a combination of Kim Coon, Sam Smith and Parker Kligerman.


Following is this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifying coverage airing on NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold:

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Mon., May 20 Indianapolis 500 Practice NBCSN 12 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 Qualifying (Encore) NBCSN 2 p.m.
  INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 NBCSN 6 p.m.
Tues, May 21 INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 NBCSN 6 p.m.
  Off The Grid – Birmingham NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Wed., May 22 INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 NBCSN 6 p.m.
  Proving Grounds – Indianapolis NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Thur., May 23 INDYCAR Live from the Indy 500 NBCSN 6 p.m.
  Off The Grid – Indianapolis NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
Fri., May 24 Indianapolis 500 Carb Day NBCSN 11 a.m.
  Indy Lights Firestone 100 NBCSN 1 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Carb Day NBCSN 2 p.m.
  NASCAR America from Indianapolis NBCSN 3:30 p.m.
  Proving Grounds – Indianapolis NBCSN 5 p.m.
  Off The Grid – Birmingham NBCSN 5:30 p.m.
  Off The Grid – Indianapolis NBCSN 6 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Carb Day* NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
  Indy Lights Firestone 100* NBCSN 8:30 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Carb Day* NBCSN 9:30 p.m.
  Proving Grounds – Indianapolis NBCSN 11 p.m.
  Off The Grid – Birmingham NBCSN 11:30 p.m.
Sat., May 25 Off The Grid – Indianapolis NBCSN 12 a.m.
  IPL 500 Festival Parade NBCSN 11:45 a.m.
  Drive Like Andretti NBCSN 3 p.m.
  IPL 500 Festival Parade* NBCSN 4 p.m.
Sun., May 26 IPL 500 Festival Parade * NBCSN 6 a.m.
  Drive Like Andretti NBCSN 8 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race NBCSN 9 a.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race NBC 11 a.m.
  103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge NBC 12:30 p.m.
  Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Post-Race NBCSN 4 p.m.
  Drive Like Andretti NBCSN 5 p.m.
  103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge* NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
Mon., May 27 Drive Like Andretti NBCSN 12:30 p.m.
  103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge* NBCSN 1:30 p.m.
  Indy 500 Victory Banquet NBC Sports Gold 7:30 p.m.

*delayed coverage
Note: All live coverage that airs on NBC and NBCSN streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

For more details on this month’s coverage of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series coverage across all NBC Sports platforms, click here.

***

The 2019 INDYCAR season is the first of a new media rights agreement that was announced in March 2018 between INDYCAR and NBC Sports Group in which NBC Sports acquired the exclusive rights to all NTT IndyCar Series races, qualifying and practice sessions, and Indy Lights races across its numerous platforms. Prior to this season, NBC Sports only had cable rights to a portion of the season. Click here for more information.

–NBC SPORTS–

 

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. To Drive 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Pace Car, Lead Field to Green Flag of 103rd Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge

By

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 17, 2019 – Racing legend and NBC Sports motorsports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Official Pace Car for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, leading 33 drivers to the green flag Sunday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt will perform a dual role during “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” which starts at 12:30 p.m. (ET). Along with driving the Pace Car, Earnhardt will serve as an NBC Sports commentator for the network’s first live telecast of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“I was already excited to attend my first Indianapolis 500 with NBC Sports, but driving the Pace Car just takes it to another level,” Earnhardt said. “The Corvette Grand Sport is an awesome car, and it’s an honor to be asked to lead the field to the green flag.

“I’m proud to be a part of such a prestigious event at a place that means so much to racing history. This will be an experience that I’ll cherish forever.”

This will be the second time Earnhardt has led the field to the green flag of a major race at IMS. He also drove the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pace Car at the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line NASCAR Cup Series race last September.

Earnhardt recorded five top-10 finishes in Cup Series races at the Brickyard during his full-time driving career. His father, Dale Earnhardt, won the second Brickyard 400 in 1995.

“It is exciting that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to lead the Indy 500 field to the green flag,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “With Dale joining the Indy 500 broadcast crew for the first time, pacing the field in the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport will give him a unique perspective to share with the viewers. We are honored that Dale will add Indy 500 Pace Car driver to his long legacy with Chevrolet.”

Earnhardt Jr. retired as a full-time Cup Series driver after the 2017 season and joined NBC Sports’ NASCAR broadcast team in 2018. He recorded 26 NASCAR victories during his storied career, including two Daytona 500 wins.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most popular and respected drivers in American motorsports in recent decades, and he knows all about speed, passion and tradition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “We knew he would enjoy his first Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with the NBC Sports team, but driving the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car will create an even more indelible memory for a lifetime.”

This year marks the 16th time a Corvette has served as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, starting in 1978, and the 30th time a Chevrolet has led the field dating back to 1948, when a 1948 Fleetmaster Six convertible paced the race. No other brand or vehicle has served as the “500” Pace Car more than Chevrolet and the Corvette, respectively.

Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.