NBC Sports Network Begins Coverage Of 2013 Izod Indycar Series This Sunday At Noon ET

Firestone Indy Lights Returns

NBC Sports Network’s Motorsports Coverage This Weekend (subject to change, all times ET):

2013 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES: NBC Sports Network’s coverage of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar series starts its engines this weekend with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 24 at noon ET, live from St. Petersburg, Fla. The race will be preceded by the return of Firestone Indy Lights on the streets of St. Petersburg at 11 a.m. ET. IndyCar qualifying airs live at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23.

Coverage begins on Thursday with the special feature Ryan Hunter Reay: An American Champion at 7 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports Network’s IZOD IndyCar Coverage from St. Petersburg (subject to change, all times ET):

INDYCAR COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Network’s new-look IndyCar booth makes its debut with Leigh Diffey as lead voice in his first year covering the IndyCar Series. He will be joined by returning race analyst and former NASCAR driver Wally Dallenbach, Jr., and newcomer to the booth, IndyCar driver Townsend Bell.

Jon Beekhuis, an analyst who has also served at the network since 2009, will now report from pit road. Veterans Kevin Lee and Brian Till will manage the pit, and will be joined by Robin Miller, the network’s IndyCar reporter.

FORMULA ONE: NBC Sports Network continues its live coverage of Formula One this weekend with the Malaysia Grand Prix airing at 3:30 a.m. ET on Sunday morning, March 24, followed by F1 Extra at 6 a.m. ET. Extensive coverage of the Malaysia Grand Prix includes live practice on Friday, March 22 at 2 a.m. ET that will be re-aired at 11:30 p.m. ET, and live qualifying on Saturday, March 23 at 4 a.m. ET that will be re-aired at 1 p.m. ET.

F1 COMMENTATORS: Bob Varsha will fill in for Diffey, who is calling the IndyCar debut, and serve as lead announcer for this week’s Formula One race. Sharing the booth with Varsha will be former racecar driver David Hobbs and analyst Steve Matchett, a former race mechanic for the Benneton F1 team, including two years with seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher. Diffey will return for the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, April 14. Will Buxton, F1 insider and former journalist, will serve as the team’s on-site reporter from Malaysia.

NBC Sports Network’s Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix Coverage (subject to change, all times ET):

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