TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series Hits Prime Time with Sprint Cup Racing presented by KFC, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET – Jimmie Johnson Comments on Superstitions

Three Straight Weeks of Ratings Growth for NASCAR on TNT

Countdown to Green’s Weekly “NASCAR Generations” Segment to Focus on Superstitions

TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series hits prime time with Sprint Cup Racing presented by KFC from Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Coverage will begin with the Countdown to Green pre-race show – hosted by Adam Alexander with analysts Larry McReynolds and Kyle Petty – at 6:30 p.m. ET. Alexander will also provide play-by-play for the race with analysts Petty and Wally Dallenbach and reporters Ralph Sheheen, Marty Snider, Matt Yocum and Chris Neville.  Additionally, McReynolds will make frequent contributions during the race from his customized, unique broadcast unit that will house his own studio, as well as his base location where he’ll provide analysis using a cut-away display car.

Through three races, TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series is averaging a 3.3 U.S. HH rating, up 6% over last year’s comparable 3.1 rating. TNT’s coverage of last week’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 delivered a 3.3 U.S. HH rating, (+3% vs. last year) and was the highest-rated and most-watched (among viewers) telecast on ad-supported cable for the day while also marking the third consecutive week of ratings growth for NASCAR coverage on the network.

Highlights for this week’s NASCAR coverage:

• TNT’s Countdown to Green pre-race show will feature Denny Hamlin traveling to Alaska to make a special visit to his sponsor’s Anchorage hub. Hamlin met up with many of the employees working in the 49^th state and also challenged 2012 Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey to a parking lot sled race.
• TNT’s Countdown to Green will also include a special guest appearance by NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne.
• No. 29 Kevin Harvick’s crew will be miked up for TNT’s Inside Trax.
• Countdown to Green will continue its weekly feature segment titled “NASCAR Generations” – with Jimmie Johnson, Ned Jarrett and Bill Elliott, along with TNT analysts Petty and McReynolds – including a discussion about superstitions and fear.

A few comments which will be part of Saturday’s “NASCAR Generations” segment:

Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds on superstitions and pre-race rituals: (Petty) “I never had anything…” (McReynolds) “…the King just chewed on that red rag.”

Jimmie Johnson on his raceday superstitions: “In my era of driving, with the motor home and our family, it’s a little bit different… I’m just most concerned about getting something to eat, maybe stretching. If it’s a night race, at this stage, my daughter needs a bath before she gets to bed…so I might be in my fire suit. There were a lot of night races last year where – fire suit tied around my waist – [I had] her in the sink, [washed] her up in the sink, [handed] her off to Mom, and out to driver intros.”

Ned Jarrett on his superstition as a driver: “I will admit that maybe I was a little bit superstitious as far as the No. 11 was concerned. We would travel down toward Georgia, there’s a highway 11 somewhere through Georgia…we’d go out of our way to get over there on that No. 11 highway to go to whatever racetrack.”

Jarrett on being scared behind the wheel of a race car: “The first time that I raced at Daytona…I was scared to death when I got out there the first time. No question about it.”

Petty on whether or not he was ever fearful: “I never looked at it as a fear. You’re anxious, you may be a little nervous. You may anticipate. It’s your job, and you love to do it, but you never think about that side of it. You never think…it’s always worse when you’re lying in bed at night, and you think about what just happened.”

Johnson on being fearful: “We all have a couple of those moments where it still, today, for myself, comes around…where like, man, that could have been so bad…I got so lucky.”

Bill Elliott on being fearful: “I still [have] the car I won Daytona with in ’87 and went 210 [mph]. I look at it, and all it’s got is a seat in it – no leg braces, no helmet, no head support, no nothing. I mean, we are lucky to have lived through that era. All of us.”

2012 TNT NASCAR Summer Series Schedule:

(All Times Eastern)

-30-

Three Straight Weeks of Ratings Growth for NASCAR on TNT

Countdown to Green’s Weekly “NASCAR Generations” Segment to Focus on Superstitions

TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series hits prime time with Sprint Cup Racing presented by KFC from Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Coverage will begin with the Countdown to Green pre-race show – hosted by Adam Alexander with analysts Larry McReynolds and Kyle Petty – at 6:30 p.m. ET. Alexander will also provide play-by-play for the race with analysts Petty and Wally Dallenbach and reporters Ralph Sheheen, Marty Snider, Matt Yocum and Chris Neville.  Additionally, McReynolds will make frequent contributions during the race from his customized, unique broadcast unit that will house his own studio, as well as his base location where he’ll provide analysis using a cut-away display car.

Through three races, TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series is averaging a 3.3 U.S. HH rating, up 6% over last year’s comparable 3.1 rating. TNT’s coverage of last week’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 delivered a 3.3 U.S. HH rating, (+3% vs. last year) and was the highest-rated and most-watched (among viewers) telecast on ad-supported cable for the day while also marking the third consecutive week of ratings growth for NASCAR coverage on the network.

Highlights for this week’s NASCAR coverage:

• TNT’s Countdown to Green pre-race show will feature Denny Hamlin traveling to Alaska to make a special visit to his sponsor’s Anchorage hub. Hamlin met up with many of the employees working in the 49^th state and also challenged 2012 Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey to a parking lot sled race.
• TNT’s Countdown to Green will also include a special guest appearance by NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne.
• No. 29 Kevin Harvick’s crew will be miked up for TNT’s Inside Trax.
• Countdown to Green will continue its weekly feature segment titled “NASCAR Generations” –with Jimmie Johnson, Ned Jarrett and Bill Elliott,along with TNT analysts Petty and McReynolds – including a discussion about superstitions and fear.

A few comments which will be part of Saturday’s “NASCAR Generations” segment:

Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds on superstitions and pre-race rituals: (Petty) “I never had anything…” (McReynolds) “…the King just chewed on that red rag.”

Jimmie Johnson on his raceday superstitions: “In my era of driving, with the motor home and our family, it’s a little bit different… I’m just most concerned about getting something to eat, maybe stretching. If it’s a night race, at this stage, my daughter needs a bath before she gets to bed…so I might be in my fire suit. There were a lot of night races last year where – fire suit tied around my waist – [I had] her in the sink, [washed] her up in the sink, [handed] her off to Mom, and out to driver intros.”

Ned Jarrett on his superstition as a driver: “I will admit that maybe I was a little bit superstitious as far as the No. 11 was concerned. We would travel down toward Georgia, there’s a highway 11 somewhere through Georgia…we’d go out of our way to get over there on that No. 11 highway to go to whatever racetrack.”

Jarrett on being scared behind the wheel of a race car: “The first time that I raced at Daytona…I was scared to death when I got out there the first time. No question about it.”

Petty on whether or not he was ever fearful: “I never looked at it as a fear. You’re anxious, you may be a little nervous. You may anticipate. It’s your job, and you love to do it, but you never think about that side of it. You never think…it’s always worse when you’re lying in bed at night, and you think about what just happened.”

Johnson on being fearful: “We all have a couple of those moments where it still, today, for myself, comes around…where like, man, that could have been so bad…I got so lucky.”

Bill Elliott on being fearful: “I still [have] the car I won Daytona with in ’87 and went 210 [mph]. I look at it, and all it’s got is a seat in it – no leg braces, no helmet, no head support, no nothing. I mean, we are lucky to have lived through that era. All of us.”

2012 TNT NASCAR Summer Series Schedule:

(All Times Eastern)

-30-