ESPN’s Backseat Drivers Return at Atlanta Nationwide Series Race

ESPN’s Backseat Drivers Return at Atlanta Nationwide Series Race

ESPN2’s live coverage of the Sept. 5 Degree v12 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway will see the return of ESPN’s “Backseat Drivers,” a television concept that debuted several weeks ago at Michigan International Speedway. The telecast will prominently feature ESPN’s five NASCAR champion analysts and will be done without a traditional “play by play” announcer.

Tim Brewer, Ray Evernham, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Rusty Wallace will give viewers the experience of sitting at home and watching the race with NASCAR experts. With Brewer contributing reports and analysis from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, Evernham, Jarrett, Petree and Wallace will call the race from the booth.

In addition to the five champions, coverage will include pit reporters Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, while Allen Bestwick will host. The telecast begins with Bestwick, Wallace and Evernham in the ESPN Pit Studio for NASCAR Countdown at 6:30 p.m. ET. The race’s green flag flies at 7:15 p.m.

Drag Racing’s Biggest Event, NASCAR Doubleheader at Atlanta

Drag Racing’s Biggest Event, NASCAR Doubleheader at Atlanta

ESPN2 Airing 10 Hours of NHRA U.S. Nationals Coverage

The biggest event of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season will have more than 10 hours of coverage on ESPN2 this weekend with the running of the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Expanded qualifying and eliminations coverage will culminate with six consecutive hours on Labor Day Monday, the final day of competition.

ESPN2’s coverage begins Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. ET with NHRA RaceDay to bring viewers up-to-date with the latest NHRA news and set up the day’s action. Immediately following at 11:30 a.m., ESPN2 will telecast 2 ½ hours of U.S. Nationals qualifying. More qualifying coverage airs for two hours starting at 5 p.m.

NHRA RaceDay returns on Monday with a special one-hour episode at noon, followed at 1 p.m. by coverage of eliminations.

Each Labor Day weekend, NHRA racers and fans descend on O’Reilly Raceway Park for the biggest, oldest, richest, and most prestigious drag race in the world. The fabled strip is regarded by many as one of the smoothest on the circuit. The event also hosts the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, the bonus event for Pro Stock Motorcycle racers, and is the last event in the Countdown to 10.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Reporting from the pits will be Gary Gerould, Dave Rieff and John Kernan. Rieff and Dunn also host NHRA RaceDay.

NASCAR Goes North of the Border for Montreal Event

NASCAR Goes North of the Border for Montreal Event

The only international event on NASCAR’s calendar happens this weekend as ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the road course race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. NASCAR Countdown begins ESPN2’s coverage on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m. ET, and the race’s green flag is at 2:48 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Marty Reid will be lap-by-lap announcer with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake.
ESPN2 airs same-day coverage of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying from Montreal on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 9 p.m.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing from Reading on ESPN2

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing from Reading on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series travels to Reading, Pa., to compete at Maple Grove Raceway this weekend, and ESPN2 will air qualifying and eliminations action on a same-day basis. Qualifying from the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals airs Sunday, Aug. 23, at 1 a.m. ET (late Saturday night), and again at 10 a.m., with eliminations airing at 10 p.m. Finals coverage re-airs Monday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. on ESPN Classic.

Held in mid-September since its inception in 1985, the race moved to an August date in 2006. Maple Grove Raceway has a long history of record performances, including the first side-by-side quarter-mile four-second and 300-mph Top Fuel passes. It’s also the final event for Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors to earn points toward participation in the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle bonus event, held at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

Other NHRA programming airing on ESPN Networks this week includes highlights from the 2004 Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., airing Monday, Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. on ESPN Classic.

Also, highlights from the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series event at Brainerd, Minn., airs Sunday, Aug. 23, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, and action from the event in Seattle airs Monday at noon on ESPN Classic.

Craven, Evernham, LaJoie on NASCAR Now Monday Roundtable

Craven, Evernham, LaJoie on NASCAR Now Monday Roundtable

NASCAR on ESPN analysts Ricky Craven, Randy LaJoie and Ray Evernham will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program on Monday, Aug. 24, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program.

Nicole Manske hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday and Thursday of this week at 5 p.m., and Friday at 7 p.m. following ESPN2’s live coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Manske also hosts the one-hour weekend edition that airs Saturday, Aug. 22, at the special time of 9 a.m. with a preview of that night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol. The weekend wrap-up edition airs at midnight Sunday, Aug. 23 (late Saturday night). Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis will report from Bristol for both programs, while Ricky Craven will join Manske in the studio.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Bestwick and Manske and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Spake and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

Tony Stewart Appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday

Tony Stewart Appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Tony Stewart is scheduled to appear on the daily ESPN2 program ESPN First Take on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The program airs at 10 a.m. ET.

An ESPN2 cornerstone program, ESPN First Take is co-hosted by Jay Crawford and Dana Jacobson, mixing live guests, highlights, analysis, field reports, breaking news, opinion and long-form debate via the 1st and 10 segments in a casual and entertaining format. The 1st and 10 segments utilize two commentators each day from a rotating group, including Skip Bayless, ESPN.com columnist Jemele Hill and others.

NASCAR Stars Racing Under the Lights at Bristol on ESPN

NASCAR Stars Racing Under the Lights at Bristol on ESPN

One of the most popular and exciting races annually on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, and ESPN will have live, flag-to-flag coverage in high definition as the stars and cars go for 500 laps on the half-mile track on Saturday, Aug. 22. The telecast is presented by Pennzoil and begins with NASCAR Countdown presented by Degree V12 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The race’s green flag is at 7:43 p.m.

In addition, coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Bristol will air Friday, Aug. 21, at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

The final 17 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule will air on the ESPN Networks, with the first six on ESPN and the final 11 on ABC, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Also at Bristol, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, flag-to-flag telecast as the series races for 300 laps on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The green flag is at 8:13 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lap-by-lap announcer for all of ESPN’s telecasts from Bristol, with analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Reporting from the pits will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch, with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown both nights with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, co-owner of a winning team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

Also this week, ESPN Classic will take NASCAR fans on a trip down memory lane with an episode of the ESPN Classic signature series SportsCentury. The one-hour program features legendary NASCAR star Tim Flock and airs Friday, Aug. 21, at 8 a.m.

Obama Greets NASCAR

Motorsports This Week on ESPN
White House to Host ESPN2’s NASCAR Now on Wednesday

NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program, will originate from the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as President Barack Obama honors three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and other NASCAR stars of past and present. The one-hour program airs at 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and will mark the first time in ESPN’s 30-year history that a regularly-scheduled ESPN program will originate and air in its entirety from the White House.

ESPN analysts Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace, both former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions, will be among the drivers participating in afternoon ceremonies that will include a tour of the White House and photo opportunities. In addition to other former champions, the group of drivers also will include many of the 12 who qualified for the 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Nicole Manske will host NASCAR Now from the White House, with analysis by Brad Daugherty. Jarrett, Wallace and NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith also will participate in the telecast.

Aprilia Brings World-Class Racing and Entertainment to Indy Moto GP

Aprilia Brings World-Class Racing and Entertainment to Indy Moto GP

From road racing and flat track competition to extreme stunts downtown,
Aprilia is everywhere during 2nd annual Red Bull Indianapolis Moto GP
weekend

NEW YORK – August 12, 2009 – Aprilia USA races into legendary Indianapolis
Motor Speedway for the 2nd annual Red Bull Indianapolis Moto GP weekend with
a full schedule of world-class competition and entertainment. As the
dominant manufacturer in both the 125cc and 250cc Moto GP classes, Aprilia
will be setting the pace to claim pole positions and podiums. The weekend
also holds plenty of action for dirt racing fans, with the Aprilia USA/Lloyd
Brothers Motorsports flat track team returning to the historic Indy Mile for
the AMA Flat Track Grand Nationals. Also returning is the popular Aprilia
All-Star Challenge, the main event of the stunt-riding XDL freestyle
championships, held in downtown Indianapolis.

Aprilia, which leads the manufacturers’ standings in both the 250cc and
125cc GP classes, is the brand to beat thanks to world-class machines and
talent. Team Blusens Aprilia will be the team to watch in the 125 GP class.
2008 125cc Rookie of the Year Scott Redding, the youngest rider ever to win
a Grand Prix race at the age of fifteen, will battle for repeat victories.
In the 250 cc GP class, Team Toth Aprilia will also be prepared to claim the
podium thanks to the winning rider combination of Imre Toth and Mattia
Pasini.

The Brickyard won’t be the only place to get caught up in the spirit of
competition. The best dirt trackers in the nation will duke it out at the
Indiana State Fairgrounds Indy Mile when the AMA Flat Track Championship
Series comes to town the same weekend. Aprilia owners and dealers are
invited to cheer on the Aprilia USA/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team of Jon
Goodwin and Jerry Steele.

Aprilia also has a high-energy presence in downtown Indianapolis. The
Aprilia All-Star Challenge portion of the 2009 XDL Sportbike Freestyle
Championship series combines racing with serious stunt riding. The nation’s
top talent competes on stock Aprilia SXV 450 Supermoto machines on a
predetermined course, battling the clock and each other with target
stoppies, rolling burnout slaloms and other gravity-defying stunts.

Aprilia owners, their guests, racers and dealers will again find a special
welcome mat put out just for them. From 6 to 9 pm on August 29th, Aprilia
USA will welcome them at an exclusive Moto GP party at the Pioneer of Our
Land Pavilion inside the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The event, which takes
place just prior to the AMA Flat Track Grand Nationals, features food,
refreshments, entertainment and a special unveiling of the much anticipated
Aprilia RSV4. The party is free for Aprilia owners and dealers, their
guests are welcome for $10 per person. An RSVP is required. Please contact
apriliaparty@piaggiogroupusa.com to reserve or to request more information.

About Aprilia and Piaggio Group Americas

Aprilia world headquarters are in Noale (Venice, Italy). Founded in 1962,
the company designs and manufactures motorcycles in Noale, with additional
production facilities in Scorzè. With 40 motorcycling world championship
titles (33 road and 7 off-road) under its belt, Aprilia is the only European
manufacturer to have a complete on- and off-road model portfolio, ranging
from sporty scooters, innovative off-road bikes and tough adventure tourers
to award-winning super sport bikes including. For information on Aprilia’s
complete U.S. model line, visit the company’s website at www.apriliausa.com.

In December 2004 Aprilia became part of the Piaggio Group, Europe’s leading
manufacturer of two wheelers and one of the world’s most recognized and
respected names in motorcycle and scooter production.

With over 6,700 employees, an annual production of more than 680,000
vehicles, 5 R&D centers, 7 production facilities in Europe and Asia, and
operations in over 50 countries, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated
leadership in the European 2 wheeler market. Its production includes
scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1,200 cc displacement range,
marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Scarabeo and Moto
Guzzi brands.

Roush Fenway Racing Racer Statistics

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 12, 2009) – Roush Fenway Racing founder Jack Roush owns a home and business about 45 minutes from Michigan International Speedway – and the home track advantage is statistically apparent.

Most of Roush Fenway’s drivers own a top-line Driver Rating at Michigan. MIS ranks as a top-five track for Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and David Ragan in terms of Driver Rating. It’s Matt Kenseth’s sixth-best track – he has a Driver Rating of 103.4 there. Only Jamie McMurray struggles at Michigan – his Driver Rating of 71.1 makes MIS his 16th-best track.

Below are the top five tracks in terms of Driver Rating for Edwards, Biffle and Ragan:

Carl Edwards
Track DR
1. Homestead 117.2

2. Michigan 114.0

3. Atlanta 108.8

4. Dover 106.6

5. Auto Club 105.0

Greg Biffle
Track DR
1. Darlington 123.1

2. Kansas 117.4

3. Dover 117.0

4. Michigan 107.2

5. Las Vegas 103.9

David Ragan
Track DR
1. Homestead 95.4

2. Talladega 92.3

3. Michigan 82.4

4. Kansas 82.1

5. Daytona 79.7

Additionally, Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth all rank in the overall top five in a number of key Loop Data statistical categories for Michigan.

Driver Rating

Driver DR

1. Carl Edwards 114.0

2. Jimmie Johnson 109.6

3. Greg Biffle 107.2

4. Matt Kenseth 103.4

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 99.3

Average Running Position

Driver ARP

1. Carl Edwards 7.4

2. Greg Biffle 8.4

3. Jimmie Johnson 8.5

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10.9

5. Matt Kenseth 11.8

Laps in the Top 15 %

Driver LT15%

1. Carl Edwards 89.6%

2. Greg Biffle 85.7%

3. Jimmie Johnson 81.7%

4. Matt Kenseth 77.3%

5. Kyle Busch 74.1%

Edwards, sixth in points, is having an unpredictably quiet season. Still looking for his first win, Edwards trails Mark Martin by 40 potential Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup bonus points. After race No. 26, the top 12 drivers will have their points reset to 5,000. An additional 10 bonus points will be added to that total for each win during the first 26 races, creating Chase “seedings.” So, if the Chase began today, Edwards would be seeded ninth.

Clearly, Michigan sets up as the perfect place for Edwards to break into the wins column – and cut his potential bonus-point deficit. His average Michigan finish of 6.3 is best all-time among drivers with three or more starts there. Plus, in his nine previous Michigan races, Edwards has failed to eclipse the 100.0 Driver Rating mark only once – in August 2006, he had a 98.5 in a 22nd-place finish.

Below is Edwards’ race-by-race log at Michigan (all driver race logs can be found on NASCARMedia.com):

Carl Edwards at Michigan (2005-2009)

Date Finish ARP FLR LT15% DR Led
6/05 5 8.3 8 87 107.4 0

8/05 4 5.8 17 97.5 117.6 17

6/06 2 8.4 14 82.2 115.5 25

8/06 22 9.4 16 75.5 98.5 32

6/07 1 5.9 19 90 131.8 63

8/07 7 9.4 7 94.6 102.7 0

6/08 7 4.9 12 97.5 114.0 21

8/08 1 3.9 41 94.5 137.8 84

6/09 4 10.7 4 84.5 100.9 1

Total 5.9 7.4 138 89.6 114.0 243

ARP: Average Running Position; FLR: Fastest Laps Run; LT15%: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15; DR: Driver Rating

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Loop Data Defined: NASCAR statistics generated from electronic scoring loops embedded around each track hosting races in NASCAR’s three national series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR began collecting Loop Data in 2005.