NHRA & FOX Reveal 2019 Broadcast Schedule
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FOX Sports and NHRA have released the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series broadcast schedule for next year.
Most notably, the schedule includes additional live coverage on the FOX broadcast network for the NHRA SpringNationals in Houston. The schedule is once again highlighted by live FOX broadcast network coverage of the Western Swing (Denver, Sonoma and Seattle) and the U.S. Nationals from Indianapolis on Labor Day.
Joining the NHRA on FOX broadcast team as lead announcer at all 24 NHRA national events will be Brian Lohnes, a seasoned NHRA announcer who has served as a contributor over the past three seasons in various capacities. This will be Lohnes’ first year to join the team full-time.
“We’re excited to have Brian Lohnes in this role to help lead the broadcast team into the future," said Ken Adelson, NHRA chief content officer and executive producer. “Brian has worked at virtually every level of drag racing and has been a valuable member of the NHRA on Fox broadcasts for our first 3 seasons. We look forward to what Brian can bring to our fans as we continue to grow the fastest, most explosive sport in the world."
“This is as humbling a professional moment as I’ll ever experience in my life. I have drag racing in my heart and have since I was a little kid," said Lohnes. “We’re going to have fun and I know the audience will have fun with us."
The NHRA will experiment with new show formats including several broadcasts which will exclusively feature the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories. They will also continue to work with FOX Deportes to offer NHRA drag racing in Spanish.
The FOX NHRA television season opens Feb. 7-10, with the 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals eliminations airing Sunday, Feb. 10 for three hours of live final-round coverage beginning at 5:00 PM ET from historic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.
The NHRA Sportsman Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (16 races) and the growing E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service (12 races), headlined by historic American muscle cars reaching speeds in excess of 250 mph, both return to Thursday nights on FS2.
NHRA races also will appear in Canada and the Caribbean through FOX Sports Racing, as well as be available through FOX Sports GO, the critically acclaimed app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on the go and now is available to 94 million subscribers.
2018 FOX NHRA Television Broadcast Schedule (All times ET and subject to change):
• Feb. 10 – Lucas Oil Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. (5 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Feb. 24 – NHRA Arizona Nationals, Phoenix (7:30 p.m., FS1)
• March 17 – Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla. (7 p.m., FS1)
• April 7 – DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Las Vegas (5:30 p.m., FS1)
• April 14 – NHRA SpringNationals, Houston (3 p.m., Live on FOX)
• April 28 – NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Charlotte (6 p.m., FS1)
• May 5 – NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta (6 p.m., FS1)
• May 19 – Virginia NHRA Nationals, Richmond, Va. (5 p.m., FS1)
• June 2 – Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Chicago (5:30 p.m., FS1)
• June 9 – Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals, Topeka, Kan. (5:30 p.m., FS1)
• June 16 – NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, Tenn. (2 p.m., Live on FS1)
• June 23 – Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio (6:30 p.m., FS1)
• July 7 – NHRA New England Nationals, Epping, NH (1 p.m., Live on FS1)
• July 21 – Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Denver (3 p.m., Live on FOX)
• July 28 – NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma, Calif. (5 p.m., Live on FOX)
• Aug. 4 – NHRA Northwest Nationals, Seattle (4 p.m., Live on FOX)
• Aug. 18 – Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn. (2 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Sept. 2 – Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis (11 a.m., Live on FS1)
• Sept. 2 – Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis (1 p.m., Live on FOX)
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship
• Sept. 15 – Dodge NHRA Nationals, Reading, Pa. (2 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Sept. 29 – AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis (2 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Oct. 13 – NHRA Carolina Nationals, Charlotte (1 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Oct. 20 – AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Dallas (2 p.m., Live on FS2)
• Nov. 3 – NHRA Nevada Nationals, Las Vegas (4 p.m., Live on FS1)
• Nov. 17 – Auto Club NHRA Nationals, Pomona (4 p.m., Live on FS1)