ESPN2 Garage Programs Set for January 6 Debut

Motorsports and automotive enthusiasts will be able to continue their celebration of the New Year during the first weekend of January with three new television programs that will premiere on ESPN2.

All part of the new ESPN2 Garage block of programming, Truck Stop, Chopper Nation and Autotrader.com DRIVE in HD will debut on ESPN2, while Michael Waltrip Racing: A New Era will continue its run, giving viewers the opportunity to catch up on episodes they may have missed since the show’s early-December debut.

Designed to complement ESPN’s extensive coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car and NHRA racing in 2007, ESPN2 Garage is dedicated to the automotive, motorcycle and motorsports world. ESPN2 will air more than 500 hours of motorsports programming in 2007.

The first episode of Truck Stop will air at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the premiere of Chopper Nation. The next day, a one-hour episode of Michael Waltrip Racing: A New Era airs at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by Autotrader.com DRIVE in HD.

ESPN2 Garage will include 19 different shows that feature nearly every facet of the industry – from car auctions to custom-car programs to an animated series and reality shows. The programming will be aired Saturday and Sunday mornings on ESPN2 during January, and will expand to include weekday afternoons and evenings in February.

Other groups of shows are scheduled to run in the second, third and fourth quarters of the year. ESPN2 is seen in 91.7 million homes.

ESPN2 GARAGE PROGRAMS FOR JANUARY 6-7, 2007

Autotrader.com DRIVE in HD (Debut January 7, 11 a.m. ET)

Former Motor Trend magazine editor C. Van Tune and others will take viewers behind the scenes at the top auto shows in the United States. Hosts will analyze the latest models, concept cars and other automotive industry innovations at shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and New York.

Chopper Nation (Debut January 6, 10:30 a.m. ET)

For motorcycle enthusiasts, a series dedicated the world of choppers and v-twin cruiser motorcycles with profiles on custom builders, the top motorcycle rallies and more.

Michael Waltrip Racing: A New Era (January 7, 10 a.m. ET)

This series, which debuted in December, 2006, follows the establishment of Michael Waltrip's Toyota team which will make its NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut in 2007. Sometimes ESPN NASCAR analyst Dale Jarrett will drive one of the cars in next year’s racing season. Original episodes air on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET.

Truck Stop (Debut January 6, 10 a.m. ET)

A series dedicated to the world of trucks, from high performance to off-road 4×4 machines to Monster Trucks. ESPN PR