XM Radio to again broadcast all IRL races
The entire 2008 IndyCar Series season, including the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25, will be broadcast live and nationwide on XM. Motorsports fans will be able to hear pre-race programming, including interviews and commentary, as well as live wheel-to-wheel action on the track as presented by the IMS Radio Network. With the recent unification of open-wheel racing, the IndyCar Series will be expanding its schedule to 18 races, offering a mix of short oval, super speedway and road/street events, making it the most diverse schedule in all of motorsports.
XM is a major associate sponsor of the Andretti Green Racing's (AGR) No. 7 Honda-powered Dallara driven by Danica Patrick, 2005's Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. The AGR team, featuring IndyCar Series drivers Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan as well as team co-owner and open wheel racing legend Michael Andretti, will launch the second season of "The Andretti Green Racing Hour," a one-hour show airing exclusively on XM. The show will begin airing in its weekly time slot March 25 at 7 p.m. ET on XM Sports Nation (XMSN), channel 144, during the IRL season.
"XM is committed to bringing fans the full experience of open-wheel racing, from the prep in the pits to the wheel-to-wheel action on the track," said Kevin Straley, XM senior vice president of news, talk, and sports programming. "This is an especially exciting year for IRL as it joins forces with Champ Car, and fans across the country can hear all the races on XM."
"Being the leaders in open-wheel racing and satellite radio respectively, the IndyCar Series and XM Satellite Radio form a natural partnership," said John Lewis, vice president for marketing and league development, Indy Racing League. "XM provides satellite radio listeners with a behind-the-scenes look at every race, and the best in coverage from the track."