Racing this week on ESPN

Coverage of NASCAR Media Day Airs on ESPNEWS

With the NASCAR season only days away, ESPNEWS will air a three-hour special from NASCAR Media Day at the Daytona 500 on Thursday, Feb. 16, at noon. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Daytona 500 rookie Danica Patrick are among those scheduled to appear during the program. The telecast will be co-hosted by Mike Massaro and Nicole Briscoe with analyst Ricky Craven.

NHRA Action from Phoenix on ESPN2

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will be at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix this weekend for the NHRA Arizona Nationals. ESPN2 will air highlights of qualifying on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET and coverage of eliminations airs Sunday, Feb. 19, at 9 p.m.

After being a part of the six-race Countdown playoffs last year, NHRA’s annual duel in the desert returns to its traditional spot as the year’s second event. A Southwest fixture since 1985, the event offers teams a chance to redeem mistakes made at the opener. Charlie Allen, a former Funny Car racer, constructed a track that makes people forget that it sits at 1,100 feet above sea level. The facility is also known for its annual preseason tests and Tony Schumacher’s historic 330-mph quarter-mile blast in 1999.

Paul Page anchors for ESPN with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn, while reporting from the pits will be Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff. Also on Sunday, ESPN2 will air one hour of action from the recent NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Pomona, Calif., at 11 a.m.

NASCAR Now Returns; One-Hour Edition on Sunday

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now returns for its sixth season this week and sirs Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. The program also can be seen on computers, smartphones and tablets with WatchESPN.

A one-hour edition of the program will air on Sunday, Feb. 19, at noon with a review of the previous night’s Bud Shootout from Daytona International Speedway and a look ahead to that day’s pole qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Mike Massaro hosts the program this week from ESPN’s studios with analyst Ricky Craven. Nicole Briscoe will report from Daytona starting Thursday.

Salute to Jeff Gordon on ESPN Classic

Fifteen years ago, Jeff Gordon, at age 25, became the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500. With the NASCAR season kickoff coming soon, ESPN Classic will recognize Gordon’s accomplishment with an airing of the record-setting 1997 Daytona 500 at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 16. The race will be followed at 7:30 p.m. by an airing of SportsCentury: Jeff Gordon.