ESPN changes announcers for Cup broadcasts
ESPN/ABC broadcasts the final 17 Cup races of the season, starting with Indianapolis. Bestwick will be joined in the booth for Cup races with analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree. Bestwick will be in the booth for all Cup practices, qualifying sessions and races shown by ESPN. Bestwick also will continue to be the lead host for the Monday roundtable discussion of "NASCAR Now.''
Reid will remain with ESPN as the lead announcer for Nationwide races and IndyCar events.
With Bestwick moving to the booth, Nicole Briscoe will take over as pre-race show host, beginning at Indianapolis. She'll work with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty.
This is not a new role for Bestwick. He was the lead announcer for MRN’s broadcast of NASCAR races from 1988-2000. He joined NBC and TNT in 1999 and served as a pit announcer and lead announcer. He lost the lead announcing position in 2004 after breaking his leg in a hockey game. The injury and recovery forced him to miss races and he was replaced by Bill Weber in the booth. The switch became permanent in 2005 as Bestwick filled the role as pit reporter and pre-race host. He joined ESPN in 2007 as pit reporter, pre-race host and lead announcer at times.