SPEED Sets Daytona Speedweeks Schedule
“There is something a little insane about Daytona Speedweeks," said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “… and SPEED gets caught up in it just like everyone else. In fact, it’s our job to put fans smack in the middle of it. When we say, ‘NASCAR on SPEED – Be There!’ it’s not just a marketing slogan, it’s how we do business."
On Feb. 6, SPEED will bring race fans live and exclusive coverage of Danica Patrick’s stock car debut, as the popular open wheel racer makes her first ARCA Racing Series start for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports race team. To enhance television coverage of Patrick’s effort, SPEEDtv.com, will offer exclusive in-car and ISO streaming videos, along with pit-to-car radio communication between Danica and her team.
Darrell Waltrip will be in the ARCA booth at Daytona with Rick Allen and Phil Parsons. Jim Tretow and Wendy Venturini will work the pits.
The Gatorade Duel at Daytona takes center stage Feb. 11, beginning with a special edition of NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot at 1 p.m. ET, followed by live race coverage at 2 p.m. ET. Krista Voda and Jeff Hammond will host SPEED’s coverage of the Duel, with the team of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds calling the race. Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Dr. Dick Berggren will serve as pit reporters.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens its season Feb. 12 with Voda hosting NCWTS Setup at 7:30 p.m., followed by race coverage at 8 p.m. ET. Rick Allen, Darrell Waltrip and Phil Parsons will call the race for SPEED, with Ray Dunlap and Adam Alexander in the pits.
“There are so many great storylines in the Truck Series this season," Nickell said. “Kyle Busch is in as a driver-team owner, popular drivers like Michael Waltrip and Johnny Benson have rides and the unmistakable black No. 3 is back on the track with Richard Childress’ grandson, Austin Dillon, behind the wheel."
To keep track of Dillon’s progress this season, the young driver will pen a weekly “diary" for SPEEDtv.com, helping fans follow his rookie effort.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on SPEED enjoyed its highest-rated television season ever in 2009, averaging a Nielsen Household Rating of .81 (597,000 households), up one percent from last year’s .80 and 35 percent from the .60 the series averaged in 2003, its first year on SPEED.
And on Sunday, Feb. 14, SPEED delivers a special three-hour edition of NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot, leading into FOX coverage of the Daytona 500. John Roberts hosts, with Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace sharing their observations as teams prepare for The Great American Race. Wendy Venturini and Hermie Sadler lead a team of SPEED RaceDay voices reporting from all around the race track.
NASCAR on SPEED Daytona Speedweeks schedule (all times ET and subject to change):
Feb. 4
· Dave Despain on Assignment – Building the Daytona 500 (3 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (4 p.m.)
· Budweiser Shootout practice (5 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (6 p.m.)
· Budweiser Shootout practice (6:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Media Day (7:30 p.m.)
· Budweiser Shootout Selection Show (9 p.m.)
· 4th Annual SPEED Performance Awards (10:30 p.m.)
Feb. 5
· NASCAR Media Day replay (noon)
· NASCAR Live! (1:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (2 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (3:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (4 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (5:30 p.m.)
· Trackside @ Daytona (7 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice replay (8 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (9:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice replay (10 p.m.)
· NASCAR Performance (11:30 p.m.)
Feb. 6
· NASCAR Performance (11 a.m.)
· NASCAR Smarts (11:30)
· NASCAR Live! (noon)
· 4th Annual SPEED Performance Awards replay (3 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (4 p.m.)
· ARCA Racing Series season opener (4:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot – Bud Shootout (6:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Victory Lane – Bud Shootout (10 p.m.)
· ARCA Racing Series season opener replay (11 p.m.)
Feb. 7
· ARCA Racing Series season opener replay (2 p.m.)
· Budweiser Shootout replay (4 p.m.)
Feb. 8
· NASCAR Best of ’09 – Volume I (6 p.m.)
· NASCAR Best of ’09 – Volume II (6:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Race Hub (7:30 p.m.)
· Dave Despain on Assignment – Building the Daytona 500 (8 p.m.)
Feb. 9
· NASCAR Best of ’09 – Volume III (6 p.m.)
· NASCAR Best of ’09 – Volume IV (6:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Race Hub (7:30 p.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode I (8 p.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode II (9 p.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode III (10 p.m., premiere)
Feb. 10
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode I (8 a.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode II (9 a.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode III (10 a.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (11 a.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (noon)
· NASCAR Live! (1:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (2 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (5 p.m.)
· NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (6 p.m.)
· NASCAR Race Hub (7:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice replay (8 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (9:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice replay (10 p.m.)
Feb. 11
· NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (9 a.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (11 a.m.)
· NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot – Gatorade Duel (1 p.m.)
· Gatorade Duel at Daytona (2 p.m.)
· NASCAR Victory Lane – Gatorade Duel (5:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying (6:30 p.m.)
· Gatorade Duel at Daytona replay (9 p.m.)
Feb. 12
· 4th Annual SPEED Performance Awards replay (noon)
· NASCAR Live! (1 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (1:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (6 p.m.)
· Trackside @ Daytona (6:30 p.m.)
· NCWTS Setup (7:30 p.m.)
· NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener (8 p.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice replay (11 p.m.)
Feb. 13
· NASCAR Performance (9:30 a.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (10 a.m.)
· NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (10:30 a.m.)
· NASCAR Live! (5 p.m.)
· Countdown to Daytona – Joe Gibbs Racing episode IV (6 p.m., premiere)
· NASCAR Smarts (11 p.m.)
Feb. 14
· NASCAR Performance (7:30 a.m.)
· NASCAR Smarts (8 a.m.)
· NASCAR in a Hurry (8:30 a.m.)
· NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot – Daytona 500 (9 a.m.)
· The SPEED Report (7 p.m.)
· NASCAR Victory Lane – Daytona 500 (8 p.m.)
· Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (9 pm)