Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

The Chase is On: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Live from Martinsville on ABC

Historic Martinsville (Va.) Speedway hosts the only short track race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of 500 laps of fender-banging action on the half-mile track with a high definition telecast Sunday, Oct. 19, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air live coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Martinsville on Friday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m., as well as practice earlier that day at noon. Same-day coverage of final practice airs Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be lead announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Jarrett and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will be pit reporters with two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the ESPN Tech Center.

The pre-race NASCAR Countdown show from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Allen Bestwick, with 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and analyst Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

The race will re-air Monday, Oct. 20, at 9 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

Craven, Evernham, Said on NASCAR Now Monday Roundtable Discussion

The Monday, Oct. 20, edition of NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information show, at 5 p.m. ET will feature host Allen Bestwick leading a roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news and races. Panel members will include former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Ricky Craven and ESPN analysts Ray Evernham and Boris Said.

Episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m. following NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Martinsville Speedway The one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now airs Sunday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s race at Martinsville, and the weekend wrap-up edition airs that night at 10 p.m.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Ryan Burr, Nicole Manske and Bestwick and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include NASCAR Insiders Marty Smith and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Tim Cowlishaw, ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton and D.J. Copp, a member of the Petty Enterprises NASCAR team.

NASCAR Now viewers also benefit from frequent contributions by the NASCAR on ESPN team including Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake.

ESPN Classic Gets Fans Ready for Martinsville with 1995 Goody’s 500

With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series headed to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend, ESPN Classic will help NASCAR fans get ready for action on the historic short track with an airing of highlights of the 1995 Goody’s 500 at Martinsville on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. ET.

Dale Earnhardt dominated the race to take victory in his famous No. 3 Goodwrench Chevrolet. Terry Labonte finished second, with Rusty Wallace, Bobby Hamilton and Geoff Bodine completing the top five.

ESPN Classic also will air an episode of the acclaimed series ESPN Ultimate NASCAR on Monday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. Entitled The Families, the program is a heart-tugging look into the Allison, Earnhardt, and Petty families that have played such a large role in the history of NASCAR.

Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears Airs Friday on ESPN2

An episode of the television series Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears, chronicling the move of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, airs Friday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal, corporate and competitive ramifications involved with the five-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver award recipient leaving Dale Earnhardt, Inc., the team founded by his late father. Dale Jr. – Shifting Gears is produced by Earnhardt Jr.’s Hammerhead Entertainment, a division of JR Motorsports, in cooperation with Hendrick Motorsports and is presented by the National Guard.