Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

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

NASCAR’s version of the playoffs continues this week with the second race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the series visits Dover (Del.) International Speedway. ESPN on ABC’s high-definition telecast of Sunday’s 400-mile race begins at 1 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown and is presented by Principal Financial Group. ABC will have live coverage of all 10 races that make up the Chase.

ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will have live coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Dover on Friday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m., and same-day coverage of final practice airs Saturday, Sept. 20, at 6 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.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Hits the Monster Mile Live on ESPN2

ESPN2’s season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues with a live telecast of the event at Dover (Del.) International Speedway Saturday, Sept. 20, beginning at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The race also airs in high definition on ESPN2 HD and will be simulcast on ESPN Deportes.

Analysts Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree will call the race with lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty.

Said, Evernham on NASCAR Now Monday Roundtable Discussion

The Monday, Sept. 22, 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 ESPN analysts Boris Said and Ray Evernham and ESPN pit reporter Mike Massaro.

Episodes of NASCAR Now air Tuesday through Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. and Friday at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday’s edition expands to one hour. The one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now airs Sunday, Sept. 21, at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. The weekend wrap-up edition airs Sunday night at 11:30 p.m. Said also will appear on the two Sunday shows.

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 Showing Classic Daytona Race, Jeff Gordon SportsCentury

ESPN Classic will show a classic NASCAR race this week with an airing of the 1994 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. ET. The 400-mile race was won by Jimmy Spencer in a Ford prepared by legendary NASCAR team owner Junior Johnson.

Also this week, ESPN Classic will air an episode of the ESPN signature series SportsCentury featuring NASCAR star Jeff Gordon. The program airs Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m.

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series in Dallas as Countdown Continues

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to 1 continues this week as the series makes its annual appearance at Texas Motorplex in Dallas for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will have same-day coverage of qualifying and final eliminations for the event. Qualifying coverage airs Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10 p.m. ET, with eliminations coverage airing Sunday, Sept. 21, at 8:30 p.m. Eliminations re-air Monday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband television network, will stream live coverage of eliminations rounds from the final six events of the 2008 season.

Paul Page anchors coverage for ESPN2, with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn co-host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.