Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

Jarrett Returns to Booth as NASCAR Nationwide Series Live from New Hampshire on ABC

Dale Jarrett returns to the TV booth Saturday, June 28, as ESPN on ABC presents live coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. The telecast begins at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown and the green flag flies at 3:15 p.m. The telecast from the 1.058-mile track also airs in high definition on ABC HD.

Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, retired from driving earlier this year and will be the lead analyst for ESPN’s coverage of 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races starting in late July. He also has been working telecasts of selected NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season. Jarrett and lead announcer Dr. Jerry Punch will be joined in the booth for analysis by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion crew chief Ray Evernham. Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while reports from two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will originate from the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

NASCAR Now Expands Monday for Roundtable Discussion of NASCAR Weekend

The Monday, June 30, edition of NASCAR Now will expand to an hour and will include host Allen Bestwick leading a roundtable discussion with ESPN analysts and reporters of the weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The program airs at 6 p.m. ET.

Half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now air at Tuesday through Friday of this week at 6 p.m. The one-hour weekend edition airs Sunday at 10 a.m. with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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 Terry Blount and David Newton and D.J. Copp, a member of Bobby Labonte’s 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.

Kerry Earnhardt Featured on ESPN2’s Driven to Hunt Sunday

NASCAR driver Kerry Earnhardt, oldest son of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, will be featured on an episode of the ESPN2 series Driven to Hunt on Sunday, June 29, at 7 a.m. ET. The program repeats at 9:30 a.m.

The season is off to a great start when Earnhardt joins Bill Jordan at Sand Creek Ranch near Hanna, Utah, for an Elk hunt. An unexpected “pit stop" almost ruins a perfectly good hunt.

Driven to Hunt will invite a prominent NASCAR personality on a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. From drivers to team owners to the over-the-wall gang, hunting is what they dream about. Future guests include drivers Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Terry and Bobby Labonte and team owner Richard Childress.

ESPN Classic Features Classic NASCAR Events Thursday, Friday

ESPN Classic will feature highlights of a classic NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the 1993 Daytona 500, on Thursday, June 26, at 2 p.m. ET. The race from Daytona International Speedway featured the first of three wins in NASCAR’s biggest race by Dale Jarrett, now an analyst for ESPN.

Also on ESPN Classic this week is the 1999 Pontiac Excitement 400 from Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Highlights of the race air Friday, June 27, at 3 a.m.

IndyCar Series Live in Prime Time Saturday Night from Richmond on ESPN

The ultra-fast cars of the IndyCar Series will be on display under the lights in prime time Saturday night, June 28, at Virginia’s Richmond International Raceway. ESPN will have live coverage of the 300-lap event on the 0.750-mile track starting at 8 p.m. ET. A replay airs Monday, June 30, at 9 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

Marty Reid will call the action, joined for analysis by former IndyCar Series star Scott Goodyear. Jack Arute, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch report from the pits.

Also on the air this week is the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the developmental series for the IndyCar Series. A recap of the event held last weekend at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, airs Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.

NHRA POWERade Series Moves to Ohio on ESPN2

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series moves to Norwalk (Ohio) Raceway Park this weekend, and ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will have coverage of qualifying and final eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Qualifying coverage airs Saturday, June 28, at 10 p.m. ET, with eliminations coverage airing Sunday, June 29, at 7 p.m. Eliminations re-air Monday, June 30, at 11 a.m. on ESPN Classic.

Paul Page anchors coverage for ESPN2, with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould 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.

Also airing this week is the NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series, the feeder series for the POWERade Drag Racing Series. Action from the series event held last weekend at Englishtown, N.J., airs Sunday, June 29, at noon.

NHRA Fans Can Relive Events on ESPN Classic

Fans of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will have opportunities all week to relive some of the great events of the 2005 season as ESPN Classic opens the archives and brings the events back to life on TV. The programs air at 11 a.m. ET Tuesday through Friday of this week, and Monday of next week.

On Tuesday, June 24, fans can watch the action of the 2005 O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals from Houston, while Wednesday’s program features the NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals from Las Vegas. The O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals from Bristol, Tenn., air Thursday with the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta airing Friday.

ESPN2 is the home for the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.