Champ Car to Appear on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC in 2008
The schedule includes four races on both ABC and ESPN and six on ESPN2. The season begins Sunday, Apr. 20, with same-day coverage of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2.5-hour telecast will include a season preview special.
“We’re thrilled to have all of our races this season on the ESPN/ABC networks in the second year of our renewed relationship," said Champ Car President & CEO Steve Johnson. “We worked closely with ESPN to create a schedule that we believe serves both existing and future fans of Champ Car racing."
ESPN2 also will televise races for the Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, Champ Car’s development series, on a tape-delay basis.
“With the close competition and the exciting mix of street and road courses, anything can happen in a Champ Car race," said John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, programming and acquisitions. “We look forward to bringing the entire season to our viewers across ESPN’s multimedia platforms."
The networks have a long history with Champ Car that began in 1981 when the first race ever aired live on ESPN was a Champ Car event from Milwaukee won by Mike Mosley. Series events appeared on the networks through the 2001 season. Many of the great moments in the history of the series were seen live on ESPN and ABC, including Alex Zanardi’s 1997 win in Cleveland, where he introduced the world to victory doughnuts, and Mario Andretti’s final Champ Car win at Phoenix in 1993.
CHAMP CAR SERIES
EVENT DATES NAME, LOCATION, VENUE
April 20 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, California
5:00 – 7:30 p.m. – ESPN2 – Same-day tape
April 27 Grand Prix of Houston at JAGFlo Speedway, Houston, Texas
10:00 p.m. – Midnight – ESPN2 – Same-day tape
May 18 Champ Car Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. – ESPN – LIVE
June 1 Champ Car World Series Belgium at Circuit Zolder, Zolder, Belgium
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – ABC – Same-day tape (Just 1 hour of highlights)
June 8 Champ Car World Series Spain at Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez, Spain
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – ABC – Same-day tape (Just 1 hour of highlights)
June 22 Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. – ABC – Same-day tape (Just 1 hour of highlights)
June 29 Champ Car Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. – ESPN – LIVE
July 6 Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – ESPN – LIVE
July 20 Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – ESPN – LIVE
July 27 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, Portland, Oregon
10:00 p.m. – Midnight – ESPN2 – Same-day tape
August 10 Champ Car Grand Prix at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – ABC – Same-day tape (Just 1 hour of highlights)
September 14 Champ Car World Series Holland at the TT Circuit Assen, Assen, Holland
10:00 p.m. – Midnight – ESPN2 – Same-day tape
October 26 Gold Coast Indy 300, Surfers Paradise, Australia
11:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. – ESPN2 – Same-day tape
November 9 Gran Premio de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 – LIVE
* All times eastern
ATLANTIC SERIES
EVENT DATES NAME, LOCATION, VENUE
April 20 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, California
April 21, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
April 27 Grand Prix of Houston at JAGFlo Speedway, Houston, Texas
May 1, 2008, 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. – ESPN2
May 18 Champ Car Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
May 23, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
June 22 Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
June 27, 2008, 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. – ESPN2
June 29 Champ Car Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, QC, Canada
July 3, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
July 6 Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 10, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
July 20 Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
July 24, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
July 27 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, Portland, Oregon – Double-header
July 31, 2008, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – ESPN2
August 10 Champ Car Grand Prix at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
August 14, 2008, 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. – ESPN2
August 17 Champ Car Atlantic Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada
August 21, 2008, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. – ESPN2
September 21 Champ Car Atlantic Grand Prix Miller Motorsports Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
September 25, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
November 9 Gran Premio de Mexico, Mexico City – Non-Championship
November 13, 2008, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2
*All times eastern