ESPN set for NASCAR return

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing will return to ESPN for the first time in six years with the network’s coverage of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday, July 29, from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ESPN and ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of the final 17 races of the 2007 season, including all 10 races in the “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" by ESPN on ABC, the first time that all Chase races will be on the same network.

ESPN’s full schedule for the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season will include telecasts of practice and qualifying from 13 races, the season-ending banquet and season preview and review specials. There will also be a dedicated pre-race program for each race telecast called NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown. And, for the first time in televised motorsports, all will be produced totally in High Definition.

ESPN’s return to NASCAR will begin with live coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series season opener from Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17. ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season, with six select races televised by ESPN on ABC.

"The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard has always been a marquee event on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule and we cannot wait to provide our flag-to-flag coverage from such an historic race track," said John Wildhack, ESPN senior vice president, programming. "We will dedicate unprecedented multimedia resources to the sport beginning with the season-opening NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona, continuing with our opening NEXTEL Cup race at Indianapolis on ESPN, and until the season champions are crowned."

2007 NEXTEL CUP SERIES SCHEDULE ON ESPN AND ABC
(All times Eastern)
Date Site Network
Jul 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway ESPN
July 28 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ESPN2
July 28 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour 3:30-4:30 p.m. ESPN2
July 29 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN

Aug 5 Pocono Raceway ESPN
Aug. 3 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3:30-6 p.m. ESPN2
Aug. 4 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour 11 a.m. – 12 noon ESPN2
Aug. 5 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN

Aug 12 Watkins Glen International ESPN
Aug. 10 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3-5:30 p.m. ESPN2
Aug. 11 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour 2-3 p.m. ESPN2
Aug. 12 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN

Aug 19 Michigan International Speedway ESPN
Aug. 19 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN

Aug 25 Bristol Motor Speedway ESPN
Aug. 25 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 7 p.m., race 8 p.m. ESPN

Sep 2 California Speedway ESPN
Sep. 2 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 7 p.m., race 8 p.m. ESPN

Sep 8 Richmond International Raceway ESPN on ABC
Sep. 7 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series final practice 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 7 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 6-7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 8 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 7 p.m., race 7:30 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Sep 16 New Hampshire International Speedway ESPN on ABC
Sep. 14 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3-5 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 15 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice TBD ESPN2
Sep. 16 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Sep 23 Dover International Speedway ESPN on ABC
Sep. 21 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3-4:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 22 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice TBD ESPN2
Sep. 23 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 1:30 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Sep 30 Kansas Speedway ESPN on ABC
Sep. 28 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice 12 noon – 1 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 28 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 4-6 p.m. ESPN2
Sep. 30 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Oct 7 Talladega Superspeedway ESPN on ABC
Oct. 7 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Oct 13 Lowe’s Motor Speedway ESPN on ABC
Oct. 11 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 7-9 p.m. ESPN2
Oct. 12 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour 6-7 p.m. ESPN2
Oct. 13 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 7 p.m., race 7:25 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Oct 21 Martinsville Speedway ESPN on ABC
Oct. 19 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3:30-5:30 p.m. ESPN2
Oct. 20 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice 10-11 a.m. ESPN2
Oct. 21 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 1:30 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Oct 28 Atlanta Motor Speedway ESPN on ABC
Oct. 26 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 7-9 p.m. ESPN2
Oct. 27 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour TBD ESPN2
Oct. 28 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 1 p.m., race 2 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Nov 4 Texas Motor Speedway ESPN on ABC
Nov. 2 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 4:30-6:30 p.m. ESPN2
Nov. 3 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour TBD ESPN2
Nov. 4 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 3 p.m., race 3:30 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Nov 11 Phoenix International Raceway ESPN on ABC
Nov. 9 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 6-8 p.m. ESPN2
Nov. 10 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour 3-4 p.m. ESPN2
Nov. 11 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 3 p.m., race 3:35 p.m. ESPN on ABC

Nov 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway ESPN on ABC
Nov. 16 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying 3-5 p.m. ESPN2
Nov. 17 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice 3-4 p.m. ESPN2
Nov. 18 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Countdown 3 p.m., race 3:45 p.m. ESPN on ABC