"NASCAR America" on NBCSN

“NASCAR AMERICA” set for Feb. 24 launch on NBCSN

NBC Sports (February 11, 2014) - The day after the next Daytona 500 champion is crowned, NBCSN introduces NASCAR AMERICA, a new 30-minute daily show dedicated to the nation's longstanding fascination with speed and stock car racing.  Making its debut on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 24, and returning each weekday at the same time and place, NASCAR AMERICA will cover the sport from all angles, delivering news, highlights and access to NASCAR's dynamic stars and personalities. The announcement was made today by Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBCSN.

Each episode of NASCAR AMERICA will bring fans closer to everything that drives this American pastime with in-depth access to the drivers, crew chiefs and team owners that are integral to the sport, opinions and analysis from NASCAR's most prominent personalities, and exclusive looks inside the high-tech race shops and storied racing venues that dot the country.

"NASCAR AMERICA will engage the true racing fan in a number of ways, providing viewers with a mix of breaking news, storytelling and daily features," said Flood. "We're going to celebrate the traditions as well as the changing landscape of the sport from coast to coast with wide-ranging content that feeds America's passion for racing."   

Originating from NBC Sports Group's International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., as well as a new NBC Sports' studio located in the racing hotbed of Charlotte, N.C., NASCAR AMERICA's primary host is Rick Allen.  Allen, who will usher in NBC Sports' live coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series racing as lead announcer in July 2015, will interact daily with NBC Sports motorsports reporters Marty Snider and Kelly Stavast. Snider and Stavast, both based in Charlotte, N.C., will operate on location throughout the country to deliver the latest news and features on NASCAR's drivers and race teams. NBC Sports Group's IndyCar and Formula One play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will also serve as host of NASCAR AMERICA.  

Alongside Allen in the studio will be a constant rotation of guest analysts offering fresh perspectives and insights. Guest analysts who will join NASCAR AMERICA throughout February and March include NBC Sports NASCAR analyst Jeff Burton, Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, and crew chief Frank Stoddard. Future guest analysts, which will include former and current drivers and crew chiefs, NASCAR executives, and even prominent fans such as NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, will be announced at a later date.  

"The excitement and energy that the NBC Sports team is pouring into all the great ideas and concepts for NASCAR AMERICA has me convinced that this show will be special for race fans," said Burton. "I'm looking forward to contributing to NASCAR AMERICA, and watching it as well."  

NBC Sports' unique position as a multiplatform media destination for not only NASCAR, but also Formula One, IndyCar and several other exciting racing series, provides the creators of NASCAR AMERICA with the ability to showcase a strong mix of motorsports coverage.  As such, NASCAR AMERICA will regularly feature input from NBC Sports' IndyCar and Formula One on-air talent, including Leigh Diffey, Wally Dallenbach, Townsend Bell, Steve Matchett, David Hobbs and Will Buxton, each contributing from various locations around the world. 

Background

On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and NBC Sports Group reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content beginning in 2015.

With this partnership, NBC's 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race schedule includes a designation as the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, when the elite national series races through its final events of the season in an exciting and new elimination format.  The Chase culminates with the season-ending championship event, which returns to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group's 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBCSN. Four of NBC Sports Group's 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN.

In addition to NASCAR's Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races, NBC also obtained exclusive rights to practice and qualifying sessions for NBC's national series events during their portion of the season, as well as rights to broadcast the NASCAR K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony and NASCAR's season-ending banquets. Further, NBC is granted Spanish-language rights, certain video-on-demand rights and exclusive TV Everywhere rights for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events.