For the 2011 season, once again NASCAR is spreading the wealth across networks, one of them being the ABC/ESPN entity. ESPN’s NASCAR Nationwide Series TV coverage will commence with the opening Daytona event and their coverage includes 33 of the 34 Nationwide events. In the latter part of the year, they start their TV coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events starting July 31.
The NASCAR event that ABC/ESPN is not covering is the April 29th Nationwide Friday night race at Richmond, being covered by SPEED. Wow… an April 29th event. Fans know what date that is.
ABC/ESPN will have dedicated pre-race programs. Their team of selected announcers includes former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions. 1999 champion driver Dale Jarrett, 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace, champion crew chiefs Tim Brewer and Andy Petree.
The lap-by-lap duties include Marty Reid, Jarrett and Petree for telecasts. Pit reporters Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch will support the booth. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Brewer will again deliver mechanical insight from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage during race telecasts.
I can hope that this year is a little bit improved than previous years. In previous years, as fans can attest, we’ve been pre-empted by just about every sport known to man in favor of the NASCAR events. Does anyone recall watching the Little League World Series telecast long after a NASCAR pre-race show was supposed to start? I also feel that Brad Daugherty has come a long way. I never felt that comfortable with his style in that first season. Then when ESPN accidentally televised an in-booth scene of Mr. Daugherty pumping his fists in excitement during a Nationwide Talladega “big one” erupting outside their window. It just never sat well with me, but I’ve come to appreciate how far he’s come. Just saying.
Below are the scheduled ABC/ESPN telecast schedules, starting with the NASCAR Nationwide events then further down, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup events.
(All times are Eastern)
NASCAR Nationwide Series Coverage
| DATE (Day) | LOCATION | NETWORK | RACE TIME |
| Feb. 19 (Sat.) | Daytona International Speedway | ESPN2 | 1:15 p.m. |
| Feb. 26 (Sat.) | Phoenix International Raceway | ESPN2 | 5:30 p.m. |
| March 5 (Sat.) | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | ABC | 3 p.m. |
| March 19 (Sat.) | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| March 26 (Sat.) | Auto Club Speedway | ESPN | 5:30 p.m. |
| Apr. 8 (Fri.) | Texas Motor Speedway | ESPN2 | 8:30 p.m. |
| Apr. 16 (Sat.) | Talladega Superspeedway | ESPN2 | 3 p.m. |
| Apr. 23 (Sat.) | Nashville Superspeedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Apr. 29 (Fri.) | Richmond International Raceway | SPEED | 7:30 p.m. |
| May 6 (Fri.) | Darlington Raceway | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| May 14 (Sat.) | Dover International Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| May 22 (Sun.) | Iowa Speedway | ABC | 2 p.m. |
| May 28 (Sat.) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | ABC | 2:30 p.m. |
| June 4 (Sat.) | Chicagoland Superspeedway | ESPN | 8 p.m. |
| June 18 (Sat.) | Michigan International Speedway | ABC | 3:30 p.m. |
| June 25 (Sat.) | Road America | ESPN | 5:30 p.m. |
| July 1 (Fri.) | Daytona International Speedway | ESPN | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 8 (Fri.) | Kentucky Speedway | ESPN | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 16 (Sat.) | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | ESPN | 3:30 p.m. |
| July 23 (Sat.) | Nashville Superspeedway | ESPN | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 30 (Sat.) | Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 6 (Sat.) | Iowa Speedway | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 13 (Sat.) | Watkins Glen International | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Aug. 20 (Sat.) | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | ESPN | 2:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 26 (Fri.) | Bristol Motor Speedway | ESPN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 3 (Sat.) | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 9 (Fri.) | Richmond International Raceway | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 17 (Sat.) | Chicagoland Speedway | ESPN2 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 1 (Sat.) | Dover International Speedway | ESPN2 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 8 (Sat.) | Kansas Speedway | ESPN2 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 14 (Fri.) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | ESPN2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 5 (Sat.) | Texas Motor Speedway | ESPN2 | 12:55 p.m. |
| Nov. 12 (Sat.) | Phoenix International Raceway | ESPN2 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 19 (Sat.) | Homestead-Miami Speedway | ESPN2 | 4:30 p.m. |
=
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coverage:
| DATE (Day) | LOCATION | NETWORK | RACE TIME |
| July 31 (Sun.) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | ESPN | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 7 (Sun.) | Pocono Raceway | ESPN | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 14 (Sun.) | Watkins Glen International | ESPN | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 21 (Sun.) | Michigan International Speedway | ESPN | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 27 (Sat.) | Bristol Motor Speedway | ABC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sep. 4 (Sun.) | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ESPN | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sep. 10 (Sat.) | Richmond International Raceway | ABC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sep. 18 (Sun.) | Chicagoland Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Sep. 25 (Sun.) | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Oct. 2 (Sun.) | Dover International Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Oct. 9 (Sun.) | Kansas Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Oct. 16 (Sat.) | Charlotte Motor Speedway | ABC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 23 (Sun.) | Talladega Superspeedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Oct. 30 (Sun.) | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN | 2 p.m. |
| Nov. 6 (Sun.) | Texas Motor Speedway | ESPN | 3 p.m. |
| Nov. 13 (Sun.) | Phoenix International Raceway | ESPN | 3 p.m. |
| Nov. 20 (Sun.) | Homestead-Miami Speedway | ESPN | 3 p.m. |
=
[NASCAR]
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
your non stop viewing is a joke your showing twice as many commercial just cause its non stop well I bought a big screen TV and I dont want to watch the race in a small box I get you need to pay the bills and make alittle profit but you all have gotten greedy this non stop viewing is bull shit
James, I think with all their contracts with the different sports leagues, they’re already in the black and the ads are just cushion. I know I read that somewhere, but at the moment, can’t find the link…. maybe it’s on my own site here somewhere…