NASCAR This Week on ESPN and ABC

Chase Spots on Line as NASCAR Sprint Cup at Richmond in Prime Time
Spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be on the line as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races under the lights at the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, Sept. 8. The 400-lap race is the final event before the beginning of the 10-race Chase that will determine the series champion. ABC will have a live telecast with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag at 7:43 p.m. Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond airs on ESPN, with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. and the green flag at 7:43 p.m.  Also from Richmond, ESPN2 airs NASCAR Sprint Cup practice sessions on Friday at noon and 2:30 p.m., and qualifying at 5:30 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick (Sprint Cup); Marty Reid (Nationwide Series); analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Dr. Jerry Punch, Shannon Spake, Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown (Sunday): Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty (analysts).

Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup Preview Airs Friday
ESPN2 will preview the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in a 30-minute special program airing Friday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m. ET. The program will air following ESPN2’s telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup practice at Richmond International Raceway.
With one race remaining before the beginning of the Chase, NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, the program will examine the battle for the two wildcard spots in the Chase as well as the drivers who have already clinched spots in the 12-driver Chase.

NASCAR Now Schedule
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway in the one-hour weekend edition that airs Saturday, Sept. 8, at 9 a.m. ET. Host Mike Massaro will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven and reporters Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will check in from the track. Two half-hour programs will air Friday, Sept. 7, at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. between practice and qualifying sessions that afternoon at Richmond. The schedule:

Date   Time  Show      Host         Network
Thu., Sept. 6 2 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 1 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 3:30 p.m.NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 5 p.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Sat., Sept. 8 9 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Mon., Sept. 10 3 p.m. NASCAR Now Allen Bestwick ESPN

- ESPN Media Zone Press Release