NASCAR Countdown: ESPN2 Richmond International Raceway Highlights

ESPN2’s NASCAR Countdown will preview the live, primetime NASCAR Busch Series race at Richmond International Raceway Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Allen Bestwick will host the telecast with studio analyst Brad Daugherty. Analyst Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Cutaway Car.

The race telecast team including lead announcer Marty Reid, two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree and 1999 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Dale Jarrett will also contribute. Additionally, NASCAR Countdown will include segments from pit reporters Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake as drivers and teams prepare to race under the lights on the .750-mile track.    

NASCAR Countdown will originate from Richmond International Raceway and will be telecast from ESPN’s state-of-the-art mobile pit studio as it sets the stage for ESPN2’s coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series race Friday night, May 4. Highlights will include:  

Tough Weekend for Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch had a tough time at Talladega last weekend with hard crashes in both the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. Busch will talk with Allen Bestwick and Brad Daugherty in the ESPN Pit Studio about coming back from the difficulties at Talladega. In addition, ESPN reporter Shannon Spake went along recently when Busch and some members of his team went fishing as a bonding outing.

Ambrose Having Impact

Australian Marcos Ambrose has made an impact on the NASCAR Busch Series as both a driver and a personality during his rookie season. Even after crashing in last week’s race at Talladega, Ambrose joked that he had just gotten his official “Alabama Slamma.” ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little will speak to Ambrose prior to the Richmond race.

Hamlin Races at Home

When the NASCAR traveling circuit comes to Richmond International Raceway, it’s a home game for Denny Hamlin of nearby Chesterfield, Va., who started his stock car racing career on local short tracks. ESPN pit reporter Dave Burns will talk to Hamlin about the rewards of racing at his home track.

Harvick Goes For Four Straight

Kevin Harvick, the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series champion, will be going for his fourth consecutive Busch Series win at Richmond. ESPN pit reporter Mike Massaro will talk to Harvick about his recent domination at Richmond and his rising success as a Busch Series car owner following his 1-2 finish last week at Talladega with drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

Racing Under the Lights

A night race presents unique challenges to NASCAR Busch Series teams, and ESPN analyst Tim Brewer at the Chevy Cutaway Car will explain how Richmond International Raceway is tough on brakes and how teams need to manage the impact.

NASCAR Now Weekend Edition to Air Saturday

The weekend edition of NASCAR Now, ESPN’s daily news and information show totally dedicated to NASCAR, will air at 10 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2 with a wrap-up of Friday’s NASCAR Busch Series race from Richmond and a look ahead to that evening’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race. Sunday night’s edition of the program will air at midnight.

NASCAR Now will have its expanded Monday edition on the air from 6-7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The program will have extensive highlights and recaps of the weekend’s NASCAR races, as well as looks ahead to the next weekend. The show returns to its regular 6:30 p.m. timeslot on Tuesday.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Erik Kuselias, Doug Banks and Ryan Burr and originates from ESPN’s High Definition studios in Bristol, Conn., with reporters Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake. Contributors also include analysts Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Stacy Compton and Boris Said, along with NASCAR insiders Terry Blount, Angelique Chengelis, Tim Cowlishaw, David Newton and Marty Smith, as well as D.J. Copp, a member of the Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR team.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ESPN on ABC will have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming will be produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage will extend to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

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