NASCAR Countdown Previews: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series at Watkins Glen International

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN; NASCAR Busch Series at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN2

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series hits the road this weekend at Watkins Glen International for Sunday’s race on the famed upstate New York road racing circuit. ESPN’s coverage from Watkins Glen will include live NASCAR NEXTEL Cup qualifying at 3 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 10, and Happy Hour final practice at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, both on ESPN2. Live coverage of Sunday’s race will begin at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN with the pre-race NASCAR Countdown program.

ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will have a live preview of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Watkins Glen at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 12. ESPN’s Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown at Pocono. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Some highlights:

Robby Gordon Puts Positive Spin on Things
After being parked by NASCAR because of his actions in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Montreal, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regular Robby Gordon is back on the track this weekend, racing in both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series races at Watkins Glen International. NASCAR Countdown will get Gordon’s thoughts on the penalty and his decision to extend an offer to NASCAR Busch Series driver Marcos Ambrose to drive one of Gordon’s NEXTEL Cup cars in Sunday’s race. Viewers will find out what makes Robby Gordon tick and why he’s happy to drive any type of car or truck, anywhere and anytime.

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs and Toyota
NASCAR Countdown insiders and experts will debate NASCAR driver Kyle Busch’s decision to join Joe Gibbs Racing for 2008 and Gibbs’ potential move to Toyota in the new year.

NASCAR Busch Series: Third Road Course of the Season, Live on ESPN2

ESPN2 will televise NASCAR Busch Series practice from Watkins Glen at 5:30 p.m. ET Friday, and qualifying at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Live coverage of Saturday’s race will begin on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN’s Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown at Watkins Glen. Some NASCAR Countdown highlights:

Third Time’s the Charm
It is possible that, this weekend, NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya will do something no other driver has done – win three road-course races in either of NASCAR’s top two series in one year. ESPN NASCAR reporter Shannon Spake will get Montoya’s thoughts on road racing and why his driving style is so suited to road courses.

Calling all specialists
NASCAR teams regularly recruit “specialists,” known for their expertise on road courses, to run at Sonoma, Mexico City, Montreal and Watkins Glen. Find out what qualifications make road racing specialists such experts.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN and ESPN on ABC has 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 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends 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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