NASCAR Countdown Previews: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series Live in Prime Time at Bristol Motor Speedway

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN; NASCAR Busch Series at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN2

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series head to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee this weekend as drivers and teams get ready to lay down rubber on the newly resurfaced concrete racing surface. Fans will see sparks fly with the high speeds and close quarters of Bristol night racing.

ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown will have a live preview of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Bristol presented by Pennzoil at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 25. ESPN’s Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown, while two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from ESPN’s DISH Tech Center. Some highlights:

Kurt Busch on Fire; Dale Jr. Losing Steam? – Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Heats Up
With just three races to go now before the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, driver Kurt Busch solidified his spot on the bubble (12th place) with a win in the rain-delayed Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. NASCAR Countdown analysts will discuss the impact of that win for Kurt and why he has been able to turn up his performance down the stretch. In comparison, they will analyze what this means for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is in 13th place, and his chances to move into to the top 12.

A Kinder, Gentler Bristol Motor Speedway?
Friday night’s race will be the first for the NASCAR Busch Series on Bristol Motor Speedway since its repaving in the spring. NASCAR Countdown will analyze how the new surface has changed the racetrack from one groove to two and how drivers, crew chiefs and teams will be affected in racing and setup.

The racetrack is well-known for action filled with bumping, banging and trading paint, and NASCAR Countdown will ask drivers their thoughts on the track and whether the new concrete will make for a smoother race.

NASCAR Busch Series: Live at Bristol Motor Speedway on ESPN2
On Friday, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live coverage at Bristol Motor Speedway. The telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. ESPN’s Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown at Bristol, joined in the pit studio by analysts Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Highlights include:

Special Guest Jack Ingram, tied for second in all-time NASCAR Busch Series Wins, Joins the NASCAR Countdown Studio in Bristol
Special guest Jack Ingram, tied for second in all-time career NASCAR Busch Series wins with driver Kevin Harvick, will visit the NASCAR Countdown studio to talk racing and discuss his record. Ingram has great respect for Harvick, but he is interested in finding out whether Harvick has what it takes to overtake Ingram’s career wins and the drive to win races into his 40s and 50s, as Ingram did.

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.