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For Immediate Release
ESPN PR
January 29, 2008
860-766-2000

Prime-Time Finals Telecasts Increase in ESPN2’s NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Coverage for 2008

 

Drag racing fans will be able to watch more finals action in prime time this season as the schedule for ESPN2’s coverage of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series includes finals telecasts from 21 of 24 events in the 8-11 p.m. ET viewing time.

 

ESPN2’s eighth consecutive season of exclusive NHRA coverage blasts off Feb. 9-10 with the 48th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals from Pomona, Calif. ESPN2 will have coverage of qualifying and finals rounds from all 24 events in the series, with expanded coverage from drag racing’s biggest event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. All coverage is produced in high definition.

 

The NHRA’s “Countdown to the Championship” begins with the newly-added event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte Sep. 13-14.

 

Veteran motorsports announcer Paul Page, who joined ESPN2’s drag racing coverage in 2006, returns to the anchor seat for the 2008 season. Page has been a familiar face and voice to race fans since 1974 and served as lead announcer for the Indianapolis 500 on either radio or TV for more than 25 years.  

 

Joining Page in the booth for expert analysis will be former drag racer Mike Dunn, a 22-time winner in NHRA competition and one of only three drivers to have scored more than 10 wins in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. Dunn has been ESPN’s drag racing analyst since 2002.

 

Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff return as pit reporters for the full season, with motorsports television veteran John Kernan joining them for selected events.

 

Rieff and Dunn continue as hosts of NHRA Race Day, a news and information program airing on Sunday morning of all 24 NHRA POWERade event weekends on ESPN2. NHRA Race Day sets up the day for fans at home with must-see matchups, interviews with stars of the sport, driver features, news and analysis, a review of qualifying and what to look for during the finals action. The show originates from NHRA’s Nitro Alley, allowing fans attending the race to watch and participate in the show.

 

NHRA coverage also airs on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network, and is distributed internationally by ESPN International. Rieff also anchors coverage of the NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on ESPN2 in 2008.

 

2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series TV Schedule on ESPN2

(all times Eastern)

 

Feb. 9

Pomona Qualifying

8-10 p.m.

Feb. 10

Pomona Finals

7:30-11 p.m.

Feb. 24

Phoenix Qualifying

2-3:30 a.m.

Feb. 24

Phoenix Qualifying (re-air)

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Feb. 24

Phoenix Finals

7-10 p.m.

March 16

Gainesville Qualifying

1-3 a.m.

March 16

Gainesville Finals

6-9 p.m.

March 29

Houston Qualifying

4:30-5 p.m.

March 29

Houston Qualifying

10-11 p.m.

March 30

Houston Qualifying (re-air)

1:30-2:30 a.m.

March 30

Houston Finals

4:30-7 p.m.

April 12

Las Vegas Qualifying

8-10 p.m.

April 13

Las Vegas Finals

8-11 p.m.

April 26

Atlanta Qualifying

6-8 p.m.

April 27

Atlanta Finals

7-10 p.m.

May 3

St. Louis Qualifying

9-11 p.m.

May 4

St. Louis Finals

7-10 p.m.

May 17

Bristol Qualifying

6:30-8:30 p.m.

May 18

Bristol Finals

6:30-10 p.m.

May 31

Topeka Qualifying

5:30-7:30 p.m.

June 1

Topeka Finals

4-7 p.m.

June 7

Chicago Qualifying

5-7 p.m.

June 8

Chicago Finals

5-7 p.m.

June 21

Englishtown Qualifying

11:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

June 22

Englishtown Finals

7-10 p.m.

June 28

Norwalk Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

June 29

Norwalk Finals

7-10 p.m.

July 12

Denver Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

July 13

Denver Finals

8-11 p.m.

July 19

Seattle Qualifying

8-9 p.m.

July 20

Seattle Qualifying (re-air)

TBD

July 20

Seattle Finals

9 p.m. – midnight

July 26

Sonoma Qualifying

6-7:30 p.m.

July 27

Sonoma Finals

7-10 p.m.

Aug. 9

Brainerd Qualifying

8:30-10:30 p.m.

Aug. 10

Brainerd Finals

7-10 p.m.

Aug. 16

Reading Qualifying

6-8 p.m.

Aug. 17

Reading Finals

10 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Aug. 31

Indianapolis Qualifying

12:30-1:30 a.m.

Aug. 31

Indianapolis Qualifying

12-3 p.m.

Aug. 31

Indianapolis Qualifying

6-7 p.m.

Sept. 1

Indianapolis Finals

12-2 p.m.

Sept. 1

Indianapolis Finals

7-10 p.m.

Sept. 13

Charlotte Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

Sept. 14

Charlotte Finals

7-10 p.m.

Sept. 20

Dallas Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

Sept. 21

Dallas Finals

7-10 p.m.

Sept. 27

Memphis Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

Sept. 28

Memphis Finals

7-10 p.m.

Oct. 12

Richmond Qualifying

Midnight – 1 a.m.

Oct. 12

Richmond Finals

7-10 p.m.

Nov. 1

Las Vegas Qualifying

10 p.m. – midnight

Nov. 2

Las Vegas Finals

7-10 p.m.

Nov. 15

Pomona Qualifying

10:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Nov. 16

Pomona Finals

8-11 p.m.