“To be at a sporting event where cars are going over 200 miles an hour and there are more than 300,000 people in one spot at one time, it’s not hyperbole; there’s nothing like it in the world.” – Leigh Diffey
“This is the fastest field of 33 in history, and that’s what Indy is all about — pushing the limits (and seeing) how fast can you go.” – Townsend Bell
107th Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge Pre-Race Coverage Begins This Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; Peacock to Stream Exclusive Two-Hour Pre-Race Program at 9 a.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 23, 2023 – Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell, and James Hinchcliffe previewed NBC Sports’ coverage of the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on a media conference call yesterday.
The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Gainbridge from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) takes place this Sunday, May 28, with coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock (subject to local blackout restrictions). Peacock will stream an exclusive pre-race show from 9-11 a.m. ET. Alex Palou, coming off a victory in the GMR Grand Prix earlier this month to move atop the season points standings, won the Indy 500 pole position and will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday.
Following are excerpts from the call. Click here for a full transcript.
Leigh Diffey on the uniqueness of the Indy 500 in all of sport: “This is such a concentrated tradition that you get sucked in by the passion and the history and the ritual and the respect that the people have… to be at a sporting event where cars are going over 200 miles an hour and there are more than 300,000 people in one spot at one time, it’s not hyperbole; there’s nothing like it in the world.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “There’s this really odd, incredible energy that comes from specifically before the start of the race from the field of cars. There’s so much preparation that goes into getting to this moment, and here they are getting ready to be turned loose for the very start of the race, and there’s this anticipation (and) excitement.”
Mike Tirico: “What I love about how large it is, is how personal and individual it is. It’s a very personal connection with the community that I think no sporting event has.”
Danica Patrick on her mentality as a female driver in a male-dominated industry: “I think by not thinking about myself as a girl or using women as a benchmark for anything, it’s probably what gave me my level of success.”
James Hinchcliffe on his lasting memory of racing in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” as a rookie driver: “The real weight of the Indy 500 and the true meaning of it really hit me was when I crashed out of the race about half distance… I think that’s the moment that it really struck me. It was when it all sort of disappeared, all got taken away in that moment, and it was very powerful. I never forgot that.”
Hinchcliffe on his expectations heading into Sunday’s Indy 500: “From everything we’ve seen, how close it is and how fast it is and now how close they can race, I think we’re going to see a very similar sort of race to the first half of last year and then hopefully one just as exciting at the end.”
Townsend Bell on this year’s record Indy 500 qualifying results: “This is the fastest front row in history, the fastest pole speed in history… In fact, this is the fastest field of 33 in history, and that’s what Indy is all about — pushing the limits (and seeing) how fast can you go.”
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Seven hours of live race day programming from IMS on Sunday will get underway with a two-hour pre-race program exclusively on Peacock at 9 a.m. ET. Pre-race coverage will continue at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, and Peacock, with Spanish-language cable network Universo beginning coverage at noon ET, leading into race coverage starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Peacock is the exclusive home for practice, qualifying, warm up sessions and additional INDYCAR programming surrounding “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” For more information about Peacock’s comprehensive streaming coverage of the 2023 INDYCAR season and how to sign up, click here.
Exclusive coverage of Carb Day, the Indy 500 Parade, and Victory Celebration during race weekend will stream live on Peacock.
Following is the remaining programming schedule for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and all events surrounding it over the next week across NBC, Peacock and Universo:
| Date | Event | Platform(s) | Time (ET) |
| Fri., May 26 | Indy 500 Final Practice on Carb Day | Peacock | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. |
| Pit Stop Competition | Peacock | 2:30-4 p.m. | |
| Sat., May 27 | Indy 500 Parade | Peacock | Noon-2 p.m. |
| Sun., May 28 | Indy 500 Pre-Race | Peacock | 9-11 a.m. |
| Indy 500 Pre-Race | NBC, Peacock | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | |
| Indy 500 Pre-Race | Universo | Noon-12:30 p.m. | |
| 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 | NBC, Peacock, Universo | 12:30-4 p.m. | |
| Mon., May 29 | Indy 500 Victory Celebration | Peacock | 8:30-11 p.m. |
--NBC SPORTS--
