Countdown to Green NASCAR Cup Series Pre-Race Coverage Gets Underway Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network Leading into Green Flag at 3 p.m. ET
The Dale Jr. Download Featuring Randy Lanier Presented Tonight at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock
STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 11, 2022 – The playoff race is heating up in the NASCAR Cup Series this Sunday at Richmond Raceway at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network as only three races remain in the 2022 regular season. Countdown to Green begins pre-race coverage at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network with NASCAR America post-race immediately following the checkered flag at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Following Kevin Harvick’s victory at Michigan International Speedway last weekend snapping a 65-race winless drought, 15 drivers have won a race this season in the Cup Series. Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and Bubba Wallace lead the list of drivers still looking for a win to try and secure a spot in the playoffs. Blaney currently leads Truex Jr. by 19 points in the final playoff position. Truex Jr. has three career victories at Richmond Raceway.
Last weekend’s Cup Series race from Michigan International Speedway averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.663 million viewers on USA Network, up 4% from last year’s Michigan race on NBCSN and up 22% vs. the Watkins Glen race from the comparable weekend. Michigan marked NBC Sports’ fourth consecutive Cup Series race with year-over-year viewership increases. Additionally, last Sunday’s NASCAR America post-race show drew 1.534 million P2+ viewers, which was NBC Sports’ most-watched Cup Series post-race show on cable since 2019 (8/11/19 Michigan on NBCSN; 1.593 million P2+).
This weekend in Richmond marks the second of three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races that will be on USA Network, with six of the next seven Cup Series races, including pre- and post-race coverage, also on the network. Click here for more details.
Two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will serve as analysts for Sunday’s Cup Series race this weekend from Richmond Raceway with lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen. Marty Snider, Parker Kligerman and Dave Burns will serve as pit reporters.
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will anchor pre- and post-race studio coverage with Snider on Sunday.
Burton will drive the NBC Toyota car during Sunday’s pre-race coverage to provide viewers an idea of the short track and also give a special guest a ride around Richmond Raceway.
A feature on Jeff and Ward Burton, who are natives of South Boston, Va., will take a look at the racing family’s roots and Ward’s post-racing career in wildlife conservation during pre-race coverage.
Earnhardt Jr. is a three-time winner at Richmond Raceway earning victories in 2000, 2004 and 2006, and Jarrett won a pair of races at Richmond in 1997 and 1999. Burton (1998) and Petty (1986) also earned victories at the short track.
The official home of the NASCAR Championship and Playoffs, NBC Sports will once again present the final 20 NASCAR Cup Series races and 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2022 across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, culminating with the Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5-6. Click here for more information on NBC Sports’ 2022 NASCAR coverage.
NASCAR Pick ‘Em: NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, NASCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each NASCAR Cup Series race throughout the season. NASCAR Pick ‘Em is available for download now on the NBC Sports Predictor app powered by PointsBet (available in the App Store and Google Play Store).
Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane airs each Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The half-hour unscripted series will follow the over-the-top NASCAR lifestyle of Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon, along with wife Whitney, adorable son Ace, and best friends Paul and Mariel Swan. Featuring high-stakes races, hilarious adventures and heartwarming moments at home, Austin leans on his loved ones both on and off the track as he trains and competes in the NASCAR season.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Analysts: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte
- Play by Play: Rick Allen
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Parker Kligerman, Dave Burns
STUDIO COVERAGE TEAM
- Host: Marty Snider
- Analysts: Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – USA Network
- Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
| Date | Coverage | Platform | Time (ET) |
| Sat., Aug. 13 | NASCAR Cup Series Practice & Qualifying | USA Network | 5 p.m. |
| Sun., Aug. 14 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | USA Network | 2 p.m. |
| NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 | USA Network | 3 p.m. | |
| NASCAR America Post-Race – NASCAR Cup Series | USA Network | 6:30 p.m. |
MONSTER JAM
NBC Sports continues its presentation of the 2022 Monster Jam season this Saturday from East Rutherford, N.J., at noon ET on CNBC. The complete schedule can be found here.
THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD
Former professional IMSA and INDYCAR driver Randy Lanier joins this week’s The Dale Jr. Download episode streaming tonight at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock. Weekly and on-demand episodes of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast will stream exclusively on the platform, taking viewers table-side for unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight from Dale Jr.
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