NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 Continues Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN; Pre-Race Coverage Begins at 2 p.m. ET
NBC Sports’ Parker Kligerman Serves as In-Race Reporter While Driving No. 96 Fast Checkout Toyota Camry for Sunday’s Cup Series Race
Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8 – Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on NBC
MotoGP Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Coverage Sunday at Noon ET on NBC and 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN
New Dale Jr. Download Features Country Music Star Cole Swindell Tonight at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 21, 2021 – Another chance to earn a spot in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series Championship 4 is on the line this weekend at Kansas Speedway with race coverage on NBC and NBCSN. An hour-long edition of Countdown to Green pre-race coverage will be presented this Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, leading into the green flag waving shortly after 3 p.m. ET. A half-hour NASCAR America will air immediately following the conclusion of the race on NBCSN.
The Playoffs Round of 8 will also continue in the Xfinity Series this Saturday, Oct. 23, with race coverage at 2:45 p.m. ET from Kansas on NBC. The race will mark the first opportunity for a playoff driver to secure a berth in the Championship 4 field with a victory after none did so last weekend in Texas.
NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup and Xfinity Series Playoff races this weekend from Kansas alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Dillon Welch will contribute coverage from pit road during this weekend’s races. Kligerman will pull double duty and serve as an in-race reporter Sunday while he competes in the Cup Series race in the No. 96 Fast Checkout Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing, providing unique updates from the driver’s perspective while wearing a helmet cam.
Marty Snider will anchor pre-race coverage Sunday alongside auto racing icon Kyle Petty and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett. Earnhardt Jr. and Burton will also join Countdown to Green pre-race from pit road. Pre-race coverage will include:
- Joey Logano speaks with Kyle Petty about being in a must-win position at a track where he’s had success in the past;
- A special retrospective on Chip Ganassi as he prepares to end his memorable career in NASCAR.
Petty and Jarrett will provide commentary during NASCAR America post-race coverage on Sunday.
Kyle Larson advanced to the Championship 4 with his victory Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. On Saturday, John Hunter Nemechek won his second career Xfinity Series race at Texas.
2021 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS ROUND OF 8
| Drivers | Points |
| Kyle Larson | Advanced to Championship 4 |
| Ryan Blaney | 4072 (+17) |
| Denny Hamlin | 4064 (+9) |
| Kyle Busch | 4063 (+8) |
| Chase Elliott | 4055 (-8) |
| Brad Keselowski | 4048 (-15) |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 4041 (-22) |
| Joey Logano | 4020 (-43) |
NASCAR Pick ‘Em: NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, NASCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each NASCAR Cup Series race. 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) and at nbcsports.com/predictor.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Rick Allen
- Analysts: Steve Letarte, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Dillon Welch, Parker Kligerman (Saturday), Dave Burns (Sunday)
STUDIO TEAM
- Host: Marty Snider
- Analysts: Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBC, NBCSN
- Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Sat., Oct. 23 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Racing at Kansas Speedway | NBC | 2:45 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 24 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | NBCSN | 2 p.m. |
| NASCAR Cup Series Racing at Kansas Speedway | NBCSN | 3 p.m. | |
| NASCAR America Post Race – NASCAR Cup Series | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m. |
MOTOGP: EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX
The 2021 MotoGP season continues with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy this Sunday at noon ET on NBC. An encore will be presented in the evening at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo leads the points standings and has a chance to clinch his first premier class title, but Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia looks to keeps his championship hopes alive at the track where he won just one month ago.
MECUM AUCTIONS: CHICAGO
BROADCAST TEAM
- Host: Scott Hoke
- Analysts: John Kraman, Stephen Cox
- Reporters: Bill Stephens, Katie Osborne
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBCSN
- Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, and NBC Sports app
| Date | Network/Streaming | Time (ET) |
| Thurs., Oct. 21 | NBCSN, Peacock | 2 p.m. (LIVE) |
| Fri., Oct. 22 | NBCSN, Peacock | Noon (LIVE) |
| Sat., Oct. 23 | NBCSN, Peacock | 12:30 p.m. (LIVE) |
| NBCSN | 8 p.m.* | |
| Sun., Oct. 24 | NBCSN | 8:30 p.m.* |
*delayed coverage
The three-day auction from the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Chicago, Ill., features 1,000 classic and collector vehicles ranging from entry-level collectibles to multimillion-dollar auctions, headlined by the Patrick M. Hurst Collection and the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible, among many others.
In addition to coverage on NBCSN, the auction will stream live on Peacock daily Thursday-Saturday.
DALE JR. DOWNLOAD
Country music star Cole Swindell is this week’s guest on the Dale Jr. Download episode that airs tonight at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.
--NBC SPORTS--