Pocono’s Winningest Driver Jeff Gordon Returns to the “Tricky Triangle” in the No. 88
NBCSN Posts Most-Watched Telecast Ever with NASCAR Sprint Cup Race from The Brickyard
NASCAR Releases 2017 Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series Television Schedule
Martin Truex Jr. Stars in this Week’s “Phone A Fan” Social Web Video
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 27, 2016 – NBC Sports enters its fifth weekend of the 2016 NASCAR season with momentum, coming off of the most-watched race in NBCSN’s history and consecutive weeks of increased viewership on TV and via the NBC Sports app. This weekend’s racing features dual coverage from Pocono Raceway’s “Tricky Triangle” and Iowa Speedway, “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet.” NBCSN presents XFINITY Series racing under the lights from Iowa Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Sprint Cup racing from Pocono Raceway Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.
NBCSN’s pre-race Sprint Cup coverage on Sunday surrounds Pocono’s winningest driver, Jeff Gordon, as he returns this weekend for one final attempt at adding a seventh Keystone State victory to his Hall of Fame career. Gordon will again be driving the No. 88., replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is out of the car due to concussion-like symptoms. Coverage also takes a closer look at Kyle Busch’s fourth consecutive NASCAR national series win at Indianapolis, and recent domination in Sprint Cup and XFINITY series races. In addition, NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton goes “driver to driver” with four-time Pocono race winner, Denny Hamlin who swept both races at Pocono Speedway as a rising star 10-years-ago in 2006.
NBCSN POSTS MOST-WATCHED TELECAST EVER WITH NASCAR SPRINT CUP RACE FROM THE BRICKYARD
NBCSN’s Sunday presentation of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing from Indianapolis Motor Speedway averaged 5.2 million viewers and delivered a 3.1 HH rating, marking several consumption milestones, including NBCSN’s most-watched and highest-rated telecast on record. Sunday’s Brickyard 400 viewership grew +11% vs. the same event last year (4.7 million) and peaked between 6:15-6:30 p.m. ET with 6.1 million viewers and a 3.6 HH rating, as Kyle Busch took the checkered flag and became the first driver in NASCAR history to sweep both the Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series poles and victories in one weekend.
Live streaming of Sunday’s race via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app also set an all-time high, generating 5.2 million live minutes, up +93% vs. same event in 2015 and best race ever on NBC Sports’ live streaming platforms. Sunday’s Sprint Cup race stands as 2016’s best performing NASCAR race in all key streaming metrics including uniques, visits and starts.
The full Indianapolis ratings release is available here.
NASCAR RELEASES 2017 CUP AND XFINITY SERIES TELEVISION SCHEDULE
NASCAR released the 2017 Cup and XFINITY Series race start time and network schedule this afternoon. NBC Sports Group’s 20-week Sprint Cup schedule is highlighted by seven races on NBC and 13 races on NBCSN. Among several changes to the 2017 schedule, the Sprint Cup races from Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway will be broadcast on NBC. A complete list of NBC Sports Group’s 2017 NASCAR schedule is available here.
NBCSN PRESENTS SPRINT CUP SERIES RACING FROM POCONO RACEWAY
NBCSN begins its weekend Sprint Cup coverage from Pennsylvania Friday with Sprint Cup practice at 11 a.m. ET followed by qualifying later in the afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. Saturday, NBCSN continues its coverage with final Sprint Cup practice at 11 a.m. ET.
Sunday’s race day coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET with a special 60-minute edition of NASCAR America Sunday. Countdown to Green kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and rolls into official race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Sprint Cup Series post-race show begins at 5 p.m. ET and a special on-site edition of NASCAR Victory Lap closes out the weekend at 11 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Race announcer Rick Allen calls this weekend’s action alongside analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton. Pre- and post-race coverage is handled by host Krista Voda, and analysts Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett. Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman report from pit road.
NBCSN PRESENTS XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM IOWA SPEEDWAY
Coverage from Iowa Speedway begins Friday with practice at 5 p.m. ET which is streamed on NBCSports.com and via the NBC Sports app until Sprint Cup qualifying concludes at 5:30 p.m. ET, at which time XFINITY coverage becomes available on NBCSN. Friday’s coverage concludes with final practice at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Race day coverage begins Saturday with qualifying at 4 p.m. ET followed by Countdown to Green at 7:30 p.m. ET. XFINTIY series racing under the lights begins at 8 p.m. ET.
In Iowa, Dave Burns and Dale Jarrett call this weekend’s action in the series where “names are made,” and rising young stars have a chance to work their way into the XFINITY Chase. Ralph Sheheen and Jim Noble report from pit road.
MARTIN TRUEX JR. STARS IN THIS WEEK’S “PHONE A FAN” SOCIAL WEB VIDEO
Martin Truex Jr. stars in this week’s new NASCAR on NBC “Phone a Fan” web video, where unsuspecting fans receive calls from their favorite NASCAR drivers. In the video released today on the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page and twitter accounts, Truex Jr. chats with some of his unsuspecting hometown fans in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Check out the full video here.
UPCOMING NASCAR PROGRAMMING
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Wed., July 27 | NASCAR: The List Memorable Moments | 5:30 PM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Thur., July 28 | NASCAR America | 6:00 PM | NBCSN |
| Fri., July 29 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – Pocono | 11:00 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono | 4:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – Iowa | 5:00 PM | Streaming | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – Iowa | 5:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice – Iowa (Encore) | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Final Practice – Iowa | 7:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice – Pocono (Encore) | 8:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono (Encore) | 10:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Sat., July 30 | NASCAR Whelen Modified - New Hampshire (Encore) | 10:30 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – Pocono | 11:00 AM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying - Iowa | 4:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono (Encore) | 6:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Countdown To Green | 7:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR XFINITY Series Racing From Iowa | 8:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Sun., July 31 | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying – Pocono (Encore) | 10:30 AM | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America Sunday | 12:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| Countdown To Green | 1:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Racing From Pocono | 1:30 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race | 5:00 PM | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Victory Lap | 11:00 PM | NBCSN |
All of NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR coverage is available to stream on NBCSports.com and via the NBC Sports app. The NBC Sports app is powered by Playmaker Media, and is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
NASCARTalk on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on NASCAR drivers, teams and industry news. For all the latest NASCAR content socially, fans can follow @NASCARonNBC and @NASCARTalkNBC on twitter and like the NASCAR on NBC Facebook page.
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