2012 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES: The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule will include two new events with the NBC Sports Network providing live coverage of both the Qingdao, China race on August, 18, and the Series’ finale from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. on Sept. 15. The network will also air one-hour of qualifying coverage the day before each race airs and will replay race coverage the following day. Additionally, the NBC Sports Network will air more than 16 hours of qualification events leading up to the Indianapolis 500.
The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series has several compelling storylines this year beginning with the debut of a new car for the first time in nearly a decade. The revolutionary new chassis is designed to be safer and more efficient, while maintaining the close competition that's been a hallmark of the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Additionally this season, 2011 IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti will go for racing history as he attempts to match Sebastian Bourdais' record of four-consecutive IndyCar titles. Should Franchitti win his fourth-straight title, he would be just the second driver to win at least five season titles joining A.J. Foyt with seven national championships in the United States Auto Club. Some of the new talent to watch this year that will challenge veteran drivers are Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, JR Hildebrand, Simona De Silvestro, Graham Rahal and Josef Newgarden.
INDYCAR 36: The NBC Sports Network will extend its all-access 36 series to IndyCar with the premiere of IndyCar 36, Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET, leading into the first day of race coverage. The first driver profiled will be Tony Kanaan, 2004 IndyCar Series winner.
The all-new NBC Sports Network original series is produced by IMS Productions and gives viewers an all-access pass into the life of a world-class driver in the middle of race season. The cameras will follow a driver for 36 hours during a race weekend providing a behind-the-scenes look at the on- and off-track activities of the stars of the IndyCar Series.
The all-access 36 also includes NHL 36, which debuted in December, and Fight Night 36 that aired earlier this month.
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS: NBC Sports Network will air 12 one-hour telecasts of Firestone Indy Lights beginning tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET, with coverage of last week’s race from St. Petersburg, Florida. Firestone Indy Lights is the premier ladder series for drivers and teams striving to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. Primarily run in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights schedule features races on road courses/street circuits and ovals, including the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
COMMENTATORS: Returning to NBC Sports Network’s booth is Bob Jenkins (lead race announcer), Jon Beekhuis (analyst) and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. (analyst). Jenkins is a veteran motorsports television and radio announcer, who has served in the same role since the inaugural season in 2009. Beekhuis, an analyst who has also served at the network since 2009, is a former CART driver (1989-92), the 1988 Indy Lights Champion, and a pit reporter/analyst for numerous networks, including ESPN, SPEED, CBS and NBC.
Dallenbach, a former NASCAR driver from 1991-2001, joined NBC Sports Network last year after covering NASCAR for NBC Sports and Turner Sports beginning in 2001.
REPORTERS: Veterans Marty Snider and Kevin Lee will return this season as pit reporters, and will be joined by newcomer and current IndyCar driver Townsend Bell, who raced in the Indy 500 in 2010 and 2011 for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Robin Miller will serve as the network’s IndyCar reporter.
BOB JENKINS ON THE 2012 COMPETITION AND THIS WEEK’S RACE: “This year more than any other in my memory, there are many unanswered questions. One question is: ‘Will the three engines be compatible?’ We saw at St. Petersburg that the new Chevy was the best. But I'll be interested to see if that continues at Barber. The results at St. Petersburg may indicate the beginning of a comeback for Helio Castroneves. After a disastrous 2011, he may be ready to challenge for the championship again and, don't forget, he'll try to join the exclusive list of four-time winners this year at Indianapolis.”
VIEWERSHIP: Since the inaugural season of televising IndyCar Series races in 2009, the NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS) has continued to deliver in-depth and all-encompassing race coverage to motorsports fans. In 2011, the network experienced its most-watched IndyCar season to-date and delivered four of the most-watched IndyCar races ever on the network: Edmonton, Baltimore, Texas and Toronto. The 2011 IndyCar Series season was up 10 percent among average viewers and saw increases among key male demos.
NBC SPORTS NETWORK’S WEEKEND COVERAGE (subject to change, all times ET):
DATE COVERAGE TIME
Sat., March 31 IndyCar Qualifying 4 p.m.
Sun., April 1 IndyCar 36 featuring Tony Kanaan 1:30 p.m.
Sun., April 1 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama 2 p.m.
Mon., April 2 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (re-air) 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
NBC SPORTS NETWORK’S 2012 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE (subject to change, all times ET):
DATE RACE LOCATION TIME
April 1 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Birmingham, Alab. 2 p.m.
April 15 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Long Beach, Calif. 3:30 p.m.
April 29 Sao Paulo Indy 300 Sao Paulo, Brazil 11 a.m.
June 9 Firestone 550 Fort Worth, Texas 8 p.m.
June 23 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Newton, Iowa 8 p.m.
July 22 Edmonton Indy Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2 p.m.
August 18 Streets of Qingdao Qingdao, China 12 a.m.
August 26 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma Sonoma, Calif. 4 p.m.
September 2 Baltimore Grand Prix Baltimore, Md. 2 p.m.
September 15 Auto Club Speedway Fontana, Calif. 8 p.m.
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