NASCAR, NBCSN Reveal Robust 2015 Regional Touring Series Broadcast Schedule
Unprecedented 39-Race Slate For K&N Pro Series, Whelen Modified Tours;
K&N Pro Series East Richmond race moved to Fall weekend
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2015) – NASCAR and NBC Sports Group announced today an unprecedented broadcast line-up of NASCAR’s popular regional touring series, with a 39-race telecast schedule for racing’s premiere grassroots series as their landmark partnership begins this season.
NBCSN’s slate features all 25 K&N Pro Series races between the top developmental series, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. The coming season will also see triple the television exposure from previous years for the stars and cars of the exciting Whelen Modified Tours, NASCAR‘s only open-wheeled division, which competes at historic short tracks from New Hampshire to North Carolina. A total of 14 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events are included on this season’s schedule.
“This represents a big step forward for all four of our U.S. tours and reinforces NBC Sports Group’s commitment to these important NASCAR developmental series,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president for regional and touring series.
“We’re excited to begin our partnership’s racing coverage with the up and coming stars of NASCAR,” said Mike Perman, Vice President of Programming, NBC Sports Group. “NASCAR’s Regional Touring Series gives NBCSN a great way to kick off our racing action and compelling stories that will unfold throughout the year.”
NBCSN’s inaugural touring series event is the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season-opener at famed Florida short-track New Smyrna Speedway. The New Smyrna 150 will be contested on Feb. 15 and will air four days later on Feb. 19 on NBCSN.
All 39 races are scheduled to be presented by NBCSN in one-hour shows the week following the event.
NASCAR also announced that the K&N Pro Series East event at Richmond International Raceway, originally scheduled for Apr. 24, has been moved to the fall NASCAR weekend at “America’s Premier Short Track” and will open the weekend racing schedule on Thursday, Sep. 10. The race will air on NBCSN on Sept. 16.
“Working with our partners at the track and competition officials, we determined that moving the K&N Pro Series East event at Richmond to the fall date made sense for everyone involved,” Silbermann said. “This fills what was previously a month-long gap before the series finale, something I know the competitors will appreciate.”
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
About NBC Sports Group
On July 23, 2013, NASCAR and NBC Sports Group reached a comprehensive agreement that grants NBCUniversal exclusive rights to the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series events, select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events and other live content, beginning this 4th of July weekend from Daytona International Speedway. With this partnership, NBC’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race schedule includes a designation as the exclusive home to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, when the elite national series races through its final 10 events of the season. The Chase culminates with the season-ending championship event, which returns to network television in 2015 for the first time since 2009. Of NBC Sports Group’s 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, seven will be carried on NBC annually, with 13 airing on NBCSN. Four of NBC Sports Group’s 19 NASCAR XFINITY Series races will air on NBC, with 15 airing on NBCSN. NASCAR AMERICA premiered in February 2014, following Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 victory and NBC Sports Group’s multi-platform coverage of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The weekday 30-minute news and highlights program is dedicated to America’s fascination with speed and stock car racing, and features regular appearances by NBC Sports’ NASCAR experts, as well as a rotation of guest analysts.
Contact:
Jason Cunningham
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications