NHRA announces several broadcast deals for 2009

Published 4:28 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2009

GLENDORA, Calif. — The worldwide leader in sports television will join forces with NHRA for a ninth consecutive season in 2009 as ESPN2 returns as the exclusive network of the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. ESPN2 is now available in more than 96 million households.

It’s a partnership that began in 2001 and has grown stronger with each and every year of the relationship. In 2008 the fast-growing NHRA Full Throttle Series delivered nine percent ratings growth on its Sunday elimination broadcast.

The 2009 season begins in Southern California with the 49th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals from Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Feb. 5-8. It will conclude back in Pomona for the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15, the sixth and final race in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to 1, and like each of the previous five races in the NHRA playoffs it will be shown in prime time (4-7 p.m.).

In all, the network will dedicate more than 120 hours of original programming to the world’s quickest, fastest and most intense motorsport with live or same-day coverage of qualifying and eliminations on Sundays.

In fact, 16 of the 24 races will begin or end in the 4-7 p.m. time slot and all 24 of the races will be presented once again in high definition.

Additionally, the popular pre-race show that debuted in 2007, NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, will be back in 2009, once again being produced on-site to allow fans attending the Sunday race a chance to watch – and participate – in the show. It will air on each of the 24 Sundays that the NHRA Full Throttle Series is racing.

Among the highlights of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD include consistent time slots on Sunday evening for the final elimination rounds, with a majority in the coveted Sunday night prime-time slot. In addition, the network will dedicate 10 hours of coverage to the world’s most prestigious drag race, the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-7, 2009.

Paul Page returns to the broadcast booth alongside former drag racer Mike Dunn, who will provide expert analysis and insight on the racing action. Dave Rieff and Gary Gerould will return as pit reporters. Joining them at select races throughout the year will be veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA broadcast team in 2007.

NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, will be hosted once again by Rieff and Dunn, and originate from NHRA’s Nitro Alley. NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil sets up the day for fans at home with must-see match-ups, interviews with the stars of the sport, driver features, news and analysis, a review of qualifying and what to watch for during the all-important Sunday eliminations action.

This year’s schedule includes four qualifying shows that will repeat on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Sunday morning. Those events include Phoenix, Gainesville, Reading and Memphis, all of which have non-prime time original air time slots on Saturday night.

In addition to coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing will be aired and distributed internationally through ESPN International.

GLENDORA, Calif. – For the eighth consecutive year, NHRA announced today that The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada will televise the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series’ entire 24-event schedule in 2009, dedicating nearly 75 hours of programming to NHRA, the fastest and most exciting motorsport in the world.

Highlighting TSN’s 24-event, 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series broadcast schedule will be coverage of final eliminations.

The season begins with the 49th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals from the fabled Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California and stretches the entire season, concluding with the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals, also at Pomona. The coverage also includes programming from the world’s largest and most prestigious drag racing event, the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals from O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

NHRA sanctions seven member tracks in Canada, offering many of its popular grassroots sportsman racing programs. NHRA’s Canadian member tracks include: Luskville, Quebec (Luskville Dragway); Napierville, Quebec (Napierville Raceway); St. Sparta, Ont. (St. Thomas Dragway); Medicine Hat, Alberta (M.H.D.R.A. Dragstrip); Mission, B.C. (Mission Raceway); Ashcroft, B.C. (Nl’Akapxm Eagle Motorplex); Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan International Raceway).

GLENDORA, Calif. – NHRA has announced the continuation of its relationship with the American Forces Network (AFN) to deliver the unique sights and sounds of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing to the men and women stationed overseas.

“NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing programming increases our ability to provide our worldwide American Forces Network audience with the best sports coverage from back home,” said Larry Marotta, Chief of Television at the AFN Broadcast Center. “We are delighted by the generosity of the NHRA and proudly welcome their excellent programs to our showcase of American television.”

The U.S. Armed Forces, along with Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees and their families, will be able to follow NHRA’s Full Throttle Drag Racing Series all season long on AFN.

In an agreement with the NHRA and ESPN, Inc., the AFN Broadcast Center plans to provide tape-delayed distribution of ESPN2’s television coverage of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series on its AFN | xtra channel. For more information about AFN, log on to www.afrts.osd.mil. For AFN radio and TV schedules, visit www.myafn.net.

GLENDORA, Calif. – NHRA announced that ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will continue to air 16 one-hour shows with coverage from select NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national events in 2009. In addition, the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlights, focusing on sportsman racers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA’s member track network, will return on Inside Drag Racing.

The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will be showcased on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of NHRA’s exclusive relationship with ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports. ESPN2 is now available in more than 96 million households.

All 16 broadcasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Many of today’s top professional drivers, including Brandon Bernstein, Jeg Coughlin and Ashley Force to name a few, got their start in one of the NHRA Lucas Oil Series’ seven sportsman categories.

Returning as anchor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts will be long-time NHRA announcer David Rieff, who will be joined in the booth by popular NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Rieff has been involved for many years with NHRA coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

Frey will host the NHRA Sportsman Spotlight segment, which will air in 2009 as part of a special feature on Inside Drag Racing, a Masters Entertainment Group production, on Fox Sports Net National at 11:30 a.m. (ET) beginning Sunday, April 13 and every Sunday thereafter.

In addition to segments produced in 2008 that were not broadcast, Bob Frey will visit an NHRA Member Track in each of NHRA’s seven divisions. Bob Frey’s schedule of appearances include: Spencer Mountain Speedway in New York (Aug. 8: Div. 1); Palm Beach International Dragway in Florida (March 7: Div. 2); O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (Sept. 19: Div. 3); No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La. (March 21: Div. 4); Oahe Speedway in Pierre, S.D. (Aug. 1: Div. 5); Mission Raceway in Mission B.C., Canada (May 23: Div. 6); and Speedworld Dragstrip in Arizona (Feb. 14: Div. 7). A location for Division 5, as well as scheduled air dates for all sportsman spotlight segments on Inside Drag Racing will be announced at a later date.