The NHRA has detailed its 2012 television coverage, which again airs exclusively on ESPN2 and ESPN.
The Full Throttle Drag Racing Series television schedule features Sunday night prime-time slots on ESPN2 or ESPN for nearly every event. All six of the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoff events are scheduled to offer eliminations coverage in prime time. The prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, will again feature 11 hours of wall-to-wall coverage, including complete coverage of final eliminations on Monday, Sept. 3, from noon to 6 p.m. ET.
In all, the network will dedicate more than 100 hours of original programming to the world's quickest, fastest and most intense motorsport, with live or same-day coverage of qualifying on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. All telecasts will be aired in high definition on ESPN2HD or ESPNHD.
The shows are developed by the production team at ESPN, which has been producing NHRA programming since 2001. Paul Page returns to call the action as host, alongside former drag racer Mike Dunn, who will provide expert analysis and insight. Each show will feature three pit reporters in 2012. Dave Rieff and Gary Gerould will return as pit reporters at all 23 events. Veteran announcer John Kernan, who joined the NHRA telecast team in 2007, will split duties as the third pit reporter with Jamie Howe. A familiar face in the NHRA pit area, Howe served as a pit reporter on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts on ESPN2 in 2011.
The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will also again be televised in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2, with coverage from select NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national events, it was announced today by the world's largest motorsports sanctioning organization. In addition, the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlights, focusing on NHRA's Member Track network, will air on ESPN2 as part of the race-coverage telecasts.
The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will air on ESPN2 on a tape-delay basis as part of NHRA's relationship with ESPN, in its second decade as the exclusive home of NHRA Drag Racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. Returning as anchor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts will be long-time NHRA announcer Dave Rieff, who will be joined in the booth by popular NHRA announcer Bob Frey.
In addition to his race-coverage duties in the booth, Frey will host the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlight segments. The segments will showcase unique and interesting stories from NHRA Member Tracks in each of the sanctioning body's seven divisions.