The SPEED network has announced that it will provide live TV coverage of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and Armor All Gold Coast 600, both of which will run in prime time in the U.S. due to the time difference to Australia. The prestigious Down Under events will air in full HD.
SPEED will bring its own commentary and production teams to Australia. They will share the resources of V8 Supercars Television.V8 Supercars will provide SPEED with a purpose-built set in pit lane for both events. It will also convert all of its race graphics and information specifically, for example converting kilometers into miles and liters into gallons.
The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is one of Australia's most famous sporting events, while the Armor All Gold Coast 600 is quickly rising to a similar stature with 28 international drivers joining the field as co-drivers, including the likes of IndyCar's Sebastien Bourdais, Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon, Tony Kanaan and Aussies Will Power and Ryan Briscoe.
The announcement further bolsters the U.S. TV presence of the V8 Supercars, whose races typically air on a one-week delay basis on SPEED. It follows the announcement in June that V8 Supercars will race at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas starting in 2013.
"This is a fantastic announcement for Australian sport and a tremendous endorsement of V8 Supercars," V8 Supercars chairman Tony Cochrane said. "Our sport is acting locally and growing globally every single month. We are on the march internationally and being recognized as such."
"This is a great opportunity to share one of the signature events in all of motorsports with the SPEED audience,” said Patti Wheeler, executive vp of programming and production for the network. "Some special arrangements already are in the works as we put together our on-air team and broadcast plans."