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2015 Verizon INDYCAR Series Crowns Champ on NBCSN This Weekend
By: Tyler Peterson Aug. 26, 2015
The 2015 Verizon INDYCAR Series will crown its champion this weekend on NBCSN, as Juan Pablo Montoya looks for his first INDYCAR season championship at the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. NBCSN's coverage will also include IndyCar's tributes to driver Justin Wilson, who passed away Monday after succumbing to injuries suffered in Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway.
This weekend's race at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is worth double points, meaning a potential 100-point swing in the standings. Montoya (Team Penske) currently holds a 34-point lead over Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan). Four other drivers still have a mathematical chance to win the title, including former series champions Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi) and Will Power (Team Penske),Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) and Josef Newgarden (CFH Racing).
Montoya will win the title if he finishes third or higher and Rahal does not win the race. Click here for full championship possible outcomes.
| VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES POINTS STANDINGS | |||||
| Rank | Driver (Team) | Points | Behind | Wins | Top 10 |
| 1 | Juan Pablo Montoya (Penske) | 500 | - | 2 | 12 |
| 2 | Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) | 466 | 34 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi) | 453 | 47 | 2 | 11 |
| 4 | Will Power (Penske) | 439 | 61 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Helio Castroneves (Penske) | 423 | 77 | 0 | 9 |
| 6 | Josef Newgarden (CFH Racing) | 413 | 87 | 2 | 9 |
Live INDYCAR coverage on NBCSN begins Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET with practice, followed by qualifying at 6 p.m. ET. Race coverage from Sonoma begins Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Lead INDYCAR play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will call the Grand Prix of Sonoma, alongside analyst and current driver Townsend Bell, and analyst and former INDYCAR driver Paul Tracy. Robin Miller, Marty Snider, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Leeand Katie Hargitt will patrol the pits.
RACING COMMUNITY MOURNS LOSS OF INDYCAR DRIVER JUSTIN WILSON
The INDYCAR community and racing fans from around the world are mourning the loss of Andretti Autosport driver Justin Wilson, who passed away on Monday after succumbing to injuries suffered in Sunday's race at Pocono Raceway. Tributes to Wilson will be part of NBCSN's coverage on Sunday.
This week's episodes of NASCAR AMERICA included a tribute narrated by Leigh Diffey, as well interviews with INDYCAR drivers Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger, and NBC Sports Group motorsports analyst Jon Beekhuis. Click here to watch those full interviews.
Following are excerpts from NASCAR AMERICA interviews on Wilson:
Allmendinger: "He was one of the most kind, most gentle, nicest people I had the pleasure to be around...to call a teammate, more importantly to call a friend...I always put him as one of the best race car drivers I'd ever seen or been around."
Castroneves: "He was such a polite and nice guy that we chose him to be a spokesperson for the Drivers' Association. We knew if anyone tried to attack the drivers, he'd be the best person to defend us in the nicest way...you talk to anybody in the paddock...you don't hear anything negative."
Kanaan: "It's always been time to talk about safety. I want people to be aware that we are not talking about closing cockpits now - we've been talking about this for years. This has been an issue with the FIA and open-wheel racing forever...safety was Justin's priority. His biggest concern was stuff flying into the stands to protect the fans."
Diffey: "He was always one of the easiest guys to talk to, and you knew you were going to get a very genuine answer. One of the most beautiful things about Justin is that he had time for everybody...whether it was for media people or fans."
Beekhuis: "Justin and I had a chance to travel a lot together. We were both based in Colorado... we would end up on a lot of the same flights...he was incredibly talented behind the wheel."
In addition, click here to read a feature penned by MotorsportsTalk's Tony DiZinno highlighting Wilson's career on and off the track.
MOBSTEEL REACHES 2.8 MILLION VIEWERS IN FIRST WEEK OF TELECASTS ON NBCSN; NEW EPISODE AIRS TONIGHT AT 10 P.M. ET, ENCORE AIRS SUNDAY FOLLOWING INDYCAR
Mobsteel, NBCSN's new automotive reality series, reached 2.8 million viewers in its first week of telecasts, which included premieres and re-airs of two episodes. As reported last week, the series debut on Sunday, August 16, averaged 965,000 viewers, making it NBCSN's most-watched original programming series premiere ever.
MOBSTEEL follows founder Adam Genei and his team of custom-car specialists, including his wifePam Genei, as they restore vehicles ranging from the finest relics of the American automotive boom.Mobsteel is an existing custom-car shop that was founded more than 10 years ago, using vintage parts and Detroit steel to bring these ancient American cars back to life.
NBCSN presents a new episode of MOBSTEEL tonight at 10 p.m. ET, as Adam and the crew work to restore an old International Harvester Loadstar into a new worktruck dubbed "The Gangstar."
NBCSN PRESENTS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM ROAD AMERICA SATURDAY AT 3 P.M. ET
As released earlier today, NBC Sports Group continues its 2015 NASCAR coverage this weekend with XFINITY Series Racing from Road America this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Click here for more information about this week's NASCAR coverage on NBC and NBCSN.
Following is NBC Sports Group's motorsports coverage this week:
| Date | Program | Time (ET) | Network |
| Wed., August 26 | Mobsteel (Encore) | 9 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Mobsteel (New Episode) | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Thur., August 27 | NASCAR K&N Pro Series West - Colorado* | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Mecum Dealmakers - Denver | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Fri., August 28 | XFINITY Series First Practice - Road America | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR America | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Final Practice - Road America | 4:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Whelen Modified - Bristol* | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat., August 29 | XFINITY Series Qualifying - Road America | 12:15 p.m. | NBCSN |
| IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma - Practice | 1:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Countdown to Green Pre-Race Show | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| XFINITY Series Race - Road America | 3 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma - Qualifying | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar Chronicles | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mobsteel (Encore) | 8 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sun., August 30 | IndyCar Chronicles | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| IndyCar Chronicles | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| IndyCar Grand Prix of Sonoma | 4 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mobsteel (Encore) | 8 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Dealmakers: Denver (Encore) | 9 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Mecum Dealmakers: Seattle (Encore) | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series West - Colorado* | 11 p.m. | NBCSN |
*taped last week
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