2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Continue From Richmond Raceway This Saturday
By: Tori Hartshorn Sep. 18, 2018
NBC Sports Group surrounds the second race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 16, with more than 15 hours of trackside coverage this week from Richmond Raceway, in Richmond, Va. NBC Sports' race coverage begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with the first race of the Xfinity Series Playoffs, and culminates Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with NASCAR Cup Series racing.
Following a down-to-the-wire finish and thrilling victory this past Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brad Keselowski, driver of Team Penske's No. 2 Ford, officially clinched a spot in the Round of 12. Of the remaining 15 Playoff driversMartin Truex Jr. leads the pack with 2,087 points, followed by Kyle Busch(2,085 points), Kevin Harvick (2,060 points) and Joey Logano (2,056 points).
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM RICHMOND RACEWAY - SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN kicks off coverage of the second Playoff race in the Round of 16 this Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET with first practice live from Richmond Raceway. Final practice begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. An on-site edition of NASCAR America, at 5:30 p.m. ET, leads into qualifying at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Saturday's race-day coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NASCAR America, followed by pre-race Countdown to Green coverage at 7 p.m. ET. Live Playoff racing begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
NASCAR on NBC's lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will call the action, alongside Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte(@steveletarte), from NBC Sports' traditional broadcast booth above the start/finish line. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) will be teamed with 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton) in NBCSN's second "Drivers Booth."
Krista Voda (@KristaVoda) will host pre- and post-race coverage alongsideKyle Petty (@KylePetty), and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett).Marty Snider (@HeyMartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@Kellistavast) and Dave Burns (@tvdaveburns) will report from pit road alongside features reporterRutledge Wood (@Rutledgewood).
DALE EARNHARDT JR. TO SERVE AS IN-CAR ANALYST DURING NBCSN'S XFINITY RACE COVERAGE FROM RICHMOND RACEWAY
NASCAR on NBC analyst and NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to competition this week driving JR Motorsports' No. 88 in Friday's Xfinity race at Richmond Raceway. Pulling double duty, Earnhardt will also contribute to NBCSN's race coverage as a special in-car analyst, adding his behind the wheel perspective.
On a conference call last week, Earnhardt previewed the experience saying:
"I'm prepared and have my bag ready to go, my helmet, my suit, everything in it, and I'll be a busy man, jostling between my responsibilities with NBC and covering practices and qualifications and so forth for the Cup event and then doing the practices and driving the car on the Xfinity side. It'll be a busy weekend for me. Not something I'd want to be doing often, but there's a little itch to scratch, and I'm looking forward to having this opportunity to race a little bit, have some fun."
NBC Sports' coverage of the first race of the Xfinity Series Playoffs begins Friday, with first practice at 8:30 a.m. ET, followed by final practice at 10 a.m. ET, available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Qualifying begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Pre-race coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN with Countdown to Green, followed by green flag racing at 7:30 p.m. ET. A live on-site post-race show wraps up the evening at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Rick Allen will call Friday's Xfinity race alongside Jeff Burton from NBC Sports' traditional broadcast booth above the start/finish line. Steve Letarte will call the race "On The Box" atop NBC Sports Group's "Peacock Pit Box." In-car analyst Earnhardt will communicate via radio with Letarte, Burton and Allen throughout the race. Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Parker Kligerman will report from pit road, while Rutledge Wood offers his entertaining perspective.
KYLE LARSON JOINS TOMORROW'S NASCAR AMERICA "WEDNESDAYS WITH DALE JR."
NASCAR America "Wednesdays with Dale Jr.," NBCSN's weekly motorsports show featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr., welcomes Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff driver Kyle Larson as a guest tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Live from the "Big Oak Table" at NBC Sports' NASCAR office in Charlotte, N.C., Larson, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevy, joins Rutledge Wood and Dale Jarrett for an in-depth discussion and free-flowing conversation.
UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Wednesday, Sept. 19 | NASCAR America "Wednesdays with Dale Jr." | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Thursday, Sept. 20 | NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Dale Jr. Download | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Friday, Sept. 21 | NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Richmond | 8:30 a.m. | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Richmond | 10 a.m. | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com | |
| NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Richmond | 11:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Decades | 12:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Richmond | 1:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| K&N Pro West - Las Vegas | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Richmond (Encore) | 3:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying - Richmond | 4:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Richmond | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Richmond | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Decades - The 90s Part 1 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Decades | 10:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Saturday, Sept. 22 | NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Richmond (Encore) | 4 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Richmond (Encore) | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Race - Richmond | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 11 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Decades | 11:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
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