Seven-Time Nascar Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson Visits THE BRICKYARD For Final Opportunity To Secure Spot In 2018 Playoffs
By: Tori Hartshorn Sep. 05, 2018
NBC Sports Group gears up for the final week of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season with more than 21 hours of trackside coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Speedway, Ind. NBC Sports' race coverage from "The Brickyard" begins Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with Xfinity Series racing, and culminates Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing.
For the first time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NBC Sports Group will call Saturday and Sunday's races "Radio Style" from multiple vantage points throughout the track.
NASCAR on NBC's lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing), and Daytona 500 winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte), will call both races from NBC Sports' traditional broadcast booth above the start-finish line. Allen and Letarte will be joined by NASCAR on NBC analysts and former driversDale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr), Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton) and Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman), as well as veteran MRN and SiriusXM radio announcer Mike Bagley (@TheMikeBagley), who will contribute to the race telecast from three individual locations around the track.
Bagley will be stationed in turn two, Earnhardt will catch the cars next in turn three, and Burton will add perspective as the cars make their way through turn four to the start-finish line. During Saturday's Xfinity race, Kligerman will be positioned above turn three.
With just one race to go before the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Kevin Harvick continues to lead the Playoff standings with seven wins and 40 playoff points. Harvick is followed by Kyle Busch (6 wins, 35 playoff points), Martin Truex Jr. (4 wins, 27 playoff points) and Clint Bowyer (2 wins, 10 playoff points).
Brad Keselowski's victory last weekend at Darlington Raceway secured his place as the 10th driver to clinch a spot in the 2018 Cup Series Playoffs with a win. Fourteen drivers have clinched in all, leaving two spots remaining. Seven-time Champion Jimmie Johnson currently sits in 15th place, one spot above the Playoff cut line, and will look to secure his position in the 2018 Playoffs this weekend.
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM INDIANAPOLIS - SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBCSN kicks off its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET with first practice, followed by a special 30-minute edition of NASCAR AMERICA at 1 p.m. ET. Final practice beings at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Qualifying wraps up the evening in Indianapolis at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Sunday's race-day coverage begins with NASCAR AMERICA at Noon ET on NBCSN, followed by NBC Sports Group's pre-race show, Countdown to Green,at 1:30 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage includes a look back at some of the best moments in 25 years of NASCAR at the Brickyard, and a special sit down interview between Earnhardt and driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, Chase Elliott.
NBCSN's coverage of the 25th running of the Brickyard 400 begins at 2 p.m. ET. It is followed by complete on-site post-race coverage of the winning team kissing the historic bricks. NBCSN wraps up coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Victory Lap,NBC Sports Group's NASCAR post-race show originating from Stamford, Conn.
Serving in their customary race day roles, NASCAR on NBC pit reporters Marty Snider (@HeyMartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@Kellistavast), Dave Burns(@tvdaveburns) and Parker Kligerman will contribute coverage from pit road Sunday, alongside features reporter Rutledge Wood (@rutledgewood). NASCAR on NBC's Krista Voda (@Kristavoda), auto racing icon Kyle Petty(@KylePetty), and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett) hostNASCAR America as well as all pre- and post-race coverage from "The Brickyard."
XFINITY SERIES COVERAGE - SATURDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN
NBC Sports Group's Xfinity Series coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins this Friday, with first practice at 1 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 3 p.m. ET, available on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Coverage continues Saturday with Xfinity Series qualifying at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Pre-race Countdown to Green coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and race coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.
NASCAR on NBC's K&N pit reporter Dillon Welch will also contribute to NBC Sports' Xfinity practice, qualifying and race coverage, alongside Snider and Stavast.
UPCOMING NBC SPORTS GROUP NASCAR PROGRAMMING
| DATE | COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| Wednesday, Sept. 5 | NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Thursday, Sept. 6 | NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Whelen Modified | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Friday, Sept. 7 | NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Indianapolis | 1 p.m. | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Indianapolis | 3 p.m. | NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com | |
| NASCAR America | 5 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Saturday, Sept. 8 | NASCAR America (Encore) | 9:30 a.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Indianapolis | 10:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying - Indianapolis | 11:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 1 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Indianapolis | 1:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green | 2:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Indianapolis | 3 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Indianapolis | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sunday, Sept. 9 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Indianapolis (Encore) | 7 a.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Indianapolis (Encore) | 9:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Indianapolis (Encore) | 10:30 a.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR America | 12 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green | 1:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Race - Indianapolis | 2 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show | 5:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Victory Lap | 6:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Racing Roots | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
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