ESPN’s coverage will culminate with a live telecast of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 24. NASCAR will appear across ESPN’s television, digital and print platforms for the two weeks of Daytona Speedweeks.
In addition, the winner of the Daytona 500 will be at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Ct., on the day after the race to appear on numerous ESPN programs and platforms throughout the day.
NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Telecast
Live, flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season-opening 300-mile race from Daytona International Speedway will air on ESPN on Saturday, Feb. 23. NASCAR Countdown begins at noon ET with the race at 1:15 p.m. The race telecast is presented by Royal Purple. Also from Daytona, ESPN2 will air NASCAR Nationwide Series practice on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. and qualifying on Friday, Feb. 22, at 3:30 p.m.
Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty (analysts).
NASCAR Now at Daytona
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will have four programs originating from Daytona International Speedway surrounding the Daytona 500, including a one-hour Daytona 500 preview show airing at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 24. The Great American Race also will be reviewed at midnight on Monday, Feb. 25 (late Sunday night).
NASCAR Now will have a three-hour special program on Thursday, Feb. 14, at noon on ESPNEWS with interviews and analysis from Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. Host Nicole Briscoe will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven with Mike Massaro on-site in Daytona. Many of NASCAR’s top stars are expected to appear on the program.
ESPN Feature Content for Daytona Speedweeks
ESPN’s multimedia platforms will air numerous NASCAR-related features surrounding Daytona Speedweeks. Features will appear in SportsCenter, NASCAR Now and NASCAR Countdown as well as on ESPN.com, ESPNEWS and more. Among the features:
Gen6 – The new Gen6 NASCAR Sprint Cup car is compared to its 2012 predecessor.
The King and Junior – ESPN’s Marty Smith has lengthy sit-down interview with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. about the state of NASCAR and the effect each has had on the sport.
Brad K Defends a Title – Smith interviews 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski about defending his championship in 2013.
Gordon’s Drive for 5 — Ray Evernham talks with his former driver, Jeff Gordon, about his Phoenix run-in with Clint Bowyer and about getting over the hump in his drive for a fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup title.
Travis Pastrana Letting Go – Travis Pastrana discusses letting go of his action sports success and moving fulltime into the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Roundtable Discussion – ESPN’s Evernham, Dale Jarrett and Allen Bestwick look ahead to the 2013 season and discuss a variety of topics including the season ahead for Hendrick Motorsports and expectations for Danica Patrick.
Bowyer and Waltrip – ESPN’s Mike Massaro talks at length with Clint Bowyer about heading into his second season with Michael Waltrip Racing, this time as a championship favorite.
Ray’s Breakdown – Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Evernham analyzes trends in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona to help predict what to look for on Feb. 23.
Danica Under a Microscope — Danica Patrick discusses with Massaro her move to NASCAR Sprint Cup racing and what it is like to live life under a microscope.
Kenseth and Gibbs – Defending Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth talks with Massaro about entering a season racing for just the second team owner in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career.
Rookie Battle — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. talks with ESPN The Magazine’s Ryan McGee about graduating from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and about his upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie of the year battle with Danica Patrick.
Daytona Speedweeks on ESPN Digital Platforms
WatchESPN
All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones, tablets and Xbox via WatchESPN, accessible to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliate provider including Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, Midcontinent Communications, Cablevision and Cox (coming soon to Charter Communications and AT&T U-verse).
ESPN.com
- · News, blogs and columns from ESPN.com motorsports writers Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton.
- · NASCAR Insider Marty Smith with an extensive interview with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (video and written).
- · Blount’s 10 Things to Watch For at Daytona
- · Newton on why Kurt Busch may have found the right fit at Furniture Row
- · Relevant blogs and features as news happens throughout Daytona Speedweeks
- · Blogs and columns from ESPN The Magazine’s Ryan McGee.
- · RacingLive! Interactive blog and wall-to-wall coverage of NASCAR Media Day on Feb. 14
- · RacingLive! Interactive blog during Daytona 500 pole day Feb. 17.
- · ESPN’s signature NASCAR fantasy game, Stock Car Challenge.
- · ESPN.com writers and editors will provide dedicated coverage to the NASCAR Nationwide Series including an Index Home Page for the entire season.
- · RaceCast enhanced, live race-day application for Daytona 500 and Nationwide Series race.
- · Racing Live! for Daytona 500 and Nationwide Series race..
- · Extensive video, audio and editorial coverage (also on Jayski.com)
- · ESPN.com staff pick and debate the 12 drivers who will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
- · Jayski.com’s Mark Garrow with podcasts and chats
- · Content distributed to other platforms such as Apple’s iTunes Store and Microsoft’s X Box Live.
espnW’s mission is to connect female fans with the sports they love and follow, and with Danica Patrick embarking on her first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Daytona 500, espnW.com will have on-site coverage, including blogs and features, and will continue following Patrick all season. In addition, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Johanna Long will be blogging for espnW all season. espnW.com provides an engaging environment where women are an integral part of the sports conversation, share their perspective on men’s and women’s sports and find the motivation and support for their athletic goals and interests.
ESPN Mobile
ESPN’s multiple mobile platforms will give fans on-the-go access to all the racing action, news and developments. Fans can find coverage on the ESPN mobile Web site — the leading mobile Web sports site and among the most-trafficked sites in the world – in a dedicated NASCAR section that includes special coverage around the biggest races, driver cards and more. Additionally, fans can access real-time results on the ESPN ScoreCenter mobile app and sign up to receive customizable alerts to follow their favorite drivers during the race.
Additional Daytona Speedweeks Coverage on ESPN Platforms
ESPN Radio
The Raceday program airs from 6 – 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, Feb. 17, and then again on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Sunday, Feb. 24. Programs will originate from Daytona with host Pat Patterson and include news, interviews and reports. In addition, ESPN Radio will have daily reports and interviews during other programming in the week leading up to the race. RaceDay airs 52 weeks a year and will originate from the site of every NASCAR Sprint Cup race this season.
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine’s Analytics Issue, on newsstands Feb. 22, will contain a preview of the NASCAR season with an analysis of the new Gen6 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. With champion Brad Keselowski’s car in a two-page spread, the analysis will include thoughts from engineers who have been working to make the new car even faster. Defending Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth will be the subject of the “Next Round” in the magazine’s Playbook section. In addition, an expanded version of the new car analysis and Garage Previews will appear on the magazine’s website.
ESPNEWS
ESPN’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will have a three-hour special program on Thursday, Feb. 14, at noon ET on ESPNEWS with interviews and analysis from Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. Host Nicole Briscoe will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven with Mike Massaro on-site in Daytona. Many of NASCAR’s top stars are expected to appear on the program. Regular reports from Daytona will air daily on SportsCenter.
ESPN Deportes
ESPN’s Spanish-language television, radio and Internet in the U.S. will televise the NASCAR Nationwide Series race from Daytona on a tape-delayed basis at 4 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24. ESPN Deportes’ NASCAR commentator team will feature Andrés Agulla (play-by-play) and Alex Pombo (analysis). In addition to the telecast of the race, ESPN Deportes will have segments for its edition of SportsCenter.
ESPN International
ESPN International is one of the world’s leading syndicators of sports programming and its relationship with NASCAR is helping maximize coverage of NASCAR and providing a solid base of distribution. Through a combination of sales and network programming, the 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup races (including the Bud Shootout and Sprint All-Star Race) and 33 NASCAR Nationwide Series races are available to 112 countries and territories around the world. In addition, U.S. troops and their families serving around the world and Navy vessels at sea can watch the season through American Forces Network.
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic will recognize the 15th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s win in the 1998 Daytona 500, his only victory in NASCAR’s biggest race, with a block of programming airing on Friday, Feb. 15. The block will include two airings of a two-hour highlights program of the race as well as SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt and 3 Nation: The Life and Legacy of Dale Earnhardt. In addition, ESPN Classic will air a marathon of NASCAR and Daytona 500-related programming Feb. 20-21-22 including highlights from multiple past runnings of the race, the ESPN “30 for 30” documentary Tim Richmond: To the Limit, and SportsCentury programs on Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr., Tim Flock and Mario Andretti.
ESPN’S 2013 DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS SCHEDULE
(all times Eastern)
| Date | Time | Program | Network |
| Tuesday, Feb. 12 | 12:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Wednesday, Feb. 13 | 12:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 14 | 2 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 14 | Noon | NASCAR Now: Media Day Special | ESPNEWS |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | Midnight | SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 1 a.m. | 1998 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 1:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 3 a.m. | 3 Nation: The Life & Legacy of Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 4 a.m. | SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 5 a.m. | 3 Nation: The Life & Legacy of Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 7 a.m. | 1998 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 15 | 9 a.m. | SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Saturday, Feb. 16 | 6 a.m. | RaceDay | ESPN Radio |
| Sunday, Feb. 17 | 6 a.m. | RaceDay | ESPN Radio |
| Tuesday, Feb. 19 | 12:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 12:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 8:30 a.m. | SportsCentury: Mario Andretti | ESPN Classic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 9:30 a.m. | SportsCentury: Tim Flock | ESPN Clsssic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 10:30 a.m. | SportsCentury: Jeff Gordon | ESPN Classic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 11 a.m. | 1993 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 1 p.m. | 2007 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 3 p.m. | 1997 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Wednesday, Feb. 20 | 5 p.m. | 1999 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 2 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 2:30 a.m. | 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Preview | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 8 a.m. | Tim Richmond: To the Limit | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 9 a.m. | 3 Nation: The Life & Legacy of Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 10 a.m. | NASCAR Nationwide Series practice | ESPN2 |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 10 a.m. | SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 11 a.m. | SportsCentury: Dale Earnhardt | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | Noon | 1976 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 1 p.m. | 1981 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 3 p.m. | 1983 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Thursday, Feb. 21 | 5 p.m. | 1979 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 1:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 2 a.m. | 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Preview | ESPN2 |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 7:30 a.m. | 1998 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 9:30 a.m. | SportsCentury: Tony Stewart | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 11 a.m. | SportsCentury: Richard Petty | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | Noon | 1973 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 1 p.m. | 1978 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 2 p.m. | 1988 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 3:30 p.m. | NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying | ESPN2 |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 4 p.m. | 1993 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Friday, Feb. 22 | 6 p.m. | 1998 Daytona 500 | ESPN Classic |
| Saturday, Feb. 23 | 1:30 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Saturday, Feb. 23 | 6 a.m. | RaceDay | ESPN Radio |
| Saturday, Feb. 23 | Noon | NASCAR Countdown | ESPN |
| Saturday, Feb. 23 | 1:15 p.m. | NASCAR Nationwide Series race, telecast presented by Royal Purple | ESPN |
| Sunday, Feb. 24 | 2:30 a.m. | NASCAR Nationwide Series race (re-air) | ESPN2 |
| Sunday, Feb. 24 | 4 a.m. | NASCAR Nationwide Series race | ESPN Deportes |
| Sunday, Feb. 24 | 6 a.m. | RaceDay | ESPN Radio |
| Sunday, Feb. 24 | 9 a.m. | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Monday, Feb. 25 | Midnight | NASCAR Now | ESPN2 |
| Monday, Feb. 25 | TBA | Daytona 500 winner at ESPN | Various outlets |
