NHRA Unleashes New Series + Lucas Oil TV Deal
Anthony Vestal - February 4, 2010
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES
TO CALL ESPN2 AND ESPN2HD HOME IN 2010
The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will once again be televised in 16 one-hour shows on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, with coverage from select NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series national events. In addition, the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlights, focusing on NHRA’s member track network, will air on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD as part of the race coverage.
The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will air on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on a tape-delay basis as part of NHRA’s relationship with ESPN, which enters its 10th year as the exclusive home of NHRA Drag Racing. All 16 telecasts will air on Saturday or Sunday. The NHRA Lucas Oil Series has a long-standing tradition of serving as a highly-competitive developmental arena for the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Returning as anchor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series telecasts will be long-time NHRA announcer David Rieff, who will be joined in the booth by popular NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Rieff has been involved for many years with NHRA coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. ESPN2 is now available in 98.7 million households.
In addition to his race coverage duties in the booth, Frey also will host the popular NHRA Sportsman Spotlight segments, which will be featured within the race broadcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The segments will showcase unique and interesting stories from NHRA Member Tracks in each of the sanctioning body’s seven divisions. Frey’s schedule of appearances include: Atco Dragway in Atco, N.J. (Aug. 4: Division 1); Orlando Speed World Dragway in Orlando, Fla. (March 6: Division 2); The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (April 24: Division 3): The JEGS Sportsnationals at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La. (March 20: Division 4); Cedar Falls Raceway, Cedar Falls, Iowa (July 31: Division 5); Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore. (Aug. 28: Division 6); and Kauai Raceway in Kapaa, Hawaii (July 4: Division 7).
2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Television Schedule
Event Air Date/Time
Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals Saturday, Feb. 27: 10 – 11 a.m.
Pomona, Calif.
NHRA Gatornationals Sunday, March 21: 10 – 11 a.m.
Gainesville, Fla.
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals Sunday, April 18: 11 a.m. - Noon
Houston
SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Sunday, April 25: 10 – 11 a.m.
Las Vegas
O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals Sunday, May 30: 10 - 11 a.m.
Topeka, Kan.
United Association NHRA Route 66 Nationals Saturday, June 12: 12 – 1 p.m.
Chicago
NHRA SuperNationals Saturday, June 19: 2 – 3 p.m.
Englishtown, N.J.
Summit Racing NHRA Nationals Sunday, July 4: 11 a.m. - Noon
Norwalk, Ohio
NHRA Northwest Nationals Saturday, July 17: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Seattle
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Sunday, August 22: 11 a.m. - Noon
Brainerd, Minn.
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Sunday, Sept. 12: 10 – 11 a.m.
Indianapolis
NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sunday, Sept. 26: 11 a.m. - Noon
Charlotte, N.C.
O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals Sunday, Oct. 3: 10 – 11 a.m.
Dallas
Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals Sunday, Oct. 17: 10 -11 a.m.
Reading, Pa.
NHRA Las Vegas Nationals Sunday, Nov. 7: 10 - 11 a.m.
Las Vegas
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Sunday, Nov. 21: 10 - 11 a.m.
Pomona, Calif.
* All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change. Please check local listings.
NHRA Unleashed Program
NHRA unveiled the logo for its newest exciting and interactive experience for spectators and participants, NHRA Unleashed, and also revealed additional details about the event concept.
NHRA Unleashed, an experience unlike any other, both on and off the track, embraces a new breed of drag racing enthusiast who is looking for pure, doorslammer heads-up competition on the track and a festival environment off the track. NHRA Unleashed will be featured in a series of televised specials that celebrate pure American horsepower.
NHRA Unleashed will be a race event with entry fees, purse payout, and an NHRA Wally for the winners. The drag racing activities will include 10.5 Outlaw Drag Racing in four classes on the 1/8th mile: Outlaw 10.5, Limited Street, EZ Street and Modified Street. In addition, Heads-Up Weekend Warrior Sportsman Index Racing will feature five classes: 8.5 index, 10.0 index, 11.0 index, 12.0 index and 13.0 index. These are the cars that race at every drag strip across the nation and are the backbone of drag racing. They include a wide variety of muscle cars, compact cars, trucks and even station wagons. A high-octane addition to the track excitement will be exhibition Pro Modified cars.
Off the track, fans will be able to explore a multitude of activities and events. In keeping with the interactive theme, NHRA Unleashed events will offer a fun and challenging autocross course, where fans can race their own cars against the clock. For muscle car enthusiasts who don’t want to actually race on the drag strip, NHRA Unleashed will offer a chassis dyno on which fans can monitor their cars’ engine performance. A Show & Shine Car Show, for all makes of muscle and classic cars, will be at all NHRA Unleashed events.
Additional spectator activities include a vast manufacturers’ midway, with a number of national and local sponsorship exhibits and interactive displays and a Kids Zone with inflatables and other children’s activities. In addition, a large automotive swap meet and automotive seminars will be held covering various aspects of muscle car restoration and high performance secrets.
Car clubs will be encouraged to attend and be assigned special parking “corrals” with the drag strips properties. It will represent a great way for car clubs to show their club and vehicle brand pride and a get a premium parking space.
A centerpiece of the events will be “NHRA Unleashed Center Stage.” Strategically located in the middle of all the action, a center stage will be set up to provide a venue for the television hosts to interview the drag racing stars and their families, car owners, manufacturers of automotive products and of course spectators attending the event.
NHRA and Disrupt/ive Studios plan on announcing a television partner for the four events in the near future.
The first of the 2010 NHRA Unleashed events will be June 11-13, 2010 at Georgia’s Atlanta Dragway. On Aug. 6-8, 2010, NHRA Unleashed visits O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio will host an NHRA Unleashed event Sept. 10-12 and the final event on the 2010 schedule will take place at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla., Nov. 5-7.
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