SPEED announces 2008 Preseason Thunder lineup
Before all of the holiday decorations have been put away and the last fruit cake has been re-gifted, SPEED will be setting up shop in Daytona Beach, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., Las Vegas and Fontana, Calif., to bring NASCAR fans 22 days of testing coverage as part of Preseason Thunder beginning Jan. 7.
"This season opens with quite a few questions to be answered," said SPEED president Hunter Nickell. "There will be a lot of interest in seeing NASCAR back on the track for the first time in '08. Dale Jr. in a Hendrick car, Kyle Busch in a Gibbs car, the COT at every track, new title sponsors ... there is no shortage of storylines for 2008 and SPEED will be there from the very beginning. We'll be there all season, and we'll be there at the end. NASCAR fans have come to expect that from SPEED and our team will deliver."
Testing coverage will be comprehensive as SPEED will cover sessions for the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. In addition, for the first time, SPEED will offer multiple shows from the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour, hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway.
John Roberts will anchor SPEED's Sprint Cup coverage on-site, with assistance from Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and Bob Dillner. Roberts also will host the Craftsman Truck Series session, with analysis from Ray Dunlap and Phil Parsons; and Nationwide Series testing, with Dunlap providing analysis. The full NASCAR on SPEED on-air team will participate in the 30-minute shows throughout the month, both on-site and from the Charlotte-based SPEED studios.
Following coverage of Preseason Thunder, SPEED will make the much-anticipated move to HD for 100 hours of coverage from Daytona Speedweeks beginning Feb. 7. In addition, SPEEDtv.comexternal link will re-launch in widescreen format Feb. 6.
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