No consistent start times for non-Cup series
Bob Pockrass
Bob Pockrass began covering NASCAR in 1992, primarily covering short-track racing and events. He has worked for Street & Smith's Motorsports Group since 2003.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In addition to the moving of the two Texas Motor Speedway Sprint Cup races to 3 p.m. Eastern instead of 1 p.m., NASCAR’s 2010 race television schedule, release Thursday, offered these tidbits:
• While ESPN will carry 14 races, seven of the prerace shows will be shown on ESPN2 before turning it over to the race on ESPN. Most of that will happen during football season when the prerace show is scheduled to start at noon.
• As far as the Nationwide schedule, ABC will get four races (Bristol 1, Talladega, Dover 1, Charlotte 1), while ESPN gets nine (Nashville 1, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Daytona 2, Chicagoland, O’Reilly Raceway Park, Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol 2). ESPN2 will have the rest.
How about consistent start times for the Nationwide Series? Not at all. Eight races will start at 8 p.m. Eastern, with six at 3:30 p.m., four at 2:30 p.m., four at 4:30 p.m., four at 7:30 p.m., two at 2 p.m. and one apiece at 12:55 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
• All of the Truck Series events will be televised by Speed. Of the 25 races, eight will start at 8 p.m., with five at 9 p.m., four at 2 p.m., three at 1 p.m., and one race apiece at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
