ESPNs NASCAR Countdown will preview the Busch Series at Nashville, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, with the race to start at 3:30 p.m. Erik Kuselias will host the telecast, while studio analysts Brad Daugherty and Stacy Compton will join Kuselias in the ESPN Pit Studio, with analyst Tim Brewer at the ESPN Cutaway Car. The race telecast team including veteran ESPN motorsports commentator Marty Reid, filling in for regular play-by-play announcer Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree will also contribute.
NASCAR Countdown will also include reports from pit reporters Allen Bestwick, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Vince Welch as drivers and teams tackle the concrete tri-oval of Nashville Superspeedway.
NASCAR Countdown will originate from Nashville Superspeedway and will be telecast from ESPNs state-of-the-art mobile pit studio as it sets the stage for primetime coverage of the 300-mile NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday afternoon, April 7. Highlights will include:
The NASCAR Busch Series Stands Alone This Weekend: This weekends NASCAR Busch Series race stands alone in Nashville without the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Only seven NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers are scheduled to race, including current series points leader Carl Edwards. Could this be the first race time this season that a Busch regular will win the race?
Running Away with the NASCAR Busch Series Championship: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver and Busch Series regular Carl Edwards has picked up right where 2006 NASCAR Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick left off running away with the points for the 2007 Championship. Hes already farther ahead than Harvick was at this point last year. The team will ask Carl what the NASCAR Busch Series title would mean to him and his thoughts on the season so far.
Behind the Wheel with Richard Johns: Richard Johns has taken the most unlikely of routes to his first career NASCAR Busch Series start where he will debut this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Six years ago Johns was an intern at Team Rensi working in the race shop. Today he is an engineer for Rensi, continuing his passion for racing by getting behind the wheel of whatever he could get his hands on the weekends. Now, Team Rensi will give him his first shot in a NASCAR Busch Series car.
Coming Home with Bobby Hamilton Jr. Nashville Superspeedway is considered Bobby Hamilton Jr.s home track, where hes had great runs, but never been able to put away a win. The pit team will talk with Hamilton, Jr. on his chances of winning and with the recent passing of his father Bobby, Sr., how special it would be to whats been a tough start to the season.(ESPN PR)(4-5-2007)
NOTE: The show was not shown due to tennis on ESPN2 running late.(4-7-2007)
