ESPN on ABC’s NASCAR Countdown will have a live preview at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 14, of the Busch Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown on ABC, joined by Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. Tim Brewer will discuss the Chicago strategy for fuel mileage from the ESPN Chevy Cutaway Car. Dr. Jerry Punch and Andy Petree will work in the ESPN booth as analyst for the telecast. NASCAR Countdown will include segments from pit reporters Allen Bestwick, Mike Massaro, Dave Burns and Jamie Little as drivers visit the Windy City. NASCAR Countdown will originate from the ESPN Pit Studio at Chicagoland Speedway as it sets the stage for ABC’s coverage of the Busch Series race Saturday. Highlights include:
Mears Ready to Defend 2006 Busch Series Victory at Chicago Track: Mike Massaro will report on Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears, who is 15th in the Busch Series standings going into this week’s race. Mears’ first Busch Series win was one year ago at Chicagoland. NASCAR Countdown also will take a look back at Mears’ first Nextel Cup career win, which came this season at Charlotte.
Keselowski Steps in at JR Motorsports for Three-Race Turn: Jamie Little will talk about the shakeup within the #88 team and the plans owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. might have for his Busch Series team. Driver Brad Keselowski, a third-generation racer like Earnhardt, agreed to a three-race deal in the car, starting with Saturday’s race at Chicagoland. Earnhardt himself replaced Shane Huffman in the car for the Busch race at Daytona. ESPN race analysts will discuss how success is defined differently now in the Busch Series, as young drivers in the past were given more time to “learn on the job” without today’s pressure to produce immediate, impressive results.
Bumpy Road Gives Way to Busch’s First 2007 Busch Series Win: Kyle Busch hasn’t had the best of luck in the Busch Series this season, but that all changed with a rare Saturday morning win at Daytona. Dave Burns will talk about Busch’s breakthrough at the “world center of racing.”
McMurray Savors Long-Awaited Win, Daytona Moment: After an agonizing spell of 166 races without a win, all the while wondering if a NASCAR career was worth it, Roush Fenway Racing driver Jamie McMurray soaked up the champagne spray and the spotlight with a thrilling by-a-nose victory at Daytona in last week’s Nextel Cup race. Allen Bestwick will speak on McMurray’s elation after a five-year win drought.(ESPN PR)(7-12-2007)
