TNT announced the start of its 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage. TNT covers Sprint Cup action for six weeks, from June 7, at Pocono, until July 11, at Chicago. Jeff Behnke, the executive producer/senior vice president of Turner Sports, discussed the features of the programming. “At Daytona this year, we will be back with Wide Open Coverage for the third straight year. In our last two years of our Wide Open Coverage, we’ve only missed a total of 12 laps of green-flag racing. That’s something that we are very, very proud of,” Behnke said. TNT’s pre-race segments will include “NASCAR on TNT Live!,” “Wally’s World,” and “Pride of NASCAR,” and will feature the “Countdown to Green.” TNT will also bring back TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.com. Kyle Petty, an analyst for TNT’s coverage, will also return, joining Wally Dallenbach and Weber in the booth. Larry McReynolds will also return for the 2009 coverage as an analyst. “I’m excited about this year, I really am,” Petty said. “For me to be at TNT this year, it’s really cool for me. In the past, I’ve come out of the race car to do these races, and this year I’ve been watching the races.”(LMS Pit Notes)(6-2-2009)
