With the NASCAR season only days away, ESPNEWS will air a three-hour special from NASCAR Media Day at the Daytona 500 on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 12noon/et. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Daytona 500 rookie Danica Patrick are among those scheduled to appear during the program. The telecast will be co-hosted by Mike Massaro and Nicole Briscoe with analyst Ricky Craven.
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now returns for its sixth season this week and sirs Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. The program also can be seen on computers, smartphones and tablets with WatchESPN. A one-hour edition of the program will air on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 12noon/et with a review of the previous night’s Bud Shootout from Daytona International Speedway and a look ahead to that day’s pole qualifying for the Daytona 500. Mike Massaro hosts the program this week from ESPN’s studios with analyst Ricky Craven. Nicole Briscoe will report from Daytona starting Thursday.
Fifteen years ago, Jeff Gordon, at age 25, became the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500. With the NASCAR season kickoff coming soon, ESPN Classic will recognize Gordon’s accomplishment with an airing of the record-setting 1997 Daytona 500 at 5:30 pm/et on Thursday, Feb. 16. The race will be followed at 7:30 pm/et by an airing of SportsCentury: Jeff Gordon.(ESPN)(2-14-2012)
