UPDATE: TNT Sports is bolstering its NASCAR broadcast team covering the second annual In-Season Challenge, set to begin with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 28.
Among the new additions will be racing legend Jimmie Johnson — one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history — who will join the TNT Sports team as a studio analyst. Johnson, who won seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships, will contribute to TNT Sports’ coverage from Sonoma Raceway (June 28), North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26).
“Joining TNT Sports is an opportunity that truly energizes me,” said Johnson. “NASCAR has given me so much throughout my career, and getting the chance to share that passion from a new perspective alongside a fantastic team of NASCAR legends is something I’m really looking forward to. TNT Sports has a long history of bringing fans closer to the action, and I’m excited to help deliver that same level of insight, intensity, and fun as part of their NASCAR coverage.”
Marty Smith, a host and reporter with ESPN, will join TNT Sports’ NASCAR coverage as pre- and post-race host over the five-week In-Season Challenge. He will anchor coverage alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray throughout the tournament. Jeff Burton will contribute to TNT Sports’ NASCAR coverage as a studio analyst for the race weekends at Chicagoland Speedway (July 5) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 12).
TNT Sports’ acclaimed booth of Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Adam Alexander will return, joined by pit reporters Marty Snider, Shannon Spake and Danielle Trotta. Mamba Smith will also return as a B/R Racing correspondent, among other contributions to the broadcast.
“Last year was an exciting return to NASCAR for TNT Sports, and we’re just getting started,” said Craig Barry, EVP and Chief Content Officer, TNT Sports. “This year, we’re expanding our studio show and adding some of racing’s most recognizable and respected voices to our talented NASCAR broadcasting team. We’re always looking for new ways to create access and bring fans closer to the sport they love. These additions will help us continue to elevate the experience and capture the energy, excitement and culture that make NASCAR so unique.”
TNT Sports will once again present the NASCAR In-Season Challenge in 2026, a five-race, single-elimination tournament that adds a high-stakes, bracket-style competition to the heart of the Cup Series season.
This summer’s Challenge will begin at Sonoma Raceway on June 28 before continuing through Chicagoland Speedway (July 5), EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta (July 12), North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and concluding at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, where the final two drivers will battle head-to-head for the championship trophy and a $1 million prize awarded in Victory Lane.
— TNT Sports —
ORIGINAL POST: As it enters the second season of its media rights deal, TNT Sports is bolstering its NASCAR coverage.
Front Office Sports has learned that the network is adding legendary driver Jimmie Johnson to its studio for its upcoming coverage of the In-Season Challenge. A seven-time Cup Series champion, Johnson previously worked at NBC Sports as a NASCAR analyst after retiring from full-time Cup racing following the 2020 season.
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Johnson will make his TNT Sports debut on June 28 during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. He will also be in the studio for the network’s coverage at North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and the event’s championship at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26). All three races will air on TNT and stream on HBO Max.
In addition to Johnson, ESPN’s Marty Smith is joining TNT’s coverage of the In-Season Challenge, serving as a pre- and post-race host during the five-race series, anchoring coverage alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte, and Jamie McMurray. Meanwhile, former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton will fill in as a studio analyst for the two races Johnson isn’t covering—Chicagoland Speedway (July 5) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 12).