Thu, 24 Jan 2002, 06:16 PM NHRA, ESPN Enter Second Year of Five-Year TV Partnership

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

GLENDORA, Calif. -- The National Hot Rod Association and ESPN Inc. will continue to present the fast-paced excitement of the world's most sensory-filled motorsports experience to millions of viewers in 2002.

ESPN and its family of networks will dedicate more than 110 hours of original programming to the 23-event, $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series in 2002. It is the second year of an exclusive five-year agreement between ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, and the NHRA, the world's largest motorsports sanctioning organization.

"Based on the positive feedback we received from fans, racers, sponsors and ESPN executives concerning the success of our television package in 2001, we're certainly anxious to embark on the 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season," said Tom Compton, NHRA president.

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series broadcasts will be highlighted by nearly 11 hours of coverage dedicated to the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend. Combined with the 41 half-hour episodes of NHRA 2Day, coverage of the NHRA Sportsman Series and the 2002 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series, ESPN and ESPN2 are scheduled to provide more than 150 hours of NHRA coverage.

Veteran motorsports announcer Marty Reid will continue to anchor the telecasts and will be joined in the booth by new race analyst Mike Dunn, an experienced NHRA driver in both Top Fuel and Funny Car who has earned 22 victories during his career. Bill Stephens and Dave Rieff will continue their duties reporting all the action in the pits. New to the team will be open wheel racing expert Parker Johnstone, who was introduced to drag racing last season when he worked as a pit reporter at the NHRA national event in Sonoma, Calif. Johnstone has worked with ESPN since 1999. The telecasts will be produced Shawn Murphy.

"We look forward to beginning our second season of exclusive NHRA coverage and building upon the growth we experienced last year," said Burke Magnus, ESPN Director of Motorsports Programming & Acquisitions. "We are excited to explore new story angles, ideas and technological elements in an effort to continue to enhance our telecasts."

NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES 2002 TELEVISION SCHEDULE

EVENT				NETWORK			AIR DATE/TIME
K&N Filters Winternationals    ESPN   Qualifying, 4:30-6 p.m. (ET), Feb. 9
Pomona, Calif.                 ESPN2  Qualifying, 6-7 p.m. (ET), Feb. 9
                               ESPN   Eliminations, 5-7 p.m. (ET), Feb. 10

Checker Schuck's Kragen Nat.   ESPN2  Qualifying, 9-11 p.m. (ET), Feb. 23
Phoenix                        ESPN2  Eliminations, 7-10 p.m. (ET), Feb. 24

Mac Tools Gatornationals       ESPN2  Qualifying, 8-10 p.m. (ET), March 16
Gainesville, Fla.              ESPN2  Eliminations, 5-7 p.m. (ET), March 17

SummitRacing.com Nationals     ESPN2  Qualifying 8-10:30 p.m. (ET), April 6
Las Vegas                      ESPN2  Eliminations, 10 p.m.-Midnight (ET), April 7

O'Reilly Spring Nationals      ESPN2  Qualifying, 9:30 p.m.-Midnight (ET), April 13
Houston                        ESPN2  Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), April 14

Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nat.  ESPN2  Qualifying, 8-10 p.m. (ET), April 27
Bristol, Tenn.                 ESPN2  Eliminations, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET), April 28

NHRA Southern Nationals        ESPN2  Qualifying, 9-11 p.m. (ET), May 4
Atlanta                        ESPN2  Eliminations, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET), May 5

Matco Tools Supernationals     ESPN2  Qualifying, 8-9 p.m. (ET), May 18
Englishtown, N.J.              ESPN2  Eliminations, 7-10 p.m. (ET), May 19

O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals ESPN   Qualifying 4-6 p.m. (ET), May 25
Topeka, Kan.                   ESPN   Eliminations, 4-6 p.m. (ET), May 26

Route 66 NHRA Nationals        ESPN2  Qualifying, 9:30-11:30 p.m. (ET), June 1
Chicago                        ESPN2  Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), June 2

Pontiac Excitement Nationals   ESPN2  Qualifying, 9:30-11:30 p.m. (ET), June 15
Columbus, Ohio                 ESPN2  Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), June 16

Sears Craftsman Nationals      ESPN2  Qualifying, 9-11 p.m. (ET), June 29
St. Louis                      ESPN2  Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), June 30

Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals ESPN  Qualifying, 7-9 p.m. (ET), July 20
Denver                          ESPN2 Eliminations, 6-9 p.m. (ET), July 21

Lucas Oil Northwest Nationals   ESPN  Qualifying, 8-10 p.m. (ET), July 27
Seattle                         ESPN2 Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), July 28

FRAM Autolite Nationals         ESPN2 Qualifying, 9-10 p.m. (ET), Aug. 3
Sonoma, Calif.                  ESPN2 Eliminations, 7-10 p.m. (ET), Aug. 4

Colonels Truck Accessories Nat. ESPN2 Qualifying, 7-9 p.m. (ET), Aug. 17
Brainerd, Minn.                 ESPN2 Eliminations, 9-11 p.m. (ET), Aug. 18

Mac Tools U.S. Nationals        ESPN2 Qualifying, 4:30-5:30 p.m. (ET), Aug. 31
Indianapolis                    ESPN2 Qualifying, 1-2 a.m. (ET), Sept. 1
                                ESPN2 Qualifying, 1-3 p.m. (ET), Sept. 1
                                ESPN2 Qualifying, 7-10 p.m. (ET), Sept. 1
                                ESPN2 Eliminations, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (ET), Sept. 2
                                ESPN2 Eliminations, 10-11:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 2

NHRA Keystone Nationals         ESPN2 Qualifying, 4-5:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 14
Reading, Pa.                    ESPN2 Eliminations, 4:30-7 p.m. (ET), Sept. 15

O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals    ESPN2 Qualifying, 1-2:30 a.m. (ET), Sept. 22
Memphis, Tenn.                  ESPN2 Eliminations 4-5:30 p.m. (ET), Sept 22
                                ESPN  Eliminations 5:30-7 p.m. (ET), Sept. 22

NHRA Nationals                  ESPN2 Qualifying, 4-5:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 28
Chicago                         ESPN2 Eliminations, 8-10:30 p.m. (ET), Sept. 29

O'Reilly Fall Nationals         ESPN2 Qualifying, 4-5:30 p.m. (ET), Oct. 12
Dallas                          ESPN2 Eliminations, 7:30-10 p.m. (ET), Oct. 13

ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals     ESPN2 Qualifying, 10:30 p.m.-Midnight (ET), Oct. 26
Las Vegas                       ESPN2 Eliminations, 7:30-10 p.m. (ET), Oct. 27

Auto Club NHRA Finals           ESPN2 Qualifying, 8-10 p.m. (ET), Nov. 9
Pomona, Calif.                  ESPN2 Eliminations, 8-10 p.m. (ET), Nov. 10

NHRA 2DAY

41 episodes between Feb. 3-Nov. 10
Air on ESPN2 every Sunday, 11-11:30 a.m. (ET), except:
March 30, May 17, June 28, and Aug. 23, the show will air on ESPN2 at 7:30-8 p.m.
(ET).

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