ESPN kicks off coverage with Allstate 400
ESPN will open its NASCAR coverage next season with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
The race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was moved up one week to accommodate the network, which will take over NBC’s share of the NASCAR schedule in 2007. The 36 Nextel Cup events will be split next year by Fox, TNT and ABC/ESPN, which last broadcast NASCAR in 2000.
“The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard has always been a marquee event on the schedule and we cannot wait to provide our flag-to-flag coverage from such an historic race track,” said John Wildhack, vice president of programming.
“We will dedicate unprecedented multimedia resources to the sport beginning with the season-opening NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona, continuing with our opening NEXTEL Cup race at Indianapolis on ESPN, and until the season champions are crowned.”
Track spokesman Ron Green said the decision to switch dates would not force a change in the United States Grand Prix, America’s only Formula One race.
Hornish holding back
Sam Hornish Jr. would rather race aggressively, making risky moves and pushing his car from start to finish in every race.
The two-time Indy Racing League champion acknowledges that wouldn’t be wise.
With just four races left, including the Firestone Indy 400 on Sunday, Hornish knows another IRL title will likely be his if he can just keep his car on the track.
“If you’re behind, you do whatever it takes to win every race – and I like driving that way,” Hornish said. “I’d rather be doing the pushing, instead of getting pushed, though I can’t really complain being where we are.”
His series-high 356 points lead Scott Dixon by 25 points, Marlboro Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves by 30 and defending champion Dan Wheldon is just two more points back.
San Jose smoother, faster
As Paul Tracy drove across the light rail tracks on Market Street at 160 mph, the only sound was the roar of his 750-horsepower Cosworth engine.
That’s a big difference from a year ago when the Champ Cars were launched into the air with a loud “clack, clack, thump” as they crossed the tracks at each end of the city street circuit in the inaugural San Jose Grand Prix.
“It’s like night and day,” said Tracy, whose fast lap of 50.156 seconds (103.573 mph) barely nipped defending race champion Sebastien Bourdais’ 50.160 (103.565) for the provisional pole. “You don’t even feel the railroad tracks any more.”
Smoothing out the railroad crossings was one of a number of improvements to the 1.448-mile, seven-turn downtown circuit, probably the biggest reason that the first of two rounds of time trials was far more competitive than a year ago.