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7/22/2010 |
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NASCAR WHELEN
MODIFIED TELECASTS SET TO BEGIN ON VERSUS
Riverhead 200 To
Kick-Off Broadcast Schedule |
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  The
inaugural appearance of NASCAR racing on VERSUS, the fastest growing
sports cable network in the country, is set for Wednesday, Aug. 4,
with the Riverhead 200 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event from
Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway.
The Riverhead 200, which will be contested on Saturday, July 31,
will be the first of nine telecasts to air on VERSUS between the
NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours in 2010.
These two Touring Series feature short track racing at its best and
are the heart of NASCAR racing at the grassroots level.
Riverhead Raceway is a quarter-mile bullring that has been part of
the Whelen Modified Tour schedule since the Tour’s inaugural season
of 1985. The first Whelen Southern Modified Tour broadcast will be
from historic Bowman Gray Stadium. Bowman Gray – located
Winston-Salem, N.C. – is the longest continuously sanctioned NASCAR
track in the nation.
“NASCAR is excited for the debut of the Whelen Modified Tours on
VERSUS,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing
operations. “The premier from Riverhead Raceway along with races
from other traditional Modified tracks like Bowman Gray Stadium,
Caraway Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International
Speedway will give viewers a distinct impression of what NASCAR
Modified racing is all about.”
VERSUS first entered its partnership with NASCAR in 2009 with Quest
for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a weekly half-hour series that followed
the 12 drivers competing in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. In
September 2010 the network will launch NASCAR – Next Generation, a
series which will profile some the future stars of the Sprint Cup
series. In addition to its NASCAR offerings, VERSUS is also the
exclusive cable television home of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Now in
its second year of coverage, the network has seen 24-percent growth
in viewership for its live races as compared to last year.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman, who has competed in
selected Whelen Modified Tour races in recent seasons, is among many
who see the tremendous value in having VERSUS on board as a
broadcast partner.
I’ve been asked ‘why do you do this,’ and it’s all about having
fun,” Newman said of his participation in Modified races. “With
VERSUS on board to telecast the races, the whole nation will now be
exposed to what those of us on the East Coast already know –
Modifieds produce a very exciting type of racing.”
Kevin Manion, the 2010 Daytona 500-winning crew chief, came through
the Whelen Modified Tour on his way to his current career in the
Sprint Cup Series, and is owner of the Modified team that Newman
competes for.
“As a Whelen Modified Tour alum, I see great value in the VERSUS
package,” Manion said. “Those of us who have been a part of it know
the passion of the teams and fans in Modified racing, and it’s great
for the Tours to get national exposure.”
VERSUS’ nine-race schedule will premiere with one-hour race
telecasts airing on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET. All races will re-air
the Sunday following the initial telecast. The complete schedule
follows (subject to change):
VERSUS Race Schedule
Tour Venue / Race Date / Premiere Date / Re-Air
Date
NWMT Riverhead Raceway July 31, Aug. 4, 7 p.m. Aug. 8, 11
p.m.
NWMT Stafford Motor Speedway Aug. 6, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Aug. 15,
11 p.m.
NWSMT Bowman Gray Stadium Aug. 7, Aug. 18, 7 p.m. Aug. 22, 11
p.m.
NWMT Thompson International Speedway Aug. 12, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
Aug. 29, 12 a.m.
NWSMT Caraway Speedway Aug. 28, Sept. 1, 7 p.m. Sept. 5, 11
p.m.
NWSMT Langley Speedway Sept. 4, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Sept. 12, 11
p.m.
NWSMT Tri-County Motor Speedway Sept. 15, Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3, 11 p.m.
NWMT Stafford Motor Speedway Oct. 3, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. Oct. 10,
11 p.m.
NWMT Thompson International Speedway Oct. 17, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24, 11 p.m. |
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Source: Jason Christley / NASCAR
Posted: July
22, 2010 |
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