Champ Cars TV Times Announced
The busiest racing schedule that the Champ Car World Series has put together in four years will be matched by an impressive television schedule that features six races live on NBC Sports, CBS Sports and ABC, with 10 more to be shown on the ESPN networks. The season will open with coverage of the Las Vegas and Long Beach events on NBC, will see the Portland, Elkhart Lake and Phoenix events on ABC and includes the always-exciting Grand Prix of Cleveland on CBS. The schedule marks the first time since 1990 that Champ Car races have appeared on all three networks in the same season.
“We made a big push this season to increase our television presence and this package allows us to do that on a number of levels,” said Champ Car President Steve Johnson. “This broadcast schedule increases our exposure, which will not only provide more value for our existing commercial partners, but will also attract new sponsors and partners for the series, our teams and our events.”
The first year of a multi-year agreement will see thirteen of the 2007 season races will appear on the ABC/ESPN family of networks. Champ Car’s events in Australia, China, Belgium and the Netherlands will be shown on a same-day basis on ESPN2 and ESPN Classic.
“The ability to partner with ESPN – and their vast portfolio of media assets – is the cornerstone of our TV strategy” said Mark S. Reilly, Champ Car Vice President of Broadcasting. “As well, this will allow us to develop a range of non-linear and digital media opportunities to connect with our fan base.”
The season kicks off on April 8 with a new street race run in downtown Las Vegas, then moves to Champ Car’s longest-running street race, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 15. ESPN gets its first Champ Car race broadcast since 2001 the very next week with the second running of the Grand Prix of Houston April 22.
 2007 Champ Car Schedule
Stewart Racing Prepares For Opener
This week is shaping up to be a busy one for Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) World of Outlaws Sprint Series contingent as driver Paul McMahan and the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle team prepare to officially begin their 2007 racing season at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. McMahan and company are taking part in six nights of racing action as the 36th Annual DIRTcar Nationals kicks off at Volusia Speedway Park with the All Star Circuit of Champions Series Feb. 6-8, followed by the World of Outlaws Sprint Series season opener Feb. 9-11.
While this weekend’s events mark the start of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series championship chase for the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle team, McMahan never broke stride transitioning from 2006 to 2007 as he raced in winged sprint car competition in Australia over the winter. McMahan earned nine top-10 finishes racing Down Under before returning to the United States last week to rejoin the TSR team in Tampa, Fla., at East Bay Raceway Park. In three nights of competition at East Bay, McMahan earned a seventh-place finish on Feb. 1 to highlight the week.
The TSR team will also debut its new Chevrolet powerplants in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series this week, as McMahan will take the wheel for the brand’s first laps as an official sponsor in the series. The No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Eagle team will look to take home a win this weekend in its quest to capture a first-ever series championship for Chevrolet in World of Outlaws Sprint Series competition.
The 36th Annual DIRTcar Nationals will wrap up with three nights of racing featuring the World of Outlaws Sprint Series at Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 9-11. Gates will open at 5 p.m. EST each evening with racing scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The A-main feature event winner on Feb. 9 and 10 will earn an $8,000 payday, with Saturday night’s A-main winner earning $12,000. The total purse for the three-day World of Outlaws Sprint Series event will be more than $100,000.
Denver Removed From Champ Car Schedule
The Champ Car World Series today announced the postponement of this season’s Denver Grand Prix, which was to be run on August 15. The event, which has run for the last five seasons around the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, will be removed from the 2007 calendar due to concerns over time conflicts with the facilities surrounding the temporary street course. Efforts to find a replacement date that accommodated the Pepsi Center and Champ Car, as well as the University of Colorado Auraria Campus that borders the track layout, were unable to find a suitable date that fit unto the series’ race schedule. In addition, Denver’s status as the host city for the Democratic National Convention in 2008 will force Champ Car to keep the event off of the ’08 calendar as well.
“The strong attendance numbers, the backing the event received from the corporate sector as well as the city and county government, and the support of the people of Denver have shown that a Champ Car event can flourish there,” said Champ Car President Steve Johnson. “Champ Car has made a major investment in building this event over the last five years. We are committed to making every effort to returning to the Mile High City as soon as a viable replacement date can be found.”
The postponement reduces to 16 the number of events on the 2007 Champ Car World Series schedule, the largest number of races on the Champ Car calendar since the 2003 season.
Marco Andretti Gets Second F-1 Test
IndyCar Series driver Marco Andretti will join the Honda Racing F1 Team for a second test in Jerez on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 February. With Jenson Button and Christian Klien focused on developing the first of the RA107 chassis, the team will have completed all meaningful running with last year's RA106 car, which presents the ideal opportunity for a further test with Marco.
In his debut Formula One test with Honda last December, Marco impressed the team with his obvious potential and the Honda team will be interested to see how he performs during a more comprehensive two-day programme in the RA106 in Jerez. Marco's test in December was awarded in recognition of his achievements in the Honda-powered IndyCar Series this year. Marco had an outstanding first season, winning one race, in addition to finishing second in the Indianapolis 500 and being named 'Rookie of the Year'.
Marco Andretti said, "I am obviously very pleased to have been invited back for a second test with the Honda Racing F1 Team. I felt that I did a good job in December but on the first day you spend more time getting used to the car and familiarising yourself with the circuit. When I get in the car this time, I am sure I will be able to hit the ground running. I'm looking forward to it."(paddocktalk.com)
Corvette To Pace Indy 500 Again
The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible will serve as the Official Pace Car for the 91st Indianapolis 500, a record fourth consecutive turn at the front of the field of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." It's the ninth time Corvette will pace the Indianapolis 500, a record for the event. The previous years were 1978, 1986, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006. It's the 18th time a Chevrolet will lead the field, also an event record. The 91st Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with live coverage on ABC Sports and the IMS Radio Network. The Pace Car driver will be announced at a later date.
The 2007 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Corvette Convertible will be featured in Chevrolet's display at the 99th Chicago Auto Show, the largest auto show in North America, from Feb. 9-18 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The car also will be prominently featured in Chevy's media activities Feb. 7-8 before the show opens to the public. Chevrolet will produce 500 special-edition replicas of the Indianapolis 500 Corvette Convertible Pace Car for sale to the general public. The cars, manufactured in Bowling Green, Ky., will be available starting this spring.
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(Speed News Now)
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