The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Is on ABC

September 18, 2007 -- ESPN Analyst Rusty Wallace on Racing at Dover International Speedway:

Q – Racing at Dover doesn't seem to wear drivers out as much as it used to. What's the reason for that?

“One of the reasons the drivers don’t get as worn out is because it is less distance to race than in the past. It went from 500 miles to 400 miles and that has helped a lot with the fatigue experienced by the drivers. Also, with the technology in racing, you now have seats that are molded to the driver’s body and it holds your shape better. In the past, we did not have head supports or cool helmets and now you have all of these aids to help you while you’re in the seat. But, without a doubt, the biggest difference is the race becoming shorter.”

Q – How do drivers approach Dover? What is their strategy of getting around the racetrack known as the Monster Mile?

“In practice and qualifying you’re going to drive hard down on the bottom of the racetrack. You’ll peel around the bottom and it’s crucial getting off the corners. You can get real loose off Turns 2 and 4. To accommodate the transitions, you have to set the car up to be loose in both of those exits. The groove will also start to move up on the racetrack and you’ll move higher and higher on race day but not in practice and qualifying.”

Q -- How much does the concrete surface at Dover change during the race for the drivers?

“The surface changes quite a bit. It gets blacker and blacker the more the rubber is laid down. You can see how high the groove moves by how black the surface gets. In the race, about halfway through, around 200 miles, you’ll start to notice that the groove has moved up close to the wall in both corners. This makes it easier to race because the groove has opened up and there is more real estate to race on. The grip is good from the bottom to the top.”

The Second Race in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup is Sunday on ABC; ESPN2 continues season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series on Saturday

The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup continues with Sunday’s 400-mile race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of the Dover event and all 10 races in the Chase. The Dover telecast begins at 1 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

On Saturday afternoon, ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live racing from Dover International Speedway. The telecast of the 200-mile race begins at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

Brent Musburger will be the Dover telecast host, while Dr. Jerry Punch will handle play-by-play for the race, joined in the booth for analysis by 1989 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Wallace is the only national TV analyst who has competed in the Chase as a driver. Pit reporters will be Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown along with analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch and Truck series, in the ESPN Pit Studio.

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ESPN on ABC has comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

Source: ESPN

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