NBC Sports Network is now the home of nearly every motor racing series we love! The newly arrived network which was the evolution of the old Versus network after NBC acquired ComCast has quickly established itself as the new home for motorsport. When Fox’s SPEED channel became Fox Sports 1 (or 2 or the Foxy Ocho…whatever) it ceased being a racing-centric channel, although many would argue that it already had when the old Speedvision died. NBCSN which already had the IndyCar Series acquired the rights to Formula 1, they aired highlights of the Dakar, the most epic off-road race ever, and during the Sno*Drift rally we learned that they were also going to air highlights of the entire Rally America National Championship.
Earlier this week, NBCSN added to it’s fantastic motorsport line-up by adding the Pirelli World Challenge. If you ask me and Mr. Whitesell, we’ll argue that the best multi-class sportscar racing in North America is to be found in the Pirelli World Challenge. It’s certainly the highlight of our traditional Mid-Ohio weekend. Might be time to upgrade the DVR. To paraphrase a great movie from the late 70s, “We’re gonna need a bigger hard drive.”
Official Release from Pirelli World Challenge
Pirelli World Challenge Announces 2014 Broadcast Schedule on NBC Sports Network. Additional Broadcast Date Added for Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season
Feb. 3, 2014 / For Immediate Release
Denver, CO – WC Vision today announced the television schedule for its 25th anniversary 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championships season that will air on NBC Sports Network. All races will be broadcast in either 90-minute or two-hour programs aired in prime time on Saturdays or Sundays, with re-airs occurring on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
“Coming off of a record-setting 2013 season that saw tremendous growth in the series’ base of fans, cars and sponsors, we’re excited to see more FIA GT3 homologated cars entered to race with us in 2014 as well as an increase in the number of world-class drivers joining the series,” said Greg Gill, Vice President Marketing and Communications. “Our growth has allowed us the opportunity to expand our relationship with NBC Sports Network and produce an 8th broadcast for this coming season. The additional broadcast will be used to cover our races at Road America in June. The series’ return to one of the most revered and iconic race tracks in the country with all our classes racing will provide for an amazing broadcast for our fans,” added Gill.
Veteran sportscar racing announcers Greg Creamer and Calvin Fish will again provide play-by-play, color commentary and in-depth
series analysis. As in 2013, Jeff Lepper will join Creamer and Fish for pit lane, and pre- and post-race segments. The broadcasts will include exciting in-car camera footage from series partner GoPro, unique feature segments, interviews with series personalities and behind-the-scenes footage.
“Our upcoming 25th anniversary season is going to be one filled with excitement with 50-plus car fields, returning champions like
O’Connell and Aschenbach and new teams joining the series running world-class marques like the Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3,” said Scott Bove, WC Vision President and CEO. “For fans that can’t make our races in person or for those that attended and want to relive it, our broadcast partner NBC Sports Network will deliver all of the action.”
2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championships television schedule on NBC Sports Network:
Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, April 12 at 12:30 a.m.)
Streets of Long Beach
Sunday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m.
(re-air Friday, April 25 at 1 a.m.)
Barber Motorsports Park
Saturday, May 10 at 3 p.m.
(re-air Friday, May 16 at 1 a.m.)
Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 15 at 2:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, June 21 at 12 a.m.)
Road America
Friday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, Aug. 2 at 12:30 a.m.)
Streets of Toronto/Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sunday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 a.m.)
Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, August 30 at 1 p.m.
(re-air Thursday, Sept. 5 at 12:30 a.m.)
Miller Motorsports Park
Sunday, September 28 at 2:30 p.m.
(re-air Thursday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m.)
Schedule subject to change. All times listed are Eastern.
The 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season opener is scheduled for March 28-30 on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. For more on the series, go to world-challenge.com.