The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series enjoyed its last off-week of the 2007 season last week and prepares to embark on a long, 17-week non-stop racing schedule that begins with the All State 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and concludes with the season finale in Homestead, Fla. The All State 400 at the Brickyard is the start of that 17-race stretch while also being the start of a new relationship with an old friend as ESPN makes its return to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
ESPN has been credited with assisting NASCAR to its current status as a mainstream sport in the United States having provided live television coverage of racing events starting in the 1980s and continuing to do so through the 2000 NASCAR season. In 2001, NASCAR embarked into television broadcast contracts with FOX and NBC which left ESPN out of the NASCAR broadcast picture.
When NASCAR's broadcast contracts came up for renegotiation in 2005, ESPN jumped at the chance to get back in the game and last year was awarded coverage of events that make up the last half of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule, including the Chase for the Championship. Additionally, ESPN was named the exclusive broadcast home for all of the events that make up the NASCAR Busch Series schedule and has been broadcast Busch Series events since the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in February.
ESPN's return to NASCAR meant the assembly of a broadcast team which has been working the NASCAR Busch Series events throughout the 2007 season to date. Dr. Jerry Punch covered NASCAR events for a number of years before ESPN left the sport in 2001 and returns to the broadcast in the coveted role of play-by-play announcer. The return of an old friend to the broadcast booth has been a highly anticipated event for those in the NASCAR garage, including his old friend, Dale Jarrett.
"I've known Dr. Jerry Punch for a number of years and I know he has been one of the biggest supporters and advocates for the sport of auto racing and NASCAR in particular," Jarrett said. "He's a good friend and I am thrilled that he has this opportunity to cover a sport he loves."
For Jarrett, ESPN's return to the sport has affected him personally as he has worked for the network in a part-time capacity during the 2007 season serving as an analyst during a handful of NASCAR Busch Series events. Many of those that work in the sport expect that when Jarrett steps from behind the wheel of his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car that he will step behind the microphone, once again following in his father's footsteps, Ned Jarrett. It is for ESPN that the elder Jarrett worked during the broadcast portion of his career.
"As someone who is a big sports fan, I tend to watch a lot of ESPN, Sports Center and its coverage of other sports," Jarrett said. "It means a lot to the people in this sport to have ESPN back in the garage and covering our sport like they do other premier sports like the NFL or NBA. I'm looking forward to working with their broadcast team again when they take over coverage of the Nextel Cup Series."
In addition to Punch, ESPN will have former NASCAR Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and former championship-winning crew chief Andy Petree in the broadcast booth. Long-time veteran sports commentator Brent Musburger will serve as the host of NASCAR Countdown for races that air on ESPN broadcast partner ABC. The ESPN broadcast team has also attracted the former NBA All-Star Brad Daugherty to the NASCAR Countdown team.
