This weekend is the Indianapolis 500 Qualifying races. Earlier this week we posted news that many of the qualifying races would be carried live on SportsCenter, mostly on ESPNews due to the X Games, NCAA Softball, and other events. However it should be noted that while ABC has exclusive broadcast rights in the US for the Indianapolis 500, the Disney Networks don't have exclusive rights for the quailfying legs. Today NBC announced their coverage plans for the Inianapolis 500 Qualifying Legs and for Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix. Here's the press release.
TWO-PART MOTORSPORTS PRESS RELEASE: INDY 500 QUALIFYING & MONACO GRAND PRIX
NEW YORK – May 16, 2013 – NBC Sports Network presents 19 hours of coverage surrounding the Indianapolis 500, including live qualifying, Carb Day, Indy Lights, an Indy Car 36 episode, and the Indy 500 Parade. Live qualifying coverage begins this Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. ET, continues through Saturday, and returns on Sunday, May 19 at noon ET. Qualifying coverage is highlighted by the NBC Sports Network broadcast debut of former IndyCar driver and 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran.
In addition, NBC Sports Network presents live coverage of Carb Day, the last practice before the race, with the return of renowned motorsports voice Bob Jenkins. Coverage begins on Friday, May 24, at 11 a.m. ET, continues with Indy Lights at noon ET, and is followed by more Carb Day coverage. The premier of IndyCar 36 featuring record-breaking driver Simona de Silvestro airs at 10:30 p.m. ET that night.
NBC Sports Network concludes its coverage on Saturday, May 25, with the Indy 500 Parade live at 5 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports Network’s Indy 500 Qualifying Coverage (subject to change, all times ET):
| Date | Coverage | Time | Commentators |
| Sat., May 18 | Qualifying | 11 a.m. | Leigh Diffey, Gil de Ferran, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Marty Snider, Robin Miller, Will Buxton |
| Sat., May 18 | Qualifying | 4:30 p.m. | Leigh Diffey, Gil de Ferran, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Marty Snider, Robin Miller, Will Buxton |
| Sun., May 19 | Qualifying | Noon | Leigh Diffey, Gil de Ferran, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, Marty Snider, Robin Miller, Will Buxton |
| Fri., May 24 | Carb Day | 11 a.m. | Bob Jenkins, Jon Beekhuis, Wally Dallenbach, Kevin Lee, Martin Snider, Robin Miller |
| Fri., May 24 | Indy Lights | Noon | Mike King, Jake Query |
| Fri., May 24 | Carb Day | 1 p.m. | Bob Jenkins, Jon Beekhuis, Wally Dallenbach, Kevin Lee, Martin Snider, Robin Miller |
| Fri., May 24 | IndyCar 36: Simona de Silvestro | 10:30 p.m. | |
| Sat., May 25 | Indy 500 Parade | 5 p.m. | Bob Jenkins, Diane Willis, Kevin Lee |
QUALIFYING COMMENTATORS: Former IndyCar driver Gil de Ferran joins NBC Sports Network’s team as an analyst this weekend 10 years after his Indy 500 win. de Ferran is filling in for NBC Sports Network IndyCar analyst Townsend Bell, who is attempting to qualify for his seventh Indy 500. In 2009, Bell finished fourth in the race.
Sharing the booth with de Ferran includes play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey and analyst Jon Beekhuis. Diffey is working IndyCar this weekend, but will travel abroad next week to call the Monaco Grand Prix. Veterans Kevin Lee and Marty Snider manage the pits, and are joined by reporters Robin Miller and Will Buxton, the Formula One reporter who is making his inaugural trip to the Brickyard.
Coverage on Sunday will feature Bell driving first-timer Buxton around the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a two-seater.
CARB DAY COMMENTATORS: Legendary motorsports voice Bob Jenkins returns to the booth for Carb Day on Friday, May 24, filling in for Diffey, who will be at Monaco. Jenkins will be joined by Beekhuis and race analyst and former NASCAR driver Wally Dallenbach, Jr. Veterans Lee, Snider and Miller will manage the pits.
Mike King will call Indy Lights on Friday, May 24, alongside Jack Query.
Jenkins, Diane Willis and Lee will host Indy 500 Parade coverage on Saturday, May 25 at 5 p.m. ET.
DIFFEY ON INDY 500 QUALIFYING: “The way this year’s IZOD Indycar Series has gone, who can’t be excited about the Indy 500 Pole Day? This time last year, Penske Racing had dominated all four opening rounds of the series and led the championship. This year they haven’t won a race, nor has defending Indy 500 winner Chip Ganassi Racing, and there have been two first-time winners from the first four races. It’s a season of surprise.”
INDYCAR 36: NBC Sports Network offers motorsports fans another episode of the all-access series IndyCar 36. This week the cameras follow driver Simona de Silvestro, who made history by becoming the first woman to earn a podium spot at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006.
The NBC Sports Network original series is produced by IMS Productions and gives viewers an all-access pass into the life of a world-class driver in the middle of race season. The cameras will follow a driver for 36 hours during a race weekend providing a behind-the-scenes look at the on- and off-track activities of the stars of the IndyCar Series. The all-access 36 series also includes NHL 36, Fight Night 36 and F1 36.
INDYCAR ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will live stream Indy 500 qualifying on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, Carb Day and Indy Lights on Friday, May 24, and the Indy 500 Parade on Saturday, May 25. Coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Coverage airing on NBC Sports Network will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.
INDYCAR ON MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on the IZOD IndyCar Series, Formula One™, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and all other motorsports racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBC Sports Network productions of IndyCar and F1, including contributions from on-air commentators.
MotorSportsTalk’s content is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:
- Tony DiZinno (@TonyDiZinno), who has written for RACER Magazine and has covered IndyCar and NASCAR since 2006;
- Writer Christopher Estrada (@estradawriting) who has written for the Boston Globe, FoxSports.com, created the Indy Racing Revolution blog and is a contributor to IndyCar’s IndyCar Nation blog.
***
Part 2: Monaco Grand Prix
NBC TO AIR MONACO GRAND PRIX LIVE ON SUNDAY, MAY 26 AT 7:30 A.M. ET
19.5 Hours of Coverage
“It is an unbelievable spectacle.” – Leigh Diffey
“In the most glamorous spot in the world, spiced with high danger content, and you end up with the most unique weekend of any sporting event in the world.” – David Hobbs
“Mimosas From Monaco” Coverage Kicks Off “Biggest Day in Racing” on Sunday, May 26, at 7 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Conference Call Set for Wednesday, May 22, at Noon ET
NEW YORK – May 16, 2013 – For the first time, Formula One’s famed Monaco Grand Prix will air live on network television Sunday, May 26 at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Group will present a total of 19.5 hours of Monaco coverage from Thursday to Sunday, May 23-26, across NBC, NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Live Extra. Race day, Sunday May 26, will begin with a live pre-race show at 7 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, and conclude with F1 Extra, NBC Sports Network’s half-hour post-race show, live from Monaco after the race.
Coverage from Monaco also includes live practice, qualifying and GP2 races on NBC Sports Network. Practice will air live on Thursday, May 23, at 8 a.m. ET. Qualifying will air live on Saturday, May 25, at 8 a.m. ET. In addition, NBC Sports Network will air two GP2 races, F1’s developmental series, at 12 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 26.
CONFERENCE CALL: NBC Sports Group F1 commentators Leigh Diffey, David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, and Will Buxton, as well as NBC Sports Group motorsports producer Rich O’Connor, will preview the Monaco Grand Prix on a media conference call from Monaco at Noon ET on Wednesday, May 22. Media interested in participating should call 719-325-2435; passcode 7826869.
Sunday, May 26 can arguably be called ‘the biggest day in racing’ as it features three of sport’s most famous races from three different circuits — the Monaco Grand Prix (Formula One), the Indy 500 (IndyCar) and the Coca-Cola 600 (NASCAR). NBC Sports Network’s Monaco coverage kicks it all off on Sunday at 7 a.m. ET.
NBC Sports Group’s Monaco Grand Prix Coverage (subject to change):
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Thurs., May 23 | Practice | NBCSN | 8 a.m. |
| Fri., May 24 | Practice Encore | NBCSN | 1:30 a.m. |
| Fri., May 24 | Practice Encore | NBCSN | 11:30 p.m. |
| Sat., May 25 | Qualifying | NBCSN | 8 a.m. |
| Sat., May 25 | Qualifying Encore | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | GP2 Race 1 | NBCSN | 12 a.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | Pre-Race Show | NBCSN | 7 a.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | Monaco Grand Prix | NBC | 7:30 a.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | F1 Extra | NBCSN | 10 a.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | Monaco Grand Prix Encore | NBCSN | 10:30 a.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | F1 Extra Encore | NBCSN | 1 p.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | GP2 Race 2 | NBCSN | 1:30 p.m. |
| Sun., May 26 | Monaco Grand Prix Encore | NBCSN | 10:30 p.m. |
COMMENTATORS ON SITE: NBC Sports Group’s F1 announce booth will be on site to capture the unique glitz-and-glamor atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix. Leigh Diffey will serve as lead race announcer alongside veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analyst and former race mechanic for the Benneton F1 team Steve Matchett, and F1 insider and former journalist Will Buxton. Diffey will precede his work in Monaco by calling Indy 500 qualifying coverage.
ON MONACO:
Diffey: “Monaco is so special because people want to see something they can’t believe they are seeing, and that is the Monaco Grand Prix in a nutshell. It is an unbelievable spectacle. Cars that are way too fast for the track they are racing on, a track way too narrow for the speed of the cars. The element of danger is way too high for the modern day sport. But that is why Monaco is Monaco.”
Hobbs: “Monaco is one of the older races on the calendar and the circuit has changed very little over the nearly 90 years of running. Monaco is built around a fabulous natural harbor filled with the world’s most expensive yachts and a backdrop of gorgeous mountains. Throw in 20 or so multimillionaire drivers, team owners and top technicians in the most glamorous spot in the world, spiced with high danger content, and you end up with the most unique weekend of any sporting event in the world.”
ON THE RACE:
Diffey: “The form guide over the past three years screams Infiniti Red Bull Racing, but if you base it on the last Grand Prix everything points at Ferrari. With that being said, the Mercedes AMG Petronas team has shown incredible qualifying speed this year and qualifying well at Monaco is paramount.”
Hobbs: “This is the race all drivers and teams want to win. It has that extra something driven by its vintage location and crowd. It is a difficult race between very unforgiving walls, miles of guardrail, tightness of the turns and the narrow width of the road. It’s a tiring event for drivers and controlled aggression is key for a driver. Go fast, but keep off the walls.”
ON THE DRIVERS:
Diffey: “Over the last seven years there are only two drivers who have won more than once. Mark Webber has won two of the last three years and Fernando Alonso won back to back in 2006-07. Drivers who like Monaco always do well there and those guys are definitely in that group.”
Hobbs: “This year is proving to be very competitive. Team Ferrari is on a roll and Fernando Alonso, previous winner in Monaco, always goes well here. Red Bull and Mark Webber, two-time Monaco winner will go well – their car is suited to most tracks. Kimi Raikkonen in his Lotus should shine here, and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is fast every time he comes here.
NBC SPORTS DIGITAL & SOCIAL COVERAGE
F1 ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will live stream the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, May 26, as well as qualifying on Saturday, May 25, and practice on Thursday, May 23. A vast majority of coverage will be streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.
For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
Coverage airing on:
- NBC will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra;
- NBC Sports Network will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via “TV Everywhere,” which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.
F1 ON MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on Formula One™, IZOD IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and all other motorsports racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBC Sports Network productions of F1 and IndyCar, including contributions from on-air commentators.
MotorSportsTalk’s content is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:
- Keith Collantine (@KeithCollantine), editor and creator of the F1Fanatic blog;
- Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) creator of the F1 site RichlandF1.com.
To explore the site, please visit MotorSportsTalk.com.nbcsports.com or www.NBCSports.com.
SOCIAL: Follow @MotorsportsTalk, @F1onNBCSports and @NBCSN on Twitter and “like” Facebook.com/NBC Sports for the most up-to-date news, videos and commentary about Formula One on NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network.
Commentator Twitter Chats – During the week of the Monaco race, F1 on NBC Sports commentators including @leighdiffey, @mrstevematchett, @mrdavidhobbs and @willbuxton will take part in various Twitter Chats allowing fans to get their questions answered from our very own experts.
For more information about NBC Sports Group shows and properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
—NBC SPORTS GROUP—
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