2010 NASCAR on Fox Schedule

Today has been a bad day. No internet access at my regular office. Then called into the home office which has prevented me from blogging extensively today. I was hoping to do stuff on Super Bowl Media Day, but without internet access, all plans were shot to hell. So I’ve been unable to post as much as I would like today.

I give you this press release which just came into the Fang’s Bites inbox, the 2010 NASCAR on Fox schedule. Unless noted, most races will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sundays. The schedule is below. Enjoy.

FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCES 2010 NASCAR ON FOX

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Coverage Begins With Qualifying and Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 6; FOX Sports Presents the 52^nd Daytona 500 on Feb. 14

Network Celebrates 10^th NASCAR on FOX Season

New York & Los Angeles – When the green flag drops this year in Daytona, it won’t only signify the start of the greatest race in all of motorsports, it begins FOX Sports’ 10^th season of Emmy Award-winning NASCAR coverage.

FOX Sports begins its broadcasts during SpeedWeeks at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 6 with DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING (1:00 PM ET) and the BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT in prime time (8:00 PM ET) and continues with live, flag-to-flag coverage of the 52^nd running of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500 – on Sunday, February 14 (12:00 PM ET.)

FOX Sports airs 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup points races in 2010, featuring earlier and more consistent start times, part of the sport’s “back to basics” initiative.  This season NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in the Eastern and Central regions begin at 1:00PM ET, West coast events begin at 3:00 PM ET, and night races begin at 7:30 PM ET.  The one exception is NASCAR’s longest night race, the Coca-Cola 600, which begins at 5:45 PM ET.

FOX’s 2010 NASCAR schedule is highlighted by races from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 28; Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 21; Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 18; Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 25; NASCAR racing from Dover, Delaware on Sunday, May 16 and the NASCAR on FOX season finale from Charlotte on Sunday, May 30 from Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.    

  

Before the action begins, NASCAR racing legend Darrell Waltrip and former crew chief Jeff Hammond join host Chris Myers on FOX NASCAR SUNDAY, live from the renowned Hollywood Hotel prerace set.  Once prerace coverage wraps up, race announcer Mike Joy calls the action with analysis from former champion crew chief Larry McReynolds and Waltrip.  Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Krista Voda return to cover pit road.

Despite a rain-shortened Daytona 500 in 2009, “The Great American Race” reaffirmed its status as one of the premier annual events in sports. Last year’s average audience of 16.0 million viewers puts the Daytona 500 ahead of such major events as the NCAA Final Four (+19%, vs. 13.5 mill), 2008 Summer Olympics (+5%, vs. 15.2 mill), 2009 NBA Finals (+12%, vs. 14.3 mill), Kentucky Derby (+36%, vs. 11.8 mill), final round of The Masters (+12%, vs. 14.3 mill), and the final round of the US Open (+125%, vs. 7.1 mill.)

FOX Sports commands the well-earned distinction as television’s most innovative sports broadcaster, and ranking high among the network’s achievements are honors for its NASCAR coverage.  NASCAR on FOX has garnered 13 Emmy Awards for its coverage including three for Outstanding Sports Series (2001, 2005, 2007), three for Outstanding Live Event Audio Sound (2002, 2005, 2006), one for Outstanding Graphic Design (2001), five for Outstanding Technical Team Remote (2001, 2003-05, 2007) and one for Promotional Announcement Episodic (2008).   

NASCAR on FOX 2010 Schedule

Sat. Feb. 6 – Daytona Int’l Speedway, Daytona 500 Qualifying, 1:00 PM

Sat. Feb. 6 – Daytona Int’l Speedway, Budweiser Shootout, 8:00 PM           

Sun. Feb. 14 – Daytona Int’l Speedway, Daytona 500, 12:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 21 – California Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Fontana, 2:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 28 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Las Vegas, 2:00 PM

Sun. March 7 – Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Atlanta, 12:00 PM

Sun. March 21 – Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Bristol, 12:00 PM

Sun. March 28 – Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Martinsville, 12:00 PM

Sat.  April 10 – Phoenix Int’l Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Phoenix, 7:00 PM

Sun. April 18 – Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Fort Worth, 2:00 PM

Sun. April 25 – Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR Racing from Talladega, 12:00 PM

Sat.  May 1 – Richmond Int’l Raceway, NASCAR Racing from Richmond, 7:00 PM

Sat.  May 8 – Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Racing from Darlington, 7:00 PM

Sun.  May 16 – Dover Int’l Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Dover, 12:00 PM

Sun.  May 30 – Lowe’s Motor Speedway, NASCAR Racing from Charlotte, 5:00 PM

All times Eastern; Schedule subject to change

ESPN has already said it will carry 11 out of 14 late season races and given us the start times. TNT will release its schedule later.