NBC Sports Group Celebrates Return of NASCAR Racing To NBC This Today Today

NBC Sports Group caps off the Fourth of July holiday with more than 18 hours of trackside NASCAR coverage from the "World Center of Racing," culminating with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this Saturday, July 7 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

Featuring the broadcast television debut of NASCAR on NBC's newest on-air contributor Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr), NBC Sports Group will super serve fans with more than 35 hours of NASCAR programming including Xfinity Series racing on Friday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. As part of NASCAR on NBC's comprehensive coverage from Daytona International Speedway, NBC Sports host Mike Tirico will join Sunday's broadcast live on-site and contribute to the pre-race show.

Entering NBC Sports' first broadcast race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, continues to lead the field with 736 points and 5 wins, followed by Kevin Harvick(674 points, 5 wins), Joey Logano (617 points, 1 win), Martin Truex Jr. (594 points, 3 wins) and Brad Keselowski (592 points, 0 wins). Kyle Busch took home the checkered flag this past Sunday at Chicagoland, following a wild last-lap battle with Kyle Larson.

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM DAYTONA - SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBC

Saturday's pre-race coverage includes a special "Driver to Driver" interview between NASCAR on NBC analyst and Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett(@DaleJarrett), and driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevy,Bubba Wallace. The two discuss Wallace's ongoing rookie season in the Cup Series, and his emotional second-place finish in this year's Daytona 500. Coverage also includes a visit with Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, during RCR's monthly veterans breakfast.

NBC Sports kicks off Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Daytona, Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, with first practice, followed by final practice at 4 p.m. ET. An on-site edition of NASCAR AMERICA wraps up the day at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Friday's coverage includes NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Race day coverage begins Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN with NASCAR America, live from the superspeedway's pit road. Countdown to Green begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and shifts over to NBC at 7 p.m. for live race coverage. Following the checkered flag, NBCSN will present a one hour post-race show at 11 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports' lead race announcer Rick Allen (@Rickallenracing) will call the action alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte (@steveletarte), 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton (@Jeffburton), and Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR on NBC pre-race host Krista Voda (@Kristavoda), auto racing iconKyle Petty (@KylePetty), and Jarrett host NASCAR AMERICA as well as all pre- and post-race coverage. Marty Snider (@heymartysnider), Kelli Stavast(@kellistavast), Dave Burns (@tvdaveburns) and Parker Kligerman(@Pkligerman) will report from pit road and the garages.

NBCSports.com lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan (@nateryan) will contribute news reports throughout the weekend, and features reporter Rutledge Wood(@Rutledgewood) will bring viewers a collection of off track stories.

NBCSN DEBUTS NASCAR AMERICA FAN FRIDAY WITH RUTLEDGE WOOD THIS FRIDAY AT 6 P.M. ET

NBCSN debuts NASCAR AMERICA Fan Friday, a fun and interactive conversation with the biggest drivers in the sport, hosted by Rutledge Wood, this Friday, July 6 at 6 p.m. ET live from Daytona International Speedway's Fan Zone. A new addition to NBC Sports' NASCAR lineup, NASCAR AMERICA Fan Friday will air live from select tracks throughout the 2018 season.

Friday's one-hour premiere will include appearances by Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2016 Daytona 500 Champion Denny Hamlin, 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon, defending Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Bubba Wallace.

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM DAYTONA - FRIDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN's Xfinity Series coverage from Florida begins Thursday with first practice at 1 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 3 p.m. ET. Race day coverage kicks off Friday at 2 p.m. ET with qualifying, followed by Countdown to Green at 7 p.m. ET. Live Xfinity racing begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by NBCSN's post-race show at 10 p.m. ET.

THIS WEEK'S NASCAR PROGRAMMING

DATE	COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
Tuesday, July 3	NASCAR America	5 p.m.	NBCSN
Thursday, July 5	NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Daytona	1 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Daytona	2 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Daytona	3 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Daytona	4 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR America	5 p.m.	NBCSN
	Dale Jr. Download	5:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR The Decades	6 p.m.	NBCSN
Friday, July 6	NASCAR The Decades	7 a.m.	NBCSN
	Racing Roots	8 a.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Daytona (Encore)	8:30 a.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Daytona (Encore)	9:30 a.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Daytona (Encore)	10:30 a.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Daytona (Encore)	11:30 a.m.	NBCSN
	Dale Jr. Download (Encore)	12:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR K&N Series - Douglas County	1 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying - Daytona	2 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Daytona	4 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR America Fan Friday	6 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green	7 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Daytona	7:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show	10 p.m.	NBCSN
	Racing Roots	10:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	Racing Roots	11 p.m.	NBCSN
	Racing Roots	11:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR The Decades	12 a.m.	NBCSN
Saturday, July 7	NASCAR America	5 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green	6:30 p.m.	NBCSN
	NASCAR Cup Series Race - Daytona	7 p.m.	NBC
	NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show	11 p.m.	NBCSN

NASCAR ON NBC

The official home of the NASCAR Playoffs, NBC Sports Group will present the final 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, and select NASCAR Regional & Touring Series events in 2018. NBC Sports Group's NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN's daily motorsports show NASCAR America, coverage of NASCAR's Awards Ceremonies, the annual NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as well as original programming specials.