NBC Sports Group Flips Ignition Switch On Fourth Season Of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Racing This Sunday

NBC Sports Group launches its 2018 NASCAR season this week with more than 18 hours of trackside coverage from CHICAGOLAND Speedway, culminating with Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Featuring the debut of NBC Sports' newest on-air contributor Dale Earnhardt Jr.(@DaleJr), NBC Sports Group will super serve fans with 38 hours of stars, stripes and NASCAR programming including Xfinity Series racing on Saturday, June 30, at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Entering NBC Sports' portion of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, leads the field with 696 points and 4 wins, followed by Kevin Harvick (624 points, 5 wins),Joey Logano (584, 1 win), Brad Keselowski (554, 0 wins) and Martin Truex Jr. (546, 3 wins). Truex took the checkered flag this past Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, securing his third win of the season, and second of his career at the California road course.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM CHICAGOLAND - SUNDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Sunday's pre-race coverage welcomes race fans back to NASCAR on NBC's coverage, with numerous one-on-one interviews and long-form features which highlight NBC Sports' proud legacy of storytelling. Pre-race coverage includes a feature on the 'Big Three' drivers of 2018 - Kyle Busch, Harvick and Truex - and how they are collectively dominating the field this season. NASCAR on NBC analyst and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will conduct an interview with Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, and discuss his career and family ties to the sport. In addition, NBC Sports' coverage will include a special feature on NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver and United States Navy Reserve officer Jesse Iwuji.

NBCSN's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series coverage from Joliet, Ill. kicks off Saturday, June 30 at 11:30 a.m. ET with first practice. NASCAR America, hosted live from NASCAR on NBC's new state of the art "Peacock Pit Box," airs at 1:30 p.m. ET, followed by final practice at 2 p.m. ET. NASCAR Cup Series qualifying wraps up the day at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

NBC Sports Group's race day coverage begins Sunday at Noon ET on NBCSN with NASCAR America, followed by Countdown to Green at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage of NBCSN's first NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2018 season begins at 2:30 p.m. ET. After the checkered flag falls, post-race coverage continues on NBCSN with a full hour of NASCAR VICTORY LAP at 6 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 Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett) host NASCAR AMERICA as well as all pre- and post-race coverage. Marty Snider(@heymartysnider), Kelli Stavast (@kellistavast) and Dave Burns(@tvdaveburns) 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 of the weekend.

NBCSN PRESENTS XFINITY SERIES RACING - SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN's Xfinity Series race day coverage kicks off Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET with qualifying, followed by Countdown to Green at 3 p.m. ET. NBCSN's first Xfinity Series race of 2018 begins at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the post-race show at 6 p.m. ET.

Entering this weekend, Justin Allgaier (2 wins), Christopher Bell (1 win) andTyler Reddick (1 win) have virtually guaranteed Xfinity Series playoff berths with wins. Allgaier, a native of Riverton, Illinois, won last year's Xfinity race at Chicagoland.

NASCAR RACING RETURNS TO NBC - MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL THURSDAY AT 1 P.M. ET

NBC Sports Group NASCAR analyst and motorsports icon Dale Earnhardt Jr., 21-time Cup Series winner Jeff Burton, Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, as well as NBC Sports Group Executive Producer Sam Flood, preview the 2018 NASCAR on NBC season on a media conference call this Thursday, June 28 at 1 p.m. ET. Dial 877-260-1479 to participate and enter meeting ID 8206255.

THIS WEEK'S NASCAR PROGRAMMING ON NBCSN

DATE	COVERAGE	TIME (ET)
Wednesday, June 27	NASCAR America	5 p.m.
Thursday, June 28	NASCAR America	5 p.m.
	Dale Jr. Download	5:30 p.m.
	K&N Pro West - Sonoma	6 p.m.
	Whelen Modified - Langley	7 p.m.
Friday, June 29	NASCAR America	4 p.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Chicago	4:30 p.m.
	NASCAR America	7 p.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Chicago	7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 30	NASCAR Xfinity Series First Practice - Chicago (Encore)	9:30 a.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Final Practice - Chicago (Encore)	10:30 a.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Chicago	11:30 a.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying - Chicago	12:30 p.m.
	NASCAR America	1:30 p.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Chicago	2 p.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green	3 p.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Chicago	3:30 p.m.
	NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show	6 p.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - Chicago	7 p.m.
Sunday, July 1	NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Chicago (Encore)	7:30 a.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series First Practice - Chicago (Encore)	10 a.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice - Chicago (Encore)	11 a.m.
	NASCAR America	12 p.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green	2 p.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Race - Chicago	2:30 p.m.
	NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show	5:30 p.m.
	Victory Lap	6 p.m.
	NASCAR The Decades	7 p.m.

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.

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