NBC Sports Group Sets More Than 1,000 Hours of 2016 Motorsports Coverage

NBC Sports Group - the U.S. television home of motorsports - continues its unparalleled, wall-to-wall coverage in 2016, presenting nearly 1,800 hours of motorsports content across NBC, NBCSN and CNBC, NBCUniversal's business channel, as well as on NBC Sports Live Extra.

NBC Sports Group's extensive motorsports catalog is highlighted by:

More than 800 hours of NASCAR content, including exclusive coverage of the second half of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series campaigns, beginning July 4th weekend at Daytona International Speedway;

Nearly 100 hours of exclusive cable coverage of the Verizon INDYCAR SERIES on NBCSN, beginning Saturday, April 2, in primetime with IndyCar's return to Phoenix International Raceway, and;

Exclusive coverage of the 2016 Formula One season, which begins this Sunday, March 20 at 12:30 a.m. ET with NBCSN's presentation of the F1 Australian Grand Prix to open the 2016 campaign.

2016 marks the second consecutive season that the NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY, INDYCAR and Formula One championships will be decided on NBC/NBCSN.

2016 NASCAR, INDYCAR AND FORMULA ONE PREMIERES NBC AND NBCSN

DateSeries/RaceTimeNetwork

Sun., March 20Formula One Australian Grand Prix12:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sat., April 2IndyCar Phoenix Grand Prix8:30 p.m.NBCSN

Fri., July 1NASCAR XFINITY Series - Subway Firecracker 250 (Daytona)7:30 p.m.NBCSN

Sat., July 2NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Coke Zero 400 (Daytona)7 p.m.NBC

NBC Sports Group's unprecedented motorsports coverage will also feature more than 500 hours of Mecum Auctions programming, as well as season-long coverage of the Lucas Oil Pro MOTOCROSS Championship, Red Bull Global RallyCross, NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR and NASCAR K&N Pro Series.

In addition, NBC Sports Group will present more than 250 hours of original motorsports programming, including weekday episodes of NASCAR AMERICA on NBCSN, the NBCSN original series Off The Grid,/DRIVE on NBC Sports, the debut of Mecum Top 10, and the debut of Haas F1: America's Return to the Grid this Wednesday, March 16 at 11:30 p.m. ET, chronicling the launch and development of the first American-led F1 team in 30 years.

MORE THAN 200 HOURS OF FORMULA ONE COVERAGE BEGINS SUNDAY, MARCH 20 WITH AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX ON NBCSN

NBC Sports Group's comprehensive coverage of the 2016 Formula One season will feature more than 200 hours of coverage, and begins Sunday, March 20, with the Australian Grand Prix at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN.

NBC, NBCSN and CNBC will combine to present all 21 races of the F1 season. NBCSN will present 14 races, NBC four, and CNBC three. NBC's coverage begins on Sunday, May 29 with the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, and continues Sunday, June 7, with the Canadian Grand Prix. NBC's coverage returns on Sunday, Oct. 23, with the United States Grand Prix from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 30, with the Mexican Grand Prix.

NBCSN's coverage will feature iconic Grands Prix, including the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the Singapore Grand Prix "under the lights" on the streets of Singapore, and the season finale from Abu Dhabi, as well as the return of the German Grand Prix, and the debut of the European Grand Prix from Baku, Azerbaijan.

In addition, NBC Sports Group will present comprehensive coverage of practice and qualifying of all 21 races across its family of networks and NBC Sports Live Extra. Live Extra will also enhance race coverage with dedicated feeds, including:

On-Board Feed - Live Extra's dedicated channel for live on-board cameras

Pit Lane Feed - Live Extra's dedicated channel on pit lane featuring all pit stops and team communication

Driver Tracker - real-time data showing where all 22 cars are on track

Formula One is coming off its most-watched season for a cable network in two decades, averaging 418,000 viewers for its 13 races on NBCSN, up 9% vs. 2014. For all 19 races, NBC Sports Group's coverage averaged 512,000 viewers, up 14% vs. 2014 (457,000), and up 42% vs. 2013 (366,000). Click here for more information on last year's record F1 viewership.

2016 FORMULA ONE SCHEDULE

DateGrand PrixTimeNetwork

Sun., March 20Australian Grand Prix12:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., April 3Bahrain Grand Prix10:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., April 16Chinese Grand Prix1:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., May 1Russian Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., May 15Spanish Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., May 29Monaco Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBC

Sun., June 12Canadian Grand Prix1:30 p.m.NBC

Sun., June 19European Grand Prix8:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., July 3Austrian Grand Prix7:30 a.m.CNBC

Sun., July 10British Grand Prix7:30 a.m.CNBC

Sun., July 24Hungarian Grand Prix7:30 a.m.CNBC

Sun., July 31German Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., August 28Belgian Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., September 4Italian Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., September 18Singapore Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., October 1Malaysian Grand Prix2:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., October 8Japanese Grand Prix12:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., October 23United States Grand Prix2:30 p.m.NBC

Sun., October 30Mexican Grand Prix2:30 p.m.NBC

Sun., November 13Brazilian Grand Prix10:30 a.m.NBCSN

Sun., November 27Abu Dhabi Grand Prix7:30 a.m.NBCSN

THIS WEEK'S F1 COVERAGE

This week's coverage of the F1 Australian Grand Prix begins Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET with Practice 1 on NBCSN, followed by Practice 2 early Friday morning at 1:30 a.m. ET, and qualifying on Saturday at 2 a.m. ET. F1 Countdown kicks off race coverage Sunday at 12 a.m. ET, leading into the start of the 2016 campaign with the Australian Grand Prix at 12:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. An encore presentation of the race will air Sunday at noon ET on NBCSN.

NBC Sports Group's Formula One commentating team returns for a fourth season, with lead race announcer Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, analystSteve Matchett, a former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team, and F1 insider Will Buxton, who will provide live reports on-site for all 21 races this season.

In addition to coverage of the F1 Australian Grand Prix, NBCSN premieres Haas F1: America's Return To The Grid, a one-hour documentary that chronicles the launch and development of Haas F1, the first American-led Formula One team in 30 years, Wednesday, March 16, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Haas F1: America's Return To The Grid invites viewers inside the doors of Haas F1, providing behind-the-scenes access to the team, garages and drivers, as they prepare for the upcoming Formula One season and become the first American-led team to officially compete in F1 since 1986. Click here for more info.

NBCSN will also premiere APEX: The Story of the Hypercar, which showcases some of the most dynamic machines in the high-end car culture, this Thursday at 11 p.m. ET. The film, which was shot entirely in 4K, includes access to motorsport legends like Porsche, Ferrari, Bugatti and McLaren, as well as newcomers like Koenigsigg and Pagani.

Following is this week's motorsports schedule:

DateCoverageTimeNetwork

Tues.-Thurs.NASCAR AMERICA5 p.m.NBCSN

Wed., March 16Haas F1: America's Return To The Grid11:30 p.m.NBCSN

Thurs., March 17NASCAR K&N Pro Series - Mobile6:30 p.m.NBCSN

NASCAR Whelen Modified Series - Carraway7:30 p.m.NBCSN

Haas F1: America's Return The Grid8:30 p.m.NBCSN

F1 Australian Grand Prix - Practice 19:30 p.m.NBCSN

APEX: The Story of the Hypercar11 p.m.NBCSN

Fri., March 18Off The Grid - Melbourne1 a.m.NBCSN

F1 Australian Grand Prix - Practice 21:30 a.m.NBCSN

F1 Australian Grand Prix - Practice 310 p.m.NBC Sports Live Extra

Sat., March 19F1 Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying2 a.m.NBCSN

Haas: America's Return To The Grid11 p.m.NBCSN

Sun., March 20F1 Countdown12 a.m.NBCSN

F1 Australian Grand Prix12:30 a.m.NBCSN

F1 Extra3 a.m.NBCSN

F1 Australian Grand Prix (Encore)NoonNBCSN

F1 EXTRA (Encore)2:30 p.m.NBCSN

Mon., March 21F1 Australian Grand Prix (Encore)2:30 p.m.NBCSN

NBCSN PRESENTS NEARLY 100 HOURS OF INDYCAR COVERAGE, BEGINNING APRIL 2 WITH RETURN TO PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY IN PRIMETIME

NBCSN will present coverage of 11 races during the Verizon INDYCAR SERIES in 2016, beginning on Saturday, April 2, with IndyCar's return to Phoenix International Raceway in primetime at 8 p.m. ET.

Coverage will also feature the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17, and the final eight events of the season, including IndyCar's long-awaited return to Wisconsin's Road America on June 26, the first-ever INDYCAR race through the streets of Boston on Labor Day weekend, and the season-finale at Sonoma Raceway in primetime on Sept. 18. In addition, NBCSN will preview the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 with live coverage of Carb Day on Friday, May 27 at 11 a.m. ET.

INDYCAR is coming off of its most-watched season on NBCSN since INDYCAR rights were acquired in 2009. Last year, the series averaged 507,000 viewers over 11 races on NBCSN, up 34% vs. 2014 (378,000, 12 races). Last year's season finale at Sonoma was the most-watched INDYCAR race ever on NBCSN, averaging 841,000 viewers. Click here for more information on last year's record INDYCAR viewership on NBCSN.

Lead INDYCAR play-by-play commentator Leigh Diffey returns for his fourth consecutive season. Paul Tracy, who won 31 career open-wheel races spanning IndyCar, Champ Car, and CART, and was the 2003 CART Champion, returns for his third season as race analyst, and INDYCAR driver Townsend Bell, who has raced nine times at the Indianapolis 500 and won the GT Class at last year's Rolex 24 at Daytona, is back for his fourth season in the booth. In addition, NBC Sports Group's lead NASCAR play-by-play commentator Rick Allen will join NBCSN's INDYCAR team to handle play-by-play for select races this season.

NBCSN's team of INDYCAR pit reporters will include Marty Snider, Robin Miller, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee, and Katie Hargitt, who all return following the 2015 season. Click here for NBCSN's full INDYCAR schedule.

NBC SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES 2016 NASCAR SPRINT CUP AND XFINITY SERIES BROADCAST SCHEDULE

After presenting more than 360 hours of live, trackside NASCAR coverage across 22 states in 2015, NBC Sports Group returns as the home of NASCAR's Championship run in 2016. NBC Sports' NASCAR XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series racing schedule kicks off in primetime, amid Independence Day weekend festivities, on Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, at the newly-renovated Daytona International Speedway. NBC Sports Group's exclusive coverage of the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup swings into action on Sunday, Sept. 18 from CHICAGOLAND Speedway and culminates with the Sprint Cup Championship from Miami on Sunday, Nov. 20.

NASCAR XFINITY Series racing makes its 2016 return to NBC Sports Group on Friday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC Sports Group's coverage of the XFINITY Series, where "Names Are Made," consists of four races on NBC, 12 races on NBCSN, two races on USA Network, and one race on CNBC.

NASCAR on NBC's 12-person on-air team returns in 2016 for NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series race coverage. Lead race announcer Rick Allen returns to the booth alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte and 21-time Sprint Cup race winner Jeff Burton. Krista Voda returns to host pre- and post-race coverage, alongside NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett and analyst Kyle Petty.

Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Kelli Stavast, and Dave Burns return to report from pit road in 2016, in tandem with features reporter Rutledge Wood and NBCSports.com lead motorsports writer Nate Ryan.

Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group's 2016 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES and XFINITY Series coverage:

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS MORE THAN 300 HOURS OF MECUM AUCTIONS COVERAGE IN 2015

NBC Sports Group will present more than 300 hours of Mecum Auctions coverage in 2016, providing comprehensive coverage of 13 Mecum Auctions events. Coverage kicked off with 25 hours of Mecum's Kissimmee auction, the largest car auction in the world, where more than $90 million dollars worth of automobiles were auctioned off.

Highlights on the 2016 Mecum Auctions schedule on NBCSN include the Houston (April 14-16), Indianapolis (May 19-21), Monterey (Aug. 20-24), Dallas (Sept. 16-20), Chicago (Oct. 6-9), and the final auction of the season in Kansas City (Dec. 1-4). NBC will also air a special on the Monterey auction on Saturday, Sept. 3.

NBC Sports Group's Mecum Auctions telecast team of Scott Hoke, John Kraman, Stephen Cox, and reporter Bill Stephens return for their second season. Rutledge Wood will also contribute to NBC Sports Group's Mecum Auctions coverage throughout the season.

In addition, NBCSN will launch the debut of Mecum Top 10, a new original program that will take viewers inside the most exciting moments on the auction block, from AMERICAN MUSCLE to prewar classics to European exotics.

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS MORE THAN 100 HOURS OF LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS, NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES AND NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR COVERAGE

NBC Sports Group will present more than 100 hours of Lucas Oil Pro MOTOCROSS Championship, Red Bull Global RallyCross, NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR and NASCAR K&N Pro Series coverage in 2015.

NBCSN will air more than 50 hours of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Coverage includes races from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West along with the NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR and Southern Modified Tour. NBSCN's NASCAR Touring Series coverage slate kicked off on Feb. 25, with the K&N Pro Series East race from Mobile, Ala. Click here for NBCSN's upcoming NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Whelen Modified Tour schedules.

NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra will combine to air 40 hours of LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP coverage, including 11 hours of live coverage. NBC and NBCSN will air 25 hours of coverage of the 2016 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS series, with most events premiering on NBC, and encore presentations airing on NBCSN. The LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP season kicks off on NBCSN on Saturday, May 21, at the Hangtown MOTOCROSS Classic in Sacramento, Calif. The RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS slate begins Sunday, May 22, on NBCSN in Phoenix, Ariz.

NASCAR AMERICA, MECUM DEALMAKERS, OFF THE GRID, AND /DRIVE ON NBC SPORTSHIGHLIGHT ORIGINAL MOTORSPORTS PROGRAMMING

NBC Sports Group will present more than 250 hours of original motorsports programming in 2015, led by comprehensive NASCAR coverage on NASCAR AMERICA, NBCSN's live daily show that provides viewers with the latest news, highlights and access to NASCAR's dynamic stars and personalities.

This year's original motorsports programming will also feature the third seasons of Off The Grid and /DRIVE on NBC Sports, as well as the debut of Mecum Top 10. Off The Grid is NBC Sports Group's original series that takes motorsports fans off the track and into sights and sounds of the culture that surrounds motorsports. This year's installments of Off The Grid will take viewers to China, Austria, Montreal, Belgium and Japan.

/DRIVE on NBC Sports follows hosts Chris Harris, Matt Farah and Mike Spinelli as they travel the world to drive some of the world's most iconic cars. Mecum Top 10, which dovetails off of the Mecum Auctions series on NBCSN, highlights the most exciting moments of the 2016 Mecum Auctions campaign. The program will take viewers inside the most exciting moments from the auction block, from American musclecars to prewar classics and European exotics.

NBC SPORTS RADIO

NBC Sports Radio will provide coverage of this year's NASCAR season across its more than 425 affiliated stations nationwide. Race recaps and previews will be featured every Monday and Thursday as part of "Voices of the Game" with host Newy Scruggs. Numerous NBC NASCAR analysts will appear on the show, including Kyle Petty, Steve Letarte, and Jeff Burton.

NBC SPORTS GROUP STREAMING, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL CONTENT

NBC Sports Group will provide comprehensive streaming and digital coverage surrounding its motorsports properties via NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - and NASCAR Talk and MotorSportsTalk, NBC Sports Group's digital home for the latest motorsports news.

NBC Sports Live Extra will provide season-long live streaming coverage of all Formula One practices, qualifying sessions and Grands Prix, including exclusive coverage of practices that will not air on NBC or NBCSN. Live Extra will stream all live NASCAR and INDYCAR content that will air on NBC and NBCSN (race coverage and some practice and qualifying). In addition, Live Extra will provide streaming coverage of the LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP and RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS series.

NASCAR TALK: NASCAR TALK provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date NASCAR coverage, including Sprint Cup, XFINITY, and Camping World Truck Series. The site also promotes videos from NBCSN's NASCAR AMERICA. Fans can follow @NASCARTalkNBC on Twitter.

MOTORSPORTSTALK: MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) on NBCSports.com brings racing fans up-to-the-minute news, video and information on Formula One, the Verizon INDYCAR Series, and other open-wheel and off-road racing from around the world. The site also serves as the destination for all news, analysis and video from NBC and NBCSN productions of INDYCAR and F1, including contributions from on-air commentators.

Content on NASCAR Talk and MotorSportsTalk is provided by top racing journalists and expert analysts, including:

Nate Ryan serves as lead writer on NASCAR Talk and an on-air reporter for NBC and NBCSN's NASCAR coverage, following nine years with USA Today Sports as an auto racing writer. He also contributes long-form stories to MotorSportsTalk and NBC SportsWorld, and hosts a NASCAR on NBC podcast each Wednesday. Ryan has covered 12 seasons of the Sprint Cup Series, and more than 300 races, beginning in 1997. Follow him on Twitter at @nateryan.

Dustin Long serves as the managing editor and writer for NASCAR Talk, providing content focused on the Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. Long is a former Motor Racing Network contributor and was named 2011 NMPA Writer of the Year. Prior to joining MRN, he spent 13 seasons covering NASCAR for the Landmark chain of newspapers that includes the Virginian-Pilot, the Roanoke (Va.) Times and the News and Record in Greensboro, N.C. Follow him at on Twitter @DustinLong.

Luke Smith is creator and editor at Richland F1, and works alongside Tony DiZinno in providing F1 content on MotorSportsTalk He's on Twitter at @LukeSmithF1, primarily handling the F1 scene from Europe in great detail.

Tony DiZinno has most recently served as web editor for RACER Magazine and provides open wheel coverage onMotorSportsTalk. DiZinno has more than seven years of experience in the industry. Follow him on Twitter at @TonyDiZinno.

Jerry Bonkowski is a veteran NASCAR reporter with more than 30 years of experience, and works alongside Ryan and Long on editorial content forNASCAR Talk. He has contributed to USA Today, Yahoo! Sports and other websites over the course of his career. Follow him on Twitter @JerryBonkowski.