CART Season Preview 'Before the go Green' to Air on ESPN

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

DETROIT - With start of the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series season just a few weeks away, ESPN is providing a preview of the teams and events that will shape the new CART season with its program "Before They Go Green." The show airs Sunday, February 18, at 6 p.m. ET.

ESPN CART commentator Paul Page, with analyst Parker Johnstone and pit reporters Gary Gerould and Jon Beekhuis, will host "Before They Go Green." Produced by Shawn Murphy, the preview show will feature a variety of stories, including off-season driver and crew changes; the return of two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi; the impact of Michael Andretti's team move; the prospect of Marlboro Team Penske repeating its title; and several more.

The one-hour program also will set the stage for ESPN's coverage of 11 races during the course of the 21-race FedEx Championship Series season. CART's inaugural run at the Texas Motor Speedway will kick off ESPN's 2001 coverage, with programming expanded to three hours for the Texas 600. The network's additional race broadcasts span six countries and include Japan; Portland, Ore.; Toronto; Lexington, Ohio; Germany; England; Houston; Monterey, Calif.; Australia; and the season finale at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., in November.

A total of 19 of the 21 races during the 2001 season are scheduled to be broadcast live domestically on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, featuring a record number of broadcast hours. In addition to the race itself, weekend programming will consist of one-hour qualifying shows, as well as the half-hour "CART 2Day" pre-race program and "Inside CART," the weekly magazine-style show on ESPN2, for all North American races.

Text Provided By Lisa Ramsperger

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