Trans-Am at Cleveland to Include Live Coverage on CBS Sports NOT peevision

CLEARWATER, Fla. (July 3, 2002) - A change in the event schedule has made it possible for CBS Sports to broadcast live coverage of Round 5 of the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup, the Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip, this Saturday, July 13, at Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland.

 

Starting time for the Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip has been moved from 3 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. ET, bringing the green flag closer to the CBS Sports broadcast window of 5 to 6 p.m. ET. CBS will sign on at 5 p.m. with taped coverage of the race's start, then will join the race live through its conclusion just prior to 6 p.m. ET.

 

"We are pleased that this change in the race weekend schedule will allow us to provide live coverage of the Trans-Am Series event in Cleveland," says Rob Correa, Senior Vice President of Programming for CBS Sports. "We launched our 2002 Trans-Am coverage with a thrilling race from Mid-Ohio last month, and we're happy to have to opportunity to follow that with live coverage of the always unpredictable race from the runways of Burke Lakefront Airport."

 

The Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip is the second of three events being televised live by CBS Sports in 2002. The network will also provide live coverage of the Capital Trans-Am 100, part of the Cadillac Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

 

"We are grateful to our partners at CBS Sports for making the commitment to air a significant portion of the Trans-Am on the Tarmac live," said Dennis Huth, Trans-Am Series president. "Because of the unique character of the race, the Cleveland event is annually one of the most exciting on our schedule, and the immediacy of live television coverage figures to make it that much more exciting for what we hope will be a large viewing audience."

 

The Trans-Am Series, sanctioned by Englewood, Colorado-based Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing, is the longest-running road racing series in North America, entering its 37th year of competition in 2002. Defending and three-time series champion Paul Gentilozzi is looking to claim his fourth title against a strong field of rivals including current championship leader Boris Said, Johnny Miller, Michael Lewis, Tony Ave, 2001 AmeriSuites Rookie of the Year Justin Bell and 2002 Rookie of the Year candidate Butch Leitzinger. Three of the Trans-Am's mid-season events are being televised nationally by CBS Sports, while the others are carried by PEE Channel on either a live or tape-delayed basis. All Trans-Am drivers compete for the prestigious BFGoodrich Tires Cup, emblematic of the series driving championship.