USAC ANNOUNCES ENTIRE 2006 SILVER CROWN SERIES PART OF THE
OUTDOOR CHANNEL TV PACKAGE
Millions of race fans nationwide will be treated to exciting
USAC open-wheel racing action in 2006 as the Outdoor Channel will present
20 one-hour programs featuring the cars and stars of USAC’s National racing
series.
Showcased will be the revamped and expanded USAC Weld Racing
Silver Crown Championship Series, which will incorporate the newest
generation of America’s traditional open wheel racing car. This new
advancement will provide the opportunity for this series to advance to
larger tracks in major metropolitan areas which will include some of
America’s finest super speedways of 1-1/2 and potentially 2 miles in length.
America’s newest technologically-advanced open-wheel race cars at venues
previously not featured on the USAC calendar. All 15 events, including both
pavement and dirt tracks, are scheduled to be aired, beginning with the
“Copper World Classic” from Phoenix International Raceway.
The brand-new USAC pavement Silver Crown Championship car
which was unveiled at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in
Indianapolis last December, allows expansion of the series in 2006 to
larger ovals such as the 1.5 mile Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kansas
Speedway, as well as maintaining traditional venues such as the 1-mile
ovals at Phoenix International Raceway, Pikes Peak International Raceway
and The Milwaukee Mile, the 3/4-mile oval at Richmond International Raceway
in Virginia and the .686-mile oval at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
In addition, USAC’s Sprint Car and Midget Car Series are
slated for inclusion in the 2006 televison package, which opens with the
Phoenix Silver Crown and Midget Car events on a tape-delay basis, while
subsequent USAC race airings are scheduled for 5 pm on Saturdays.
“I’m extremely pleased to announce this relationship with the
Outdoor Channel,” says Steve Farmer, USAC’s National Director of Sales &
Marketing. “It’s imperative that we bring television to the forefront of
our expanded Weld Racing Silver Crown Series and we expect nothing but
great things from this relationship in the future.”
Specific information regarding the televised events, re-air
times and dates will be released soon.
“We are planning to showcase our Outdoor Channel affiliation
this fall,” added Farmer. “Logos will be displayed on the NASCAR Busch
Series car fielded by Kevin Harvick, Inc. and driven by veteran Tony Raines
at Phoenix International Raceway in November, which will augment our
announcement of the programming as well as our planned return to Phoenix
for the 2006 Weld Racing Silver Crown Series opener.”
USAC, President / CEO, Rollie Helmling stated, “The United
States Auto Club looks forward to showcasing the Best of the Best in
American Racing on the Outdoor Channel in 2006. We appreciate that the
Outdoor Channel is committed to offering the finest in motorsports
entertainment to their growing number of subscribers. We are pleased they
recognize that USAC Racing will create added excitement and value to their
viewing audience. On behalf of all of our USAC Drivers and Teams we look
forward to working together with the Outdoor Channel to building a
substantial television package for the Outdoor Channel, our sponsors and fans”.
Veteran auto racing-sports analyst and commentator Jack Arute,
whose history in motorsports is extensive from several aspects, will serve
as the play-by-play talent for USAC’s Outdoor Channel broadcasts. He brings
not only a vast historical perspective, but also a genuine love of USAC
open-wheel racing to the table.
"The Outdoor Channel has enjoyed its association with sprint
car fans across America through its broadcasts of various sprint car
series," commented Wade Sherman, Sr. VP of Programming for the Outdoor
Channel. "When the opportunity to add the USAC SIlver Crown series, with
selected Sprint and Midget events as well, we jumped at the chance. USAC
has a fifty year tradition of providing the race fan with exciting racing,
and now that the Silver Crown Series will be running larger tracks, they
are sure to be more exciting than ever".
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is the world's most diversified
motorsports sanctioning body, conducting more than 250 events annually
across America. Since 1956, USAC has organized and conducted events in
nearly every form of motorsports, from quarter- midgets to Formula One,
including Stock Cars, Indy Cars, Sprint Cars, Midget Cars, Road Racing,
Hill Climbs and its present premier series - The USAC-Weld Silver Crown
Championship Series. This season USAC will conclude a half-century of
sanctioning activity involving some 7,000 total events, in America as well.
Internationally. For more information about USAC visit our website,
www.usacracing.com.
The Outdoor Channel is a national television network dedicated to providing
the best in traditional outdoor programming to America's 82 million
anglers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. The network airs approximately
100 weekly programs featuring hunting, fishing and shooting sports, as well
as off road and oval track motorsports and other related lifestyle
programming. Based on May 2005 Nielsen Media Research estimates, The
Outdoor Channel's universe is approximately 24.3 million subscriber homes
-- delivered through a combination of cable and satellite dish viewers and
is available to over 62 million homes within contracted carriers universe.
Outdoor Channel 2 HD completed its “soft launch” to cable and satellite
operators this past April, effectively making its HD signal immediately
available to affiliates across the country. Outdoor Channel 2 HD will next
launch a full media and marketing campaign to consumers on July 1st. The
new, all HD network will offer exclusive new content filmed entirely in
high-definition, in addition to select fan favorites from the existing ‘The
Outdoor Channel,’ all filmed entirely in real
(not up-converted), high-definition.
The Outdoor Channel and Outdoor Channel 2 HD are operated by The Outdoor
Channel, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc.
. Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. also owns and operates
related businesses that serve the interests of viewers of The Outdoor
Channel and Outdoor Channel 2 HD, as well as those of other outdoor
enthusiasts. These related businesses include LDMA-AU, Inc. (Lost
Dutchman’s) and Gold Prospector’s Association of America, LLC. (GPAA). For
more information about The Outdoor Channel or Outdoor Channel 2 HD, please
visit
<http://webmail.iquest.net/horde/imp/www.outdoorchannel.com>www.outdoorchannel.com,
or for more information about Outdoor Channel Holdings, visit
<http://webmail.iquest.net/horde/imp/www.outdoorchannelholdings.com>www.outdoorchannelholdings.com.
