NASCAR Superstars Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Gear Up for New Season of Exclusive Shows on XM Satellite Radio

-- Johnson, Earnhardt launch second season of weekly XM shows starting February 15 -- XM's renowned NASCAR reporter Claire B. Lang heads to Daytona -- Phone lines heat up on 'Powershift' with Joe Castello -- PRN's 'Sunday Drive' joins 'Fast Talk' and 'Alltel Pit Reporters' on XM Sports Nation

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- NASCAR superstars Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are gearing up for the new season of their exclusive XM Satellite Radio shows starting February 15, three days before the Daytona 500.

"Jimmie Johnson ... 'Not What You Expected'" will make its second-season debut February 15 at 7 p.m. ET, with an encore broadcast at 10 p.m. ET, on XM Sports Nation (XM Channel 144). Every week, the defending Nextel Cup champ delivers his personal perspective on the sport with co-host Marty Smith.

"Dale Jr.'s Unrestricted" launches its second season the same night at 7:30 pm ET, with a 10:30 pm ET replay, on XM Sports Nation. Earnhardt and his friends Josh Snider and Steve Cris offer a candid look at what's happening on and off the track each week.

The two NASCAR drivers join XM's premier motorsports broadcasters Claire B. Lang and Joe Castello to give the fans exclusive, in-depth coverage of the sport on XM Sports Nation. The channel covers motorsports every single day, including a six-hour block of programming called the Engine Block, which airs weekdays from 4 pm to 10 pm ET.

Claire B. Lang's three-hour racing show "Dialed In" is heard weekdays on XM Sports Nation 4-7 p.m. ET. Claire is revered among racing fans for her deep knowledge and fervent passion for the sport, as well as her strong rapport with NASCAR drivers. Next week, Claire will be live in Daytona, Fla., to report on the official start of the season.

"Power Shift" with Joe Castello airs weeknights 8-10 p.m. ET. The phone lines heat up as Joe gets to the heart of the issues and opinions on all things in the world of motorsports.

XM Sports Nation has added the popular Performance Racing Network (PRN) show "Sunday Drive" to its lineup, along with returning PRN favorites "Fast Talk" and "Alltel Pit Reporters."

"Sunday Drive" airs Sunday nights 8-9 p.m. ET. The one-hour call-in show is straight from Lowe's Motor Speedway and features host Stephanie Durner who is joined weekly by driver analysts including John Andretti, Geoff Bodine, Mike Wallace and Buddy Baker.

"Fast Talk," the one-hour NASCAR-themed motorsports call-in show, returns to XM Monday nights 7-8 p.m. ET. The show is co-hosted by Doug Rice along with some of the biggest names in racing.

"The ALLTEL Pit Reporters" with veteran broadcaster Brett McMillan features some of the nation's top racing media in an hour-long roundtable discussion of the issues facing the sport. The show airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ET through March 21, then moves to Fridays at 7 p.m. ET.

XM is the sports leader in satellite radio with more than 5,000 live sporting events in 2007. XM delivers live coverage of IndyCar Series Racing, Major League Baseball, NBA games on ESPN Radio, National Hockey League, PGA TOUR, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big East football and basketball. XM also delivers the most sports talk radio on the 24-hour channels XM Sports Nation, MLB Home Plate, Home Ice, ESPN Radio, ESPNews, and Fox Sports Radio.