ABC, ESPN, IMS RADIO NETWORK PROVIDING IN-DEPTH INDY 500 COVERAGE
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INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 2, 2008 – ABC, ESPN2 and the IMS Radio Network will provide in-depth, behind-the-scenes coverage of the 92nd Indianapolis 500, with more than 50 hours of programming.
The live television broadcast of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will start on ABC with a pre-race show at noon (ET) Sunday, May 25, followed by the race at 1 p.m. This marks the 44th year of Indianapolis 500 coverage on the ABC network.
Indianapolis 500 Pole Day Qualifying will be broadcast live from noon-2 p.m. Saturday, May 10 on ESPN2 and from 3-6 p.m. on ABC, with post-qualification coverage, analysis and highlights on ESPN2 from 6-7 p.m.
Second Day Qualifying will be broadcast live from noon-2 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 11 on ESPN2. Third Day Qualifying coverage on Coke Zero 500 College Fest, Saturday, May 17 will be live from 4-6:30 p.m. on ESPN2, and Bump Day Qualifying on IMS Armed Forces Day will be broadcast live from noon-3 p.m. Sunday, May 18 on ABC and from 5-6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Highlights from Miller Lite Carb Day Practice, the Pit Stop Challenge and Firestone Freedom 100 will be shown from 4-6:30 p.m. Friday, May 23 on ESPN2.
The IPL 500 Festival Parade will be broadcast tape-delayed on ESPN2 from 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, followed by the feature, “Ready to Race: the 92nd Indianapolis 500” from 6:30-7 p.m. on ESPN2.
The television broadcast team of Race Day host Brent Musburger, lead announcer Marty Reid, analysts Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever, and pit reporters Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch will cover all of the stories from Indianapolis.
More than 400 affiliate IMS Radio Network radio stations located throughout the United States and Canada – plus the LeSea Broadcasting network, which provides worldwide shortwave radio coverage, and the American Forces Radio Network, which broadcasts to United States military installations and ships around the world – will broadcast live Race Day coverage of the Indianapolis 500 at noon Sunday, May 25 with a pre-race show, followed by the race broadcast at 1 p.m.
The radio network’s Indianapolis 500 coverage also will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio Channel 145, “IndyCar Series Racing,” and XM Channel 144.
IMS Radio Network coverage of the final hour of “Fast Friday” practice will take place from 5-6 p.m. Friday, May 9, followed by Pole Day coverage from noon-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. There will be “first hour” and “final hour” coverage of Second, Third and Bump Day Qualifying from noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. on May 11, 17 and 18, respectively.
On Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 23, the IMS Radio Network will offer live coverage of the Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights race from 12:15-1:30 p.m. and a recap of all of the day’s activities from 5-6 p.m.
The Network also will broadcast four “Indy Live” evening talk shows from the Brickyard Crossing Inn from 8-9 p.m. on May 6, 8, 15 and 22, with each show featuring Indianapolis 500 drivers, team owners and other personalities.
The IMS Radio Network’s Race Day broadcast team for the Indianapolis 500 is comprised of veteran radio commentators Mike King, anchor; Dave Wilson, color commentator; Johnny Parsons Jr., driver analyst; Donald Davidson, historian; and Chris Economaki, commentary. Reporting from the turns: Jerry Baker, Turn 1; Bob Jenkins, Turn 2; Mark Jaynes, Turn 3; and Chris Denari, Turn 4 reporter. Reporting from pit lane: Dave Argabright, Kevin Lee, Jake Query and Kevin Olson.
In addition to reaching millions of listeners worldwide via the radio waves, the 92nd Indianapolis 500 broadcast – along with every IMS Radio Network program from the Month of May – also will be available live and archived on the Web at www.indycar.com.
Podcasts of every IMS Radio Network show from the month of May will be available on the Network’s Web page on the official online home of the IndyCar Series: http://www.indycar.com/multimedia/radio/.
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92nd INDIANAPOLIS 500 TELEVISION & RADIO SCHEDULE
Television
(All times ET – Schedule subject to change.)
Date Program Air Time Network
May 10 Pole Day Qualifying Noon-2 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
3-6 p.m. ABC (live)
6-7 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
May 11 Second Day Qualifying Noon-2 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
5-6:30 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
May 17 Third Day Qualifying 4-6:30 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
May 18 Bump Day Qualifying Noon-3 p.m. ABC (live)
5-6:30 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
May 23 Miller Lite Carb Day Practice; Pit Stop Challenge, Firestone Freedom 100 highlights 4-6:30 p.m. ESPN2 (live)
May 24 IPL 500 Festival Parade 5-6:30 p.m. ESPN2 (tape)
“Ready to Race: The 92nd Indianapolis 500” 6:30-7 p.m. ESPN2 (tape)
May 25 92nd Indianapolis 500 Pre-Race Noon-1 p.m. ABC (live)
92nd Indianapolis 500 1 p.m. ABC (live)
May 26 Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration 6:30-9 p.m. WTHR-TV, Channel 13 (live)
IMS Radio Network (All times ET – Schedule subject to change.)
Date Program Time
May 6 “Indy Live” talk show 8-9 p.m.
May 8 “Indy Live” talk show 8-9 p.m.
May 9 “Fast Friday” at Indy 5-6 p.m.
May 10 Pole Day Qualifying – first two hours Noon-2 p.m.
Pole Day Qualifying – final hour 5-6 p.m.
May 11 Second Day Qualifying – first hour Noon-1 p.m.
Second Day Qualifying – final hour 5-6 p.m.
May 15 “Indy Live” talk show 8-9 p.m.
May 17 Third Day Qualifying show – first hour Noon-1 p.m.
Third Day Qualifying show – final hour 5-6 p.m.
May 18 Bump Day Qualifying show – first hour Noon-1 p.m.
Bump Day Qualifying show – final hour 5-6 p.m.
May 22 “Indy Live” talk show 8-9 p.m.
May 23 Firestone Freedom 100 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Miller Lite Carb Day Recap 5-6 p.m.
May 25 92nd Indianapolis 500 Noon-4:30 p.m.
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2008 IMS tickets: Tickets for all three world-class events in 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the 92nd Indianapolis 500, 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP – are on sale.
Fans have three easy methods to buy tickets: Online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.