NBC Sports revs its engines on its portion of the 2021 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series this weekend with NASCAR’s return to Nashville at Nashville Superspeedway. Over three days, NBC Sports will present more than 12 hours of practice, qualifying and race coverage for Cup and Xfinity Series on NBCSN.
NASCAR Cup Series coverage will get underway at Nashville Superspeedway with the final practice session Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage on Sunday gets underway with qualifying at 11 a.m. ET. Countdown to Green pre-race coverage begins at 2:45 p.m. ET, with the green flag slated to wave shortly following 3:30 p.m. ET. NBCSN will present post-race coverage at 7 p.m. ET immediately following the checkered flag.
Global country music superstar Brad Paisley and NASCAR on NBC analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. will serve as hosts of pre-race coverage on Sunday from the Peacock Pit Box on pit road at Nashville Superspeedway. In addition to hosting pre-race coverage with Earnhardt Jr. at the Peacock Pit Box on Sunday, Paisley’s new song, City of Music, based on the city of Nashville, will be featured during race coverage throughout the weekend. Click here for NBC Sports’ video bumper with theme and click here to listen to the entire song.
NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call both the Cup and Xfinity Series races this weekend from Nashville Superspeedway alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton and Earnhardt Jr. Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters.
1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will be joined by NBC Sports’ Jac Collinsworth from the front of the starting grid during pre- and post-race coverage on NBCSN on Saturday and Sunday. NBC Sports motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood will provide on-site reports and share stories about the return of NASCAR to Nashville throughout the weekend.
Live coverage from Nashville begins on Friday with an hour-long NASCAR Xfinity Series practice at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Qualifying is presented on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Countdown to Green gets underway at 3 p.m. ET, leading into race coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET. Post-race coverage will begin at 6 p.m. ET.
The official home of the NASCAR Championship and Playoffs, NBC Sports will once again present the final 20 NASCAR Cup Series races and 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2021, culminating with the Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 6-7. Click here for more information on NBC Sports’ 2021 NASCAR coverage.
BROADCAST NOTES
- Brad Paisley: In addition to hosting pre-race coverage with Earnhardt Jr. at the Peacock Pit Box on Sunday, Paisley’s new song, City of Music, based on the city of Nashville, will serve as the theme song of NBC Sports’ race coverage throughout the weekend. Click here for NBC Sports’ video bumper with theme and click here to listen to the entire song.
- NASCAR Returns to Nashville: NBC Sports motorsports reporter Nate Ryan pens and narrates an essay detailing the return of the NASCAR Cup Series to Nashville following 37 years. Sunday will also mark the first-ever Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
- John Carter Cash: Country singer John Carter Cash, the only child of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, narrates the opening tease for NBC Sports’ coverage in Nashville.
- Trey Kennedy: As part of a new NBC Sports content series called Up to Speed, comedian Trey Kennedy, who has a social media following of over 10 million, will be on-site to experience and showcase the event in the Music City across his social media platforms.
- NASCAR Pick ‘Em: NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, NASCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each NASCAR Cup Series race. NASCAR Pick ‘Em is available for download now on the NBC Sports Predictor app powered by PointsBet (available in the App Store and Google Play Store) and at com/Predictor.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Rick Allen
- Analysts: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Parker Kligerman
STUDIO COVERAGE TEAM
- Hosts: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Paisley (Sunday)
- Front of the Grid: Jac Collinsworth, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett
- Specialty Reporter: Rutledge Wood
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBCSN
- Streaming – NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app
Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
Fri., June 18 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice | NBCSN | 4 p.m. |
Sat., June 19 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying | NBCSN | 12:30 p.m. |
NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice | NBCSN | 2 p.m. | |
Countdown to Green – NASCAR Xfinity Series | NBCSN | 3 p.m. | |
NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. | |
NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race | NBCSN | 6 p.m. | |
Sun., June 20 | NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying | NBCSN | 11 a.m. |
Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | NBCSN | 2:45 p.m. | |
NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 | NBCSN | 3:30 p.m. | |
NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race | NBCSN | 7 p.m. |
NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE
NBC Sports is the official home of the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming across NBC Sports platforms.
NBC Sports PR