Beginning of NASCAR Cup Series playoffs headline NBC Sports' motorsports weekend
09/06/2024 03:49 AM
Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., hosts the first race in the NASCAR Cup Series‘ Round of 16 playoffs this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. A 30-minute Countdown to Green Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network leads into live race coverage.
The playoff field of 16 is set, with Chase Briscoe winning in dramatic fashion at Darlington last weekend to clinch one of the final three postseason spots; Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. claimed the other two. This week‘s race is the first of three Round of 16 races, after which the field will be cut down to 12 drivers. Here is the full playoff roster:
Coverage from Atlanta begins this Saturday on USA Network with Xfinity Series qualifying at 11 a.m. ET, with Cup Series qualifying presented later that day at 12:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. A 30-minute Countdown to Green at 2:30 p.m. ET will lead into live coverage of the Xfinity Series‘ Focused Health 250 at 3 p.m. ET, with both windows on USA Network.
NBC Sports coverage from Atlanta will feature members of its broadcast team embedded with the race teams of various drivers throughout the event, highlighting the teamwork and contributions at every level, from the driver to the crew chief, that are required to create a successful day at the racetrack during the intensity of a playoff race.
21-time Cup Series race winner and "The Mayor" of NASCAR Jeff Burton and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will serve as analysts for both the Cup and Xfinity Series races this weekend from Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Leigh Diffey serving as play-by-play for the Cup Series race and Rick Allen for the Xfinity Series race. Marty Snider, Dave Burns, and Kim Coon will serve as pit reporters.
Snider will host pre- and post-race coverage alongside former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett, who won this race in 1997.
Additionally, NBC Sports is going "NASCAR Nonstop" for this Sunday‘s race coverage on USA Network, utilizing only side-by-side breaks during green flag action so that viewers never miss a moment of the action.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Leigh Diffey, Rick Allen
- Analysts: Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Kim Coon
STUDIO COVERAGE TEAM
- Host: Snider
- Analysts: Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett
HOW TO WATCH
- TV — USA Network
- Streaming — NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
— NBC Sports —
