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Two of the national NASCAR series will take on the streets of Chicago for the first time on July 1-2. NBC Sports will provide coverage with a unique setup that covers all angles of the purpose-built course.
NBC Sports will utilize its “radio-style” broadcast during the race weekend. Play-by-play man Rick Allen and analyst Steve Letarte will be situated above pit road and the start-finish line. MRN’s Mike Bagley will provide coverage for Turns 1 and 6 while Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be on Turn 4.
“The Mayor” Jeff Burton will be the final analyst that provides coverage as the drivers head back toward the start-finish line. He will be at Turn 11 which connects Michigan Avenue and Jackson Drive.
NBC Sports has used radio-style broadcasts in past seasons to provide coverage at some of the road courses on the NASCAR schedule. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Watkins Glen International are both prominent examples. Now it will be a critical part of a historic NASCAR weekend.
There Will Be ‘Bells & Whistles’ During the Race Weekend
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GettyNBC Sports’ booth team meets with the media at Phoenix Raceway.
The radio-style broadcast will put the analysts in different parts of the track for this historic weekend. NBC Sports will also bring in some “bells and whistles” to add extra content for viewers. The broadcast partner will have some drones on hand to provide aerial shots of the cars racing through the city, as well as a helicopter.
“Obviously, the sense of space and the spectacle of being in the middle of the city is important,” said NBC Sports Executive Producer Sam Flood. “Going to shoot the race a little bit differently.
“You’ve got to shoot it to capture the size and the scope of what is being executed here. So we’re going to have two drones flying around to capture that energy. We’ll have an overhead helicopter that’s able to give us the spectacle as well.
“Rather than have a traditional booth, the talent will be spread around the racetrack. Jeff Burton will be in one corner, throw it off to Dale Junior in the other, Steve Letarte will be with Rick Allen somewhere else, Mike Bagley will be elsewhere on the track. The cars will go from announcer to announcer to announcer as they navigate the racetrack.”
There Could Be Changes Made During the Race Weekend
NBC Sports GroupRick Allen (left) & Jeff Burton (right) provide coverage during a race weekend.
The race weekend on the streets of Chicago will be the first for the Cup Series, which means that there will be some unknowns heading toward the month of July. NBC Sports will have to have some flexibility early in the weekend.
“Obviously, we’ve done tests. There’s a virtual simulation of the track that the drivers are practicing on,” Flood added. “We’re able to look at that simulation to decide where cameras are best suited.
“But as was said earlier on this call, until you see the cars actually driving on the track, you don’t know for certain how they’ll execute. So we’re going to be ready to adjust after the practices take place and after the Xfinity race on Saturday.”
The first time to make some adjustments will be on Saturday, July 1. The Xfinity Series drivers will practice at 11 a.m. ET (USA Network) before qualifying at 12 p.m. ET (USA Network). The Cup Series drivers will then practice at 1:30 p.m. ET (USA Network) before qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET (USA Network).
If there are camera changes that have to take place, the time after the practice sessions will provide this opportunity. NBC Sports will also have an opportunity after the Xfinity Series drivers complete the race on July 1 (5 p.m. ET, USA Network).
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