Turner Network Television will bolster its presentation of the last race to determine the final field for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Nextel Cup.
The drama network, which will present its first ever NASCAR race in HDTV, will drop the flag on its coverage of the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 race from Richmond International Speedway on Sept. 11, with a half-hour pre-race special at 7 p.m. (ET), before wrapping matters trackside with a post-race special, featuring interviews with qualifying drivers.
This season marks the first under a new points system in which the top 10 drivers and any driver within 400 points of the leader in the Nextel Cup standings to compete in the final 10 races to determine the circuit’s 2004 winner.
TNT pre-race host and lead pit reporter Bill Weber will host the Discover Card Countdown to Green pre-race show on Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. ET, giving fans the most updated information on their favorite drivers competing in this critical race.
To recap the drama and excitement surrounding the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 and the new points system, TNT will air a post-race show, NEXTEL Presents The Chase to the NASCAR Nexetel Cup Special, immediately following the race.The show will highlight the newly formed top-10, any additional drivers who qualify, and the drivers who were on the cusp of making the final group.
In addition, TNT will air this pivotal race in high-definition in “TNT in HD”.This marks the first time TNT will air a Nextel Cup race in native HD, and only the second time all year that a NASCAR race has been aired in HD.The first HD NASCAR telecast in 2004 was the Daytona 500 on February 15th on TNT's partner network, NBC.
