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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPEED Sets Broad NASCAR Foundation For 2010
Coming off ratings growth in 2009 SPEED™ strengthens the 2010 NASCAR lineup, on-air, at-track and on-line...
Erik Arneson  |  Posted January 20, 2010   Charlotte, NC
The upgraded 14,400-square-foot, at-track production and interactive marketing compound will be rolled out in 2010 at NASCAR events across the country. (Image: SPEED)
KYLE PETTY TO NASCAR RACEDAY; SPENCER TO MONDAY NIGHT; RACING CHEF JOINS LINEUP; SPEEDTV.COM NAMES HEMBREE NASCAR EDITOR

With a slate of new programs, an updated and enhanced Web presence and an upgraded 14,400-square-foot, at-track production and interactive marketing compound offering more to race fans than ever before, SPEED is putting the finishing touches on the most ambitious NASCAR on SPEED season in network history.

Coming off a season of record Nielsen ratings for six NASCAR programs, including its live coverage of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, SPEED plans to keep the momentum moving forward in 2010.

“This isn’t a once-a-year process at SPEED,” said network President Hunter Nickell. “Developing and strengthening ideas across all of our NASCAR on SPEED platforms is ongoing … ideas coming to fruition over the next few weeks were born months ago and ideas just now being discussed will roll out later this year. SPEED is never ‘finished’ when it comes to finding the next cool way to connect with NASCAR fans.”

This week, SPEED signed former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty to a new multiyear deal that will position the veteran television personality with John Roberts, Kenny Wallace and Wendy Venturini on the popular NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pre-race show, NASCAR RaceDay Built by The Home Depot. Petty also will appear on the post-race program, NASCAR Victory Lane, and continue his role on the popular game show, NASCAR Smarts.

“I drove a car for 30 years but my interaction with fans last year seemed double that of what it was my entire career because there are so many fans who come to the SPEED Stage and stand around when nothing on-track is going on, just waiting for something to happen,” Petty said. “Just talking to fans and seeing their perspective. Sometimes you have a perspective of the sport -- and mine was always inside those four fences of the garages and inside that circle -- but to step outside that offers a little different perspective. I now can see why fans say certain things or do certain things or act certain ways where before I didn’t understand it at all.”

As the season gets underway, SPEED is dedicating much of its effort to strengthening its Monday Night NASCAR lineup, with the following rotation beginning Feb. 15 -- NASCAR Race Hub (7:30 & 11:30 p.m. ET), NASCAR in a Hurry – Monday Edition (8 p.m. ET) and a new 30-minute talk show with fan favorite Jimmy Spencer, entitled What’s the Deal?, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Nicky Morse, The Racing Chef, will join the NASCAR on SPEED team in 2010, visiting restaurants around the race track and highlighting the culinary expertise of race fans who take enormous pride in their campground feasts.

“They are very dedicated and very, very competitive,” said Morse, who will be featured on NASCAR Race Hub to open the season. “Somebody is going to cook 100 pounds of crawfish at their boil, so the next person wants to cook 200 pounds and some shrimp. They are very competitive, but they are very generous. I’ve never walked through the infield or a campground where someone doesn’t invite you in to sample what they are cooking.”


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