HammerDownUSA.com
‘
multi-year partnership to broadcast
the “
Money” exclusively on ESPN2.
“The
drivers in sprint car racing and a
tremendous following of devoted
fans,” said Frantz Cayo, Director of
Motorsports Programming for
ESPN. “We immediately saw how the ‘
concept would compliment our NASCAR
and NHRA motor sports
programming. We look forward to working with the
grow sprint car racing and increase
the sport’s fan base.”
The “
hour broadcasts, seven of which will
feature events run only hours
earlier. The eight broadcasts will air from
(ET) Sundays beginning June 17 and
continuing through August 5.
ESPN2 is available in more than 90
million households in the United
States with the “
available internationally, as well.
“Securing ESPN as one of our
national media partners is a vital
component of our business model,”
said DIRT MotorSports President and
CEO Tom Deery. “This platform will
allow our current fans to have
unprecedented access to the
the incredible excitement of sprint
car racing to millions of new
potential fans. At the same time,
the ‘
Money’ events on ESPN2 will provide
the marquee exposure value to our
corporate partners and team
sponsors. We are working on additional
media strategies with the
the ESPN ‘Summer of Money’ series is
a strong foundation for the 2007
season and beyond.”
The “
events in 2007. The series then continues onto
Raceway in
up at The Raceway at
the tradition-rich Kings Royal at
Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in
Drivers, car owners and promoters believe
the
partnership with ESPN will have a
positive effect on the future of
sprint car racing.
“I’m thrilled that beginning in
2007, the
a landmark television partnership
with ESPN2 that will not only
continue to grow the premier winged
sprint car series in the world
and provide exceptional value to our
sponsors, but will also allow
our great race fans and myself the
ability to watch Joey Saldana and
our #9 Dodge/Mopar Kasey Kahne
Racing car on national television,”
said NASCAR Nextel Cup Series star
Kasey Kahne.
“Combining the
Eldora Speedway promoter Larry
Kemp. “It will no doubt help to
draw
new people and sponsors to the
fast-paced and highly entertaining
world of sprint car racing while
giving those fans that have
supported it for so long an easier
way to catch the action.”
“It’s exhilarating,” said Donny
Schatz, who is celebrating his 10th
season with the
Nationals and leading the
championship standings. “We want to
bring
ESPN will allow us to do that. We
certainly need to thank The Outdoor
Channel for its coverage the past
three years and now we’re excited
to take our racing to a major
network.”
“It’s huge for our team and sprint
car racing,” said Terry McCarl,
one of the most competitive drivers
in the business. “Like most
people, I only watch a few stations
and ESPN is one of them. It has
been around almost as long as the
in the
and I look forward to showing them
how exciting
racing is. If you’re on ESPN, that’s
about as good as it gets. I
think NASCAR has done a great job of
turning most of
race fans, and I think if you’re any
kind of race fan and you give
the
it.”
“Racing on ESPN will mean an awful
lot for our sponsors like Jolt
Energy Gum,” said Justin Henderson,
one of the
rookie contenders who claims to be a
fan of the
SportsCenter. “The more my team and I can race up front and
be on
camera, the more opportunity we have
to attract bigger sponsors and
more fans. That means the world to
us. It’s really the best thing
that’s happened for our sport.”
The “
Event Date (Air Date) — Venue
June 16 (June 17) —
June 23 (June 24) —
June 30 (July 1) —
July 6 (July 8) — Route 66 Raceway, Joliet,
IL.
July 14 (July 15) — Kings Royal,
Eldora Speedway,
July 17 (July 22) — Don Martin
Memorial Silver Cup,
July 28 (July 29) — K-C Raceway,
Aug. 4 (Aug. 5) — The Raceway at
All broadcasts air from