SpeedWeek | |
---|---|
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 661 [1] |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes [2] |
Release | |
Original network | ESPN |
Original release | 1984 – 1997 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | RPM2Night |
SpeedWeek was an American television program on ESPN. For fourteen years, the weekly show aired multiple times in a week. [3] [4] When SpeedWeek ended in 1997, it was the longest-running motorsports magazine show. [1] SpeedWeek covered multiple genres of motorsports, including stock cars, modifieds, sprint cars, midgets, and off-road racing. [5]
The show debuted in 1984 featuring Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber. Nuber left the show in 1989. Jenkins remained as the show's sole host throughout the rest of its run. [1] SpeedWeeks' hosts described American motorsports events from the previous week and previewed upcoming events. [3] Jenkins received a 1990 nomination for an ACE (Award for Cable Excellence) Award in the "Sports Host" category. [6]
The program was produced in Indianapolis throughout nearly it entire run. For a period of time, it was taped at the studios of WXIN. [7]
The show ended in late 1997. [8] By that time, ESPN2 was broadcasting RPM 2Night. [8]
The Brickyard 400 was an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1916. In its inaugural running, the Brickyard 400 became NASCAR's most-attended event, drawing an estimated crowd of more than 250,000 spectators. The race also paid one of NASCAR's highest purses. From 1994 to 2020, the race was held on the 2.5-mile oval, for a distance of 400 miles. The race was dropped in 2021 in favor of the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard which is run on a combined road course and run a distance of 200-mile (321.869 km).
Speed was an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Fox Sports Media Group division of 21st Century Fox. The network was dedicated to motorsports programming, including auto racing, as well as automotive-focused programs.
Dave Despain is an American motorsports journalist. He was the host of WindTunnel with Dave Despain on Speed Channel, and NASCAR Inside Nextel Cup, until the former was cancelled during the demise of Speed and the latter underwent a format change at the beginning of the 2008 NASCAR Season. On 14 December 2013 Despain announced on Twitter that he would be moving to MAVTV in 2014 to provide color commentary during races held on the channel and host a show called The Dave Despain Show.
Motor Racing Network (MRN) is a U.S. radio network that syndicates broadcasts of auto racing events, particularly NASCAR. MRN was founded in 1970 by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. and broadcaster Ken Squier, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of NASCAR. Its first broadcast was the 1970 Daytona 500.
Christopher Constantine Economaki was an American motorsports commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist. Economaki was given the title "The Dean of American Motorsports Journalism." He was an inductee of several halls of fame, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.
Robert F. Jenkins was an American television and radio sports announcer, primarily calling Indy car and NASCAR telecasts for ESPN/ABC and later Versus/NBCSN. Jenkins was the radio "Voice of the Indianapolis 500" on the IMS Radio Network from 1990 to 1998, then held the same role on ABC Sports television from 1999 to 2001.
Larry Rice was an American racing driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He was the 1973 USAC National midget driver's champion and won the USAC Silver Crown series in 1977 and 1981. He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993.
Jay Howard is a British professional race car driver who competes in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 US Formula Ford Zetec champion and moved up to the Indy Lights series, where he captured two wins on his way to the 2006 championship for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in his rookie season. He qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 2011.
The Indianapolis 500 auto race has been the subject for several motion pictures. It has also received countless references in television, film, commercials, books, and other media. The following is a list of such references.
Martin Reid "Marty" Klingeman, known professionally as Marty Reid, is an American television sportscaster who worked for ESPN from 1982 to 2013, covering motorsports for the network. Reid served as the network's lead IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 announcer from 2006 until that year, and did lap-by-lap for ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series telecasts in 2010.
Larry Nuber of Maumee, OH was an auto racing announcer, best known for his work on ESPN broadcasts of NASCAR, CART and Formula One races in the 1980s.
AgDay is a syndicated daily half-hour television program presented in magazine format focusing on agriculture news, agribusiness, and country living. It generally airs in early morning timeslots on stations throughout the country and also airs weekday mornings on the digital cable and satellite channel RFD-TV. It is taped at WNDU studios in South Bend, Indiana. It is hosted and produced by Clinton Griffiths.
Terre Haute Action Track is a half-mile dirt racetrack located at the Vigo County, Indiana, fairgrounds on U.S. Route 41 along the south side of Terre Haute, Indiana. The track hosts annual United States Automobile Club (USAC) midget car, sprint car and Silver Crown events. Notable drivers that have competed at the track include A. J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Parnelli Jones, and Tony Stewart. The track has held events sanctioned by USAC, its predecessor American Automobile Association (AAA), and the World of Outlaws.
ESPN SpeedWorld is a former television series broadcast on ESPN from 1979–2006. The program that was based primarily based around NASCAR, CART, IMSA, Formula One, NHRA, and IHRA. The theme music is based on the piano interlude from "18th Avenue " by Cat Stevens.
The IndyCar Series on ABC, also known as the IndyCar Series on ESPN, was the branding used for coverage of the IndyCar Series produced by ESPN, and formerly broadcast on ABC television network in the United States.
The 2019 Indianapolis 500 was an IndyCar Series event held on Sunday, May 26, 2019, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The premier event of the 2019 IndyCar Series, the event ran 500 miles. Simon Pagenaud won the race from the pole position, earning Team Penske's record-extending 18th Indy 500 victory. Pagenaud led 116 laps, taking the lead for the final time with just over one lap to go from 2016 winner Alexander Rossi. He became the first French-born winner since Gaston Chevrolet in 1920, and the first pole-sitter to win the race since 2009.
Until 2001, race tracks struck individual agreements with networks to broadcast races, but NASCAR wanted to capitalize on the growing popularity of the sport and announced in 1999 that television contracts would now be centralized; that is, instead of making agreements with individual tracks, networks would now negotiate directly with NASCAR for the rights to air a package of races.
The 2021 Indianapolis 500 was a 500-mile race in the 2021 IndyCar Series, held on May 30, 2021, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The month of May activities formally began on May 15 with the GMR Grand Prix on the combined road course. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 began on May 18, and time trials were held May 22–23. Carb Day, the traditional final day of practice, took place on May 28.