Waltrip: ‘It is some of the best … Most aggressive racing I have ever seen’

 

To be joined by NASCAR on Fox partner Mike Joy, Australian Leigh Diffey and former racer Calvin Fish

 

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Darrell Waltrip headlines the SPEED broadcast team heading to Australia next month to cover the famed Bathurst 1000 from Mount Panorama in New South Wales, Australia on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. ET.

The news that SPEED will send the biggest commentary names in the US and their production team to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and the Armor All Gold Coast 600 is creating sporting history in Australia.

Both prestigious V8 Supercar events will be broadcast live and in prime time on the SPEED network which is available in almost 84 million homes across North America. The intensifying interest in V8 Supercars throughout North America is a gleaming endorsement of the sport.

The signature events will also be broadcast live on Seven and live in full high definition on 7mate across the country, as well as in full HD throughout North America.

Waltrip is joined by NASCAR on FOX boothmate Mike Joy and SPEED announcer Leigh Diffey, a native of Brisbane. Former racer Calvin Fish will work the pits on the 3.9-mile road course as racers compete for the famed Peter Brock Trophy.

“I’ve watched some of their races on SPEED and it’s some of the best racing I have ever seen,” Waltrip said. “It is some of the most aggressive road course racing I have ever watched … these guys don’t mess around. They race the entire race like the last 10 laps of a Cup race and I just watch with my jaw hanging open.”

“The Mount Panormama track is Australia’s Nurburgring and the Bathurst 1000 event is Downunder’s Daytona 500,” added Diffey, who covered V8 Supercar racing in Australia for 10 years. “It’s an iconic, grueling and awe-inspiring race that only rewards the best. I am so thrilled to be going to the mountain again and especially this time wearing a SPEED shirt.”

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said that having US legend and three-time NASCAR Champion Waltrip and hugely respected NASCAR commentator Joy along with home-grown Leigh Diffey proved the enormous stature of V8 Supercars in North America.

“These guys are the absolute best of the best,” Mr Cochrane said.

“In North America and world motorsport these guys are seriously big names. Their voices are synonymous with sport and having them here is as much a coup as getting the very best drivers to come out, as we have also done for the Gold Coast 600.”

Waltrip is also well known as the race commentator in the Disney.Pixar Cars and Cars2 movies. Waltrip was also a commentator in the hit movie Talladega Nights and a technical advisor to Tom Cruise in the Days of Thunder.

In addition to offering live coverage of the 620-mile Bathurst 1000, SPEED also will air the Gold Coast 600 race live on Oct. 22 at 11:30 p.m. ET from the street circuit at Surfers Paradise.

“This is a great opportunity to grow our relationship with the Aussie V8 Supercar series and its fans,” said Patti Wheeler, SPEED EVP of Programming and Production. “These are two fantastic events to add to our motor sports lineup.”

For more information on SPEED coverage of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship, please visit http://www.speedtv.com/programs/australian-v8-supercars/.

About SPEED™

SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 84 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.

About FOX Sports Media Group

FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill.  Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships.  FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching over 20 million unique visitors monthly.  Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network, FOX Sports Skybox restaurants and FOX Sports Grills.

About V8 Supercars

V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category run as an international series under Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) regulations. It is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia’s fastest growing sports. By 2010 the competition had millions of television viewers in Australia, an international broadcast footprint and had achieved multi-million dollar sponsorship at the Series and team levels. V8 Supercars is one of the few truly national sports in Australia, with twelve events held across Australia, plus a round in New Zealand and in Abu Dhabi. On average, 126,000 people attended events in Australia and New Zealand in 2010. V8 Supercars was created in 1997 to professionally manage, market and promote the sport of V8 Supercars racing around the world. Until May, 2011, V8 Supercars was owned 25 per cent by Sports & Entertainment Limited (SEL) and 75% by TEGA, the body representing the teams. Following the investment of Australian Motor Racing Partners Pty Limited (AMRP), V8 Supercars Australia is owned approximately 40% by the teams and management and approximately 60% by AMRP. More information at www.v8supercars.com.au

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