Racing News: Champ Car releases 2008 TV schedule

INDIANAPOLIS (January 17, 2008) - The Champ Car World Series will appear exclusively on the ESPN networks in 2008 with a 14-race schedule combining live and same-day telecasts.

The schedule includes four races on both ABC and ESPN and six on ESPN2.

The season begins Sunday, Apr. 20, with same-day coverage of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2.5-hour telecast will include a season preview special.
"We're thrilled to have all of our races this season on the ESPN/ABC networks in the second year of our renewed relationship," said Champ Car President & CEO Steve Johnson. "We worked closely with ESPN to create a schedule that we believe serves both existing and future fans of Champ Car racing."

"Our arrangement with ESPN will allow us to be more fully integrated into the ESPN global network of properties," said Johnson. "This will not simply be television broadcasts of our races. We will also be in ESPN's digital media, radio, mobile, magazines and events, to name a few.

Some of the races will be broadcast in later than normal time slots.
"While the time-slot opportunities present us with some challenges, they also provide us with opportunities to see if we can grow our ratings and fan base by showcasing our races during different time periods and/or using different formats," Johnson explained. "For example, we are set to appear during prime time (at some point in all time zones) on ESPN2 for three races, with events scheduled at 10 p.m. ET.
"These slots place us immediately after NHRA events on ESPN2, which should provide us with an interesting lead-in with the ability to promote our upcoming show to a motorsports audience."
The four ABC-aired races will be shown in a one-hour format.

"The one-hour slots allow us to maintain a presence on the network, so we will utilize the programs to experiment with some new presentation formats," Johnson added.

Champ Car World Series 2008 TV Schedule*
EVENT DATES NAME, LOCATION, VENUE
April 20 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, California
5:00 - 7:30 p.m. - ESPN2 - Same-day tape
April 27 Grand Prix of Houston at JAGFlo Speedway, Houston, Texas
10:00 p.m. - Midnight - ESPN2 - Same-day tape
May 18 Champ Car Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. - ESPN - LIVE
June 1 Belgian Champ Car Grand Prix at Circuit Zolder, Zolder, Belgium
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - ABC - Same-day tape
June 8 Gran Premio Champ Car de España, Jerez, Spain
4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - ABC - Same-day tape
June 22 Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - ABC - Same-day tape
June 29 Champ Car Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. - ESPN - LIVE
July 6 Champ Car Grand Prix of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - ESPN - LIVE
July 20 Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - ESPN - LIVE
July 27 Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, Portland, Oregon
10:00 p.m. - Midnight - ESPN2 - Same-day tape
August 10 Champ Car Grand Prix at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - ABC - Same-day tape
September 14 Dutch Champ Car Grand Prix at TT Circuit Assen, Assen, Holland
10:00 p.m. - Midnight - ESPN2 - Same-day tape
October 26 Gold Coast Indy 300, Surfers Paradise, Australia
11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. - ESPN2 - Same-day tape
November 9 Gran Premio de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 - LIVE

courtesy of http://www.champcarworldseries.com

CHAMP CAR WOES: With the release of Champ Car's U.S. television schedule, only four races would be seen here (on ABC) unless a Canadian carrier signs on. At this point, there is no deal and no guarantee The Score will renew and Global may not be back as carrier of the Canadian races. That might may leave an opening for CBC, which won't have the CFL next summer.

courtesy of http://www.thestar.com/

One hour formats and no Canadian coverage?! Come on, that sucks! Sometimes it tough being the only person that actually watches this sport and supports it.