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Big St. Patty’s Day Weekend On SPEED
Formula One opens its 17th consecutive season on SPEED with live coverage of the Australian Grand Prix from Albert Park in Melbourne...
Erik Arneson  |  Posted March 15, 2012   Charlotte, NC
SPEED.com - The Online Motor Sports Authority (Image: SPEED)
SPEED™ ST. PATRICK’S DAY WEEKEND LOADED WITH GREEN (FLAGS)

F1 SEASON OPENER, DAYTONA 200 FROM BIKE WEEK, NASCAR AT BRISTOL AND AMA SUPERCROSS FROM INDY

F1 ON SPEED GETS BIG DIGITAL, SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH


There is no shortage of green for St. Patrick’s Day weekend on SPEED.

Formula One opens its 17th consecutive season on SPEED with live coverage of the Australian Grand Prix from Albert Park in Melbourne.

The popular broadcast team of Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett return to call the action, with Will Buxton on the grid as six former World Champions line up to take on all comers in the series opener. SPEED’s live coverage includes practice (March 16 at 1:30 a.m. ET), qualifying (March 17 at 2 a.m. ET) and the race on March 18 at 1:30 a.m.

"Part of the attraction of Formula One is that the formula itself, meaning the rulebook, changes from year to year,” Varsha said. “And that means predictions are a fool's game. We won't know who has solved the riddle of this year's rulebook best until the first race in Melbourne. But there are some things we do know: Kimi Raikkonen has returned to give us an unprecedented six world champions on the grid; the Pirelli tires have been tweaked to produce better grip and higher speeds, while still degrading quickly enough that drivers and teams have to stay on top of them; and Red Bull will once again be the car to beat."

The SPEED digital team is putting a major effort behind Formula One this season with SPEED.com offering live streaming coverage of the first and third F1 practice sessions, as well as an updated F1 Social Garage page and expanded editorial, photo and video content. In addition, fans can follow F1 on SPEED through social media with updated Facebook and Twitter pages and enjoy Fantasy racing through the new Pirelli GP Challenge Powered by SPEED.

On March 17, SPEED delivers coverage from Daytona Bike Week with the iconic Daytona 200 (3:30 p.m. ET) kicking off the AMA Pro Racing season from the twists and turns of the Daytona International Raceway road course.

Leigh Diffey will lead the on-air contingent with Hall-of-Famer Scott Russell providing analysis and Greg White in the pits.

In other two-wheel action on St. Patrick’s Day, AMA Supercross is live from Indianapolis at 8 p.m., with Ralph Sheheen, Hall-of-Famer Jeff Emig and Erin Bates calling the show. Legendary racer Ricky Carmichael, a five-time AMA Rider of the Year and winner of a record 150 races, will join the team in the booth.

And throughout the entire weekend, SPEED is live from one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks, as short-track tempers flare at Bristol. The SPEED lineup includes multiple NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series practice and qualifying sessions, as well as popular pre- and post-race programming, including Trackside, NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane.

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend racing schedule on SPEED (times Eastern and subject to change):

Friday, March 16

- Formula One practice (1:30 a.m. to 3 a.m., Australia)
- NASCAR Nationwide Series practice (10:30 a.m. to Noon, Bristol)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (Noon to 1:30 p.m., Bristol)
- NASCAR Live! (1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Bristol)
- NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice (2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Bristol)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying (3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Bristol)
- Trackside (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
- SPEED Center (7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying (re-air, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.)

Saturday, March 17

- Formula One qualifying (2 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., Australia)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Bristol)
- NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying (10:30 a.m. to Noon, Bristol)
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (Noon to 1 p.m., Bristol)
- AMA Pro Racing (1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Daytona Beach)
- Daytona 200 (2:30 to 5 p.m., Daytona Beach)
- AMA Pro Racing (5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Daytona Beach)
- SPEED Center Saturday (7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
- AMA Supercross (7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Indianapolis)
- AMA Pro Flat Track (10:30 p.m. to 11:30 a.m., Daytona Beach)

Sunday, March 18

- Australian Grand Prix – F1 season-opener (1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., Australia)
- NASCAR Performance (9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
- SPEED Center NASCAR Edition (10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
- NASCAR RaceDay Fueled by Sunoco (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bristol)
- Australian Grand Prix replay (2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Australia)
- NASCAR Victory Lane (4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Bristol)
- 4th Annual Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
- SPEED Center (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain (8 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- NASCAR Victory Lane (9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Bristol)

For more F1 digital and social media information and links:

New Pirelli GP Challenge Powered by SPEED: http://www.pirelligpchallenge.com/en
Updated F1 on SPEED Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/formula1onspeed
• F1onSPEED Twitter page: https://twitter.com/#!/Formula1onSPEED
Updated F1 Social Garage: http://www.speedtv.com/feature/live-formula-1-on-speed
Streaming: The Flying Lap with Peter Windsor: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/video-the-flying-lap-with-peter-windsor/
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