Pirelli World Challenge announces 2014 NBCSN broadcast schedule - MotorSportsTalk

The Pirelli World Challenge Championships’ 25th season will again be televised on NBCSN. The full release from the series is linked below.

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WC Vision today announced the television schedule for its 25th anniversary 2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championships season that will air on NBC Sports Network. All races will be broadcast in either 90-minute or two-hour programs aired in prime time on Saturdays or Sundays, with re-airs occurring on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“Coming off of a record-setting 2013 season that saw tremendous growth in the series’ base of fans, cars and sponsors, we’re excited to see more FIA GT3 homologated cars entered to race with us in 2014 as well as an increase in the number of world-class drivers joining the series,” said Greg Gill, Vice President Marketing and Communications. “Our growth has allowed us the opportunity to expand our relationship with NBC Sports Network and produce an 8th broadcast for this coming season. The additional broadcast will be used to cover our races at Road America in June. The series’ return to one of the most revered and iconic race tracks in the country with all our classes racing will provide for an amazing broadcast for our fans,” added Gill.

Veteran sportscar racing announcers Greg Creamer and Calvin Fish will again provide play-by-play, color commentary and in-depth series analysis. As in 2013, Jeff Lepper will join Creamer and Fish for pit lane, and pre- and post-race segments. The broadcasts will include exciting in-car camera footage from series partner GoPro, unique feature segments, interviews with series personalities and behind-the-scenes footage.

“Our upcoming 25th anniversary season is going to be one filled with excitement with 50-plus car fields, returning champions like O’Connell and Aschenbach and new teams joining the series running world-class marques like the Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3,” said Scott Bove, WC Vision President and CEO. “For fans that can’t make our races in person or for those that attended and want to relive it, our broadcast partner NBC Sports Network will deliver all of the action.”

2014 Pirelli World Challenge Championships television schedule on NBC Sports Network:

Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, April 12 at 12:30 a.m.)

Streets of Long Beach
Sunday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m.
(re-air Friday, April 25 at 1 a.m.)

Barber Motorsports Park
Saturday, May 10 at 3 p.m.
(re-air Friday, May 16 at 1 a.m.)

Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 15 at 2:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, June 21 at 12 a.m.)

Road America
Friday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, Aug. 2 at 12:30 a.m.)

Streets of Toronto/Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sunday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m.
(re-air Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 a.m.)

Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, August 30 at 1 p.m.
(re-air Thursday, Sept. 5 at 12:30 a.m.)

Miller Motorsports Park
Sunday, September 28 at 2:30 p.m.
(re-air Thursday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m.)

Schedule subject to change. All times listed are Eastern.

It took four attempts for Kyle Larson to win his first High Limit Sprint Car Series race in the series he co-owns with brother-in-law Brad Sweet, but once he found victory lane, he has been undefeated with his win at Eagle (Nebraska) Raceway. For the second week, Abreu led early only to fall prey to Larson.

The win was Larson’s third straight victory and the fifth consecutive top-five, giving him a perfect sweep of the season after finishing 10th in last year’s inaugural race at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Indiana.

Larson started third behind Abreu and Brent Marks but was embroiled in a fierce battle with Anthony Macri for third during the first dozen laps. Larson slipped by Macri in traffic until a red flag waved for a flip by Lachlan McHugh.

Meanwhile at the front of the pack, Marks retook the lead from Abreu on Lap 18. Larson followed one lap later and then caution waved again. Tyler Courtney lost power and fell to 24th after starting eighth.

Marks scooted away on the restart but tragedy struck in Lap 26. Leading the race, Marks hit a pothole in Turn 1, bicycled and then flipped, handing the lead to Larson.

Abreu caught Larson again during the final laps and in a reprise of their battle at Tri-City Speedway, the two threw sliders at one another for several laps until Larson built some separation and ran away to the checkers.

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. 𝗪𝗔𝗦. 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗖.@EagleRaceway went above and beyond in their return to the main stage with the High Limit Sprint Car Series tonight!

pic.twitter.com/H3XKQEOpg6

— High Limit Racing (@HighLimitRacing) June 7, 2023

“I didn’t feel like my pace in [Turns] 1 & 2 slowed down a ton,” Larson said from victory lane. “I missed it once there and then I saw his nose in 3 & 4. I didn’t know if he nailed the bottom that well behind me and I think he might have slid me in the next corner, so he was definitely on the top.

“I was nervous to move up there because my car was really pogoing up in the entry of 1. I got up just in time, made a few mistakes and he threw a couple more sliders at me but he was just a little too far back and I was able to squirt around him. Then I really had to commit to hitting my marks – back my effort down a bit to avoid mistakes.”

After leading early, Abreu fell back as far as sixth, but faith in his car kept hope alive.

“I just needed to do a few things a few laps before I did and fix some angles, then my car got a whole lot better,” Abreu said. “I’m thankful for this team; they do an amazing job. They don’t give up on me. I know my car is going to be there right at the end of these races, so it’s just the discipline of being patient.”

For Abreu, it was his third near-miss this season. He was leading at Lakeside in the 2023 opener until a tire went flat in the closing laps and he lost the lead to Larson late in the Tri-City Speedway race. Abreu has finished sixth or better in his last three High Limit races with each result being progressively better until his pair of runner-up results.

Third-place finisher Scelzi was the hard charger, advancing from 17th.

“I had a very specific plan; don’t go near [the hole in Turn 1],” Scelzi said. “It worked out. No one wanted to start on the top. I think I gained a couple of rows there on the choose cone and ran the middle, which seemed to be better than right around the bottom.”

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid in fourth and Macri rounded out the top five.

World of Outlaws star and former NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne was one of 41 entrants, but he was not among the 26 starters. He failed to advance to the Main after finishing eighth in the B Main and seventh in his heat.

Feature Results

A Feature (40 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 3. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[17]; 4. 71-Michael Kofoid[5]; 5. 39M-Anthony Macri[3]; 6. 9-Chase Randall[9]; 7. 26-Zeb Wise[14]; 8. 1X-Jake Bubak[15]; 9. 8-Aaron Reutzel[10]; 10. 14D-Corey Day[18]; 11. 11-Cory Eliason[12]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms[11]; 13. 88-Austin McCarl[13]; 14. 21H-Brady Bacon[22]; 15. 48-Danny Dietrich[16]; 16. 7S-Robbie Price[19]; 17. 21-Brian Brown[23]; 18. 22-Riley Goodno[26]; 19. 52-Blake Hahn[25]; 20. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[21]; 21. 3J-Dusty Zomer[6]; 22. 14-Cole Macedo[7]; 23. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 24. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]; 25. 25-Lachlan McHugh[20]; 26. 53-Jack Dover[24]

2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series

Race 1: Giovanni Scelzi wins at Lakeside Speedway
Race2: Anthony Macri wins at 34 Raceway
Race 3: Kyle Larson wins at Wayne County Speedway
Race 4: Kyle Larson wins at Tri-City Speedway

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