Here’s your IndyCar times for this weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

By Apr 22, 2015, 12:17 PM EDT
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The Verizon IndyCar Series rolls back to the south this weekend at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., just outside Birmingham. Here’s a look ahead to this weekend’s coverage on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra:

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NBCSN continues its extensive coverage of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series this weekend from Barber Motorsports Park with live coverage of the Grand Prix of Alabama this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

This week’s motorsports action on NBCSN will also feature Mecum Auctions coverage from Kansas City, and the Pittlite 125 from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Bristol Motor Speedway.

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will provide comprehensive streaming coverage of this week’s IndyCar, Mecum Auctions and NASCAR K&N Series telecasts.

INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA – SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBCSN’s presentation of the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series continues this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET with the Grand Prix of Alabama. Last week, Scott Dixon (Target Chip Ganassi) earned a long-awaited victory at Long Beach, taking the checkered flag for the first time in nine attempts. Dixon’s win at Long Beach was the 36th of his career, which broke a tie with Bobby Unser for fifth on the all-time list.

Helio Castroneves (Penske), Will Power (Penske) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) are the only three drivers to win at Barber in the race’s five-year existence, with Power (2011-12) and Hunter-Reay (2013-14) each winning in back-to-back years. Dixon has finished as a runner-up four of five times at Barber. NBCSN will televise qualifying coverage on Sundaymorning at 2 a.m. ET.

NBC Sports Group lead IndyCar play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will call the Grand Prix of Alabama, alongside F1 analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett, and current driver and analyst Townsend Bell, who recently announced he will be competing in his ninth-career Indianapolis 500 next month. Robin Miller, Marty Snider, Kevin Lee and Kelli Stavast will handle pit reporting duties.

In addition, NBCSN will provide coverage of the Indy Lights race from Alabama on Monday morning at 2 a.m. ET. Kevin Lee (play-by-play), Anders Krohn (analyst) and Katie Hargitt (reporter) will provide commentary.

TV TIMES: INDYCAR, INDY LIGHTS AND MORE

Date Program Time (ET) Network
Thur., April 22 Mecum Auctions: Kansas City* 4:30 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., April 23 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – Pittlite 125 12:30 a.m. NBCSN
Mecum Auctions: Kansas City 4 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., April 24 Mecum Auctions: Kansas City* 1 a.m. NBCSN
Mecum Auctions: Kansas City* 5 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., April 24 IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama – Qualifying* 2 a.m. NBCSN
IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama 3 p.m. NBCSN
Mon., April 25 Indy Lights – Alabama 2 a.m. NBCSN

IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”