Here are your Japanese Grand Prix times on NBCSN - MotorSportsTalk

The 2016 Formula One campaign rolls into Suzuka Circuit in Japan for the annual running of the Japanese Grand Prix this Sunday at 12:30 a.m. ET/Saturday at 9:30 p.m. PT on NBCSN.

In addition to this weekend’s F1 coverage, NBC Sports Group presents the final race of the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC from Los Angeles, Calif., and NBCSN presents more than 15 hours of Mecum Auctions coverage from their event this weekend in Chicago.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will provide streaming coverage of this weekend’s motorsports events.

F1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 12:30 A.M. ET/SATURDAY AT 9:30 P.M. ET

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg hopes to increase his lead in the championship standings this weekend over teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton in Japan. Rosberg finished third at last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, which featured a 1-2 finish for Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, but he was able to gain ground on Hamilton, who was forced to retire with 17 laps remaining due to an engine failure. Rosberg now leads Hamilton by 23 points in the standings with five races remaining on the schedule.

Rosberg captured the pole position at Suzuka last year, but Hamilton took the checkered flag, his third career Japanese Grand Prix victory.

Live coverage begins exclusively on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app tonight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with Practice 1, followed by NBCSN’s live coverage of Practice 2 on Friday morning at 1 a.m. ET/Thursday at 10 p.m. PT. Streaming coverage on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app continues with Practice 3 on Friday night at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, and live qualifying on Saturday at 2 a.m. ET/Friday night at11 p.m. PT.

Live Japanese Grand Prix race coverage begins Sunday morning at 12 a.m. ET/Saturday at 9 p.m. PT on NBCSN with F1 Countdown, and is followed by F1 Extra at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.

Lead play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey will call this weekend’s action, and will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, and analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will report on-site from Suzuka Circuit.

Here’s the times:

Following is this week’s NBC Sports Group motorsports coverage schedule:

DATE	COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
Thurs., Oct. 6	F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Practice 1	9 p.m.	Streaming
Fri., Oct. 7	F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Practice 2	1 a.m.	NBCSN
	F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Practice 3	11 p.m.	Streaming
Sat., Oct. 8	F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Qualifying	2 a.m.	NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 9	F1 Countdown	12 a.m.	NBCSN
	F1 Japanese Grand Prix	12:30 a.m.	NBCSN
	F1 Extra	3 a.m.	NBCSN
	F1 Japanese Grand Prix (Encore)	7 p.m.	NBCSN

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In a continuing effort to help fans keep track of the on track action, SuperMotocross is in the process of developing and implementing leader lights for the unified series.

Currently Supercross (SMX) utilizes stanchions in the infield that are triggered manually by a race official. At least two stanchions are used in each race as a way to draw the eye to the leader, which is especially useful in the tight confines of the stadium series when lapping often begins before the halfway mark in the 22-bike field. This system has been in place for the past two decades.

Later this year, a fully automated system will move to the bike itself to replace the old system. At that point, fans will be able to identify the leader regardless of where he is on track.

The leader lights were tested in the second Anaheim round this year. An example can be seen at the 1:45 mark in the video above on the No. 69 bike.

“What we don’t want to do is move too fast, where it’s confusing to people,” said Mike Muye, senior director of operations for Supercross and SMX in a press release. “We’ve really just focused on the leader at this point with the thought that maybe down the road we’ll introduce others.”

Scheduled to debut with the first SuperMotocross World Championship race at zMax Dragway, located just outside the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 3D carbon fiber-printed LED light will be affixed to each motorcycle. Ten timing loops positioned around the track will trigger the lights of the leader, which will turn green.

SMX’s partner LiveTime Scoring helped develop and implement the system that has been tested in some form or fashion since 2019.

When the leader lights are successfully deployed, SuperMotocross will explore expanding the system to identify the second- and third-place riders. Depending on need and fan acceptance, more positions could be added.

SuperMotocross is exploring future enhancements, including allowing for live fan interaction with the lights and ways to use the lighting system during the race’s opening ceremony.

Read more about SuperMotocross