Racing Across America to Include 27 Races this Season

SPEED Channel and NASCAR announced today the broadcast schedule for Racing Across America, a series of races that showcase the grassroots of American stock car racing.   This year, Racing Across America will feature 25 events in the NASCAR Grand National Division, a tier of NASCAR's regional racing series which includes the Busch North Series and West Series, and finish off with live coverage of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.

SPEED Channel, which will air races originally produced by HDNet and NASCAR Images, will broadcast the majority of the NASCAR Grand National Division races as lead-ins to live NASCAR programming on SPEED during NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event weekends.

Racing Across America coverage begins this Friday, April 8 at 5:00 PM (EST) with coverage of the January 30 NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series race from Phoenix International Raceway.  The action continues May 7 at 1:00 PM (EST) with coverage of, the Lucas Oil 150, a West Series race taking place at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, CA on April 9.  The first Busch North Series race on SPEED will air June 25 at 12:30 PM (EST) and will feature coverage of the May 15 race from Lee, NH.

"There is nothing more American than grassroots stock car racing and the final step to the big time, NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, Busch Series and NEXTEL Cup Series is the NASCAR Grand National Series covered in SPEED's Racing Across America." said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel SVP Programming/Production and Executive Producer.  "We are pleased to bring it to our viewers for another year."

"Racing Across America is a great program for fans who love watching the NASCAR stars of tomorrow race on the track today," said Jeffrey Pollack, Managing Director, Broadcasting and New Media, NASCAR Digital Entertainment. "With coverage of 25 NASCAR Grand National Division races this year, fans who may have missed the original live broadcasts, or those who want to see it again, will be able to watch them before catching SPEED Channel's live weekend coverage of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series."

The NASCAR Grand National Division includes two independent NASCAR Series - the Busch North Series and the West Series - competing with identical race cars. NASCAR Grand National Division cars are similar in appearance and design to those cars used on the NASCAR Busch Series. The cars are powered by 350 to 358 cubic-inch V-8 engines with a maximum compression ratio of 12:1. Both 105- and 110-inch wheelbase cars are allowed, with a minimum weight of 3,300 pounds. They are equipped with Goodyear bias-ply tires. The West Series enters its 52nd season in 2005, making it the West Coast's oldest stock car racing circuit, while the BNS enters its 19th year of racing this season.

Notable NASCAR Grand National Division "graduates" include 2004 NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (BNS), NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Ricky Craven (BNS) and Brendan Gaughan (West Series), NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (West Series) as well as crew chiefs Greg Zipadelli (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) and Pete Rondeau (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet).

Date	Time	Track	Division
Apr 8*	5:00 PM	Phoenix International Raceway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
May 7*	1:00 PM	Mesa Marin Raceway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
May 13*	2:30 PM	Phoenix International Raceway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
June 10*	5:00 PM	Stockton 99 Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
June 25*	12:30 PM	Lee USA Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
July 1*	4:00 PM	Thompson International Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
July 8*	2:00 PM	Stafford Motor Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
July 15*	5:30 PM	Holland International Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
July 23*	12:30 PM	Lake Erie Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
July 29*	7:30 PM	New Hampshire Int'l Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Aug 5**	3:00 PM	Waterford Speedbowl	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Aug 12*	5:30 PM	Irwindale Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Aug 19*	2:00 PM	Adirondack International Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Aug 26**	2:30 PM	Evergreen Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Sep 2**	4:30 PM	Stafford Motor Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Sep 9*	2:30 PM	Stockton 99 Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Sep 16**	5:30 PM	Motor Mile Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Sep 23*	5:30 PM	Pikes Peak International Raceway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Sep 30*	3:30 PM	Oxford Plains Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Oct 7*	1:00 PM	California Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Oct 14*	4:30 PM	New Hampshire Int'l Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Oct 21**	5:30 PM	Douglas County Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series
Oct 28*	4:30 PM	Dover International Speedway	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Nov 4*	2:30 PM	Lime Rock Park	NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series
Nov 11*	3:00 PM	Mesa Marin Raceway	NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series