Busch Series Campaign Features Drivers Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Stephen Leicht

After successfully launching its overall NASCAR marketing campaign in January, ESPN today announced phase two of the effort in support of the NASCAR Busch Series.  The campaign features drivers Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Stephen Leicht along with 17 other Busch Series drivers and will run throughout the 35-race season.

"Our NASCAR Busch Series campaign brings a face and personality not only to the Busch Series but to the drivers as well," said Katie Lacey, senior vice president, marketing.  "We're very pleased to have such talented drivers participate in the campaign."

NASCAR racing returns to the networks on February 17th with the Busch Series season-opener from Daytona International Speedway on ESPN2.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy New York, the three :30 spots present a character named Sergeant Doren who tries to impose the standard rules of the road to the race track. The campaign continues to bear ESPN's new NASCAR tagline, "NASCAR on ESPN: It's The Life."

• Highlights include:
  Sgt. Doren and Stephen Leicht get caught up in a misunderstanding of the correct driving distance between two cars.
• Sgt. Doren grows concerned when he hears Carl Edwards proclaim that 150 mph is a much safer speed than 180 mph.
• Sgt. Doren gets queasy in the passenger seat as he supervises Denny Hamlin practicing a course of orange pylon cones in the DMV parking lot.

The NASCAR Busch Series campaign will run on all ESPN networks and will include off-channel, outdoor, print and online.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN2 will be the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming will be produced fully in HD.  Additionally, ESPN and ESPN on ABC will have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races including the 10-race "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" championship on ESPN on ABC.

ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.