Motorsport News International
BGN: CBS to broadcast Watkins Glen live
Tom Haapanen
MNI - Motorsport News International
CBS SETS LIVE BROADCAST
FOR BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL 200
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- National attention will be focused on Watkins Glen on
June 25. CBS Sports announced live flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Busch
Grand National 200, opening the event to a potential audience of over 90
million television sets.
The event at Watkins Glen International will be the 400th race in the history
of the Busch Grand National Series, and also the first live major network
broadcast of the series, which dates back to 1982.
"I feel the CBS broadcast will have a very positive impact on the event," said
Ken Squier, who will co-anchor the broadcast with Ned Jarrett. "It will make
the race into another major, major weekend. Watkins Glen is such a beautiful
area and a great vacation spot, and this event is certainly a unique
opportunity to see Busch Grand National racing, which has taken on its own life
this year.
"The growth of the Busch Grand National Series is certainly not a secret, but
it's not as well known as it should be," Squier continued. "We hope to change
that -- as we did in Winston Cup, with the first live broadcast of the Daytona
500 (in 1979)."
"We are very pleased to team up with CBS Sports for live coverage of the
Busch Grand National 200," said John Saunders. "It's well known that the CBS
coverage of the Daytona 500 was a major step in gaining national recognition
for both NASCAR and the event. Live network coverage of our race will showcase
both the Busch Grand National Series, our track, and the Watkins Glen region."
Chad Little and Johnny Benson have dominated 1995 Busch Grand National
competition, joined by Mike McLaughlin, Phil Parsons, Jeff and David Green,
Patty Moise, Elton Sawyer, Larry Pearson, Jason Keller, Curtis Markham and Tim
Fedewa. They will be joined at the Glen by selected Winston Cup drivers --
including defending winner Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer -- and top drivers
from the Busch North Grand National Series, including Mike Stefanik, Kelly
Moore, Dale Shaw, Andy Santerre, Eric Bodine and Butch Leitzinger.
The Busch Grand National 200 is one of five races during the June 23-25
weekend. The IMSA Exxon World Sports Car and Exxon GT series are featured in
the 12th annual Glen Continental on Saturday, joined by the new Ferrari
Challenge. Sunday's schedule opens with the IMSA Street Stock Endurance
Championship with a three-hour race at 8:30 a.m., followed by the SCCA Barber
Dodge Pro Series and the USAC/SCCA U.S. Formula Ford 2000 National
Championship. The Busch Grand National 200 is set for a 1:30 p.m. start.
For ticket information for the Busch Grand National 200 weekend, call the
Watkins Glen International ticket office at (607) 535-2481.
J.J. O'Malley, WGI Director of Communications
All information courtesy of MNI - Motorsport News International
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