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ESPN SpeedWorld
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ESPN SpeedWorld (formerly Auto Racing '79–'86) is a former television series broadcast on from 1979 to 2006. The program that was based primarily based around , , IMSA, , NHRA, and IHRA. The theme music is based on the piano interlude from "18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)" by .

History
ESPN Auto Racing (1979–1986)
When debuted in 1979, one of the first sporting events that they covered was auto racing. Initially the name of the show routinely changed to fit with the corresponding year at the time. Thus, when the program debuted, it was called Auto Racing '79, and then Auto Racing '80, Auto Racing '81 and so forth. This practice was dropped after 1986, when the name of the program was changed to SpeedWorld. The original commentators were primarily and , who covered many diverse types of competition. Ultimately, by 1987, SpeedWorld's coverage encompassed not only , , NASCAR Winston Cup (and its feeder series such as Busch Grand National, ASA, and ARCA), and IMSA Sportscar Racing, but also racing less familiar to the average person, such as NHRA , USAC sprints and midgets, , , and more. So many types of racing that were vastly different meant that specialization in broadcasting teams was necessary, so while Jenkins and Nuber continued with Winston Cup coverage, newer faces such as and began to take their places for broadcasts of other racing.

Impact of NASCAR
ESPN began showing NASCAR races in 1981 with the first event being at North Carolina Motor Speedway, which brought NASCAR to huge popularity. The last of its 265 Cup telecasts (that number includes some on ABC Sports) was the 2000 Atlanta fall race (now the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500). ESPN and ESPN2 continued to air Craftsman Truck Series races in 2001 and 2002.

SpeedWorld's final years
After losing the rights to NASCAR Winston Cup (and Busch Series) broadcasts for the 2001 season (as well as Formula One to in , although for a while when Speedvision/Speed Channel aired Formula One, ABC were allowed to broadcast selected, mostly North American, Grands Prix), ESPN slowly began losing the remainder of their racing to other networks. For their 2002 season, signed a TV contract with Speed Channel and , ending ESPN's partnership with CART that had begun 20 years before. NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series left ESPN, also for Speed Channel, in 2003. For the International Race of Champions likewise moved to the Speed Channel. Since ESPN's reporters were no longer allowed (by NASCAR) to report from within the racetrack for RPM 2Night segments (due to their contract with and NBC/TNT), the weeknight show eventually came to an end. However, ESPN was not completely without racing, as , its development championship, and the were still on ESPN's lineup.

The SpeedWorld blanket title was discontinued in 2006; the final event aired under the branding was an championship event in Pomona Raceway. Sister network ABC maintained a package of IndyCar events produced by ESPN (pay television rights are held by ). NASCAR events would return to ESPN and ABC from 2007 to 2014, holding rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series; these events were instead branded as NASCAR on ESPN. After the NHRA left ESPN for Fox after the 2015 season and the left after 2018, the only motorsports coverage on the ESPN networks are races on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 (which is simulcast with -owned British broadcaster ) and, for 2023, the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series, which saw the revival of the Thursday Night Thunder name. Formula One's new broadcast contract with Apple TV+ starting in 2026, along with the collapse of SRX before the start of its 2024 season, will mark the end of motorsports programming on ESPN.

On-air staff
This list does NOT include those who appeared on the air on ABC only, or were not a part of before 2007.

Commentators
  • (NHRA)
  • (IndyCar and occasional NASCAR broadcasts)
  • John Bisignano (Formula One)
  • Mike Chamberlin (off road racing - such as MTEG)
  • (IMSA, Thursday Night Thunder and occasional F1 broadcasts)
  • (, AMA Supercross, AMA Flat Track and USAC, including Saturday Night Thunder)
  • (occasional NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series broadcasts in its early years, )
  • Art Eckman (AMA Supercross)
  • (, Indianapolis 500 qualifying)
  • Bruce Flanders ()
  • Robbie Floyd (AMA Supercross)
  • (, , )
  • (NASCAR as a co-commentator / analyst - primarily in 1981)
  • ()
  • Elizabeth Hulette (offshore powerboat racing, select OPT races, select APBA races and select SBI races in 1994 and in 1995)
  • (NASCAR, select IMSA races, select ARCA races, select F1 races, , and IRL)
  • (early NASCAR broadcasts, including ESPN's first live NASCAR race at Atlanta in 1981, World of Outlaws)
  • Mike King ()
  • Brian Kreisky (Formula 1 - primarily in 1983)
  • Gary Lee (USAC - including Saturday Night Thunder, )
  • Larry Maiers (AMA Supercross)
  • Dave McClelland (NHRA)
  • Chris McClure ()
  • (NASCAR, USAC, IHRA, Formula One and IndyCar)
  • (, IRL, IMSA, and NHRA)
  • Dr. Jerry Punch (NASCAR)
  • (IRL, NASCAR, NHRA, off road racing (SCORE, CORR), Chili Bowl)
  • Mike Raymond (NASCAR in Australia in 1988 - simulcast of coverage)
  • (IMSA, Barber Saab Pro Series)
  • (Formula One)
  • Simon Taylor (Formula One - primarily in 1984)
  • (, IHRA & Sports Car events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans)
  • John Watson (Formula One - primarily in 1997)

Expert analysts (drivers and crew chiefs)

Pit reporters and RPM 2Night contributors

See also
  • NASCAR on ESPN

External links

: , , , , , , , , ,
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