ABC will continue to broadcast the Indianapolis 500 and four other races through 2012, but Versus will air at least 13 races each season, beginning in 2009. IndyCar officials are hoping the new partnership will breath life into the television production and give the open-wheel series more exposure.
Several Versus executives took in the points finale last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, spending considerable time in meetings.
"There's nothing in place right now, but I think over this relationship, because it's so long, we definitely want to be innovative and hear from the fans, the viewers and the teams (on) what can be done to make the viewing experience better," said Marc Fein, executive vice president programming, production and business operations.
"One of the reasons we're here this weekend is to take it all in and to see if any ideas come to mind, either on our own or from talking to a lot of folks," he added. "We're going to look at everything."
Versus is owned by Comcast Corp. and reaches about 74 million homes through cable and satellite.
Fein said the network has not yet made any decisions on a broadcast team.
"As we get properties, we like to put our own brand and stamp on them," he explained. "For (NHL) hockey, it was a combination of people who have done it in the past, nationally, versus some other folks who we brought on to give them their chance. We want to be smart. We want to be credible, obviously, and have the right people out there, and we also want to infuse some life into it."
Fein said what is known is that the race broadcasts will be three hours, instead of the current two-hour windows.
"That will give us more time to cover personalities, the behind-the-scenes," he noted. "We're also going to have a one-hour qualifying preview show the day before each race, which is also going to help us build excitement for the weekend."
Besides the NHL, Versus also broadcasts college football, Davis Cup, Tour de France, mixed martial arts and bull riding.
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CHANGING UP: Corvette Racing will try for a sixth victory in the GT1 class in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans before moving the GT2 category in the second half of the American Le Mans Series season. The American team will then race in the restructured GT division in 2010.
Corvette will run a limited slate in the GT1 class, including the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Grand Prix of Long Beach, in the first half of next year's ALMS schedule as it prepares for its 10th Le Mans. Following its return from France, Corvette will compete in GT2 in selected ALMS events for the rest of the season.
"The international regulations are converging around a single, global GT class, and we intend to continue Corvette's motorsports heritage by racing against manufacturers and marques that Corvette competes with in the marketplace," GM Racing spokesman Steve Wesoloski said.
Corvette Racing is America's premier production sports car team, with 72 wins in 100 races. The most successful team in ALMS history, it has won seven consecutive GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers titles in its class. Corvette also has five GT1 victories since 2001 at Le Mans.
Manufacturers currently represented in the ALMS GT2 class or confirmed for future participation include Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Dodge and Panoz. Several other manufacturers produce high-performance cars that could compete in the new GT category.
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NASCAR BRANCHES OUT: NASCAR Holdings has agreed to acquire the Grand-American Road Racing Association.
The move will allow for resource sharing between Grand-Am and NASCAR while both organizations continue to operate independently. NASCAR Holdings is the legal operating company that includes the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and many of its subsidiaries.
The two organizations will combine marketing and communications efforts to include brand management, research, marketing and public relations.
Grand-Am, which was established in 1999, oversees six racing series, including the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series.
"This combination of resources will benefit Grand-Am and NASCAR, their competitors and fans, as the two companies work together to enhance the two sports," said Jim France, NASCAR Vice Chairman, Grand-Am founder and the son of NASCAR founder William H.G. France.
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