Pairing has worked out

When NASCAR came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994, some purists of open-wheel racing were indignant that the rowdies from Talladega and Daytona would be driving on the hallowed ground of Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser and A.J. Foyt.

Their reaction was the same as European sports fans when Cale Yarborough entered his Chevy Camaro in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1981.

But NASCAR has fit in like a smooth turn onto the straightaway at Indy since Jeff Gordon first kissed the bricks 14 years ago. And Sunday, ESPN will pick up the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series when it televises the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at 11 a.m.

Former driver Dale Jarrett will be in the broadcast booth as an analyst for his first Sprint Cup race. “I’m the rookie there,” he said this week. “I’m going to keep it simple.”

As a two-time winner of the Brickyard, Jarrett brings a special perspective to stock car racing at Indianapolis.

“It’s not side-by-side and three-wide racing because you’re not going to get that on this track because of the way it is designed and the rules,” he said.

He added that there would be a lot of pressure on the pit crews, “especially on that last pit stop.”

Jarrett will be joined by Dr. Jerry Punch, who will call the race, and former crew chief Andy Petree.

The Brickyard will be the first of 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup events on ESPN and ABC, including all 10 Chase for the Cup races.

Recommended viewing this weekend:

Baseball, Washington Nationals at Dodgers (today, 7:30 p.m., Channel 9; Saturday, 7 p.m., Channel 9; Sunday 1 p.m., Prime). It used to be said that when the old Senators played in the nation’s capital that Washington was first in war, first in peace but last in the American League. The Nationals, who are firmly cemented in the cellar of the NL East, are holding up their end of history. Following Washington’s visit come the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series starting Monday night on Prime.

Baseball, Angels at Baltimore Orioles (today and Saturday, 4 p.m., Channel 13; Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Channel 13). Things could be sticky for the Angels, humidity-wise, when they visit the muggy East Coast for three games at Orioles Park at Camden Yards, then move on to Fenway Park in Boston for three more beginning Monday at 4 p.m. on ESPN and FSN West.

Arena Football (Sunday, noon, Channel 7). It’s the ArenaBowl, Roman Numeral XXII, between the Philadelphia Soul and the San Jose SaberCats, from New Orleans. Bob Wischusen and Ray Bentley will be in the broadcast booth at the New Orleans Arena, with Marcellus Wiley and Stan Verrett reporting from the sidelines. The SaberCats are defending AFL champions.

Motorsports (Sunday, noon, Channel 4). It will be a dusty and dirty ride when two-wheel and four-wheel drive trucks take to a Championship Off Road Racing series race on an arena course at the Quarry in Chula Vista.

Soccer, Galaxy at FC Dallas (Sunday, 4 p.m., FSNW). The Galaxy leads MLS in goals scored but did not beat a team with a winning record in the first half. FC Dallas is 4-6-7.

Baseball, Hall of Fame induction ceremony (Sunday, 10:30 a.m., ESPN Classic). Brian Kenny and Tim Kurkjian report from Cooperstown, N.Y., where Rich “Goose” Gossage, Bowie Kuhn, Walter O’Malley, Dick Williams, Barney Dreyfuss and Billy Southworth will be enshrined.

Pro football (NFL training camp tour, Saturday, 8 a.m., Sirius). New York’s Jets and Giants are the first two teams up on Sirius Satellite Radio’s tour of all 32 NFL team summer camps. Sunday’s visit is with the New England Patriots, starting at 9 a.m.

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john.scheibe@latimes.com