NASCAR coverage merges into a busy sports weekend on television
This weekend, sports television viewers will be entertained with programming featuring breakneck speed, daring maneuvers, slippery slides, spinouts and crashes into immovable objects.
Sounds like the Winter Olympics, but actually, it’s auto racing.
For the second week in a row, Southern California is the site of a big race. Last Sunday, it was the elimination finals of drag racing’s NHRA Winternationals at Pomona. This Sunday, it’s the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, which will be televised at noon by Fox on Channel 11.
Matt Kenseth is the defending champion. Qualifying is scheduled to begin Friday at 3:30 p.m. on Speed.
As a warmup to the Auto Club 500, ESPN2 will be trackside Saturday for the Nationwide Series Stater Bros. 300, which will be the second NASCAR race for driver Danica Patrick. She is racing in open-wheel and stock-car events this season, and her NASCAR debut came last weekend in a Nationwide race at Daytona International Speedway.
Qualifying for the Stater Bros. 300 gets underway at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on Speed.
Other events worth watching this weekend:
Friday
The Winter Olympics schedule includes figure skating and ski jumping on Channel 4 beginning at 8 p.m.
ESPN presents an NBA doubleheader that tips off at 5 p.m. with Dallas at Orlando, followed by Boston at Portland at 7:30.
Saturday
The semifinals of golf’s World Match Play Championship from Marana, Ariz., start at 11 a.m. on Channel 2. The final round is to tee off at the same time Sunday.
In college basketball, UCLA plays at Washington at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
And in the pros, Sacramento visits the Clippers at 7:30 on Prime Ticket.
Sunday
ABC offers one of the better NBA matchups of the season when Denver hosts Boston at 12:30 p.m. on Channel 7. Later, ESPN will televise a doubleheader with Atlanta visiting Golden State at 5 p.m. and Utah at Portland at 7:30.
In women’s college basketball, ESPN2 offers a Big Ten game between Michigan State and Ohio State at noon, followed by a Southeastern Conference clash between Georgia and Florida at 2 p.m.
And ESPN sets up the pins for the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles professional bowling tournament at 10 a.m.
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