After more than a year of planning and preparation, NASCAR Now, ESPN’s first-ever daily news show totally dedicated to NASCAR, will premiere Monday, Feb. 5, at 6:30pm/et on ESPN2.

NASCAR Now will be produced in High Definition and originate from a new state-of-the-art studio at ESPN’s campus in Bristol, Conn. Host Erik Kuselias will guide viewers through 30 minutes of fast-paced highlights, opinion, debate, analysis and the latest news from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track.

For the debut show, as well as episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 6-7, Kuselias will be joined in the studio by ESPN motorsports analysts Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion, and two-time Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer. Wallace and Brewer will select their top five drivers of 2007 in addition to discussing and debating topics including the Car of Tomorrow, Toyota’s emergence in the top levels of NASCAR and NASCAR’s announced changes to the format of the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. Defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will appear on Monday’s show, while NASCAR Now will check in with 2006 Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick on Tuesday. Viewers will hear from Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Waltrip later in the week.

“In the history of ESPN, news and information has been a key part of our growth, and it’s at the heart of everything we do,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, studio and remote production. “First there was SportsCenter, and then ESPNEWS, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio and other platforms that are part of our DNA. We’re really proud to have the opportunity to extend that on a daily basis to NASCAR Now.”

Kuselias, who has been the host of ESPN Radio’s SportsBash since 2003, said that he looks forward to the challenge of NASCAR Now. NASCAR Now will air at 6:30pm/et Monday through Friday on ESPN2, with special editions to air on NASCAR race weekends. Reporters Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake and NASCAR insiders Angelique Chengelis, Tim Cowlishaw and Marty Smith will also contribute to the show along with analysts Brad Daugherty, Boris Said and Stacy Compton. Compton and Cowlishaw will appear in the studio with Kuselias on Thursday and Friday of premiere week.

Live NASCAR racing returns to ESPN for the first time in six years with coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1:15pm/et on ESPN2.

[ESPN]

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