Cup banquet moves to Speed so it can air live
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
Speed Channel will now broadcast the Sprint Cup Series' annual awards banquet after NASCAR officials asked for it to be moved off an ESPN network, series officials confirmed on Tuesday.
ESPN was not going to be able to air the event, scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 4 at the Wynn Las Vegas, live.
"Either partner would have done a great job with the Awards Ceremony but Speed could schedule it as a live broadcast and ultimately that was most important to our fans and so we asked for the switch," said NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston.
Speed will televise the broadcast live from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Eastern. It will re-air at 1 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 5 and at 1 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 6.
"There continues to be a great deal of buzz about how things are going to be different,” said Speed President Hunter Nickell. “So, when the opportunity came for Speed to be the television home for the event, it was an easy ‘yes’ from us."
In addition to the formal banquet on Dec. 4, the week of activities to honor the championship team of NASCAR's biggest series will also include:
A "Chasers for Charity" Fanfest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Dec. 2, featuring a charity roast of the 2009 series champion.
The NMPA Myers Brothers Awards on Dec. 3 in the Venetian Showroom at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
The Top 12 Victory Parade on Dec. 3 in which all 12 Chase participants will drive a lap in their show cars on "The Strip." This year, the awards ceremony will include fan participation as approximately 300 tickets will be made available to fans. They are being distributed by tracks, NASCAR partners, drivers and teams.
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