ESPN SpeedWorld


ESPN SpeedWorld is the name of a former television series broadcast on ESPN from 1979–2006. The program that was based primarily based around NASCAR, CART, IMSA, Formula One, NHRA, and IHRA. The theme music is a based on the piano interlude from "18th Avenue " by Cat Stevens.

History

''ESPN Auto Racing'' (1979–1986)

When ESPN debuted in 1979, one of the first sporting events that they covered was auto racing. Initially the name of the show routinely changed to fit with the corresponding year at the time. Thus, when the program debuted, it was called Auto Racing '79, and then Auto Racing '80, Auto Racing '81 and so forth. This practice was dropped after 1986, when the name of the program was changed to SpeedWorld. The original commentators were primarily Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber, who covered many diverse types of competition. Ultimately, by 1987, SpeedWorld's coverage encompassed not only Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR Winston Cup, and IMSA Sportscar Racing, but also racing less familiar to the average person, such as NHRA drag racing, USAC sprints and midgets, rallying, motorcycle racing, monster trucks and more. So many types of racing that were vastly different meant that specialization in broadcasting teams was necessary, so while Jenkins and Nuber continued with Winston Cup coverage, newer faces such as Paul Page and Bob Varsha began to take their places for broadcasts of other racing.

Impact of NASCAR

ESPN began showing NASCAR races in 1981 with the first event being at North Carolina Motor Speedway, which brought NASCAR to huge popularity. The last of its 265 Cup telecasts was the 2000 Atlanta fall race. ESPN and ESPN2 continued to air Craftsman Truck Series races in 2001 and 2002.

''SpeedWorld'''s final years

After losing the rights to NASCAR Winston Cup broadcasts for the 2001 season, ESPN slowly began losing the remainder of their racing to other networks. For their 2002 season, CART signed a TV contract with Speed Channel and CBS, ending ESPN's partnership with CART that had begun 20 years before. NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series left ESPN, also for Speed Channel, in 2003. For 2004 the International Race of Champions likewise moved to the Speed Channel. Since ESPN's reporters were no longer allowed to report from within the racetrack for RPM 2Night segments, the weeknight show eventually came to an end. However, ESPN was not completely without racing, as Indy Racing League, its Indy Pro Series development championship, and the NHRA were still on ESPN's lineup.
The SpeedWorld blanket title was discontinued in 2006; the final event aired under the branding was an NHRA championship event in Pomona Raceway. Sister network ABC maintained a package of IndyCar events produced by ESPN. NASCAR events would return to ESPN and ABC from 2007 to 2014, holding rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series; these events were instead branded as NASCAR on ESPN. After the NHRA left ESPN for Fox after the 2015 season and the IndyCar Series left after 2018, the only motorsports coverage on the ESPN networks is Formula One races on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.

On-air staff

This list does NOT include those who appeared on the air on ABC only, or were not a part of ESPN before 2007.

Commentators">Play by play">Commentators

Larry Nuber calling the 1985 Southern 500, when Bill Elliott won the Winston Million in its first year of existence
Bob Jenkins calling the 1989 Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Carolina, when the two protagonists unbelievably made contact on the final lap
Bob Jenkins calling the 1992 Hooters 500, when owner/driver Alan Kulwicki beat multi-championship car owner Junior Johnson's Bill Elliott by only 10 points; a new record
Bob Jenkins calling the 1995 Goody's 500, when Earnhardt bumped leader Terry Labonte exiting Turn 4, and Labonte crashed just after sliding across the finish line
Bob Varsha calling the 1997 Budweiser Grand Prix of Portland, when Mark Blundell won the drag race with leader Gil de Ferran off the final turn by.027 of a second, with Raul Boesel joining the photo finish just.055 of a second behind
Marty Reid calling the 1998 Craftsman Truck Series finale at Las Vegas, where Jack Sprague won the race but fell short on the championship to Ron Hornaday.
Bob Jenkins calling the 1999 Goody's 500, when Dale Earnhardt bumped Terry Labonte in Turn 2 of the final lap
Marty Reid, which later he would say "keep your fingers crossed" after the accident, calling the big wreck on lap 57 at the Daytona truck race in 2000, when Geoff Bodine had an horrific crash which sent him towards the fence.
Dr. Jerry Punch calling the 2000 Winston 500, which was Earnhardt's final Winston Cup win
Paul Page calling Gil de Ferran's qualifying laps at the California Speedway when the Brazilian set the all-time closed-course speed record in competition.
Bob Jenkins calling the 2000 NAPA 500; ESPN Speedworld's final Winston Cup broadcast
Paul Page calling the 2001 Rockingham 500, when Gil de Ferran passed CART title rival Kenny Brack on the outside of the final turn on the final lap