The 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 will mark the first time ever that NBC has carried the broadcast for the legendary American race and it has assembled a 14-strong team of commentators for the occasion to ensure that we never miss a second of the action.
Among them will be former NASCAR Cup Series racer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been apart of NBCSN’s NASCAR coverage as an analyst since he retired from full-time NASCAR competition back in 2017. Dale also contributed to the network’s coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, along with Super Bowl LII and the Stanley Cup Finals.
“Dale Jr. is one of the most popular personalities in racing history, so adding Dale to our inaugural broadcast the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on NBC was a no-brainer,” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said.
Surprisingly, this will actually be the first time Earnhardt Jr. has attended the Indy 500, so the NASCAR race winner is understandably excited at the prospect.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “This is an event I have wanted to attend for as long as I can remember. To get this first Indy 500 experience in this capacity – as part of the broadcast team with NBC Sports – is a dream. That said, I fully understand the responsibility we have of bringing this race to television viewers across the country. There’s no better broadcast team to do it. I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
Chevrolet won the 102nd Indy 500 last year with Team Penske and Will Power – the Australian’s first victory at the Brickyard. The brand will be looking to defend the result this year and may have an ace up its sleeve with two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso, who has entered the race with McLaren for the second time. Alonso’s first attempt at the Indy 500 saw him run up front for the majority of the day and even lead the race before his Honda engine let go and forced him to retire.
You catch Dale Jr. on NBC when coverage of the 103rd running of the Indy 500 kicks off on Sunday, May 26th, 2019.
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