SPEED™ kicks off 2013 Sprint Cup Series season with 21 hours of live testing from Daytona

In just three short weeks, SPEED and SPEED.com will be live from the high banks of Daytona International Speedway when Preseason Thunder kicks off the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season.

SPEED and SPEED.com offer live coverage of the Jan. 10-12 test session in its entirety with SPEED live from all afternoon sessions and SPEED.com streaming all morning sessions.

Darrell Waltrip, a NASCAR on FOX and SPEED analyst who will cover Daytona testing for SPEED, says he will be watching for parity among the manufacturers with the new Cup Series race car. Waltrip points out that the new car, given its current uncertainties, potentially could tip the scale in favor of one manufacturer over another, at least temporarily.

“With the new rules, there are no guarantees these cars will be equal,” Waltrip said.  “They’ve been tested in the wind tunnel and they’ve been aerodynamically matched up the best they can, but there is no guarantee these cars will all be equal.  When you look at the variances in the bodies this year compared to the past, one manufacturer could wind up with a huge advantage at Daytona, and that’s something NASCAR will be keeping an eye on at the test.”

John Roberts, Jeff Hammond and Matt Clark host SPEED’s on-air coverage from the studio above pit road at the start/finish line at Daytona.  Steve Byrnes calls the on-track action during the morning sessions (9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET) on SPEED.com alongside analysts Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace, while Hermie Sadler and Wendy Venturini handle reporting duties.  Rick Allen assumes the play-by-play chair for the afternoon sessions (1-3 p.m. ET and 3-5 p.m. ET) while the NASCAR on FOX and SPEED crew of Waltrip and Larry McReynolds take over the TV booth duties.  Bob Dillner and Matt Yocum report from pit road and the garage.

SPEED invites fans to submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the  #daytonatesting hashtag during the test sessions to be answered on-air and on Twitter.  In addition, special driver chat sessions will be held after testing is complete on Thursday night on Daytona’s Twitter and Facebook pages (www.twitter.com/disupdates and www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).

Special editions of NASCAR Race Hub will air Jan. 10-11 at 6 p.m. ET from Daytona to recap all the on- and off-track action.  Furthermore, NASCAR Race Hub offers new episodes from the SPEED Studios Jan. 21-24 at 6 p.m. ET during the week of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour. The program’s 2013 season premiere is slated for Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. ET (Monday-Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET).

Additionally, SPEED Center, hosted by Adam Alexander, continues to keep fans updated on all things across the motor sports world, beginning with its 2013 premiere on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. ET.

SPEED schedule for Daytona testing (all times Eastern and live):

Thursday, Jan. 10
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.  (SPEED)
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (SPEED encore of 3-5 p.m. session)

Friday, Jan. 11
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED)
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (SPEED encore of 3-5 p.m. session)

Saturday, Jan. 12
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED)
6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (SPEED encore of 3-5 p.m. session)

About SPEED™
SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 86 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority and follow us on Twitter: @SPEED.

About FOX Sports Media Group
FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets.  Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships.  FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Interactive Media, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Whatifsports.com Scout.com and Yardbarker.com.  Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.