TNT 'Wide Open Coverage' returns with Daytona race

TNT, home of six consecutive weeks of Sprint Cup Series racing, announced its full lineup of sponsors for this year's highly-touted Wide Open Coverage race telecast, which will air once again during Saturday's primetime Coke Zero 400 race from Daytona International Speedway. The 10 national sponsors -- which matches last year's sponsorship commitment -- featured in this year's innovative telecast include Coke Zero, Coors Light, HP, Papa John's, Sprint, Subway, Toyota, US Army, Viagra and Warner Bros.

TNT Summer Series

Date	Race	Time
June 8	Pocono	12:30 p.m. ET
June 15	Michigan	12:30 p.m. ET
June 22	Infineon	3:30 p.m. ET
June 29	N. Hampshire	12:30 p.m. ET
July 5	Daytona	6:30 p.m. ET
July 12	Chicagoland	6:30 p.m. ET

• TNT Summer Series

TNT's exclusive Wide Open Coverage telecast is a groundbreaking television presentation format that provides continuous race coverage free of national commercial breaks and features 22 percent more unobstructed race action than that of a standard telecast by using a letterbox widescreen format. In place of the national ads, the telecast features a variety of animated sponsor messages, unique branded content and distinct on-screen graphic elements. Wide Open Coverage debuted on TNT during the 2007 Daytona 400 race and showcased extended non-stop green flag racing, missing only three laps of green flag racing.

"Wide Open Coverage is a truly unique television concept that provides sponsors with the opportunity to reach the audience in a new and different way while giving fans more racing action," said Trish Frohman, executive vice president of Turner Sports sales. "We're thrilled to bring back this exciting race presentation and continue to offer our advertising partners innovative concepts that showcase their brand and tell their story with dynamic flair."

The network's race coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with the NASCAR Live pre-race show hosted by Marc Fein and analysts Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds. That's followed by the Allstate Countdown to Green at 7:30 p.m. ET with Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach, Petty and reports from pit reporters Marty Snider, Matt Yocum, Ralph Sheheen and Lindsay Czarniak. The race begins at 8 p.m. ET with a brief Wide Open Coverage introduction by Sprint Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle.

The final race of the 2008 NASCAR on TNT Summer Series, which will also be televised in primetime, will be on Sat., July 12 from Chicagoland Speedway.