USA Sports Rolls Into 2026 NASCAR Season With First Pace-Car Analyst on Selected Races

The broadcaster's 14-race schedule begins in Iowa and ends in November with a champion in Miami

The NASCAR schedule is getting down to the nitty gritty, with only 14 races remaining until the postseason. Taking fans to the season's finish line, USA Sports, the newly minted sports division of Versant Media, will debut the first pace-car analyst on selected races and give viewers a new flavor of coverage with the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA, on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Televising the race is always going to be the most important thing that we do, says Jeff Behnke, SVP, production/executive producer, USA Sports. NASCAR is one of the tentpole properties at USA Sports, so we're absolutely pumped to be able to crown a champion this year in Homestead Miami.

Ahead of the Pack: A New Perspective

Live broadcasts of motorsports emphasize providing the vantage point that an average viewer will never get to experience: inside the cockpit of a race car. From a bevy of in-car camera systems both inside and outside of the vehicle to POV-style applications like Driver's Eye on IndyCar and, more notably, on Formula 1, broadcasters have gone full bore on this effort.

For USA Sports, Behnke and Lead Producer Rene Hatlelid wanted to combine this in-car perspective with a reporter who has significant NASCAR experience. Through conversations with and, ultimately, the approval of NASCAR SVP, Competition, Elton Sawyer, the team is placing pit reporter Trevor Bayne inside the pace car at the beginning of the race and during restarts. Lead Director Sean Owens will decide when to go to Bayne. RF camera provider NEP Specialty Capture (formerly BSI) is helping fill the pace car with in-car cameras.

It's definitely a work in progress, says Hatlelid, but everybody has put in a lot of hard work into this. NASCAR has been extremely open-minded to taking this idea in.

Since this is the first deployment of this kind, there will be an experimentation phase during the first race to see what works. For example, Bayne could provide intel on what's about to happen near the resumption of the race after a restart in its final moments, but the team will be looking for other spots where such hits land best with the viewing audience. In addition, the workflow also needs to work well with race analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, who will work alongside play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey in the booth.

Rene and I have had a lot of conversations about how this will be pieced together, notes Behnke, but we'll continue to work closely with Jeff and Steve to incorporate their feedback. It's going to take some extra work on Trevor's part, but the key is taking the fans somewhere they've truly never been before.

Tech on the Track: 10 In-Car Cameras, Drones

Elsewhere on the track, USA Sports will augment the coverage with the standard fare that racing fans have come to expect. These include a total of 10 in-car camera systems and an aerial drone flying above the course.

Other production elements for live race coverage will be in-race interviews with drivers via IFB communication during the warm-up lap or prior to restarts, pre- and post-race interviews, and opportunities for storytelling and spotlighting of key members on the grid during the Pit Crew All-Stars segment. On the studio side, the Pit Box pre-race feature will place talent along pit road prior to each race. Starring host Marty Snider and analysts Dale Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, the program will showcase the buzz of race day and include appearances by drivers all season long.

It's helpful that [the Pit Box] is accessible, fans can see it, says Hatlelid, adding, It's easy for the drivers to get there since it's right in the middle of everything.

Along with studio duties, Snider will join Kim Coon, Dave Burns, and Bayne as pit reporter this season. Overall, on the production front, USA Sports focuses on keeping the racing at the center of its shows. That's what the fans want to see, and, from camera angles that display the high speeds of the cars to the drivers' difficult decisions, those who choose to tune in will be entertained.

The fans clamor for amazing coverage and great storytelling, says Behnke. Between our announce crew being able to break down what fans are seeing and hearing and the amazing job that Sean and Rene do of double-boxing to show the battles on the track, it all adds up to the electricity and emotion of a race, which we want to convey to those watching at home.

Back to the Chase: Postseason Preparation, Experience

USA Sports is entering the season at a unique point in the racing calendar. NASCAR having decided to return to the Chase championship format this season, the broadcaster will make the smallest of tweaks to its coverage during the final 10 races of the schedule. The race at Daytona on Aug. 29 and the last three of the 10 - Talladega Oct. 25, Martinsville Nov. 1, and Miami Nov. 8 - will air on NBC.

We had to change our graphics as to how we're scoring the points and displaying them in the pylon, says Hatlelid. Other than that, it's fairly straightforward and has been a smooth transition.

Whether it's the nine races on USA Network after this weekend (Richmond Aug. 15, New Hampshire Aug. 23, Darlington Sept. 6, World Wide Technology Raceway Sept. 13, Bristol Sept. 19, Kansas Sept. 27, Las Vegas Oct. 4, Charlotte Oct. 11, Phoenix Oct. 18),the four on NBC, or the chance to close out the entire season, the production and operations team will rely on years of experience to get them through to the checkered flag.

We're littered with veterans and people that are enormously passionate about NASCAR, says Behnke. We're proud to be a part of it.

SVG's Jason Dachman contributed to this article.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/08/06/usa-sports-rolls-into-2026-nasc...
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