Drag racing fans will be able to watch more finals action in prime time this season as the schedule for ESPN2’s coverage of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series includes finals telecasts from 21 of 24 events in the 8-11 p.m. ET viewing time.

ESPN2’s eighth consecutive season of exclusive NHRA coverage blasts off Feb. 9-10 with the 48th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals from Pomona, Calif. ESPN2 will have coverage of qualifying and finals rounds from all 24 events in the series, with expanded coverage from drag racing’s biggest event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. All coverage is produced in high definition.

The NHRA’s “Countdown to the Championship” begins with the newly-added event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte Sep. 13-14.

Veteran motorsports announcer Paul Page, who joined ESPN2’s drag racing coverage in 2006, returns to the anchor seat for the 2008 season. Page has been a familiar face and voice to race fans since 1974 and served as lead announcer for the Indianapolis 500 on either radio or TV for more than 25 years.  

Joining Page in the booth for expert analysis will be former drag racer Mike Dunn, a 22-time winner in NHRA competition and one of only three drivers to have scored more than 10 wins in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. Dunn has been ESPN’s drag racing analyst since 2002.

Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff return as pit reporters for the full season, with motorsports television veteran John Kernan joining them for selected events.

Rieff and Dunn continue as hosts of NHRA Race Day, a news and information program airing on Sunday morning of all 24 NHRA POWERade event weekends on ESPN2. NHRA Race Day sets up the day for fans at home with must-see matchups, interviews with stars of the sport, driver features, news and analysis, a review of qualifying and what to look for during the finals action. The show originates from NHRA’s Nitro Alley, allowing fans attending the race to watch and participate in the show.

NHRA coverage also airs on ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s domestic Spanish-language network, and is distributed internationally by ESPN International. Rieff also anchors coverage of the NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on ESPN2 in 2008.