SPEED™ SET to OFFER 22 HOURS of BARRETT-JACKSON COLLECTOR CAR EVENT COVERAGE from WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
‘NO RESERVE’ AUCTION COVERAGE STARTS THURSDAY, APRIL 9 at NOON
HAGERTY FANTASY BID RETURNS, ALONG WITH EXPANDED INTERACTIVITY on SPEEDTV.COM
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 31, 2009 – SPEED, the definitive network for motorsports and the automotive lifestyle, will once again provide extensive coverage from this year’s Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and ‘no reserve’ auction from the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Starting Thursday, April 9, the network will begin its 22 hours of both live and same-day delayed, high-definition coverage at Noon, E.T. On Saturday, April 11, eight hours of live coverage starts at 11 am, ET.
Familiar faces will be calling the event, as Bob Varsha, the ‘Voice of Formula One on SPEED,’ is set to provide play-by-play with long-time Motor Trend Executive Editor Matt Stone offering color commentary. On the auction block, Mike Joy, long-time collector and the ‘Voice of NASCAR on FOX,’ joins former Hot Rod Magazine technical editor Steve Magnante. Perusing the auction tents and flavoring the event will be SPEED and Barrett-Jackson regular Rick DeBruhl.
“Coming off such great results in Scottsdale (Ariz.) both for SPEED and Barrett-Jackson, we can only anticipate three solid days and many quality cars,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP of Studio Production & Operations. “In this marketplace, who doesn’t want an asset you can put your hands on and doesn’t disappear?”
As always, the Barrett-Jackson ‘no reserve’ auction line up is an extensive one, including Lot #655 and Lot #655.1, two of Ford’s 2004 Mustang Concepts that debuted during Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January of 2003. Jimmie Johnson’s Pocono and Las Vegas-winning No. 48 entry will also be auctioned off to benefit Levine’s Children Hospital of Charlotte, N.C. through the Hendrick Foundation for Children.
“Barrett-Jackson and SPEED revolutionized the way people can be part of the car collecting hobby,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “SPEED’s live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson auction creates unmatched excitement for our TV audience, as well as a genuine snapshot of the true value of collector cars in the marketplace today.”
SPEEDtv.com will once again offer a full slate of interactive elements featuring trivia games, viewer chats, exclusive camera angles and its increasingly popular Hagerty Fantasy Bid game. Viewers will have the opportunity – during that Saturday’s live broadcast (April 11) – to compete against each other in guessing the final ‘hammer’ prices prior to the cars finish crossing the auction block.
The grand prize for the Hagerty Fantasy Bid game will be 65-inch wide screen 1080p LCD high-definition television along with a DVD home entertainment system for the player earning the most points throughout the entire bidding period. Additional prizes will also be awarded, as the first runner up will receive a Blu-ray disc player and the second runner up takes home a portable GPS navigation system. Eight players will receive per car prizes, a 32-gigabyte iPod Touch.
Also during the live broadcasts, SPEEDtv.com will be streaming three additional camera angles from the event, providing the audience a true ‘two-screen’ experience as the broadcast unfolds. Also during the event, viewers can test their collector car knowledge through the online trivia contest and live viewer chat sessions with the SPEED Barrett-Jackson broadcast team.
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Coverage
2009 – West Palm Beach, Fla.
(All Times Eastern)
Thursday, April 9
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Noon – 3 p.m. (Live)
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 8 p.m. – Midnight (SDD)*
Friday, April 10
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Noon – 3 p.m. (Live)
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 8 p.m. – Midnight (SDD)*
Saturday, April 11
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Live)
Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Live)
*Same Day Delayed Broadcast
SPEED is the nation’s first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.