Viewer's Guide: Atlanta

For the first time since the second week of the season, a full slate of racing is on tap for the weekend with the Craftsman Truck Series joining Busch and Nextel Cup for an Atlanta tripleheader.

SPEED is your home for all Friday action at the track, beginning with four consecutive hours of live on-air programming starting at noon ET with NASCAR Live. That's followed with final practice for the Truck Series' American Commercial Lines 200 at 12:30 p.m. Another episode of NASCAR Live airs at 1:30 p.m. followed by the final practice for the Busch Series' Nicorette 300 at 2 p.m. SPEED concludes its afternoon lineup with a 30-minute practice for the Cup Series' Kobalt Tools 500 at 3:30 p.m.

• NASCAR on SPEED

NASCAR on SPEED is back at 6 p.m. ET with Trackside, followed by Nextel Cup qualifying at 7 p.m. and Truck Series racing at 9 p.m. Coverage of the American Commercial Lines 200 begins at 8:30 p.m. with NCTS Setup, SPEED's half-hour pre-race show.

The Lovejoy (Ga.) High School Air Force JROTC will introduce the presentation of colors for all three series events, the first at 9:03 p.m. ET Friday, followed by the invocation by Tom Summers of the Carver Road Baptist Church in Griffin, Ga. Holly Summey will sing the national anthem. At 9:10 p.m., Jerry Linzey, COO of American Commerical Lines, will give the starting command. Green flag for the 130-lap race is scheduled for 9:23 p.m.

On Saturday, SPEED has Busch Series qualifying at 11:30 a.m. ET and Nextel Cup Happy Hour at 1 p.m. Tune in to ABC for the Nicorette 300, beginning at 2:30 p.m. with NASCAR Countdown. At 3 p.m., following the presentation of colors, the invocation will be delivered by Bill Branne, Atlanta Motor Speedway chaplain. The national anthem will be performed by New Life Inspirational Gospel Choir, leading into the fly-over of the F-18's from the VMFA-142 Flying Gators based at Cecil Field Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Nicorette 300 is dedicated to the memory of Benny Parsons. Members of the Parsons family, including brother Phil, will give the starting command at 3:07 p.m. ET. Green flag for the 195-lap race is set to wave at 3:16 p.m.

FOX comes on the air at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday for Nextel Cup coverage. At 2:03 p.m., CW5 Charles King, United States Army Special Operations Command, will perform God Bless America. At 2:09 p.m., following the presentation of colors, Brooks Everett of the Community Bible Church in Stockbridge, Ga., will deliver the invocation. The national anthem will be sung by Darryl Worley, with a USASOC helicopter fly-by. The starting command is at 2:17 p.m., with green flag for the 325-lap event set for 2:25 p.m.

FOX's ratings for last week's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 came in at 5.5, a slight increase from the previous year's 5.4. It marks the first increase in ratings through the first three races.

This week's featured drivers on DirecTV NASCAR HotPass are Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Air time is 2:19 p.m. ET.

WEEKEND PROGRAMMING

Show: NASCAR Live
Network: SPEED
Time: Noon ET Friday; 1:30 p.m. ET Friday (new)
Host: Steve Byrnes

Show: Trackside
Network: SPEED
Time: 6 p.m. ET Friday; Re-airs: 1 a.m. ET Saturday
Host: Steve Byrnes
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond, Elliott Sadler

Show: NASCAR Performance
Network: SPEED
Time: 8 a.m. ET Sunday
Host: Larry McReynolds
Analysts: Chad Knaus, Bootie Barker

Show: NASCAR Now
Network: ESPN2
Time: 10 a.m. ET Sunday (New shows air weekdays at 6:30 p.m. ET; Re-airs midnight ET)
Hosts: Erik Kuselias, Doug Banks
Analysts: Tim Brewer, Stacy Compton, Brad Daughtery
Reporters: Tim Cowlishaw, Mike Massaro, Marty Smith, Angelique Chengelis, Shannon Spake, D.J. Copp

Show: Tradin' Paint
Network: SPEED
Time: 11 a.m. ET Sunday
Host: John Roberts
Analyst: Michael Waltrip

Show: NASCAR RaceDay
Network: SPEED
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday
Host: John Roberts
Analysts: Jimmy Spencer, Kenny Wallace
Reporters: Wendy Venturini, Bob Dillner

Show: NASCAR Victory Lane
Network: SPEED
Time: 8 p.m. ET Sunday; Re-airs: 4 a.m. ET Monday; 9 a.m. ET Monday
Host: John Roberts
Analysts: Jimmy Spencer, Kenny Wallace
Reporter: Wendy Venturini

RACE COVERAGE

• CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Event: American Commercial Lines 200 final practice
Network: SPEED
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET Friday
Lead Announcer: Rick Allen
Analysts: Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Ray Dunlap, Adam Alexander

Event: NCTS Setup
Network: SPEED
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET Friday; Re-airs 2 a.m. ET Saturday
Host: Krista Voda

Event: American Commercial Lines 200
Network: SPEED
Time: 9 p.m. ET Friday; Re-airs 2:30 a.m. ET Saturday
Green Flag: 9:23 p.m. ET
Lead Announcer: Rick Allen
Analysts: Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Ray Dunlap, Adam Alexander

• BUSCH SERIES

Event: Nicorette 300 final practice
Network: SPEED
Time: 2 p.m. ET Friday
Hosts: Dave Despain, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: Nicorette 300 qualifying
Network: SPEED
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday
Hosts: Dave Despain, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: NASCAR Countdown
Network: ABC
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Hosts: Brent Musburger, Chris Fowler
Analysts: Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty
Reporter: Shannon Spake

Event: Nicorette 300
Network: ABC
Time: 3 p.m. ET Saturday
Green Flag: 3:16 p.m. ET Saturday
Lead Announcer: Jerry Punch
Analysts: Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

• NEXTEL CUP SERIES

Event: Kobalt Tools 500 practice
Network: SPEED
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Hosts: Dave Despain, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: Kobalt Tools 500 qualifying
Network: SPEED
Time: 7 p.m. ET Friday
Hosts: Dave Despain, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: Kobalt Tools 500 Happy Hour
Network: SPEED
Time: 1 p.m. ET Saturday
Hosts: Dave Despain, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: Hollywood Hotel
Network: FOX
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Hosts: Chris Myers, Jeff Hammond
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Event: Kobalt Tools 500
Network: FOX
Time: 2 p.m. ET Sunday
Green Flag: 2:25 p.m. ET Sunday
Hosts: Chris Myers, Jeff Hammond
Lead Announcer: Mike Joy
Analysts: Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda