Springfield, IL (August 16, 2013)-Television coverage of stock car race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds returns after a long absence as the NBC Sports Network brings their cameras to the capitol city to record for later broadcast the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards 51st Allen Crowe 100. A large field of cars has entered the 51st Crowe 100 with each team and ARCA officials hoping to showcase this unique dirt track event for a worldwide television audience.

The Springfield Mile was the site of the first live telecast of a national championship race when ABC brought their cameras to the Illinois State Fair in August of 1968 as part of the legendary Wide World o Sports program. Previous Springfield championship races received some television exposure, usually in the form of highlights or a condensed broadcast as part of the Wide World of Sports show.

It is not readily known when the first telecast of a stock car race from the Springfield Mile took place. Many years saw the automobile races at the fairgrounds broadcast on radio, sometimes by multiple stations in the capitol city. It is known that the fledgling ESPN network broadcast the 1981 Allen Crowe 100 from the Illinois State Fair with Bob Jenkins anchoring the coverage. The last known TV broadcast of a stock car event was in the mid-nineties.

Fans can welcome NBC Sports to the Illinois State Fair on Sunday, August 18 during the running of the Allen Crowe 100 which is slated to begin at 1:30. The race is set for telecast on NBC Sports August 23 at 11 p.m. (ET).