News

10 February 2022 | General

Broadcast team and TV times confirmed for Stan Sport’s SpeedSeries coverage

The broadcast team that will bring Stan Sport’s SpeedSeries to life has been confirmed, with a host of famous faces and names to be seen in 2022.

The commentary team that will bring some of the best Australian motorsport categories into your living rooms will be led by experienced host Matt White, a popular figure in the sports broadcasting community.

With more than three decades experience in Sport broadcasting, White has hosted and commentated the biggest motorsport events in the world, including the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, MotoGP, IndyCar and Supercars.

He was an integral part of Network 10 and Seven’s motorsports broadcasts as both host and commentator, including the award-winning Supercars coverage.

White has also hosted and commentated Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Paralympics, The Australian Tennis Open, Melbourne Cup Carnival, and a range of Sport, News and Public Affairs programs.

White will be joined by one of Australia’s leading and most accomplished motorsport identities Molly Taylor along with Chris Stubbs, Greg Rust, Richard Craill, Matt Naulty and TCR Australia driver Michael Caruso will also feature at the season opener at Race Tasmania.

Stubbs will act as co-host and lead reporter, offering his years of motorsport experience, delivered in his professional news tone, while Rust is set to share his time between the commentary box and pit lane.

Due to border restrictions, New Zealand resident Rust will be forced to miss the Race Tasmania opener at Symmons Plains Raceway, but plans to be back behind the microphone from Phillip Island onwards.

Race driver Michael Caruso will return to duties behind the microphone, adding his witty colour in front of the camera to his super skilled talents behind the wheel in the TCR Australia Series.

And fresh from winning the inaugural Extreme E Championship abroad and being the first-ever Australian woman to drive Dakar, Molly Taylor returns for her second year with the ARG commentary crew.

Executive Producer Andrew Janson will lead the broadcast, with significant support of the Supercars Media team who will oversee the facilitation and technical side of the production.

The SpeedSeries will be available to stream ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport, with live coverage also on the 9Network.

Stan Sport will cover the action from 1300-1700 on both Saturday and Sunday (February 12-13), delivering all qualifying sessions and races from the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, S5000 Australian Drivers Championship and the Turtle Wax Trans Am Series.

For AWC Race Tasmania, the first major national-level motorsport event for the calendar year, coverage will be simulcast on the 9Network’s GEM channel. Saturday will feature live and free motorsport at 1500-1700, with more racing on Sunday between 1300-1500.

International race fans, including New Zealand residents, will be able to watch the coverage on Motorsport.tv.

AWC Race Tasmania, the opening round of the 2022 ARG SpeedSeries, will be held on February 11-13. CLICK HERE to secure your tickets.

QUOTES

 Matt Braid

CEO, Australian Racing Group

 “The Australian Racing Group, in conjunction with our new media and broadcast partner Stan Sport, are thrilled to announce our commentary team for the 2022 SpeedSeries,” said Braid.

“This is arguably the best team of broadcast talent in the country. Professional, knowledgeable and dedicated to delivering you, the fans, with the most entertaining and informative motorsport coverage possible.

“It is fantastic to have a broadcaster of the calibre of Matt White join our team. A thorough professional and gentleman, Matt is one of the best in the business and will be a great leader for our team.

“Welcoming Molly Taylor back for her second year with us is also very exciting. She proved that she is just as talented with a microphone as she is driving her race cars, and she is a great asset alongside our team of expert commentators.

“The Stan Sport deal represents an exciting, ground-breaking time for Australian motorsport, and we hope you enjoy the ride as much as we are going to.”

Matt White

“I’m really excited to be part of a new broadcasting era in Australian motorsport and part of such a talented on-air team,” said White.

“The Speed Series is different, it’s broad, it’s fun – and we can’t wait to take it to a whole new level with Stan Sport and Nine. I can’t wait to get back into it.”

Greg Rust

“I’m gutted to be missing the opening event in Tassie. Last year I stuck around and went on the road with Owen (Kelly) & Marcos (Ambrose) and loved it,” said Rust.

“Things are starting to open up again here in New Zealand now so I can’t want to get back to Australia and doing some stuff in pit lane too … which I have a massive soft spot for.

“Importantly I was there at the beginning for the first ever round of TCR Australia so I want to continue what we started and to work beside some of the best young callers in the game like (Matt) Naulty & (Richard) Craill.”

Chris Stubbs

“It’s a privilege to be back covering the great variety of categories that make up the SpeedSeries and to watch the continued evolution of this world class motorsport,” said Stubbs.

“It’s an outstanding team to be part of and we can’t wait to share the stories, adrenaline and drama of the season ahead. Tassie can’t come soon enough.

“These categories offer something for every motorsport fan and the drivers are a great mix of household names and the next generation of stars.

“In TCR alone how good is the prospect of established stars like Will Brown, Fabian Coulthard, Michael Caruso and James Moffat going door to door with guys like Aaron Cameron, Jordan Cox and Josh Buchan at some of the best tracks in the country. The young guns will be keeping the ‘big names’ honest for sure.

“And of course we get to go racing at Bathurst – twice – with the Bathurst International the perfect way to cap the season.”

Molly Taylor

“I’m really happy to return for another year of broadcasting. My first year with the team was great fun and I can’t wait to get into the 2022 SpeedSeries,” said Taylor.

“Helping to bring the TV broadcast to life is certainly a different world. I’m more familiar being asked the questions, so to be holding the microphone is still a bit foreign, but also quite a buzz.

“I look forward to working with the ARG broadcast team, all of the different racing categories, and the teams and drivers are a pleasure to work with.

“To join Stan Sport, and be at the forefront of something new in sports media, is an exciting opportunity. I’m proud to be involved with such a great group of professionals and look forward to creating something special.”

Michael Caruso

“It’s great to have the chance to compliment my racing with another passion of mine, television presenting, in the ARG SpeedSeries broadcasts this year,” said Caruso.

“I’ve been given the chance to offer some colour to the Stan Sport coverage, and I can’t wait to get into it. I’ve always found the TV stuff to be really fun, and I love to challenge myself with something like broadcasting. It’s in no way as simple as it looks!

“Of course, my focus will also be in the TCR Australia Series in my Alfa Romeo. That’s my primary role, but I know I’m going to have a lot of fun doing it. You can already see that having Stan Sport and the Nine Network involved as really energised I the group of categories. It’s an exciting time ahead.

Richard Craill

“The SpeedSeries really has something for every racing fan,” Craill said.

“I’m an open wheel fan so S5000 is like heaven for me, but then I love long-distance races so the Bathurst 6 Hour is incredible. But there’s also GT racing, Touring Cars, Muscle Cars, old-school stuff and more. In an ideal world you’d be in the commentary box for all of it, but I try to let Rusty and Naults have their turn.

“I’m a motorsport fan and for someone like me there aren’t many better offerings than this package. The fact it can be seen ad-break free, live and on-demand on Stan Sport this year makes it even better.”

Matt Naulty

“Its great to be back with the ARG SpeedSeries Series team for 2022. Last year was a great season even with the interruptions and I’m hopeful it will be a smoother year and the racing will once again rise to another level,” said Naulty.

“2021 got off to a flyer but then we all know what happened but the end of the season finale at Bathurst was really the form guide, the entrée if you like for this season. I’m as ever excited to see the new names join the series and expect the one that joined in 2021 to be further up the grid taking it to the bigger, more experienced names.

“The SpeedSeries boasts a very high level of racing categories and it caters for all fans from TCR and Trans Am to S5000, which is something to see in person for the speed, the noise and the shock and awe it presents trackside plus later in the year with the Touring Car Masters and the rest, its a great weekend with action packed value.

“The team assembled to present the series is great and to have the action on Stan all season long is a game changer for the sport but of course nothing beats being live at the track to soak it all in but either way, you won’t miss a lap of the season.”