NASCAR and Nickelodeon Wave Green Flag for Third Season of "Hammer Down"

September Premiere Date Announced for Show's Return to Nicktoons

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 24, 2016) - NASCAR and Nickelodeon are joining forces again to take viewers inside the world of NASCAR racing with the return NASCAR Hammer Down. Premiering Friday, Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nicktoons, the third season of NASCAR Hammer Down features eight, 15-minute episodes hosted by Karsyn Elledge, granddaughter of Dale Earnhardt and daughter of Kelley Earnhardt Miller.

This season, Elledge will be joined by her sister, Kennedy Elledge, for driver interviews, goofy antics and behind-the-scenes insight into the technology and people that propel more than 90 annual NASCAR national series events. Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, and Bubba Wallace Jr., driver of the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, also return as series regulars for the popular "Bubba & Blaney" segment.

Produced by NASCAR Productions, season three premieres with back-to-back episodes, the first of which emanates from the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The subsequent "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 Special" gives viewers an inside look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 taking place on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR Hammer Down will air regularly on Fridays at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) during Nicktoons' NickSports TV block.

"Kids are a huge part of our sport, and we are excited to deliver a program like NASCAR Hammer Down to a very important audience for NASCAR," said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR vice president of entertainment marketing and content development. "The personalities of Karsyn, Kennedy and our drivers combined with the NickSports audience, creates the perfect avenue for us to connect with a new generation of potential NASCAR fans."

The return of NASCAR Hammer Down is announced as the sport celebrates Kids Drive NASCAR, a week-long youth initiative leading up to Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Karsyn Elledge helped kick off the special campaign on Monday during a kids-only press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, streamed live by NASCAR via Facebook Live.

All week the NASCAR industry is hosting events and activities designed to introduce young fans to the sport. As part of Kids Drive NASCAR, NASCAR is also launching the first-ever NASCAR Acceleration Nation mobile app, a digital experience created just for kids.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series(TM), NASCAR XFINITY Series(TM), and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series(TM)), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association(TM) (IMSA(R)) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship(TM), the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat ('NASCAR').

About NickSports

NickSports celebrates kids' love for the action and excitement of sports with an all-access pass to their favorite athletes, teams and leagues. Airing every Friday (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) on Nicktoons, the primetime programming block for kids and families features a lineup of original and acquired sports-themed programming including series, specials, movies and documentaries from major professional sports leagues including the NFL, MLS, NASCAR, WWE, MLB and PGA, and professional athletes. The weekly block features long- and short- form content including NASCAR Hammer Down, Whistle Sports Top 10 Trick Shots, EA SPORTS Game Changes, All in with Cam Newton, Crashletes, The Dude Perfect Show, NFL Flag Championship at the Super Bowl and the critically-acclaimed basketball documentary Little Ballers, as well as fun interviews, parodies and sketches. Fans can follow NickSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @NickSportsTV #NickSports.