Bestwick to Miss Kansas Due to Broken Leg, Weber to Fill In

NEW YORK – Oct. 7, 2004 – NASCAR on NBC & TNT play-by-play commentator Allen Bestwick underwent surgery one week ago to repair the broken left leg he suffered last week in a hockey game near his home in Coventry, R.I. Bestwick missed last Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race from Talladega, Ala. and will miss this Sunday's Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods from Kansas Speedway. Pre-race host and lead pit reporter Bill Weber will again fill-in for Bestwick calling the race from the booth with analysts Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach.

NBC's coverage of Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods begins at 1:30 p.m. ET with the "Discover Card Countdown to Green" pre-race show, followed by green flag racing at 2 p.m. ET.

Weber will host the pre-race show from a specially designed desk on the roof of the broadcast booth instead of his usual perch atop the NASCAR on NBC & TNT Wagon on pit road. Following the pre-race show, he will move to the booth to call the race with Parsons and Dallenbach. Pit reporters Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Matt Yocum will handle reporting duties on all 43 teams from the pits.