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SPEED will make its move to High Definition in 2008, beginning Feb. 7 with 100 hours of NASCAR on SPEED HD from Daytona Speedweeks. “With the Gatorade Duel 150’s on SPEED, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, NASCAR RaceDay and all of the other programming SPEED will deliver surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the Daytona 500, this is one of our most visible times of the year for the network and the perfect time to launch our move to HD,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “SPEED already offers some of the most action-filled programming on television and the move to HD in 2008 enhances all of it exponentially.”

Topping the 70-million U.S. household mark and coming off four consecutive years of ratings growth in 2007, the move to High Definition is the next step in the evolution of a network that has added more than 30 million homes since being fully acquired by Fox Cable Networks in 2001.

“SPEED is now one of the most important and popular of all the national cable sports networks, so it’s somewhat inevitable that we provide our many partners and their customers with this HD companion,” said Michael Biard, Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing for Fox Cable Networks.

In addition to its season-long, at-track coverage of NASCAR, with programs including NASCAR RaceDay, Trackside, NASCAR Victory Lane, Tradin’ Paint, NASCAR Live!, NASCAR Performance and Go or Go Home, SPEED also will explore opportunities to bring other racing series and special events to viewers in HD in 2008.

“Over the course of the 2008 season, SPEED will be transitioning all of its event programming to HD,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Senior VP of Production and Network Operations, who is shepherding the project. “We already are in discussions to design and commission the development of remote HD production facilities that will be in full use in 2008.”

In addition to its HD programming surrounding the 50th Anniversary of The Great American Race from Daytona, SPEED also will be ready to launch new seasons of its popular automotive and motorcycle lifestyle programming in HD, including PINKS, PINKS All Out and Super Bikes! In a move that began earlier this summer, SPEED programming is now commissioned in true 16:9 HD. This report came from AutoRacingSport.com and SpeedTV.

While there’s been a major increase in Speed subscribers, since Fox bought the cable station, the news ditty failed to say how many subscribers are in the Speed fold. It would be interesting to see how Speed stacks up to ESPN and ESPN2 which was topped out at 80 million or so. That Bristol, Conn. based network has a very large reach because their programming is on Basic Cable Programming countrywide.

Jeff Gordon is scheduled to make his 11th appearance as guest co-host on the popular daytime talk show “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Friday, January 18. The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet will fill in for host Regis Philbin. “Live with Regis and Kelly” is in its 20th year of national syndication and continues to wake up millions of Americans each day. “Live with Regis and Kelly” is executive produced by Michael Gelman and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Produced by WABC-TV in New York, “Live with Regis and Kelly” airs in over 200 markets across the country. Check local listings for time and channel.

In advance of the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, ESPN Classic will be televising six of the best Daytona 500 races of all time every Monday at 2 p.m. ET starting Jan. 7.

During the period, ESPN.com’s NASCAR page will feature a poll where viewers can log on to choose their favorite Daytona 500 from the six. Then, on Saturday night, Feb. 16, the night before the 2008 version of NASCAR’s biggest race, ESPN Classic will show the top five races as chosen by the fans in their order of preference, starting at 10 p.m.

Putting those races on ESPN Classic may also hiss off a lot of motorheads because most basic cable systems don’t carry ESPN CL. We found that out when ESPN aired the NASCAR Sprint Cup Banquet last month. That move caused some negative discussions on various NASCAR Fan Forums. It’s also seen as a way to sell the next tier up cable package to race fans. Unlike Speed, though, ESPNCL is mostly stick-and-ball and boxing matches. We don’t think this marketing move will be a successful on the part of ESPN/ABC.

The six races are:

1976 - On the last lap, David Pearson and Richard Petty wreck together while running first and second, both are the only cars on the lead lap. Pearson gets his car moving first and goes on to win the 500 at a snail’s pace. Petty finishes second, a lap down, after he is penalized for having his car pushed across the finish line.

1979 - The first live, flag-to-flag live televised Daytona 500, drawing a huge audience as it is shown on a day when much of the Northeast was paralyzed by a snowstorm. Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wreck late in the race while leading, propelling Richard Petty to victory. Donnie’s brother Bobby and Yarborough fight in the infield. The race helped accelerate NASCAR to a national phenomenon.

1990 - Dale Earnhardt is all but the 500 winner when he blows out a tire in turn 3 of the last lap, leading to an unlikely Daytona 500 victory for Derrike Cope. Cope cruised by Earnhardt to win the 500, his first career NASCAR win, and one of only two in his career, the other coming later that season.

1998 - Dale Earnhardt Finally Wins - After years of heartbreak and bad luck, Dale Earnhardt finally wins the biggest race on the NASCAR schedule. Every crewmember for all 43 teams lines up along pit road to congratulate Earnhardt.

1999 - Jeff Gordon pulls a risky pass by Rusty Wallace with 11 laps to go, almost driving through the grass and getting into the back of the lapped and crash-damaged car of Ricky Rudd. Wallace gives him room, possibly preventing a wreck and Gordon holds off defending-champion Dale Earnhardt for the win.

2007 - After the two best cars driven by Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart crashed early in the race, the race continues to take more twists. Cars are shuffled and reshuffled, culminating in a last lap “big one,” which took out many contenders, including Kyle Busch and a sliding, flaming Clint Bowyer. Kevin Harvick noses out Mark Martin, a part-time driver who was a NASCAR star but never won a championship or a Daytona 500, by inches at the finish line. Closest 500 finish with electronic scoring.

Let’s see what’s on the tube this week for motorsports action. Here are some highlights for the entire week. On Monday Speed airs the Lemans Endurance Series ‘07 Review at 3 p.m. VS offers the Dakar Rally-Stage 2 at 3:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. it’s NASCAR Pre Season Thunder from Daytona at 7 p.m. Tuesday also offers NASCAR Pre-Season Thunder from Daytona at 7 p.m. Wednesday highlights are the SCCA Runoffs from Topeka, KS at noon and more at 1 p.m. on Speed plus more Pre-Season NASCAR from Daytona also on Speed. For Thursday it’s Stage 5 of the Dakar Rally at 3:30 p.m. on VS and more NASCAR Pre-Season Thunder from Daytona at 7 p.m. Friday’s top offering is the Craftsman Truck Series tests from Daytona on Speed at 7 p.m. Saturday goes like this. Starting at noon it’s the German Touring Car Series from the Netherlands on Speed at noon and more of that series at 1 p.m. This time from the Nurburgring followed by the Australian Super Cars from Phillips Island at 2 p.m. on that same cable channel. On Sunday VS airs Stage 8 of the Dakar Rally at 3:30 p.m. while Speed offers AMA Super X action from Phoenix at 6 p.m. (end)

NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.