SPEED Channel is making several changes to its popular call-in show Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain for the 2005 race season. Beginning in February, Wind Tunnel will be expanded to two hours, anchoring the Sunday night Prime Time lineup at 9:00pm/et. "We want to hear from the fans when they're still excited, still angry and still eager to talk about what they've just watched," said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel's Sr. VP of Programming/Production and Executive Producer. "It's no secret that the only thing more passionate than a race fan is a race fan on race day. "In addition, we'd like to get Dave out from behind the desk during the week, letting him expand on opportunities to do exclusive SPEED Channel interviews with some of the biggest names in racing," Miner added. "Wind Tunnel originally was designed as a show for the fans and we believe this new format will allow us to be even more aggressive in that mission." The new format will include the show's traditional long-form interviews, along with multiple short-form interviews via phone, satellite and in-studio guest appearances. "I really like the idea of a Sunday night show," said Despain, who recently inked a three-year contract extension with SPEED Channel. "We'll talk to the fans while they're still fired up from the racing weekend, and talk to the newsmakers while the news is still hot. Add the fact that the two-hour format will enable us to do a lot of things we simply didn't have time for in the past, and I think it will be a lot of fun." Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain will hit original episode #250 early next season.(SPEED Channel PR), the show will NOT air Mon-Thurs nights in 2005 as it did the past two years, only 2 hours on Sunday nights.

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