SPEED CHANNEL (www.speedtv.com) SETS BROADCAST SCHEDULE FOR MICHAEL WALTRIP CELEBRITY POKER TOURNAMENT

NASCAR GREATS EARNHARDT, GORDON, STEWART AMONG LINEUP

SPEED Channel will begin airing a series of one-hour specials on the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament shot earlier this year at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The eight-part series rolls out April 7 at 9 p.m. ET, with the two-hour tournament finale scheduled to air June 2 at 8 p.m. ET

Players in the popular Texas Hold'em tournament includ NASCAR's Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Benny Parsons, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Elliott and Hermie Sadler.

“Poker is, in and of itself, a blast,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel Sr. VP of Programming/Production and Executive Producer. “But when you take the sometimes volatile combination of arguably NASCAR’s hottest personalities, mix them up in a city like Las Vegas, with Michael Waltrip as the host -- well, let’s just say, whatever happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. It will all be on SPEED Channel.”

SPEED Channel put up the $100,000 prize money, with half going to Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp through Waltrip's "Operation Marathon" and the other half going to the charity of the winner's choice.

SPEED Channel is the nation’s first and foremost cable network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED Channel delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 68 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country.