Sky Sports confirms 2011/12 HD coverage

The satellite and digital pay-subscription channel Sky Sports has agreed a deal with the IZOD IndyCar Series to show the 2011 and 2012 races live and in high definition, including the world-famous Indianapolis 500 race in May.

Sky Sports' exclusive television coverage will continue to be fronted by Keith Huewen, a former British Champion and Grand Prix motorcycle racer who switched to TV presenting in 1991.

"It's really exciting to have Indycar back on our screens, especially in HD," said Heuwen. "There is a lot of fantastic British talent in the sport at the moment, including current reigning champion Dario Franchitti. We've seen Dario's career come to life on Sky Sports, and over the next two years we will see the conclusion.

"This year will be huge for Indycar and to have the next two Indy500 confirmed on Sky Sports really excites me - it's where the world's biggest motorsport event belongs."

Heuwen will once again be joined by Johnny Mowlem as the regular studio analyst. Mowlem is a still-active racer, whose career had been followed and highlighted by Sky Sports over the last nine years. IN 2010, Mowlem was competing in the American Le Mans Series, as well as being the Lotus Group's official GT factory test and development driver since 2010.

The centennial 2011 season begins on the streets of St Petersburg, Florida on March 27 and includes races from Japan, Brazil and Canada. However, not all races will necessarily be screened live by Sky Sports, which said only that they "will endeavour to screen live high definition coverage of all 17 events."

Huewen also fronted Sky Sports' NASCAR coverage for two years until the channel let the rights lapse at the start of 2010. Exclusive live coverage for NASCAR Sprint Cup events has now been picked up by satellite channel Premier Sports TV, but Sky Sports confirmed this week that they will continue to screen a regular highlights show featuring Sprint Cup races on the channel the day after they are held.