NASCAR At Talladega: 2011 Start Time, Starting Lineup, TV/Radio Listings And More

It’s NASCAR race day at Talladega Speedway, and we’ve got the actual race start time, the starting lineup and some other facts about today’s Chase race for you below.

What time does the race start today? The command to start engines will be given by Camping World/Good Sam Club CEO Marcus Lemonis at 2:09 p.m. Eastern time. The green flag will then wave at 2:21 p.m. Eastern. So if you want to tune in for the actual race itself and skip the pre-race show, just tune in at 2:21.

Race name/distance: The Good Sam Club 500 is 188 laps around NASCAR’s biggest track, the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. Good Sam Club is an RV club related to Camping World.

TV and radio: Today’s race can be seen on ESPN. Every Sprint Cup race will be on ESPN for the rest of the season. If you aren’t near a TV, the radio broadcast can be found on your local Motor Racing Network (MRN) affiliate. Click here to see a list of stations where you can listen.

National anthem: You gotta love when a military-related performer does the anthem. Talladega has chosen the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus to do the honors today.

Tickets: There are plenty of tickets still available for today’s race, with ‘Dega races drawing far less fans than they used to. If you want to make a last-minute trip to Alabama today, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a seat.

Weather: Chilly to start, but warming up. The unofficial NASCAR weatherman says conditions will be 72 degrees and sunny at race time, but the morning will be crisp and cold.

Last time: Jimmie Johnson won the spring Talladega race in what may have been the best finish of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushed Johnson to the win, and Junior Nation has felt Johnson has owed him ever since. One year ago, Clint Bowyer picked up the victory.

Starting lineup for today’s NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway (Chase drivers in bold):