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

Start time: The command to start engines will be given by grand marshal Matthew Hansen (more on him below) at 7:37 Eastern time. After a few pace laps, honorary starter Neal Insley (the chairman of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control) will wave the green flag at precisely 7:44 p.m. Eastern. So if you want to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the actual race, flip your TV on at 7:44.

Race name/distance: This is actually a really cool story. Each year, race sponsor Crown Royal gives its race name away to a deserving winner (for the past couple years, it’s been military-related). U.S. Marine Matthew Hansen shares the race name with his twin brother, best friend and fellow Marine Daniel, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. Click here to read more about the Hansens. The race is 400 laps around the 3/4-mile track, which means it’s actually 300 miles.

National anthem: NASCAR fans will love this – there’s no singer who will butcher the anthem tonight. The anthem is being played by the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. That should be great.

Tickets: Though Richmond once sold out both races each year, that’s no longer the case in this economy. If you’re nearby and looking to head to the race tonight, there will be plenty of seats available.

Last time: Kyle Busch beat Jeff Gordon on a late restart to win his second consecutive Richmond spring race. Denny Hamlin completed the Joe Gibbs Racing season sweep by claiming the fall race at RIR.