NASCAR At Michigan International Speedway 2011: Start Time, Starting Lineup, TV/Radio Listings And More

It’s NASCAR race day at Michigan International Speedway, and we’ve got the actual race start time, the starting lineup and some other facts about the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 for you below.

Start time: The command to start engines will be given by former University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr at 1:07 p.m. Eastern time. After a few pace laps, honorary starter Nancy Hoctor will wave the green flag at precisely 1:16 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 1:16.

Race name/distance: Let’s hope the race name lives up to the quality of today’s event. Michigan’s Sprint Cup race is called the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 – and yes, “Heluva Good!” is the actual name of the company. Michigan’s 400 miles consist of 200 laps around the 2-mile track.

TV and radio: TNT’s second race of its six-race NASCAR broadcasting stint is today, but we also recommend you take advantage of TNT’s “RaceBuddy” application over at NASCAR.com. You can watch the race on your computer and pick which camera angle you want to watch for free. 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 MRN stations where you can listen.

National anthem: Thankfully, Michigan isn’t going the “Saving Abel” route for the national anthem this year, with the track wisely choosing a military group to perform it. Doing the honors today is the “Army Chorus A Cappella Team.” As with all races at Michigan, the Canadian national anthem will also be performed – but you won’t see that on TV.

Tickets: There are plenty of tickets available for today’s Michigan race if you’re thinking of making the drive to the Irish Hills. And actually, Michigan’s tickets are some of the cheapest on the circuit.

Weather: According to the unofficial NASCAR weatherman, Sunday will see partly cloudy skies with a high of 79 degrees. However, the weatherman recommends bringing rain gear in case of an isolated storm.

Last time: Denny Hamlin dominated most of the 2010 Michigan spring race, then held off his competitors on a final restart with 14 laps to go to win his second straight event. Kevin Harvick then won the August race last season.

Starting lineup for today’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway: