It’s NASCAR race night at Daytona International Speedway and we’ve got the actual race start time, the starting lineup and some other facts about tonight’s exhibition race for you below.
NASCAR’s Bud Shootout 2012: Start Time, Lineup, TV/Radio Schedule And More
What time does the race start tonight? The Bud Shootout is listed as an 8 p.m. Eastern start time, but it’s important to note the green flag won’t actually fly until 8:29 p.m. So if you’re looking to tune in just as the race is about to start, perhaps flip on your TV at 8:17 – that’s when the command to start engines will be given by a few members of the military.
Race name/distance: The Bud Shootout is a non-points invitational featuring the top 20 drivers in the point standings last year, plus any drivers who have won a previous Shootout or a points race at Daytona. Some eligible drivers (such as Trevor Bayne) are not entered due to lack of funding, but there are 25 drivers in the race overall. The race is a 75-lap event (187.5 miles) which features two segments: A 25-lap opening segment, a 10-minute pit stop and a 50-lap run to the finish.
TV and radio: Tonight’s race can be seen on FOX. Every Sprint Cup race will be on FOX for the first part 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 (or you can also listen online for free here).
National anthem: The country group Little Big Town will perform a pre-race concert and then sing the national anthem. Next week, the Daytona 500 national anthem will be sung by Train’s Pat Monahan.
Tickets: The Bud Shootout typically draws a decent crowd, but it’s certainly not sold out. If you want to take a chance on getting last-minute tickets, you’ll be OK.
Weather: The unofficial NASCAR weatherman says there’s a slight chance of rain showers tonight, but the race should be able to take place. He predicts the temperature will be around 70 degrees for the start.
Last time: In what seems like a lifetime ago, Kurt Busch won the 2011 Bud Shootout for Penske Racing. Obviously, it would be a bigger deal if Busch won this year’s race – he’s driving for Phoenix Racing now, which has just 18 employees.
Starting lineup for tonight’s Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway:
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Kyle Busch
- Brad Keselowski
- Jamie McMurray
- David Ragan
- Kurt Busch
- Greg Biffle
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- AJ Allmendinger
- Joey Logano
- Carl Edwards
- Jeff Burton
- Ryan Newman
- Jeff Gordon
- Tony Stewart
- Denny Hamlin
- Clint Bowyer
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kasey Kahne
- Michael Waltrip
- Marcos Ambrose
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Paul Menard
- Juan Pablo Montoya
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