Daytona 500 2012: Start Time, TV Coverage And More For Monday’s Race

Update Monday AM: Daytona start time has been changed to Monday night.

It’s 2012 Daytona 500 race day at Daytona International Speedway – again. We’ve got the scheduled race start time, the TV/radio schedule and some other facts about the postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series opener for you below.

What time is the Daytona 500 scheduled to start? After rain postponed the Great American Race for the first time in its 54-year history on Sunday, NASCAR announced a 12:01 p.m. EST start for today. But here’s the problem: It’s supposed to be raining at that time. SB Nation meteorologist Brian Neudorff believes the race is more likely to take place tonight than around midday – or perhaps even Tuesday.

Race name/distance: The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s greatest spectacle, most prestigious race and also its Sprint Cup Series season opener. NASCAR’s Daytona races used to take place on the hard-packed sand of Daytona Beach itself, but this will be the 54th year of running 500 miles on the 2.5-mile high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

TV and radio: Today’s race can be seen on FOX, with coverage beginning at noon EST. 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). If you’re looking for something more mobile, make sure to follow me (@jeff_gluck) on Twitter.

National anthem/celebrities: A local woman will sing the nation anthem today after Train’s Pat Monahan did the honors on Sunday. Monahan left Daytona before the race was called, along with most of the other celebrities – including the co-grand marshals, Kate Upton and Jane Lynch. The only celebrity who is left is WWE wrestler John Cena, who was already the honorary starter but will add grand marshal duty to his activity list.

Tickets: There are plenty of tickets available, and you should be able to get your pick of seats today at Daytona International Speedway. If you’re planning a last-minute trip, buy a frontstretch ticket and then just move to whatever seat you want (the grandstands will probably only be half full).

Weather: Neudorff, the unofficial NASCAR weatherman, is predicting rain throughout the day that will taper off in the evening. The track takes three hours to dry and the race usually lasts three hours and 45 minutes, so Daytona will need a seven-hour dry window sometime today; that might not happen.

Last time: In one of the greatest upsets ever, 20-year-old rookie Trevor Bayne stunned the racing world to win the 2011 Daytona 500. The Tennessee native was a virtual unknown entering last year’s Speedweeks but beat Carl Edwards to the finish line to put himself into the history books as the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever.

Starting lineup: Here’s the starting grid for today’s Daytona 500.