NASCAR At Bristol 2012: Start Time, Starting Lineup, TV/Radio Schedule And More

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

What time does the race start today? The drivers will fire their engines in advance of today’s Bristol race at 1:07 p.m. EDT, with the command given by managers from local Food City stores (the race sponsor). Then an official from Food City will wave the green flag at approximately 1:13 p.m. So if you want to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the race, flip on your TV at 1:13.

Race name/distance: The Food City 500 is 500 laps – not miles – around Bristol Motor Speedway, which is just over 0.5 mile in length. Overall, the race distance will be 266.5 miles (again, not 500 as some people think).

TV and radio: Today’s race can be seen on FOX. Every Sprint Cup Series race through May will be on the FOX network. Unfortunately, there is no live streaming of the race – but you can listen on the Performance Racing Network’s Web site (just click the red link). You can also check PRN’s site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.

National anthem: The McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base H4 Quartet will sing today’s anthem, which is interesting because country singer Kellie Pickler is doing a pre-race concert. Apparently, though, the track opted for a military group instead.

Tickets: Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith said Friday he does not expect today’s race to be a sellout. In fact, last year’s Bristol race appeared to be just over half full. So if you’re thinking of making a last-minute trip to Bristol this afternoon, there should be plenty of tickets available.

Weather: The unofficial NASCAR weatherman, Brian Neudorff, predicts unseasonably warm temperatures for today’s race – which also means some pop-up thundershowers in the region. It’s unclear whether any of the storms will hit the track, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Last time: Kyle Busch won the spring race one year ago after he beat Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson on a late restart to earn his fifth consecutive Bristol race win (across all three series). Then Brad Keselowski took advantage of the pit road timing lines to continue his improbable streak last summer by driving to Victory Lane.

Starting lineup for today’s NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway: