NASCAR At Pocono: 2012 Start Time, Lineup, Live Streaming, TV/Radio Schedule And More

It’s NASCAR race day at Pocono Raceway, 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? Dr. Rose Mattioli, the widow of track founder Dr. Joseph Mattioli, will give the command to fire engines today at 1:08 p.m. Eastern time. After a few pace laps, a Twitter contest winner will wave the green flag at 1:19 p.m. So if you’re looking to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the race, turn on your TV set at 1:19 p.m. Eastern.

Race name/distance: There are a lot of “firsts” today at Pocono Raceway. For one thing, it’s the first-ever 400-mile race at Pocono (down from the typical 500 miles). Race officials and drivers alike believe cutting the laps down from 200 to 160 will make for a better show. Second, the race name is the “Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR.” That’s not a typo – hashtag NASCAR, as in Twitter. For the first time, Twitter is using a special page on its site to help fans follow along with the race. You can find it at Twitter.com/#NASCAR.

TV, radio and live streaming: Today’s race can be seen on TNT. This is TNT’s first of six broadcasts this summer before handing the reins to ESPN for the rest. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com’s “RaceBuddy” site. If you’ll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network’s web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

*** NOTE: If you’re out and about today and can’t watch the race, make sure to follow me (@jeff_gluck) on Twitter. I’ll be tweeting updates from the event. ***

National anthem: Naomi Scott, a Air Force service member from Dover Air Force Base, will do the honors today.

Tickets: The race is not a sellout, so you should be good to go if you’re planning to make a last-minute trip on race day.

Weather: The unofficial NASCAR weatherman, Brian Neudorff, says today’s weather at Pocono is iffy. There may be showers in the area that pop up and cause delays to today’s race.

Last time: One year ago, Jeff Gordon picked up a victory at Pocono to tie for third on NASCAR’s all-time wins list with his 84th victory (he won later in the summer at Atlanta to break that tie). Then, last August, Brad Keselowski shocked the NASCAR world by going to Victory Lane despite a broken ankle.

Starting lineup for today’s NASCAR race at Pocono Raceway: