It's NASCAR race night at Darlington Raceway, and we've got the actual race start time, the starting lineup and some other facts about Saturday's Southern 500 for you below.
What time does the race start? Typically, NASCAR night races in the Sprint Cup Series start at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. But in an effort to get fans home earlier, Darlington is starting Saturday's race shortly after 7 p.m. – 30 minutes sooner than usual. The mothers of several Cup drivers are the grand marshals, and they'll give the command to fire engines at 7:08 p.m EDT. The race itself is scheduled to begin at 7:16 p.m EDT.
Race name/distance: The Bojangles Southern 500 is the "Southern 500" in name only to many longtime race fans, who were used to the Southern 500 being held every year on Labor Day Weekend. The name has been revived since Darlington cut back to one race per season, and Bojangles replaced Showtime as the presenting sponsor this year. In all, the distance is actually 501.3 miles (367 laps around the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval).
TV and radio: The 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 Motor Racing Network's Web site (just click the red link). You can also check MRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.
*** NOTE: If you're out and about and can't watch the race, make sure to follow me (@jeff_gluck) on Twitter. I'll be tweeting updates about the event. ***
National anthem: Casey Weston, a former contestant on NBC's The Voice, will sing the national anthem. She was on judge Adam Levine's team during the first season of the reality singing show.
Tickets: Darlington has not announced a sellout, and there should still be tickets available if you're looking to make a last-minute trip to the track.
Weather: The unofficial NASCAR weatherman, Brian Neudorff, says fans are in for a pleasant and dry evening with very little chance of rain. The temperatures are expected to cool down into the 60s by the end of the race.
Last time: One year ago, Regan Smith held off Carl Edwards on old tires to claim an improbable Southern 500 victory and pull one of the biggest upsets of the season. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick had a memorable clash on pit road after the race.
Starting lineup for Saturday's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:
- Greg Biffle
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kasey Kahne
- Ryan Newman
- Kyle Busch
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Carl Edwards
- Denny Hamlin
- Regan Smith
- Jeff Burton
- Jamie McMurray
- Jeff Gordon
- Aric Almirola
- Paul Menard
- Brad Keselowski
- AJ Allmendinger
- Tony Stewart
- Mark Martin
- Matt Kenseth
- Landon Cassill
- Joey Logano
- Bobby Labonte
- Kevin Harvick
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Kurt Busch
- Clint Bowyer
- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Marcos Ambrose
- Scott Speed
- Josh Wise
- Casey Mears
- David Stremme
- Travis Kvapil
- Dave Blaney
- Mike Skinner
- David Gilliland
- David Ragan
- Danica Patrick
- Cole Whitt
- Joe Nemechek
- JJ Yeley
- David Reutimann
- Reed Sorenson