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NASCAR at Watkins Glen: Start time, lineup, TV/radio schedule

Jeff Gluck   | Paste BN Sports

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — It's NASCAR race day at Watkins Glen International, and we've got some essential information you need to get ready for today's Cheez-It 355.

START TIME: The Home Free Vocal Band, a country a capella group who appeared on NBC's The Sing Off, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 1:09 p.m. Eastern time today, followed by the green flag at 1:19 p.m. So if you want to skip the pre-race show and just tune in for the race, turn on your TV at 1:19 p.m.

RACE DISTANCE: The Cheez-It 355 is 90 laps around the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International circuit (the NASCAR course) for a total of 220.5 miles. If you're wondering where they got the "355" from, that's 355 kilometers.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: The aforementioned Home Free Vocal Band (the grand marshals) will also sing the national anthem today.

TV/RADIO SCHEDULE: ESPN will broadcast today's race and has a pre-race show beginning at noon ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will call the race on the radio.

WEATHER: The National Weather Service is calling for a gorgeous day in the Finger Lakes region: Sunny with a high near 85 and no chance of rain.

LAST TIME: Kyle Busch found some redemption from 2012 when he bested Brad Keselowski in last year's race at Watkins Glen.

STARTING LINEUP: Jeff Gordon promised son Leo a pole position for his birthday and delivered on Saturday, taking the top spot at the Glen for the fourth time in his career — and the first since 2007.

Here's the starting lineup for today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen:

  1. Jeff Gordon
  2. Marcos Ambrose
  3. Jimmie Johnson
  4. Kevin Harvick
  5. Kurt Busch
  6. AJ Allmendinger
  7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  8. Matt Kenseth
  9. Brad Keselowski
  10. Ryan Newman
  11. Joey Logano
  12. Brian Vickers
  13. Tony Stewart
  14. Jamie McMurray
  15. Justin Allgaier
  16. Carl Edwards
  17. Denny Hamlin
  18. Cole Whitt
  19. Kyle Busch
  20. Paul Menard
  21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  22. Casey Mears
  23. Kyle Larson
  24. Clint Bowyer
  25. Martin Truex Jr.
  26. David Ragan
  27. Aric Almirola
  28. Greg Biffle
  29. Michael McDowell
  30. Kasey Kahne
  31. Austin Dillon
  32. Nelson Piquet Jr.
  33. David Gilliland
  34. Boris Said
  35. Ryan Truex
  36. Alex Bowman
  37. Josh Wise
  38. Alex Kennedy
  39. Reed Sorenson
  40. Joe Nemechek
  41. Landon Cassill
  42. Michael Annett
  43. Danica Patrick

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck

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