NASCAR Cup playoffs at Charlotte 2017: Start time, lineup, TV, more
It’s NASCAR race day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and we’ve got some essential information you need to get ready for Sunday's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America 500:
START TIME: In an effort to miss some of the rain, NASCAR moved the start time up by one hour. (See weather forecast below) Charles Bowman, Charlotte and North Carolina Market President for Bank of America, and Karen Calder, the executive director of Classroom Central, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 1:02 p.m. ET., followed by the green flag at 1:10 p.m.
RACE DISTANCE: The Bank of America 500 is 500 miles (334 laps) around the 1.5-mile oval.
SEGMENTS: Beginning this season, NASCAR is dividing every race into segments and awarding one bonus point to the winner of each stage. Segment lengths will be different for every race. Also, the top 10 finishers of segments 1 and 2 will be awarded regular-season points in descending order from 10 to 1. Here are the segments for the Bank of America 500: Stage 1: 90 laps; Stage 2: 90 laps; Stage 3: 154 laps.
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NATIONAL ANTHEM/FLYOVER: Country singer Carly Pearce will perform the national anthem, followed by a flyover by a C-130 from the 145th Airlift Wing of Charlotte.
TV/RADIO SCHEDULE: NBC will broadcast the race on TV and has a pre-race show beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Performance Racing Network and Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio will call the race on the radio.
LIVE STREAMING: NBCSports.com will live-stream the race for those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider's credentials.
WEATHER: The National Weather Service is calling for a rainy day as Tropical Storm Nate cuts its path up through the South. Look for fog in the morning, followed by showers and thunderstorms after noon and continuing into the evening. Chance of rain is 60 percent. High will be in the low 80s with winds out of the southeast at 5-8 mph. In an effort to miss some of the rain, NASCAR moved the start time up by one hour.
LAST TIME: Jimmie Johnson won this race last year as he rolled toward a record-tying seventh Cup Series championship. Austin Dillon won the spring race.
STARTING LINEUP: Denny Hamlin will start on the pole after turning in a lap of 191.598 mph. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth joins him on the front row. Seven of the 12 remaining playoff drivers will start in the top 10.
1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 191.598 mph.
2. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 191.489.
3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 191.394.
4. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 190.941.
5. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 190.584.
6. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 190.557.
7. (24) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 190.409.
8. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford, 190.362.
9. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 190.221.
10. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 190.067.
11. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 189.813.
12. (10) Danica Patrick, Ford, 189.215.
13. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 190.000.
14. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 189.813.
15. (21) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 189.707.
16. (95) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 189.580.
17. (78) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, 189.500.
18. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 189.208.
19. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 189.201.
20. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 189.168.
21. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 188.904.
22. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 187.422.
23. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 187.285.
24. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 185.644.
25. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 189.221.
26. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 188.996.
27. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 188.409.
28. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 187.728.
29. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 187.220.
30. (34) Landon Cassill, Ford, 187.039.
31. (38) David Ragan, Ford, 186.851.
32. (72) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 186.297.
33. (51) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 184.388.
34. (15) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 184.131.
35. (55) Gray Gaulding, Toyota, 183.045.
36. (66) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 182.420.
37. (33) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 181.165.
38. (77) Erik Jones, Toyota, 0.000.
39. (23) Corey LaJoie, Toyota, 0.000.
40. (83) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 0.000
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