NASCAR Cup playoff race at Kansas 2018: Start time, lineup, TV schedule, more
It’s NASCAR race day at Kansas Speedway, and we’ve got some essential information you need to get ready for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400, the Round of 12 elimination race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs:
START TIME: 50 Penn National Gaming VIPs will instruct drivers to start their engines at 2:28 p.m. ET (1:28 p.m. local), followed by the green flag at 2:37 p.m. ET (1:37 p.m. local).
RACE DISTANCE: The Hollywood Casino 400 is 267 laps around the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, or 400.5 miles.
RACE STAGES: After a successful run last season, NASCAR will once again be dividing races into stages and handing out points. Here are the segments for tonight's Cup race: Stage 1: 80 laps, Stage 2: 80 laps, Stage 3: 107 laps.
More: Clint Bowyer looks to book spot in NASCAR Round of 8 at hometown Kansas track
More: Playoff drivers on brink of elimination see Kansas as chance to score big finish
PLAYOFFS: Today's race is the sixth of 10 playoff races and the final one of the three-race second round. Four drivers will be eliminated from championship contention following today's race as the field is cut from 12 to eight drivers.
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Danon Vaughn, a Master Detective with the Kansas City (Kan.) Police Department, will perform the national anthem at 2:21 p.m. ET (1:21 p.m. local), followed by a flyover by a B2 Bomber from the 393rd Bomb Squadron of the Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Mo.
TV RADIO SCHEDULE: The race will be broadcast on NBC starting at 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. local), with a pre-show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local). Radio calls can be found on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio.
LIVE STREAMING: NBCSports.com will live-stream the race for those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider's credentials.
WEATHER: Clear and cool. The Weather Channel is calling for sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s and no chance of rain.
LAST TIME: Kevin Harvick led 79 laps and held off Martin Truex Jr. to earn his fifth win of the season by mid-May. And one year ago in the playoff race, Truex led 91 laps to complete a sweep of the 2017 Kansas races en route to his first Cup Series championship.
LINEUP: Joey Logano roared to his first pole of the season and the 20th of his Cup career, besting Harvick who will start alongside on the front row.
Playoff driver Kyle Larson, who faces a must-win situation Sunday, will start from the rear of the field after clipping the wall during Friday's practice and going to a backup car before qualifying.
Here's the starting lineup for today's Hollywood Casino 400 (car number in parentheses):
1. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
2. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
3. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
4. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
5. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
6. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota
7. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
8. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota
9. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
10. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
11. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford
12. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
13. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
14. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford
15. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford
16. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet
17. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
18. (21) Paul Menard, Ford
19. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford
20. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
21. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet
22. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
23. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
24. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
25. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
26. (95) Regan Smith, Chevrolet
27. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
28. (38) David Ragan, Ford
29. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet
30. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
31. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford
32. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
33. (96) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota
34. (72) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
35. (00) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet
36. (23) JJ Yeley, Toyota
37. (99) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet
38. (51) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
39. (7) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet
40. (66) Timmy Hill, Toyota
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