NASCAR at Pocono 2017: Start time, lineup, TV schedule, more – USA TODAY

Posted: Sunday, June 11, 2017

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USA TODAY’s Brant James breaks down what to expect at the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway this weekend.
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It’s race day at Pocono Raceway, and we’ve got all the information you need to get ready for today’s Pocono 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race:

START TIME: Joe McDougall of Axalta Coating Systems and his daughters Julia and Alyssa McDougall will instruct drivers to start their engines at 3:07 p.m. ET. Philadelphia Eagles President Don Smolenski will wave the green flag at 3:18 p.m. ET.

RACE DISTANCE: The Pocono 400 is 400 miles and 160 laps around the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle.”

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 the first two segments will be awarded regular-season points in descending order from 10 to 1. Here are the segments for the Pocono 400: Stage 1: 50 laps; Stage 2: 50 laps; Stage 3: 60 laps.

NATIONAL ANTHEM/FLYOVER: Recording artist Lauren Hart, best known for performing before Philadelphia Flyers games, will perform the national anthem at 3:01 p.m. ET, followed by a flyover by a C-130 from the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

MORE COVERAGE:

Why these three tracks are key to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s playoff hopes

How Dale Earnhardt Jr. became one of NASCAR’s top job creators

TV/RADIO SCHEDULE: Fox Sports 1 will broadcast the race on TV and has a pre-race show beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM Radio will call the race on the radio.

LIVE STREAMING: Fox is offering a live stream through its Fox Sports Go app.

WEATHER: The National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies with a high near 80 degrees. Winds will be out of the southwest at 15-17 mph.

WALLACE: Darrell Wallace Jr., who was tapped by Richard Petty Motorsports to fill in for the injured Aric Almirola, will make his first career Cup start. Wallace also will become the first African-American to race at NASCAR’s premier level since 2006.

Darrell Wallace Jr.’s Cup debut marks huge step for NASCAR diversity

JOHNSON: Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who tied Cale Yarborough with 83 career Cup wins last week at Dover International Speedway, has a tribute helmet ready for win No. 84. This one features images of Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, who are tied for fourth on the all-time list.

LAST TIME: In the first summer race in 2016, Kurt Busch held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on fuel mileage and won his first race of the season, earning him a slot in the playoff. Busch did this while crew chief Tony Gibson was serving a suspension for a lug nut violation. In the August return, rookie Chris Buescher won in the rain and fog-shortened event after staying out while others pitted before the race was red-flagged for inclement weather.

STARTING LINEUP: Kyle Busch won the pole position for the second week in a row.

Here’s the starting lineup for today’s Pocono 400 (car number in parentheses):

Lap length: 2.5 miles

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 179.151 mph.

2. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 178.543.

3. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 178.108.

4. (21) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 177.897.

5. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford, 177.799.

6. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 177.792.

7. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 177.557.

8. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 177.368.