Everything is trending in Stewart-Haas Racing’s direction. Is this the night SHR scores its first victory of the season?
Daniel Suarez was the fastest qualifier on Friday. All four SHR cars qualified in the top 10. Then later that night, Cole Custer won the Xfinity race.
Kevin Harvick has been strong on 1.5-mile tracks all season but misfortune has kept him out of Victory Lane. Is this his night? Or will this be the night Suarez scores his first Cup win? There have been first-time winners the past two Cup races and Suarez said Friday why not make it three in a row. Or could this be the night for Aric Almirola or Clint Bowyer?
Here’s all the info you need for tonight’s race.
(All times are Eastern)
START: NASCAR Analyst Larry McReynolds will give the command to start engines at 7:38 p.m. The green flag is scheduled for 7:46 p.m.
PRERACE: Garage opens at 1:30 p.m. Driver/crew chief meeting is at 5:30 p.m.Driver introductions are at 6:50 p.m. The invocation will be given at 7:30 p.m. by Larry Campbell, Track Chaplain, Kentucky Raceway Ministries. Audrey Belle Adams of Louisville, Kentucky, will perform the National Anthem at 7:31 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 267 laps (400.5 miles) around the 1.5-mile track.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 80. Stage 2 ends on Lap 160.
TV/RADIO: NBCSN will televise the race at 7:30 p.m. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with NASCAR America on NBCSN. Countdown to Green airs at 7 p.m. on NBCSN. Performance Racing Network’s radio broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. and also can be heard at goprn.com. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry PRN’s broadcast.
STREAMING LINK: http://stream.nbcsports.com/nascar/monster-energy-nascar-cup-series
FORECAST: wunderground.com calls for sunny skieswith a high of 88 degrees and zero percent chance of rain at the start of the race.
LAST TIME: Martin Truex Jr. swept all three stages in winning last year’s race. Ryan Blaney finished second. Brad Keselowski was third.
TO THE REAR: Ryan Newman (failed inspection), Quin Houff (failed inspection)
STARTING LINEUP: Click here for the lineup.
