Chaos or calm? No one knows what the opening lap in Sunday’s Cup race on the Daytona road course will be like. Or any of the 65 laps in the race - especially with no practice.
“I’ve never entered a race where you literally just have no idea what to expect,” Chase Elliott said.
Said Kevin Harvick, who will start on the pole: “I think me leading everybody into Turn 1 at Daytona could be interesting because I have no freaking clue where I’m going as we go down there.”
And then add the potential for rain and Sunday’s race (3 p.m. ET on NBC) truly could be a wildcard event.
Here’s all the info for the Sunday Cup race at Daytona road course:
(All times are Eastern)
START: Bill Hanson, president of the Bowling Centers Association of Florida, will give the command to start engines at 3:07 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:19 p.m.
PRERACE: Cup haulers enter at 6 a.m. Garage access health screening begins at 8 a.m. Drivers report to their cars at 2:50 p.m. The invocation will be given at 3 p.m. by AdventHealth Chaplain Joel Rivera-Mercado. The national anthem will be performed by Catlina Mack at 3:01 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 65 laps (234.65 miles) around the 3.61-mile road course.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 15. Stage 2 ends on Lap 30.
TV/RADIO: NBCSN will televise the race. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. with NASCAR America Pre Race. Countdown to Green follows at 2:30 p.m. and the race coverage begins at 3 p.m. Motor Racing Network’s radio coverage will begin at 2 p.m. and also can be heard at mrn.com. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the broadcast.
STREAMING: Watch the race on the NBC Sports App. Click here for the link.
FORECAST: The wunderground.com forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms with a high of 89 degrees and a 43% chance of rain at the start of the race.
LAST RACE: Kevin Harvick won last Sunday at Michigan to complete the weekend sweep.
TO THE REAR: Kaz Grala (driver change for Austin Dillon, who has tested positive for COVID-19), Corey LaJoie (failed inspection twice), Timmy Hill (unapproved adjustment), Stanton Barrett (driver change).
STARTING LINEUP: Click here for lineup
Catch up on NBC Sports’ coverage:
Austin Dillon tests positive for COVID-19
Friday 5: Ryan Newman “thankful” to be heading back to Daytona
Will chaos (and rain) reign on Daytona road course?
Daytona road course trophy: Handle with care
DoorDash partnering with Bubba Wallace, Richard Petty Motorsports
NASCAR updates its COVID-19 guidelines
RPM or elsewhere: Where will Bubba Wallace be better off in 2021?
Brendan Gaughan set for Daytona road course after COVID-19 recovery
