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Saturday Cup race at Dover: Start time, TV channel, forecast

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Despite a challenging year, the best day in motor sports will still go ahead with an Indy 500-NASCAR doubleheader on Aug. 23.

NASCAR’s busy weekend continues with a Saturday Cup race at Dover. That will be the first of two races for Cup this weekend at the 1-mile speedway. Both races will follow Xfinity races there Saturday and Sunday.

Kevin Harvick could clinch the regular-season title as early as Saturday and claim the 15 playoff points that go with it.

Jimmie Johnson has a track-record 11 wins at Dover but hasn’t won there since June 2017 - his last Cup victory. He trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron by 25 points for the final playoff spot entering the Saturday Cup race at Dover.

Here is all the info for the Saturday Cup race at Dover:

(All times are Eastern)

START: Actress Malin Akerman will give the command to start engines at 4:08 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:18 p.m.

PRERACE: Cup haulers enter at 7 a.m. Garage access health screening begins at 9 a.m. Drivers report to their cars at 3:50 p.m. The invocation will be given at 4 p.m. by Chaplain Andre Davis of the 436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base. The national anthem will be performed by Senior Airman Brianna Cooper of the 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, at 4:01 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 311 laps (311 miles) around the 1-mile speedway.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 70. Stage 2 ends on Lap 185.

COMPETITION CAUTION: Lap 25

TV/RADIO: NBCSN will televise the race. Coverage begins at 3 p.m. with NASCAR America. Countdown to Green follows at 3:30 p.m. and the race coverage begins at 4 p.m. Motor Racing Network’s radio coverage will begin at 3 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

FORECAST: The wunderground.com forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high of 82 degrees and a 15% chance of rain at the start of the race.

TO THE REAR: Brennan Poole (failed inspection to times)

LAST RACE: Chase Elliott won the inaugural Cup race on the Daytona road course. Denny Hamlin placed second. Martin Truex Jr. finished third.

LAST RACE AT DOVER: Kyle Larson won last year’s playoff race in October. Martin Truex Jr. was second. Alex Bowman placed third.

TO THE REAR: Brennan Poole (two inspection failures), Joey Gase (unapproved adjustment), Daniel Suarez (unapproved adjustment), Garrett Smithley (impound procedure infraction). Smithley also must perform a pass-through penalty after taking the green on track.

STARTING LINEUP: Click here for starting lineup

Catch up on NBC Sports’ coverage:

Friday 5: A million to one shot never before seen in NASCAR

Matt DiBenedetto: “Crazy” to be making 200th Cup Series start

Dueling teammates: Jimmie Johnson, William Byron in playoff race

Corey LaJoie will not return to Go Fas Racing

Silly Season Scorecard

Kevin Harvick close to clinching Cup regular season title

Tony Stewart: “It’s time to get Kyle (Larson) back in the sport.”

NASCAR seeks solution for overheating drivers

Hendrick Motorsports honors Jimmie Johnson with Southern 500 schemes

Jimmie Johnson honors Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt with Southern 500 car