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Sunday Cup race at Charlotte Roval: Start time, forecast, TV

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Dale Jarrett and Parker Kligerman agree that Alex Bowman is the perfect driver to replace Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 and predict that weather could play a role the Round of 12 cutoff race at the Charlotte Roval.

Playoff elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. What more could you want?

How about rain?

Goodyear will have its rain tires for Sunday’s race (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC). Drivers will race in the wet weather unless there is puddling, heavy rain or lightning.

Kyle Busch seeks to avoid being the first reigning champion eliminated this early in the playoffs since the current format debuted in 2014. He enters the race tied with Austin Dillon 21 points behind Joey Logano for the final transfer spot. Only Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin have clinched spots to the Round of 8 with their wins in this round.

Sunday’s race is the third at the Charlotte Roval. Ryan Blaney won the inaugural event in 2018 after Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson made contact in the final chicane on the last lap. Chase Elliott won last year’s race.

Here is all the info for the Sunday Cup race at the Charlotte Roval:

(All times are Eastern)

START: “This is Us” actor Justin Hartley will give the command at 2:20 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 2:32 p.m.

PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 7:30 a.m. Drivers report to their cars at 1:55 p.m. Driver intros at 2 p.m. The invocation will be given at 2:13 p.m. by David Chadwick, founding pastor at Moments of Hope Church. The national anthem will be performed by Season 14 of “The Voice” contestants Pryor & Lee at 2:14 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 109 laps (252.88 miles) around the 2.32-mile course.

COMPETITION CAUTION: Lap 10

STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 25. Stage 2 ends on Lap 50

TV/RADIO: NBC will televise the race. Coverage begins at 1 p.m on NBCSN with NASCAR America, followed by Countdown to Green at 1:30 p.m. Race coverage begins at 2 p.m. on NBC. Performance Racing Network’s radio coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m. and also can be heard at goprn.com. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the broadcast.

STREAMING: Watch the race on the NBC Sports App

FORECAST: The wunderground.com forecast calls for thunderstorms with a high of 70 degrees and an 51% chance of rain at the start of the race.

LAST RACE: Denny Hamlin went from fifth to first on the last lap of triple overtime to win last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Erik Jones placed second. Ty Dillon finished third.

LAST RACE AT Charlotte Roval: Chase Elliott overcame a crash on a restart to win last year’s playoff race. Alex Bowman finished second. Kevin Harvick was third.

STARTING LINEUP: Click here for starting lineup

CATCH UP ON NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE:

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Kyle Busch will “fight like hell” to avoid playoff elimination

Matt DiBenedetto to run for Woods in 2021 before Austin Cindric takes over

The inside story of how NASCAR navigated a 2020 scheduling nightmare and its future

NASCAR’s longest year of 32 races in 71 days

Toyota boss says 8 Cup wins this year is “unacceptable”

Aric Almirola on rain at the Roval: “The more chaos the better”

Daniel Suarez joins new Trackhouse Racing team in Cup for 2021

Passing the torch: Alex Bowman to drive No. 48 car in 2021

Chase Elliott not playing “numbers game” at Charlotte Roval

NASCAR Power Rankings after Talladega: Denny Hamlin back on top