The NASCAR season is in full swing following the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, and the competitors are on a mission to secure a victory. One of the first steps in this quest is securing a prime starting spot in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. The drivers will take part in a qualifying race on Saturday afternoon. Here’s when it airs.
The NASCAR Cup Series qualifying race will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET. The brief race can be watched on the FS1/FOX Sports App in the United States. Viewers in Canada will use the TSN App.
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Saturday’s qualifying race is more of a time trial that will help determine the starting position of each competitor. The drivers will take a single timed lap around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. To provide context for their performance, a ghost car will be shown on the broadcast.
“One of the other things to make a compelling program out of it is we’ve seen the use of the ghost car [on television],” said NASCAR senior VP of competition Scott Miller following 2019’s return to single-car qualifying laps. “That’s going to be a big element in presenting a quality show. I think fans are going to be able to see which drivers drive in deep, which drivers roll the middle faster and get off the corners faster and really give the talent in the booth something to talk about.”
There are several top names in contention to secure the victory during the 23rd annual Pennzoil 400. Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick (2019’s winner) both have the best odds entering Saturday’s qualifying action, but they only hold a slim advantage over some other top names. Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano round out the top-five, according to CBS Sports.
While Bush is viewed as the favorite, there is another racer drawing attention on Saturday. Veteran Jimmie Johnson, who is on a retirement tour, is facing 30-1 odds to win but is believed to be a contender.
The man with 83 victories to his name has found considerable success at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This includes wins in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010. Johnson finished 11th overall in last fall’s Las Vegas race.
Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET when the green flag is waved. The ultimate victor is unknown, but each driver will have an opportunity to gain an advantage during Saturday’s qualifying race.
(Photo Credit: Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
