Daytona 500 2019: Key information for the NASCAR Cup Series season-opener

It's NASCAR race day at Daytona International Speedway, and we've got all the information you need to get ready for today's 61st annual Daytona 500, the season-opener of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:

START TIME: 2:30 p.m. ET.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will instruct drivers to start their engines, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the pace car (Chevrolet Silverado truck) leading the field around the track.

GREEN FLAG: New England Patriots wide receiver and Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman will wave the flag to start the race at 3:05 p.m. ET.

TV: Fox. Pre-race broadcast begins at 1 p.m ET.

RADIO: Motor Racing Network. STREAMING: Fox Sports Go.

RACE DISTANCE: 200 laps around the 2.5-mile track for a total of 500 miles.

STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 60, Stage 2: 60, Stage 3: 80.

WEATHER: Absolutely ideal. The Weather Channel is calling for mostly sunny skies with highs in the low 80s.

LAST TIME: Austin Dillon captured his first Daytona 500 win, taking the checkered flag in overtime after bumping and spinning race leader Aric Almirola on the white-flag lap. The Richard Childress Racing driver took the iconic No. 3 to victory lane 20 years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. captured his lone Daytona 500 title in the same car for Childress.

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