NASCAR at Kentucky 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Saturday, the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway flips NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series on its head.  

On its lonesome, the 1.5-mile trek proves one of the most formidable challenges on the calendar for any driver. This year, sprinkle in a brand new aero package and rules handed down by NASCAR, and what has worked in the past for drivers just won't anymore.

As the sport changes, so too must the drivers. Last year, Brad Keselowski cruised to a simple, memorable win, but things are different now.

Those drivers who can overcome the new hurdles at one of the most difficult tracks will come away much better off on the leaderboard as things continue to heat up.

Viewing Details

Where: Kentucky Speedway

When: Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBC Live Extra

NASCAR at Kentucky Entry List

Car No.	Driver
1	Jamie McMurray
2	Brad Keselowski
3	Austin Dillon
4	Kevin Harvick
5	Kasey Kahne
6	Trevor Bayne
7	Alex Bowman
9	Sam Hornish Jr
10	Danica Patrick
11	Denny Hamlin
13	Casey Mears
14	Tony Stewart
15	Clint Bowyer
16	Greg Biffle
17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr
18	Kyle Busch
19	Carl Edwards
20	Matt Kenseth
21	Ryan Blaney
22	Joey Logano
23	J.J. Yeley
24	Jeff Gordon
26	Jeb Burton
27	Paul Menard
30	Travis Kvapil
31	Ryan Newman
32	Will Kimmel III
33	Alex Kennedy
34	Brett Moffitt
35	Cole Whitt
38	David Gilliland
40	Landon Cassill
41	Kurt Busch
42	Kyle Larson
43	Aric Almirola
46	Michael Annett
47	AJ Allmendinger
48	Jimmie Johnson
51	Justin Allgaier
55	David Ragan
62	Reed Sorenson
78	Martin Truex Jr
83	Matt DiBenedetto
88	Dale Earnhardt Jr
95	Michael McDowell
98	Josh Wise

Sprint Cup Standings

RK	DRIVER	POINTS
1	Jimmie Johnson	589
2	Kevin Harvick	656
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	593
4	Kurt Busch	508
5	Joey Logano	581
6	Martin Truex Jr.	569
7	Brad Keselowski	520
8	Matt Kenseth	501
9	Denny Hamlin	480
10	Carl Edwards	408

Drivers to Watch

Brad Keselowski

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Having won last year's race and touting two wins and a top-five finish in Kentucky over the course of the last four seasons, Keselowski might be the best barometer to see how drivers will perform under the new rules.

Keselowski needs to perform well, to say the least. He's seventh in the standings and a far cry away from his sixth-place finish in rainy Michigan three races ago, having not finished better than 19th over his last two.

Even without the rule changes, Keselowski is interesting because he's still attempting to bounce back from a brutal wreck in Daytona.

"That was frustrating," he told USA Today's Jeff Gluck. "I felt very, very lucky when I got out of my car and went to Austin and saw that he was OK. Really, those are the thoughts that stick out to me the most. It was just not a good deal."

It's a good time for the Penske Racing driver to return to familiar surroundings, even if things will feel a bit different.

Kyle Busch

John Raoux/Associated Press

Kyle Busch has nine races to enter the top 30 and qualify for the Chase.

NASCAR hit him with a medical exemption after he missed a chunk of the season with a broken leg. He has the necessary win outlined in the exception thanks to a win at Sonoma.

Saturday will prove critical in his climb out of the 37th hole.

Busch finished 17th last week in his return to Daytona, a mental hurdle unlike most have to encounter considering his first trip to DIS this season resulted in the injury.

It sounds like he has the iffy showing in the rear-view mirror and is ready for Kentucky's challenges, per Amy 54 Team:

If Busch was able to pull out a road-course win in Sonoma, it is silly to put anything past him at this point.

Few drivers have as much on the line Saturday as Busch.

Martin Truex Jr.

Terry Renna/Associated Press

The days of Martin Truex Jr. recording a whopping seven consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win at Pocono, seem long ago.

Now Truex finds himself in fifth place on the leaderboard after placing 42nd in Sonoma and 38th in Daytona. It's not time to hit the panic button just yet, but those names behind him on the leaderboard will continue to eat up his poor form and make attempts at a pass if it keeps up.

For his part, though, Truex doesn't seem deterred by the recent string of bad luck. Furniture Row Racing captured his thoughts:

While he lost ground in the standings, it takes one race for Truex to rediscover his prior dominant form.

Granted, the turnaround will need to come in odd new conditions, so keep an eye on Truex as he battles the rest of the Series on the 1.5-mile monster.

Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.