Aaron's 499 2013: Start Time, Lineup, TV Schedule and More

Rain showers are possible during NASCAR’s 2013 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

More than anything, unpredictability is what makes the 2.66-mile behemoth track intriguing. Three current drivers—Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers and Ken Schrader—all earned their first career Sprint Cup victories at Talladega.

Beyond that there are plenty of other interesting storylines to watch at the track’s first 2013 event.

How will Danica Patrick respond after struggling since her impressive season-opening performance at the Daytona 500?

Will the new Generation-6 cars play a factor in shaking up the field this year?

Let’s highlight some essential viewing information and take a look at which drivers you should watch on Sunday.

Where: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AL

When: Sunday, May 5 , at 1 p.m. ET

Television: Fox

Streaming: NASCAR Race View

Lineup and Qualifying Order

Pos.	Car	Driver	Team
1	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King/Dr.Pepper Toyota
2	35	Josh Wise	MDS Transport Ford
3	95	Scott Speed	Jordan Truck Sales/TrackingPoint Ford
4	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota
5	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
6	87	Joe Nemechek	MaddiesPlaceRocks.com Toyota
7	7	Dave Blaney	Sany Chevrolet
8	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
9	5	Kasey Kahne	Time Warner Cable Chevrolet
10	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Clorox Chevrolet
11	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford
12	20	Matt Kenseth	Home Depot/Husky Toyota
13	24	Jeff Gordon	Imron Elite Chevrolet
14	39	Ryan Newman	Haas Automation Chevrolet
15	15	Clint Bowyer	Peak Toyota

*For full lineup and qualifying order check out NASCAR.com.

Talladega’s Recent Winners

Year	Race		Winner
2012
	Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500		Matt Kenseth
	Aaron's 499		Brad Keselowski
2011
	Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500		Clint Bowyer
	Aaron's 499		Jimmie Johnson
2010
	AMP Energy Drink 500		Clint Bowyer
	Aaron's 499		Kevin Harvick
2009
	AMP Energy Drink 500		Jamie McMurray
	Aaron's 499		Brad Keselowski

Drivers to Watch

Clint Bowyer

As unpredictable as Talladega Superspeedway is, you won’t find a more consistent driver at the 2.66-mile track than Clint Bowyer.

Bowyer has racked up 151 championship points over the past four races there, according to Yahoo! Sports. Those points include a second-place finish at the 2011 Aaron’s 499 and a win at the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 earlier that year.

This year’s race has a different feel to it. Will Bowyer’s success continue at the restrictor-plate track with the change to the Generation-6 car? At Daytona, the last restrictor-plate track, Bowyer was in the top 10 but fell back during the final 50 laps.

Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick is hoping that she can catch fire at Talladega as she did at the Daytona 500 just a couple of months ago. The restrictor-plate season opener led to an eighth-place finish for the rookie. In the process she also became the first woman to win a pole on NASCAR’s biggest stage.

Her rookie season hasn’t gone as planned after that initial spark of hope, but she is hopeful this weekend’s race at Talladega will help get her back on track.

“It’s just being comfortable on these big speedways and comfortable with this pack style racing that I was so used to in IndyCar on the ovals,” Patrick said, according to David Caraviello of NASCAR.com.

Denny Hamlin

Injured driver Denny Hamlin received clearance to race on Sunday at Talladega, according to ESPN’s David Newton. Hamlin has been sidelined since March 24 when he suffered a lower-back compression fracture during the final lap of the Auto Club Speedway event.

NASCAR tweeted a picture of Hamlin taking questions from the media on Friday:

Despite his excitement, the driver of the No. 11 car won’t likely make an impact. He’s expected to begin the race and then give way to backup driver Brian Vickers early on. By starting the race, Hamlin will receive any points his stand-in receives.