Daytona 500 to start after 1 PM

The Daytona 500 is expected to begin shortly after 1 p.m. ET for the third consecutive year after NASCAR’s move to earlier, more consistent start times reports scenedaily.com.

Although NASCAR has not released official start times for the 2012 season, NASCAR has set a tentative 1 p.m. start time for the 2012 season-opening race Feb. 26 at Daytona International Speedway.

Last year, the green flag waved at about 1:29 p.m. ET.

The race is one week later than usual as NASCAR looks to tighten up its season by a week and avoid any potential conflicts with the Super Bowl.