 The race , the last in the 2009 season , began at 3 : 15 pm EDT and was televised live in the United States on ABC . Around the start of the race , weather conditions were partly cloudy with the air temperature 28 ° C ( 82 ° F ) . Fidel Gomez , assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , began pre @-@ race ceremonies with an invocation . Actress Anika Noni Rose performed the national anthem , and Actor Mike Rowe commanded the drivers to start their engines . During the pace laps , Robby Gordon had to move to the back of the grid because of him changing his engine . 
