What Channel Is NASCAR On Today? Race Start Time and How to Watch This Week
The next NASCAR Cup race is the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 4, and it's on USA Network: coverage starts at 5:30 p.m. ET, which is 2:30 p.m. PT. The race after that, at Charlotte on Oct. 11, is also on USA Network at 3 p.m. ET. NBC takes over for the last three races of the year, starting with Talladega on Oct. 25.
| Date | Race | Track | Start ET | CT | MT | PT | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct. 4 | South Point 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 5:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | USA Network |
| Sun, Oct. 11 | Bank of America 400 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Noon | USA Network |
| Sun, Oct. 18 | Freeway Insurance 500 | Phoenix Raceway | 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Noon | USA Network |
| Sun, Oct. 25 | YellaWood 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Noon | 11 a.m. | NBC |
| Sun, Nov. 1 | Xfinity 500 | Martinsville Speedway | 2 p.m. (EST) | 1 p.m. | Noon | 11 a.m. | NBC |
| Sun, Nov. 8 | NASCAR Championship Race | Homestead-Miami Speedway | 3 p.m. (EST) | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Noon | NBC |
Every start time and channel in that table matches in two places: NASCAR's official race feed and the FOX Sports Cup schedule. The feed gives the broadcast start in Eastern time, and we worked out the CT, MT and PT columns from it.
What time is the NASCAR race today?
There's no Cup race on Friday, Oct. 2 or Saturday, Oct. 3. The next green flag is Sunday. For Las Vegas, NASCAR's schedule lists Cup practice on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET and qualifying at 5:35 p.m. ET. That's one source, so treat those two times as listed rather than confirmed, and we haven't checked which channel carries them.
What channel is NASCAR on this week?
USA Network. The South Point 400 is race five of the ten-race Chase, and NBC and USA Network share the last 14 races of the season; USA Network has the first three of the remaining six. Fox, Prime Video and TNT finished their stretches earlier in the year, so none of them has a Cup race left in 2026.
| Stretch of the season | Where to watch |
|---|---|
| Oct. 4, 11 and 18 (Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix) | USA Network |
| Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8 (Talladega, Martinsville, Homestead-Miami) | NBC |
Why does the Las Vegas race start later than the others?
The Oct. 4 start is at least two and a half hours later than any other race left on the schedule, and neither NASCAR's feed nor FOX Sports gives a reason. After Las Vegas, the Chase races start in mid-afternoon in the East. The race is 267 laps, or 400.5 miles, per NASCAR's feed.
Can I watch NASCAR without cable?
It depends on the race. NBC is a broadcast network, so Talladega, Martinsville and the championship race come in free with an antenna. USA Network is a cable channel, which means Oct. 4, 11 and 18 need a TV provider or a live TV service that carries it. We haven't confirmed which streaming services include USA Network or what they cost, so check the lineup before you sign up. We haven't confirmed on an official page whether Peacock carries these races, so we're not listing it as an option.
When does the NASCAR season end, and what comes next?
The 2026 Cup season ends Sunday, Nov. 8, with the championship race at Homestead-Miami at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. That's the first time since 2019 that the title is decided at Homestead. Clocks go back on Sunday, Nov. 1, so Martinsville and Homestead start in Eastern Standard Time.
NASCAR's 2027 schedule is already posted. The Clash at Daytona is set for Saturday, Feb. 13, and the Daytona 500 for Sunday, Feb. 21. The feed lists FOX for the Daytona 500; start times for both are not yet announced.
Weekend start times for other series are on our UFC start-time page and the F1 race-time page. The start times section lists everything we track, and the two-source rule explains how we check each time. The home page and about page cover the desk.
FAQ
Is NASCAR on Fox this week? No. The Oct. 4 race is on USA Network, and Fox doesn't have a Cup race again until next season.
What time is the Phoenix race? Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. ET, or noon PT, on USA Network.
Sources
- NASCAR, official Cup Series race feed (cf.nascar.com): race start times in ET and TV partner, read Oct. 2, 2026, 2:23 a.m. ET.
- FOX Sports, NASCAR Cup Series schedule: race times and networks, read Oct. 2, 2026.
- NBC Sports, NASCAR releases 2026 schedules: NBC and USA Network share the final 14 Cup races.