There is no Cup race on Monday, July 6, but the next green flag falls at 7:00 PM ET on Sunday, July 12. Most official schedules list times in Eastern Time, so West Coast viewers should tune in at 4:00 PM PT and Central Time viewers at 6:00 PM CT. The evening start means the race will move from daylight toward sunset at EchoPark Speedway.

NASCAR Nation pre-race coverage begins at 6:00 PM ET, with driver introductions scheduled around 6:30 PM ET before the 7:00 PM green flag. You’ll also see the national anthem and the famous start-engines command. Veteran crew chiefs schedule their warm-up routines around these broadcast windows. Consequently, even the garage side of the paddock operates on TV time.

Finding the right channel is where many new fans get tripped up. The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series uses four broadcast partners instead of a simple two-network split. FOX Sports carries the opening portion through the All-Star Race, Prime Video owns five exclusive late-spring races, TNT Sports carries five midseason races, and NBC Sports closes the year with 14 events across USA Network and NBC.

For the next Cup race on Sunday, July 12, tune to TNT Sports or truTV at 7:00 PM ET, or stream it on HBO Max. Later in the season, local NBC broadcasts can be watched over the air with a digital antenna, while USA Network requires a participating TV package. Prime Video and HBO Max are separate subscription platforms, so the calendar month alone is no longer enough to identify the correct service.

For quick channel lookups by race event, our dedicated guide on what channel the NASCAR race is on and what channel NASCAR is on today keeps those details updated throughout the season.

Cutting the cord no longer means missing your favourite motorsport, but the correct app changes during the 2026 season. For the next Cup race at EchoPark Speedway, HBO Max is the direct streaming option, while TNT Sports and truTV carry the television simulcast. Other portions of the season use FOX Sports, Prime Video, NBC Sports, Peacock, and The CW.

The next NASCAR weekend features all three national series, but they will not all race at the same track. The Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series compete at EchoPark Speedway in Georgia, while the Craftsman Truck Series visits Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Here is the confirmed July 11–12 schedule.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is the new name for the division formerly known as the Xfinity Series. Its July 11 Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway begins at 7:00 PM ET on The CW, after qualifying streams at 11:00 AM ET in The CW App. For more on how fast NASCAR cars actually go across all three series, our explainer covers the speed hierarchy in detail.

Meanwhile, the Truck Series races at a different venue this weekend. The LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park starts Saturday at 1:00 PM ET on FS1 after morning practice and qualifying. To understand more about how racing flags work and how laps are counted across NASCAR’s formats, our explainers cover both clearly.

Different tracks demand completely different broadcast windows. A night race at Bristol requires prime-time scheduling, while the July EchoPark event starts at 7:00 PM ET. Below are the confirmed 2026 Cup start times and networks for several of the most-searched venues on the calendar.

The next EchoPark Speedway event starts at 7:00 PM ET on July 12, creating an evening race window in Georgia. Las Vegas also has two distinct start times in 2026: 4:00 PM ET in March on FS1 and 5:30 PM ET during the October playoffs on USA Network. For a detailed race-weekend example, see our Chicagoland NASCAR 2026 schedule, including session times and broadcast information.

Chicagoland deserves a special mention because the 1.5-mile Joliet oval returned to the Cup schedule in 2026 after the series spent the previous three seasons racing on Chicago’s downtown street course. Its July 5 race started at 6:00 PM ET on TNT Sports, beginning the run of evening events that continues at EchoPark and North Wilkesboro.

Knowing the starting lineup changes your viewing experience entirely. Officials determine the grid through single-car qualifying runs, where drivers push to the absolute limit for the all-important pole position. Qualifying lap times decide the entire front-to-back order for Sunday. Therefore, Saturday’s session is worth watching even if you only have thirty minutes to spare.

However, when severe rain washes out qualifying entirely, officials fall back to a mathematical formula. They use owner points standings, previous race finishes, and fastest lap data from practice to set the grid. Consequently, strong championship contenders often end up near the front even without a qualifying lap — which is one reason points management matters so much across the full season. Our guide on what pole position means and how racing drivers qualify break down the format in full.

How Stage Racing Works

Modern NASCAR divides every Cup race into three distinct stages to guarantee aggressive driving throughout — not just in the final laps. A green-and-white checkered flag waves at the end of each stage, awarding championship points to the top ten finishers in that segment. Furthermore, the stage winner earns a valuable bonus playoff point for the postseason.

Stage results shift the championship standings week by week. Moreover, they create multiple moments of late-stage aggression where drivers who might otherwise manage their equipment start taking risks to capture points. Understanding how racing championships are scored makes the stage format make much more sense — particularly during the playoff stretch where these extra points can be the difference between advancing and going home.

For live updates during today’s race, the official NASCAR app gives real-time telemetry, stage results, and lap-by-lap position changes. This data makes following the complex live strategy significantly more enjoyable than watching the broadcast alone. For more context on how pit stops work in racing and what the safety car does to race strategy, our explainers cover both in plain English.

To find the full starting grid before broadcast, head to the official NASCAR website after Saturday qualifying ends. The NASCAR race results and today’s NASCAR race winner pages update live on this site once the chequered flag drops. Additionally, our full how to watch NASCAR guide covers every broadcast scenario including international streaming options.