What channel is NASCAR on today? TV schedule, start time for Kentucky race | Sporting News (2024)

The TV channel for a NASCAR race is elusive enough in a normal season when Fox and FS1 trade broadcasts of Cup Series events through the first half of the schedulebefore NBC takes over for the second half. The schedule shake-upassociated with thecoronavirus pandemic makethe "what channel is today's NASCAR race on" question even more understandable.

Today, after a one-week detour to NBC, Fox Sports returns for the first of its last two Cup race broadcasts of the yearbefore NBC takes over again for the second half of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway will broadcast live on FS1 with a start time of 2:30 p.m. ET.

MORE: Watch today's NASCAR racelive with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Sunday's race at Kentuckyis the 13th Cup eventin NASCAR's returnon an altered, short-term schedule,and the17th Cup Seriesraces overall as NASCARattempts to keep a 36-raceslate intact for 2020. For now, with remaining doubt about how NASCAR can construct its schedule beyond Julygiven differing restrictions on gatherings of people from state to state, the short-term schedule only includes races through Aug. 2.

The date for theNASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky is a day later than originally scheduled, as itwas supposedto be a Saturday night race. Because NASCAR needed to squeeze in Truck Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Series events at Kentucky Speedway over the same weekend, the Cup race was moved back to Sunday afternoon.

Below is how to watch Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series raceat Kentucky, including the TV channel and live stream options.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

• Race: Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Kentucky Speedway
• Date: Sunday, July 12
• TV channel: FS1
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go|fuboTV (7-day free trial)
• Radio: PRN

FS1 is the TV channel for Sunday's race at Kentucky even though NBCSN was originally scheduled to broadcast the race. The coronavirus-related NASCAR schedule shake-up also moved around some broadcasts in the middle of the 2020 season.

FS1 is carried by all major pay TV distributors. Fox Sports'site has a "find FS1" feature so viewers can find channel listings in their area and on their system.

As has beenthe case for allCup Series races on Fox and FS1 since NASCAR returned to racing in May, Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon will call Sunday's race at Kentucky. They will do so remotely from the Fox studio rather than the booth at the track.

After Sunday's race at Kentucky, Fox Sports will broadcast one more Cup race (Wednesday night's All-Star Race at Bristol, also on FS1) before NBC and NBCSN officially take over as the TV channels for the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

NBC was able to keep last week'sBrickyard 400 in part because the race waspart of a historic doubleheader with an IndyCar race, which took place on the IMS road course the day prior and broadcast live on NBC.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Date: Sunday, July 12
• Start time: 2:30p.m. ET

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentuckywill wave shortly after 2:30p.m. ET, assuming there are no rain or lightning delays as there have been so often since NASCAR returned to live racing in May. The good news is Kentucky Speedway does have lights in the event weather delays the race at any point.

The Kentucky race was moved from its originally scheduled 7:30 p.m. ET start time on Saturday, July 11 to an afternoon race on Sunday to account for the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Series racing at the same track in the same weekend.

Sunday'srace at Kentuckyis scheduled for 267laps around the 1.5 mile oval with stage lengths of 80, 80 and 107laps.

NASCAR live stream for Kentucky race

Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Sunday's NASCAR race at Kentuckylive via Fox Sports Go.This should be the preferred route for a viewer who has such a subscription but isn't able to get in front of his or her TV.

For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are five OTT TV streaming options that carry FS1— Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV, fuboTV and AT&T Now. Of the five, Hulu, YouTubeTV and fuboTV offerfree trial options.

Below are links to each.

• Sling
• Hulu(free trial)
• YouTubeTV(free trial)
• fuboTV(free trial)
• AT&T Now

NASCAR schedule 2020

NASCAR on July 8 released its latest revised Cup Series schedule through Augustof2020. It remains committed to running 36 races, four of which were completedbefore the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. NASCARhopesto keep its 10 playoff races in the fall intact and at their original tracks.

Below is the schedule revision for the Cup Series regular season, starting with the races at Darlington the Cup Series ran in its return in May.

The Darlington race on May 17 raninstead of the the Chicagoland race that was originally scheduled for June 21. The Darlington race on May 20 raninstead of the postponed Richmond race that was originally scheduled for April 19. The Charlotte race on May 27 ran instead of the Sonoma race that was originally scheduled for June 14.

ThePocono doubleheaderremainedas previously scheduled for the final weekend of June, with the Cup Series racing on back-to-back days. Those races werepresented on Fox (and FS1) rather than on NBC. Fox's will close its coverage this season with the All-Star Race at Bristolon July 15 before NBC takes over, but NBC still carriedthe Brickyard 400 on July 5.

The previously postponed races at Dover and Michigan are now part of Saturday-Sunday doubleheaders at those respective tracks in August.

Because New York requires peopleto quarantine for 14 days after traveling from one of the states impacted heavily by COVID-19 (including North Carolina), the Watkins Glen race on Aug. 16 was moved to the Daytona road course. According to The Athletic, NASCAR tried to get a quarantine waiver for its Watkins Glen races but was denied byGov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

The Aug. 16 race will be the NASCAR Cup Series'first on the road course at Daytona.