What Time is the NASCAR Race Today? Talladega TV Schedule

The Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway drops its green flag at 3:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26, with FOX carrying the race and pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s qualifying session was rained out, leaving the grid set by owner points standings.

Race Name: Jack Link’s 500 · Track: Talladega Superspeedway · Start Time: 3:20 p.m. ET · Date: Sunday, April 26 · Laps: 188

The table below summarizes key race specifications for the Jack Link’s 500.

What time does the NASCAR race start today on TV?

The green flag for the Jack Link’s 500 drops at 3:20 p.m. ET, according to the official broadcast schedule. FOX carries the race in the United States, with pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET under the NASCAR RaceDay banner (Motorsport.com). That gives viewers roughly 90 minutes of build-up before the pack tears into Turn 1 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Green flag time

The 3:20 p.m. ET green flag accounts for the 40-minute pre-race ceremony and lineup procedures. Fans who want the full experience should tune in by 2:45 p.m. ET to catch the command and pace laps. The race itself will run approximately three hours depending on caution counts, which tend to pile up at Talladega’s 2.66-mile quad-oval.

Pre-race coverage

FOX’s NASCAR RaceDay pre-race show starts at 1:30 p.m. ET and runs through the command. The broadcast typically includes driver interviews, pit crew introductions, and weather updates. Canadian viewers can catch the same coverage on TSN (Motorsport.com). International viewers reportedly have additional streaming options beyond FOX and TSN, though specific platforms vary by region and provider.

What channel is the NASCAR race on today?

FOX is your channel for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega. The network holds the rights to most NASCAR Cup Series races in the United States and will carry the race start-to-finish. For viewers without cable, the FOX app and website provide authenticated streaming access for subscribers of participating TV providers (Hendrick Motorsports official site). In-car camera feeds are available on HBO Max as a live stream add-on.

TV schedule

The weekend broadcast lineup for Talladega from FOX and its sister channels breaks down as follows.

• Friday, April 24: ARCA Menards Series practice at 3:30 p.m. ET (no TV broadcast)
• Friday, April 24: O’Reilly Series qualifying at 5:30 p.m. ET on CW App
• Saturday, April 25: ARCA Menards Series race at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1
• Saturday, April 25: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at 4:00 p.m. ET on THE CW
• Sunday, April 26: Jack Link’s 500 at 3:20 p.m. ET on FOX

Live stream options

Beyond traditional TV, several streaming platforms carry NASCAR events. The FOX app covers the Cup race for authenticated subscribers. HBO Max’s live stream includes in-car camera options that broadcast TV does not. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio provide audio-only coverage for those who prefer the radio call.

What channel is the Talladega NASCAR race on today?

Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66-mile quad-oval located in Lincoln, Alabama. It is one of the largest venues in NASCAR and consistently produces some of the closest finishes in the sport. The Jack Link’s 500 is the main event of this weekend’s triple-header, with support races from the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Track details

Talladega’s banking reaches 33 degrees in the turns, allowing cars to maintain high speeds in massive packs. The track’s reputation for pack racing makes it a fan favorite, though it also generates anxiety among crew chiefs who manage the draft and avoid the “Big One” — a multi-car pileup that Talladega seems to produce every race. The track hosts approximately 147,000 spectators on race days.

Race length

The Jack Link’s 500 covers 500 miles across 188 laps, broken into three stages of 98, 45, and 45 laps. The first stage typically takes about 30 minutes, and stage breaks add short neutral periods to the broadcast. Drivers will make green-flag pit stops during each stage break, though the exact pit strategy depends on the caution count.

What this means: Stage structure at Talladega rewards consistent lap times over early aggression, since the closing pack often reshuffles positions regardless of early stage points.

What time is the cup race at Talladega today?

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2026. FOX’s coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET, and the green flag drops at 3:20 p.m. ET. The race is the tenth round of the 2026 season, meaning the championship picture is starting to take shape. Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and the Hendrick Motorsports contingent are among the usual contenders at Talladega.

Cup Series updates

The qualifying session originally set for 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday was rained out, leaving the starting grid determined by owner points and entry list order. The field consists of 36 chartered entries and five open teams, but only 40 cars will qualify due to NASCAR’s field limit — meaning one entry sits out.

Live highlights

Once the race starts, viewers can track live updates through the FOX Sports app, the NASCAR app, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. FOX’s broadcast team provides real-time lap charts and position updates throughout the race. Social media accounts for drivers and teams also provide pit-level updates for those watching on secondary screens.

The catch: Without qualifying to set the front rows, the championship favorites start clustered near the front, increasing the likelihood of multi-car incidents in the opening laps.

Starting lineup for today’s NASCAR race

Because Saturday’s qualifying session was rained out, the starting lineup for the Jack Link’s 500 reflects the current owner points standings plus the entry order for open teams. The 36 chartered entries are locked into the field, with the five open entries filling the remaining spots based on their order of acceptance. One car will not qualify due to the 40-car ceiling.

Top starters

Drivers from top-ranked teams — primarily the four Hendrick Motorsports entries, the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, and the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords — will start at the front regardless of the washed-out qualifying session. Talladega’s pack-racing dynamics mean starting position matters less than at a typical track, but pole position still carries bragging rights and the psychological edge of leading the field into Turn 1.

Qualifying results

With qualifying cancelled due to rain, there are no Saturday pole-position results to report. The grid order is based on the NASCAR rulebook’s backup procedure for weather postponements. FOX will display the starting grid during pre-race coverage, and the broadcast will confirm positions during the pace laps.

The rained-out qualifying is the biggest storyline heading into Sunday. Without a qualifying session to shake up the grid, the field stacks up by points standings, meaning the usual championship contenders start at the front. This removes some of the unpredictability from the front rows but does not change Talladega’s reputation for chaotic pack racing that can shuffle a finishing order in the final 20 laps.

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The Talladega Superspeedway event kicks off at 3:20 p.m. ET on FOX, while the NASCAR race today live guide covers essential times and channels for fans.

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