Where to watch a NASCAR race
All three NASCAR national series can be viewed on a collection of networks, depending on the time of season and the series.
NASCAR Cup Series races spanning from the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Feb. 2) to the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway can be viewed on FOX or FS1 affiliates. From the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25) through Pocono Raceway (June 22), races can be viewed on Prime Video. The summer race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (June 28) through the July contest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 27) comprises the entirety of the new NASCAR in-season tournament, with all five races airing on TNT Sports. USA and NBC will air the remainder of races from Iowa Speedway (Aug. 3) through the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway (Nov. 2).
NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions will be shown on Prime Video during the season’s first half, while TNT Sports on Max and TruTV will air these sessions during the second half. The exception will be The Clash at Bowman Gray, the Daytona 500 and the All-Star Race.
The CW will be the exclusive broadcast home for the entirety of the 33-race NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in 2025. All Xfinity practice and qualifying sessions will additionally be aired on The CW.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race season can be viewed on FS1 or FOX throughout the entire schedule. Practice and qualifying sessions for the Truck Series will be aired on FOX Sports networks. Affiliate networks such as FS2 or CNBC are sometimes used to fulfill NASCAR programming needs during the course of the season.
Who hosts NASCAR races
Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy returns to the NASCAR Cup Series booth on FOX and FS1 for his 25th season with former drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick serving as analysts. Christ Myers will continue to anchor on-site pre-race coverage. Adam Alexander will lead play-by-play duties for NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts on Prime Video and TNT Sports. Former crew chief Steve Letarte will serve as an analyst, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. will also join the coverage team.
Alexander will also serve as the lead play-by-play announcer on The CW for the Xfinity Series, with former Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray as an analyst. Former full-time Xfinity Series driver Parker Kligerman will additionally serve as an analyst. Dillon Welch and Kim Coon will serve as pit reporters, and Carla Gebhart will host the studio show “NASCAR Countdown Live” before every race.
Broadcast teams for the additional networks and series will be announced at a later date.
NASCAR Pre-Race Shows
Each race broadcast is accompanied by a pre-race show, which breaks down storylines and analyzes drivers and teams before the green flag. A post-race show often immediately follows each event, which features the winning driver’s interview in Victory Lane and other driver or crew chief interviews that highlight the action for that particular race.
What to expect when attending a NASCAR race
While attending a race, it’s more than just the high-intensity action on the race track. It’s a full experience. Before the race, fans in attendance can enjoy various sponsor activations outside of the race track that are entertaining and interactive. Fans can also expect other activities such as driver appearances and merchandise trailers where your favorite drivers’ gear can be purchased. Camping is also available outside of the race track, as well as the infield depending on the size of the facility.
As the green flag nears, drivers will make their way to the frontstretch for driver introductions before climbing into their machines for the race. Other pre-race ceremonies include the presentation of colors, the invocation, and the performance of the national anthem — the Canadian national anthem as well at some events. Finally, the ceremonies are concluded with the famous, “Drivers, start your engines” command.
Drivers will then pull off pit road and begin a series of pace laps at caution-flag speed until it’s time for the pace car to pull off the race track and the green flag to fly.