For anyone who's asking "What time is the NASCAR race today?" the answer is that the race will be a prime-time special.
The Cup Series is at Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the last race before the start of the playoffs. The 160-lap, 400-mile event is scheduled for an evening start on Saturday.
NASCAR staged the majority of its 2021 Cup Series regular-season races in the daytime, but Saturday's race will begin a run of five consecutive night events (Eastern time).
Below is all you need to know about the schedule for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona:
MORE: Watch today's NASCAR race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
What time does the NASCAR race start today?
- Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 28
- Time: 7 p.m. ET (TV time)
The green flag for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race on Daytona International Speedway's 2.5-mile oval is scheduled to drop at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Because it's Daytona in the summer, there is a chance that weather will be a factor. The National Weather Service's forecast for Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla., is for partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 90 degrees during the day, followed by cloudy skies and a low temperature in the high 70s at night. There is the usual chance for showers and thunderstorms. The weather service puts the chances for precipitation at 30 percent during the day and 20 percent at night.
What channel is NASCAR on today?
- TV channel: NBC (TSN5 in Canada)
- Live stream: NBCSports.com | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
- Radio: MRN
NBC's programming will begin at 6 p.m. with the "Countdown to Green" pre-race show, followed by race coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Rick Allen will call the race; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte will provide analysis.
Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Parker Kligerman will be the pit reporters.
NASCAR live stream for Daytona race
Anyone who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Saturday's NASCAR race from Daytona live via NBCSports.com or the NBC Sports App.
For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are five over-the-top (OTT) TV streaming options that carry NBC and NBCSN — AT&T TV, fuboTV, Hulu, Sling and YouTubeTV.
Below are links to each:
- AT&T TV
- fuboTV (7-day free trial)
- Hulu (7-day free trial)
- Sling
- YouTube TV (7-day free trial)
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 schedule
Below is the remaining schedule for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular season and playoffs, starting with Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, the 26th and final race of the regular season.
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 regular season
| Date | Race | Track | Time (ET) | TV | Radio |
| Aug. 28 | Coke Zero Sugar 400 | Daytona International Speedway | 7 p.m. | NBC | MRN |
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 16
| Date | Race | Track | Time (ET) | TV | Radio |
| Sept. 5 | Cook Out Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | 6 p.m. | NBCSN | MRN |
| Sept. 11 | Federated Auto Parts 400 | Richmond Raceway | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | MRN |
| Sept. 18 | Bass Pro Shops Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | 7:30 p.m. | NBCSN | PRN |
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 12
| Date | Race | Track | Time (ET) | TV | Radio |
| Sept. 26 | South Point 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 7 p.m. | NBCSN | PRN |
| Oct. 3 | YellaWood 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | 2 p.m. | NBC | MRN |
| Oct. 10 | Bank of America ROVAL 400 | Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course | 2 p.m. | NBC | PRN |
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 8
| Date | Race | Track | Time (ET) | TV | Radio |
| Oct. 17 | Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | 2 p.m. | NBC | PRN |
| Oct. 24 | Hollywood Casino 400 | Kansas Speedway | 3 p.m. | NBCSN | MRN |
| Oct. 31 | Xfinity 500 | Martinsville Speedway | 2 p.m. | NBC | MRN |
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Championship 4
| Date | Race | Track | Time (ET) | TV | Radio |
| Nov. 7 | NASCAR Cup Series Championship | Phoenix Raceway | 3 p.m. | NBC | MRN |