What time does the NASCAR race start today? TV schedule, channel for Talladega race

Tom Gatto

What time does the NASCAR race start today? TV schedule, channel for Talladega race image

For anyone who's asking "What time is the NASCAR race today," the answer is that it's earlier than usual.

But the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is still slated for a mid-afternoon green flag, which is NASCAR's preferred time window for Cup Series races this season.  

Talladega will be the 10th race this year and the ninth scheduled for the daytime. Just six points races and the All-Star Race are scheduled to be run at night the remainder of the season. Talladega does not have lights, so an earlier start time will help to ensure that the race is completed Sunday. 

Below is all you need to know about the schedule for Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega.

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

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

  • Date: Sunday, April 25
  • Start time: 2 p.m. ET (TV time)

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to wave shortly after 2 p.m. ET.

It's unlikely that weather will delay the start. The National Weather Service's outlook for Talladega, Ala., calls for sunny skies and a high temperature near 75 degrees. Those conditions would offer a welcome respite for NASCAR after rain on Friday and Saturday.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

Fox and Fox Sports 1 will televise NASCAR races during the first four months of the Cup Series schedule, through the June 13 All-Star Race at Texas. Fox will air Sunday's race, the 10th of the NASCAR Cup Series 2021 season.

NBC and NBC Sports Network are scheduled to air the remaining NASCAR Cup Series races in 2021, including the playoffs.

As is the case for all the Cup Series races on Fox this season, Mike Joy will call the race along with analysts Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Larry McReynolds. Jamie Little and Regan Smith will be the pit reporters.

NASCAR live stream for Talladega race

Anyone who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Sunday afternoon's NASCAR race at Talladega live via FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports Go app.

For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are six OTT (over-the-top) TV streaming options that carry Fox and FS1 — AT&T TV, fuboTV, Hulu, Sling, Vidgo and YouTubeTV. Of the six, fuboTV, Hulu and YouTubeTV offer free-trial options.

Below are links to each.

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 schedule

Below is the remaining schedule for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series regular season and playoffs, beginning with Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 regular season

DateRaceTrackTime (ET)TVRadio
April 25GEICO 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m.FoxMRN
May 2Buschy McBusch Race 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.FS1MRN
May 9Goodyear 400Darlington Raceway3:30 p.m.FS1MRN
May 16Drydene 400Dover International Speedway2 p.m.FS1MRN
May 23NASCAR Cup Series Race at COTACircuit of the Americas2:30 p.m.FS1PRN
May 30Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway6 p.m.FoxPRN
June 6Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway4 p.m.FS1PRN
June 13NASCAR All-Star OpenTexas Motor Speedway6 p.m.FS1MRN
June 13NASCAR All-Star RaceTexas Motor Speedway8 p.m.FS1MRN
June 20Ally 400Nashville Superspeedway3:30 p.m.NBCSNMRN
June 26NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono-1Pocono Raceway3 p.m.NBCSNMRN
June 27NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono-2Pocono Raceway3:30 p.m.NBCSNMRN
July 4NASCAR Cup Series Race at Road AmericaRoad America2:30 p.m.NBCMRN
July 11Quaker State 400 Presented by WalmartAtlanta Motor Speedway3:30 p.m.NBCSNPRN
July 18Foxwoods Resort Casino 301New Hampshire Motor Speedway3 p.m.NBCSNPRN
Aug. 8Go Bowling at The GlenWatkins Glen International3 p.m.NBCSNMRN
Aug. 15Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia LineIndianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course1 p.m.NBCIMS
Aug. 22FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway3 p.m.NBCSNMRN
Aug. 28Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway7 p.m.NBCMRN

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 16

Date Race Track Time (ET) TV Radio
Sept. 5Cook Out Southern 500Darlington Raceway6 p.m.NBCSNMRN
Sept. 11Federated Auto Parts 400Richmond Raceway7:30 p.m.NBCSNMRN
Sept. 18Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m.NBCSNPRN

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 12

Date Race Track Time (ET) TV Radio
Sept. 26South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway7 p.m.NBCSNPRN
Oct. 3YellaWood 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m.NBCMRN
Oct. 10Bank of America ROVAL 400Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course2 p.m.NBCPRN

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 8

Date Race Track Time (ET) TV Radio
Oct. 17Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500Texas Motor Speedway2 p.m.NBCPRN
Oct. 24Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.NBCSNMRN
Oct. 31Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway2 p.m.NBCMRN

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Championship 4

DateRaceTrackTime (ET)TV Radio
Nov. 7NASCAR Cup Series ChampionshipPhoenix Raceway3 p.m.NBCMRN

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.