What channel is NASCAR on today? TV schedule, start time for 2021 championship race at Phoenix

Tom Gatto

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What channel is NASCAR on today? TV schedule, start time for 2021 championship race at Phoenix image

For anyone who's asking "What channel is the NASCAR race on today?" the answer is that the season-ending championship race can be seen on a major network.

NASCAR is at Phoenix Raceway this weekend for the Cup Series Championship, the final race of the 2021 season and the race that will crown a series champion. Viewers can watch the four remaining playoff drivers compete for 312 or more laps on Phoenix's 1-mile oval.

The NBC family of networks will air all 10 NASCAR Cup Series playoff races, with the schedule evenly split between cable and broadcast. 

Below is all you need to know about the schedule for Sunday's championship race, including the TV coverage and start time:

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

What channel is NASCAR on today?

  • TV channel: NBC (TSN5 in Canada)
  • Live stream: NBC Sports.com | NBC Sports App | Peacock Premium | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
  • Radio: MRN

NBC's programming will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET with an extended "Countdown to Green" prerace show hosted by Marty Snider with Dale Jarrett and Brad Daugherty. Kyle Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Kelli Stavast will also take part in the show.

Race coverage will begin at 3 p.m. Rick Allen will have the play-by-play call while Earnhardt, Burton and Letarte will provide analysis. Snider, Stavast, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will be the pit reporters. Rutledge Wood will provide in-race reports and interviews.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

  • Race: NASCAR Cup Series Championship
  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 7
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET (TV time)

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race on Phoenix Raceway's 1-mile track is scheduled to drop at 3:34 p.m. EST Sunday (1:34 p.m. MST). The track has lights, so the race can finish after sunset, which is set for 5:37 p.m. MST on Sunday.

PHOENIX LINEUP: Starting order, pole with qualifying

Weather does not figure to be the cause of a delay. The National Weather Serivce's forecast for Avondale, Ariz., where Phoenix Raceway is located, is for sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s. Winds will be calm to light.  

NASCAR live stream for Phoenix race

Anyone who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Sunday's NASCAR championship race at Phoenix 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 — AT&T TV, fuboTV, Hulu, Sling and YouTubeTV.

Below are links to each:

NBC is televising the race, so it can also be streamed on the network's premium service, Peacock. Streamers can also watch the race with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. 

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

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.