What channel is the NASCAR All-Star Race on today? TV schedule, start time for Bristol

The TV channel for a NASCAR race is elusive enough in a normal season when Fox and FS1 trade broadcasts of Cup Series events through the first half of the schedule before NBC takes over for the second half. The schedule shake-up associated with the coronavirus pandemic make the "what channel is today's NASCAR race on" question even more understandable.

Tonight, after a quick, one-week detour to NBC, Fox Sports returns for the second of its last two Cup race broadcasts of the year before NBC takes over again for the second half of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The NASCAR All-Star Race, which was moved from both its traditional location and its typical May date, will broadcast live on FS1.

MORE: Watch the NASCAR All-Star Race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

NASCAR's 2020 All-Star Race was salvaged even though it had to be moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the changes could be a blessing in disguise. Now the annual non-points race will run on the world's fastest half-mile, Bristol Motor Speedway, and will feature a handful of both competitive and visual rule changes.

Technically two races are scheduled for Wednesday night, as The Open, the chance for non-automatic qualifying drivers to make their way into the All-Star Race field, will begin at 7 p.m. ET. The race itself has a start time of 8:30 p.m. ET.

Below is how to watch Wednesday's NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol, including the TV channel and live stream options.

What channel is NASCAR All-Star Race on today?

• Race: NASCAR All-Star Race (and Open) at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Date: Wednesday, July 15
• TV channel: FS1
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
• Radio: MRN

The TV channel for Wednesday night's NASCAR All-Star Race is the same as originally scheduled even though the event had to be moved back to July and relocated from Charlotte to Bristol.

FS1 is carried by all major pay TV distributors. Fox Sports' site has a "find FS1" feature so viewers can find channel listings in their area and on their system.

As has been the case for all Cup Series races on Fox and FS1 since NASCAR returned to racing in May, Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon will call Wednesday night's All-Star Race. They will do so remotely from the Fox studio rather than the booth at the track.

The NASCAR All-Star Race is Fox's last Cup Series event of the 2020 season before NBC and NBCSN officially take over as the TV channels for the rest of the year. NBC was able to keep last week's Brickyard 400 in part because the race was part of a historic doubleheader with an IndyCar race, which took place on the IMS road course the day prior and broadcast live on NBC.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Date: Wednesday, July 15
• Start time: 7 p.m. ET (Open) | 8:30 p.m. ET (All-Star Race)

The first green flag of the night Wednesday will wave shortly after 7 p.m. ET for The Open, a quick qualifying race for those not yet locked into the All-Star field. The Open will feature stage lengths of 35, 35 and 15 laps. The winners of those three stages will earn spots in the back of the All-Star race lineup.

The All-Star Race itself has a start time of 8:30 p.m. ET and features stage lengths of 55, 35, 35 and 15 laps. Both green flag and yellow flag laps will count in Stages 1-3 with only green flag laps counting in the final stage.

FS1's NASCAR All-Star Race coverage will start at 6 p.m. ET.

NASCAR live stream for All-Star Race at Bristol

Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Wednesday night's NASCAR All-Star Race live via Fox Sports Go. This should be the preferred route for a viewer who has such a subscription but isn't able to get in front of his or her TV.

For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are five OTT TV streaming options that carry FS1 — Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV, fuboTV and AT&T Now. Of the five, Hulu, YouTubeTV and fuboTV offer free trial options.

Below are links to each.

• Sling
• Hulu (free trial)
• YouTubeTV (free trial)
• fuboTV (free trial)
• AT&T Now

NASCAR schedule 2020

NASCAR on July 8 released its latest revised Cup Series schedule through August of 2020. It remains committed to running 36 races, four of which were completed before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. NASCAR hopes to keep its 10 playoff races in the fall intact and at their original tracks.

Below is the schedule revision for the Cup Series regular season, starting with the races at Darlington the Cup Series ran in its return in May.

The Darlington race on May 17 ran instead of the the Chicagoland race that was originally scheduled for June 21. The Darlington race on May 20 ran instead of the postponed Richmond race that was originally scheduled for April 19. The Charlotte race on May 27 ran instead of the Sonoma race that was originally scheduled for June 14.

The Pocono doubleheader remained as previously scheduled for the final weekend of June, with the Cup Series racing on back-to-back days. Those races were presented on Fox (and FS1) rather than on NBC. Fox's will close its coverage this season with the All-Star Race at Bristol on July 15 before NBC takes over, but NBC still carried the Brickyard 400 on July 5.

The previously postponed races at Dover and Michigan are now part of Saturday-Sunday doubleheaders at those respective tracks in August.

Because New York requires people to quarantine for 14 days after traveling from one of the states impacted heavily by COVID-19 (including North Carolina), the Watkins Glen race on Aug. 16 was moved to the Daytona road course. According to The Athletic, NASCAR tried to get a quarantine waiver for its Watkins Glen races but was denied by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

The Aug. 16 race will be the NASCAR Cup Series' first on the road course at Daytona.