What time does the NASCAR race start today? Schedule, TV channel for Darlington race

For the first time in a couple months, those seeking the start time for a NASCAR race are doing so in order to catch real, live action rather than a virtual competition. And for once, there should be no debate on whether the start time for the Cup Series race is too early or too late — at least live racing is back on the schedule.

Sunday's NASCAR race is a track-date-start time combo that was not on its original 2020 schedule, but the same coronavirus pandemic-related issues that shut down live sports in March have led to a modified slate of races for May and June. That new schedule begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Darlington, S.C.

The start time for NASCAR's return to live racing Sunday is such that it will begin in the afternoon and likely end under the lights at Darlington Raceway. That should lead to varying track temperatures and, in turn, an onus on adjustments during a race that will be tough enough on teams that didn't receive the benefits of practice and qualifying.

Below is all you need to know about the schedule for Sunday's race at Darlington and beyond.

MORE: Watch the Real Heroes 400 live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Race: NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway
• Date: Sunday, May 17
•  Start time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Of the seven NASCAR races currently scheduled across all three national series in the span of 11 days, Sunday's event at Darlington is the only "day" race. Although, with a race distance of 400 miles, chances are Sunday's event will end under the lights.

With the exception of next week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will run on its originally scheduled date, Sunday's Cup Series race at Darlington is the longest on the current schedule until a 500-mile race at Atlanta in June.

Darlington will host another Cup race Wednesday before the series heads to Charlotte for that track's pair of May races. The second race at Darlington will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

MORE: Updated NASCAR schedule for 2020

What channel is NASCAR on today?

• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go, fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Fox will broadcast five of the nine NASCAR Cup Series races currently on the revised schedule. The other four Cup races will broadcast live on FS1.

Below are the top 40 TV markets in the Unites States and the local Fox affiliate for each.

"We are excited to welcome back the Fox NASCAR season to our airwaves to provide a return to live sports, a move toward normalcy and a much-needed distraction during these unprecedented times," said Mark Silverman, the president of FOX Sports National Networks. "While we are thrilled to return to the race track, the health and safety of our employees and all race participants is our top priority. We will continue working in lockstep with our partners at NASCAR and the race tracks to follow all national and local health guidelines."

NASCAR live stream for Darlington race

Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Sunday's Darlington 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 Fox — 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 May 14 released its revised Cup Series schedule for May 2020. It remains committed to running 36 races, four of which were completed before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. According to Fox Sports, 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:

To start, NASCAR is scheduling races within driving distance of the Charlotte area, where most race teams are headquartered. That eliminates most of the travel-related logistics issues associated with running multiple races in one week, which appears necessary for a full season of racing.

Because those tracks are hosting more races than originally scheduled, NASCAR had to take races away from Chicagoland, Richmond and Sonoma. Via NASCAR, below are the details of those changes:

— "Chicagoland’s NASCAR Cup Series race, originally set for June 21, has been reassigned to Darlington on May 17. The 1.5-mile Illinois track’s Xfinity Series race that was scheduled June 20 will be held May 19 at Darlington. Chicagoland was also set to host the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (June 19) and ARCA Menards Series (June 18); officials indicated that those races will be reassigned at a later date."

— "Richmond Raceway’s springtime Cup Series event on the initial schedule for April 19 has been moved to Darlington on May 20. A Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race that was to be run April 18 remains postponed, with officials saying details would come later for rescheduling. The .75-mile Virginia track’s Sept. 11-12 race weekend remains on the schedule."

— "Sonoma Raceway’s Cup Series date for June 14 has been moved to Charlotte on May 27. Officials for the road course said in a release that they had worked with NASCAR to find an alternate date on the schedule, but that a suitable replacement could not be reached, 'given the ongoing uncertainty around large events in California.'"

Below are the four NASCAR Cup Series races that are currently postponed (and their original dates on the schedule):

• Texas (March 29)
• Dover (May 3)
• Kansas (May 31)
• Michigan (June 7)