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

Tom Gatto

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

For anyone who's asking "What time is the NASCAR race today?" the answer is that the race will begin under afternoon skies.

The Cup Series is at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the Bank of America ROVAL 400, the sixth race in the 2021 playoffs and the final race in the Round of 12. The 109-lap, 400-kilometer (252.88-mile) event on Charlotte's Roval (road-oval hybrid) course is slated for a daytime start.

NASCAR scheduled the majority of its 2021 Cup Series regular-season races for the afternoon. All five remaining playoff races, including Sunday, are scheduled to begin in the 2-3 p.m. ET range.

Below is all you need to know about the schedule for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

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

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

  • Race: Bank of America ROVAL 400
  • Date: Sunday, Oct. 10
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race on Charlotte Motor Speedway's 2.28-mile road course is scheduled to drop at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday. The track installed temporary lights for the infield in case the race extends past sunset.

CHARLOTTE LINEUP: Starting order, pole without qualifying

The race is expected to run under ideal weather conditions. The National Weather Service's Sunday forecast for Concord, N.C., about 15 miles northeast of uptown Charlotte, is for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature close to 80 degrees. Winds will be out of the north from 7-9 mph.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

  • TV channel: NBC (TSN3 in Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com | NBC Sports App | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
  • Radio: PRN

NBC's programming will begin at 1 p.m. ET with the "Countdown to Green" prerace show hosted by Marty Snider with Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett. Rick Allen will handle the play-by-play call of the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte will provide analysis.

Snider, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will be the pit reporters. Rutledge Wood will provide additional reporting during the race.

NASCAR live stream for Charlotte race

Anyone who has a cable or satellite subscription can stream Sunday's NASCAR race at Charlotte 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:

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 schedule

Below is the remaining schedule for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, starting with Sunday's Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte, the third and final race in the Round of 12.

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 playoffs Round of 12

Date Race Track Time (ET) TV Radio
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

MORE: NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, explained

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.