Update: The NASCAR All-Star Race took place Saturday night. Kyle Larson won the race and the $1 million prize.
What channel is the NASCAR race on today? What time does the NASCAR race start? These are the questions that plague race fans every Sunday — or, in this case, Saturday — when each Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will be on either FOX or FS1 for the first half of the 2019 season with differing start times.
As for Saturday's All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the channel that will broadcast the race is FS1. The start time for the Monster Energy Open is 6 p.m. ET, and the start time for the All-Star Race itself is 8:30 p.m. ET. The start time for the pre-race show on FS1 is 5 p.m. ET.
MORE: Watch the NASCAR All-Star Race live with fuboTV (7-day trial)
The 6 p.m. ET start time for Saturday's NASCAR Cup races signals the third night race of the 2019 season. As for the TV channel, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to FS1 for the third week in a row. As part of FOX's TV deal with NASCAR for the 2019 season, FOX was slated to show nine Cup races this year, and FS1 was scheduled to show eight, including the All-Star Race.
Saturday's All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will consist of four stages (30 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, 15 laps), is the 13th race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, though it is not a point race. Below is all the info you need regarding how to watch the race.
What channel is NASCAR on today? Time, TV for All-Star Race
- Race: All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Date: Saturday, May 18
- Start time: 6 p.m. ET (Open) | 8:30 p.m. ET (All-Star Race)
- TV channel: FS1
- Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV
- Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
The All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday will be the fifth race of the season to be shown on FS1.
Drivers who are not eligible to compete in the All-Star Race will try to race their way into the main event Saturday night via the Monster Energy Open, a three-segment race (20 laps, 20 laps, 10 laps) that takes place before the All-Star Race with a start time of 6 p.m. ET. The winners at the end of each segment in the Monster Energy Open will be added to the All-Star field, as will the winner of a fan vote.
In addition to the TV coverage on FS1, Saturday night's race is available via live stream through FOX Sports Go or fuboTV. New fuboTV users can sign up with a seven-day free trial.
MORE: Full TV schedule for All-Star weekend
Last year's All-Star Race brought a big change in terms of the rules package, one that fueled the permanent change NASCAR made to the aerodynamics and engine specs of its Cup cars for 2019. This year's All-Star Race will feature more changes, some that might be implemented in the Generation 7 car that should be in place by 2021.
Here are the two new rules components for the All-Star Race, from NASCAR's release:
"The first is single-piece carbon fiber splitter/pan that should offer dramatic improvements in ride height sensitivity for the drivers. This technical component will provide a more stable aero platform and create more consistent performance in traffic.
"Also, the car will be configured with a radiator duct which exits through the hood as opposed to the current design which exits into the engine compartment. This feature will create improved aerodynamic parity and, at the same time, reduce engine temperatures."
MORE: Full 2019 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
So far, 15 drivers have qualified for the All-Star Race by winning a race in 2018 or 2019, being a past All-Star Race winner or being a past NASCAR Cup Series champion. The winners of each of the three stages (20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps) in the Monster Energy Open race will move into the feature, as will the driver who wins the fan vote.
For the first time in his Cup Series career, Chase Elliott earned his spot in the All-Star Race by virtue of race wins and not the fan vote. He won his first, second and third career Cup races last season and already has another victory (Talladega) this season.
Elliott's teammate, Jimmie Johnson, can enter the All-Star Race with high hopes, especially given the unknowns around the new rules package. Johnson has four career All-Star Race wins, the most for any driver.