If you're frantically checking your guide for the nascar race today time and channel, I've got a bit of a reality check for you. Today is Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The engines are quiet. The haulers are still parked.
Honestly, we are in that weird "limbo" part of the winter. It’s that gap where the holiday leftovers are long gone, but the high-banked drama of Daytona hasn't quite kicked off yet. You aren't going to find any live Cup Series action on FOX or FS1 today, and if you see a race on the TV at the local bar, it’s almost certainly a replay of last year’s wild finish at Homestead.
Don't feel bad about it. We’ve all been there, waking up on a random weekday in January thinking it’s race day because the itch for 700 horsepower is real. But if you want to know when you actually need to clear your schedule and stock the fridge, we need to look at the 2026 calendar that NASCAR officially dropped late last year.
When does the real 2026 NASCAR season actually start?
The wait is almost over, but you’ve still got a couple of weeks to wait. The very first time you’ll need to know the nascar race today time and channel for a live event is Sunday, February 1, 2026.
That is the date for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
It’s happening at 8:00 p.m. ET, and you can catch it on FOX. This isn’t a points race, but it’s basically a high-speed mosh pit in Winston-Salem. They call Bowman Gray "The Madhouse" for a reason. It's a quarter-mile flat track where tempers usually flare before the first 50 laps are even finished. If you like seeing grown men get out of their cars to scream at each other on the front stretch, this is your Super Bowl.
💡 You might also like: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
After that, things shift to the Florida coast. Speedweeks officially kicks off the points-paying season.
- Thursday, Feb. 12: The America 250 Florida Duels at Daytona. These start at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1. These are the qualifying races that set the grid for the big show.
- Sunday, Feb. 15: The Daytona 500. This is the one. 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Basically, the 500 is the anchor of the early season. If you miss that, you've missed the biggest payout and the most prestigious trophy in the sport.
The new 2026 TV landscape: It’s kinda complicated
You can’t just stay on one channel all year anymore. NASCAR signed a massive new media rights deal that started a bit ago, and 2026 is the second year of this multi-partner chaos. You’re going to be jumping between traditional cable, broadcast TV, and streaming services more than a driver shifts gears at Martinsville.
For the first part of the season, it’s the FOX family. You’ll be living on FOX and FS1 from February through May. They handle everything from the Clash up through the All-Star Race at Dover on May 17.
Then things get spicy.
📖 Related: LeBron James Without Beard: Why the King Rarely Goes Clean Shaven Anymore
Starting with the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, Amazon Prime Video takes over for a five-race stint. Yeah, you’ll need a login for that. They have the rights to some big ones, including the brand-new San Diego street course race at Naval Base Coronado on June 21. That one is a big deal—NASCAR is basically racing on a Navy base to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
After Amazon finishes their run, TNT Sports steps in for the next five races. That starts June 28 at Sonoma. This stretch also includes the "In-Season Challenge," which is basically a bracket-style tournament where the winner pockets a cool $1 million. If you’ve got Max (the streaming service), you can usually find the TNT feed there, too.
Finally, NBC Sports brings us home. Starting August 9 at Iowa Speedway, the races move to USA Network and NBC. This is the playoff push. The championship race is actually moving back to Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8 this year, which is a massive win for fans who think Phoenix was getting a little stale for the finale.
Key 2026 races you cannot miss
If you're just a casual fan looking for the "greatest hits," mark these down.
- The Daytona 500 (Feb 15, 2:30 PM, FOX): Obviously. It's the Super Bowl of racing.
- The San Diego Street Race (June 21, 4:00 PM, Prime Video): This is the inaugural "Anduril 250." It's a street circuit at a military base. We’ve never seen anything like it.
- The Chicago Street Race (July 5, 6:00 PM, TNT): Technically Chicagoland Speedway is back on the schedule this year, but keep an eye on the location. It's a return to the 1.5-mile oval after a long hiatus.
- The Brickyard 400 (July 26, 2:00 PM, TNT): They are staying on the oval at Indianapolis, which is exactly where NASCAR belongs.
- The Championship at Homestead (Nov 8, 3:00 PM, NBC): The title will be decided on a track where you can actually pass and run the wall.
What to do since there isn't a nascar race today
Look, I get it. You wanted to watch cars go fast today. Since there isn't a nascar race today time and channel to give you for Wednesday, January 14, you’ve got a couple of options to kill the time.
👉 See also: When is Georgia's next game: The 2026 Bulldog schedule and what to expect
First, check out the NASCAR Classics site. It’s free. You can watch full race replays of almost every race in history. If you want to see Dale Earnhardt Sr. bully people at Bristol in 1995 or watch the 1979 Daytona 500 fight, it’s all there.
Second, the CARS Tour and other short-track series are usually ramping up their winter schedules. Sometimes you can find live streaming on FloRacing if you're desperate for any kind of green flag.
Third, if you’re a fan of the lower series, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (that’s what we call Xfinity now) starts Feb 14 at 5:00 p.m. on The CW. Yes, The CW is the exclusive home for that series now. And the Craftsman Truck Series starts Feb 13 at 7:30 p.m. on FS1.
Next Steps for the Fan:
- Sync your calendar: Go to the official NASCAR website and download the 2026 schedule to your phone so you get alerts before the green flag drops.
- Check your subscriptions: Make sure your Amazon Prime and Max logins are active before May rolls around, or you’ll be sitting in the dark for the San Diego race.
- Set the DVR for the Clash: February 1st is closer than you think. Set that recording for FOX at 8 p.m. ET now so you don't forget during the chaos of a Sunday night.
The season is coming. We just have to survive two more weeks of "The Madhouse" anticipation.