If you woke up today looking for the NASCAR starting grid for today to see where Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson are lining up for a Cup Series points race, I’ve got some news. You’re early. About a month early, actually.
Right now, it is January 14, 2026. While the "official" NASCAR season doesn’t kick off its engines until February at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium, the racing world is currently obsessed with a dirt track inside a giant building in Oklahoma.
The Chili Bowl Nationals are happening right now in Tulsa.
It isn't a NASCAR race in the corporate sense, but look at the entry list and you’d swear it was a Sunday afternoon in Charlotte. You’ve got Cup Series regulars, Xfinity standouts, and the next generation of talent all sliding sideways in midget cars. Today, Wednesday, Jan. 14, is the York Plumbing Qualifying Night.
What’s the NASCAR Starting Grid for Today in Tulsa?
Because of how the Chili Bowl works, there isn't one "grid" for the whole day. It’s a ladder. A brutal, chaotic ladder.
Basically, the Wednesday night preliminary action features a specific group of drivers trying to lock themselves into Saturday’s main event. If you don't perform tonight, you're relegated to the "alphabet soup" of features—the P-Mains and M-Mains—where you have to pass about a hundred cars just to see the big show.
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Here is the heavy-hitter breakdown for the Wednesday prelim entries:
- Corey Day (No. 41): This kid is the story of the week. He was recently confirmed for a full NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports. Everyone is watching him.
- Thomas Meseraull (No. 7X): "T-Mez" is a fan favorite. He’s got 10 career A-Main appearances at this event.
- Mitchell Moles (No. 19T): Always fast, always aggressive.
- Colby Copeland (No. 27W): A veteran of the dirt scene who knows how to navigate the Tulsa grease.
The starting positions for these heat races are determined by a random draw, which is then followed by a "passing points" system. If you start last and finish first, you're golden. If you start first and finish first, you might actually lose ground in the points. It’s a math-heavy nightmare that makes the Daytona 500 qualifying look simple.
Why the Cup Series Schedule Matters Right Now
Honestly, even though there’s no Cup race today, the garage is buzzing. We are less than three weeks out from the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1.
That’s the first time we’ll see the actual NASCAR starting grid for today’s modern era on a quarter-mile "Madhouse" track.
If you are trying to plan your viewing schedule for the actual season, here are the dates that actually matter for the 2026 kickoff:
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- February 1: The Cook Out Clash (Bowman Gray).
- February 12: The America 250 Florida Duels (Daytona). This is where the Daytona 500 grid is actually set.
- February 15: The 68th Running of the Daytona 500.
People often get confused why there isn't a race every weekend in January. NASCAR is one of the few sports where the biggest event of the year—the Daytona 500—is the very first points race. Everything happening right now is just the preamble.
The Corey Day Factor
You can't talk about the NASCAR starting grid for today’s landscape without mentioning the Hendrick Motorsports shift. With Corey Day getting the nod for a full-time ride, the "dirt-to-NASCAR" pipeline is officially the only way to get noticed.
He’s racing tonight in Tulsa against guys like Daison Pursley and Emerson Axsom. These are names you’ll be seeing on the side of a Mustang or Camaro in the Cup Series by 2028.
The Chili Bowl acts as a scouting combine. When Rick Hendrick or Joe Gibbs sees a driver navigate the "York Plumbing" qualifying night on a Wednesday, they aren't just looking at the trophy. They are looking at car control. They are looking at how a driver handles a track that changes every five minutes.
Who else is in the building?
While they aren't on the "starting grid" specifically for Wednesday, NASCAR's elite are all over the SageNet Center.
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- Kyle Larson: Already won his preliminary night on Monday. He’s locked into Saturday.
- Christopher Bell: He’s the Thursday night favorite.
- Ty Gibbs: Had a rough go on Tuesday, finishing 14th in the A-Main. He’s got work to do.
Navigating the 2026 Schedule Changes
If you're looking for the NASCAR starting grid for today because you're used to the old schedule, 2026 is going to throw you for a loop.
The schedule has been shuffled more than a deck of cards at a Vegas casino. Homestead-Miami is back as the Championship race on November 8. That’s huge. Phoenix held that spot for years, but fans were screaming for a return to the South Florida 1.5-mile oval.
We also have a brand new street course in San Diego coming up in June. It’s the "Anduril 250" at Naval Base Coronado. Imagine a NASCAR starting grid parked on a naval base with fighter jets in the background. It’s going to be wild.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
Since there isn't a Cup Series race today, here is how you should actually spend your time to stay ahead of the curve:
- Stream the Chili Bowl: If you have FloRacing, the Wednesday night heats start at 4:00 PM CT. Watch Corey Day. If he wins tonight, he becomes a massive dark horse for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title later this year.
- Mark February 12: Do not expect a fixed starting grid for the Daytona 500 until the Duels are over. The only two spots that are "safe" are the front row from single-car qualifying. Everything else is earned in the dirt and draft of the Duels.
- Check the Entry Lists: Keep an eye on Niece Motorsports. They just announced that 2023 Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will make his Truck Series debut at Daytona this year.
The NASCAR starting grid for today might be a dirt track in Oklahoma, but the road to the 2026 Cup Championship starts right here. Grab a coffee, pull up the lap times, and watch the next generation of NASCAR stars try to survive the "Madhouse" and the "Expo" alike.