This weekend brings in plenty of uncertainty in the world of stock car racing. That’s because it is once again time to go to the land where anything can happen and usually does, Talladega. SRO America is also back in action at Circuit of the Americas.
NASCAR Talladega TV Schedule
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying: 5:30 p.m. ET Friday on The CW App
- NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday on Prime Video
- ARCA Menards Series Alabama Manufactured Housing 200: 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday on FS1
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Ag-Pro 300: 4 p.m. ET Saturday on The CW
- NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500: 3 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX
Yes, it is time for Talladega. High banks, big packs and the potential for shenanigans. Note that there will only be one on-track session per series prior to each race.
The NASCAR Cup Series will headline the action on the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Friday is a work and inspection day. No on-track activity is scheduled.
Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET with live coverage on Prime Video. Also, note that Talladega is in the Central time zone, so it is one hour behind Eastern time. So we’re talking an early qualifying session here. It could benefit those further down the order in points.
Coverage of the Jack Link’s 500 will begin with NASCAR RaceDay at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX. Race coverage will begin at 3 p.m. ET with the green flag around 3:15 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will serve as primary support. Those teams will have a full day of activity Friday with the haulers starting to pull into the garage at 8 a.m. ET.
Qualifying for the 300-mile race is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on The CW App and website. Some CW affiliates may also choose to broadcast the session live as well, but check your local listings to see if your affiliating is participating.
Coverage of the Ag-Pro 300 will begin with NASCAR Countdown Live at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on The CW. Race coverage will start at 4 p.m. ET with the green flag around 4:10 p.m. ET.
Finally, the ARCA Menards Series will be back with its annual visit to Talladega. Teams are scheduled to have a one-hour “practice session” in groups starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. In reality, the practice session is actually qualifying and will determine the grid for the race. With 41 teams currently entered, one will fail to qualify.
Coverage of the Alabama Manufactured Housing 200 will air live on FS1 at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon. The green flag will fly around 12:45 p.m. ET.
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What’s the Weather Going to Be Like?
Weather is always something on the mind of everyone when it’s time for Talladega. It doesn’t take much rain to really mess up the schedule given the amount of time it takes to dry the track and the lack of lights.
Friday’s forecast looks pretty good during the day. There will be partly cloudy skies with a high around 85°. There will be some humidity in play.
The sketchiest part of the weekend appears to be after dark Friday. If you’re hanging out on Talladega Boulevard, be careful because thunderstorms are likely to show up when the shenanigans would normally be going down. Be careful if you’re camping at the track. Night No. 1 of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTvision Alabama Gang 100 at nearby Talladega Short Track might get cut short because of it.
Saturday is the question mark. As previously noted, the real heavy stuff will be overnight. If the rain doesn’t stop early enough, it’s possible that Cup Qualifying gets cancelled because the schedule is pretty tight and they might not be able to get the track dry by 9:30 a.m. CT. If that happens, Casey Mears will DNQ.
In addition, there is a chance of additional showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. If it rains, it will keep temperatures down. The current forecasts for Saturday have high temperatures between 74-82°. The rain chances depend on your source. Anywhere from a 20-50% chance has been noted.
Sunday’s weather will be a lot more like Friday. Partly cloudy skies with a high around 84°. There’s a slight chance of rain as well.
TV Ratings Update — Kansas
Sunday’s broadcast of the AdventHealth 400 had 2.926 million viewers. This is up 25.8% over last year. Sounds good.
The primary reason for this increase is the network change. Last year, Kansas was on FS1. Sunday’s race was on FOX (the first time this race has aired on over-the-air TV since 2014), so it isn’t a direct comparison. Also, Kansas last year was May 11. That said, we do have some thoughts about the broadcast on FOX.
Saturday night’s broadcast of the Kansas Lottery 300 averaged 1.18 million viewers on The CW. There is no direct comparison because the series didn’t race in Kansas in the spring last year. The overall Nielsen rating for the rating is somewhat unclear. Programming Insider lists the ratings per half hour. They range from .61 to .69.
Last year, Easter was a week later, so the then-Xfinity Series was at Rockingham. This race had a 12% increase in ratings over that race.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the Frontstretch email newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the Frontstretch Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
Has qualifying been cancelled for Sat AM at dega?
Yes. Cup Qualifying Rained Out at Talladega, Tyler Reddick To Start On Pole https://frontstretch.com/2026/04/25/cup-qualifying-rained-out-at-talladega-tyler-reddick-to-start-on-pole/