As we move further into the fall, more and more series begin to wrap up their seasons. IMSA is finishing up this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The ARCA Menards Series finished last week. Formula 1 still has a ways to go, while NASCAR continues The Chase in Nevada.
NASCAR TV Schedule for Las Vegas
- ARCA Menards Series West Kyle Busch Classic presented by Star Nursery: 7:30 p.m. ET Friday on FLORacing
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice: 2 p.m. ET Saturday on The CW App/ESPN Unlimited
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying: 3:05 p.m. ET Saturday on The CW App/ESPN Unlimited
- NASCAR Cup Series Practice: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday on TruTV/HBO Max
- NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying: 5:35 p.m. ET Saturday on TruTV/HBO Max
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 302: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on The CW/ESPN Unlimited
- NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400: 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday on USA Network
This weekend, NASCAR will make its second visit of the year to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s usually pretty warm this time of year, so the teams will be put to the test.
Friday is basically a quiet day for NASCAR Cup Series teams. There will be a hauler parade, then parking will take place around 5 p.m. ET.
Teams are scheduled to practice for 50 minutes starting at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon with live coverage on TruTV and HBO Max. Qualifying will follow at 5:35 p.m. ET.
Coverage of the South Point 400 will begin with USA Sports Pre-Race at 5 p.m. ET Sunday on USA Network. Race coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET with the green flag flying around 5:40 p.m. ET.
On the undercard will be the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, back after a week off. Those teams will load into the garage early Friday and have a work day.
Practice is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET Saturday with live coverage on The CW App, website and on ESPN Unlimited. Qualifying will follow at 3:05 p.m.
Coverage of the Focused Health 302 will begin with NASCAR Countdown Live at 7 p.m. ET on The CW and ESPN Unlimited. Race coverage will start at 7:30 p.m. ET with the green flag flying at 7:40 p.m. ET.
It should be noted that coverage from Las Vegas is scheduled to air immediately after a college football game between Wyoming and North Dakota State. If the broadcast runs long, then NASCAR Countdown Live may air exclusively on ESPN Unlimited, similar to what happened a couple of weeks ago.
Finally, much of the action Friday night will be centered on the other side of the property at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track will be hosting the Kyle Busch Classic, a full night of racing presented by Star Nursery.
Teams pulled into the facility late Thursday morning and got 90 minutes of open practice. This was not considered to be an official session.
Friday will be a full day of activity, not just for ARCA Menards Series West teams, but for five other classes. ARCA West teams are scheduled to practice at 3 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be at 5:05 p.m. ET. Neither session will be televised.
Coverage of the Kyle Busch Classic presented by Star Nursery will be included as part of a full night of racing sans Bandoleros (those races will occur before the broadcast starts). The broadcast from Las Vegas will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on FLORacing with Pro Late Model qualifying. The ARCA West 151-lap race is scheduled to go green at 9:10 p.m. ET.
What’s the Weather Looking Like?
Las Vegas is in the desert. Normally, that means that things would be dry and temperate this time of year. Much like Petit Le Mans for IMSA, Las Vegas is one week earlier than last year.
After the moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Polo moved out, hot and dry weather has moved in. Friday’s forecast is for sunny skies with a high of 96°.
Saturday will be a little hotter with more sunny skies and a high of 97°. Sunday will be very similar to Friday with a high of 96° under a near cloudless sky. There is no chance of rain for the entire weekend.
TV Ratings Check — Kansas
USA Sports’ coverage of the Hollywood Casino 400 earned a .82 rating with 1.464 million viewers. This is a mixed bag for NASCAR as it is up 9% from last year’s .75 rating, but down 9% in viewership.
There is no viewership or rating information available for Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series RaceToStopSuicide.com 200. Any numbers from that race would have to take not only the five-hour rain delay, but a network switch to FS2 into account.
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.
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