NASCAR  Championship Race 2026: Previewing the final race of the season

Nine points. That's all Kyle Larson needs to win his third NASCAR Cup Series championship. The finale starts Sunday, November 8 at 3PM ET/12PM PT on NBC from Homestead-Miami Speedway. You can watch all 3 championship races this weekend with DISH, and NBC is available in all DISH packages.

When and where is NASCAR Championship Weekend 2026?

For the first time since 2019, all 3 national series crown their champions in South Florida. Here is the race-by-race coverage:

• Craftsman Truck Series championship: Friday, November 6, 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT on FS1
  Airs on FS1. Watch with DISH in America's Top 120.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship: Saturday, November 7, 5PM ET/2PM PT on The CW
  Airs on The CW. Watch with DISH on your local CW station.
• Cup Series championship (Straight Talk Wireless 400): Sunday, November 8, 3PM ET/12PM PT on NBC
  Airs on NBC. Watch with DISH in all packages.

Local channel lineups vary by market.

What does Kyle Larson need to clinch the 2026 Cup championship?

Larson comes to Homestead with a 67-point lead. A finish of 28th or better gives him the 9 points he needs. Short of a wreck or a mechanical failure, the real question is when he clinches, not whether. If he collects 8 stage points over the first 2 stages, which means finishing 7th or better in each, he'd have the title locked up before the season's final checkered flag. No champion has done that since Matt Kenseth in 2003.

What makes it remarkable is how he got here. Larson went the entire 26-race regular season without a win and entered The Chase as the No. 7 seed. Then he took off: 2 wins and a string of top-6 finishes in the first 6 Postseason races. He has 2 wins and an average finish of 12.0 in 12 starts at Homestead, including a win in the track's most recent Cup race in 2025. A title on Sunday would be his second straight and a 16th Cup championship for Hendrick Motorsports.

Can Christopher Bell or Denny Hamlin still catch him?

Only on paper. Christopher Bell trails by 67 points and Denny Hamlin by 70, and they're the only 2 drivers still mathematically alive. Both drive for Joe Gibbs Racing. At Martinsville, Hamlin finished 6th and Bell 10th, while Larson fought back from a lost lap to finish 9th. Afterward, Hamlin said his team "didn't gain enough to make it realistic."

The math is hardest on Hamlin. He entered The Chase as the No. 1 seed with 4 regular-season wins, then watched mistakes and setbacks undo his run. A year ago, he led 208 laps in the finale and lost in overtime. His wait for a first championship now looks headed for 2027.

Who could win the race at Homestead?

The title may be settled early, but the race isn't. Watch these 4 drivers:

• Tyler Reddick: He opened 2026 by becoming the first driver in Cup history to win the season's first 3 races, starting with the Daytona 500. He won here in 2024 with a high-line pass on the final turn, and his 23XI Racing team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Hamlin, would love to finish a banner year with another trophy.
• Ryan Blaney: He's still looking for his first Homestead win. He finished just behind Reddick in 2024, and in 2025 he led a race-high 124 laps here.
• Alex Bowman: He won the pole and finished 2nd to Larson when the Cup Series last raced here in March 2025.
• William Byron: He won at Martinsville, leading 362 of 500 laps and snapping a 35-race winless streak. He also won at Homestead in 2021.

Why is the NASCAR finale back at Homestead?

Homestead hosted the season finale every year from 2002 to 2019 before Phoenix took over in 2020. It also hosted the first-ever Chase finale in 2004 and the title-deciding race for all 7 of Jimmie Johnson's championships. The Chase is back too. For the first time since 2013, the title is decided by a 10-race, points-based run instead of elimination rounds and a winner-take-all finale. A race win is worth 55 points.

Who's racing for the Truck Series and O'Reilly Series titles?

On Friday, Kaden Honeycutt leads Layne Riggs by 20 points, and no one else is eligible, so the Truck Series will crown a first-time champion. On Saturday, 5 drivers are still alive in the O'Reilly Series. Justin Allgaier, the 2024 champion and the defending Homestead winner, leads reigning champion Jesse Love by 22 points. Corey Day is 1 point behind Love, and Carson Kvapil is 31 back after winning at Martinsville.

What else is happening on Championship Weekend?

• Pre-race concert: Miami native Jason Derulo performs before Sunday's race.
• A one-of-a-kind trophy: Miami pop artist Romero Britto is designing a special trophy for the winner's celebration, painting a mural on top of the speedway's tower, and serving as honorary creative director. NASCAR hasn't said whether it replaces the traditional championship trophy.

How to record all 3 races with DISH

With 3 championship races on 3 nights, the Hopper 3 DVR can record up to 16 channels at once, so you can save Friday and Saturday and still watch Sunday live. If you're away from home, DISH Anywhere lets you watch live TV and your recordings on a phone or tablet.

Sunday is the last NASCAR race until 2027, and it should end with Larson lifting the trophy. With the 2-Year TV Price Guarantee, you'll have the same price waiting when the 2027 season starts.

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