Watch NASCAR Racing All Season Long with DISH

NASCAR is back, and the 2026 season promises to be "loud, raw and a damn good time."

That's according to a big-budget new spot that debuted right after Super Bowl LX (watch in the video below). Following the departure of former NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps in January, America's top racing series is leaning into its rowdy roots. That's due in part to the return of the "Chase" format that existed from 2004 through the implementation of the playoffs in the 2014 season. While the top 16 drivers will still compete in a playoff over the final 10 races of the season, NASCAR is eliminating the "win-and-in" rule that granted regular-season winners an automatic playoff berth. 

While The Chase format is a welcome return for most NASCAR fans, other recent changes like NASCAR’s new in-season tournament will remain. Nodding to the past while progressing toward the future laid out in the aftermath of the 23XI Racing lawsuit is a good look for NASCAR, especially in the wake of Formula 1's Hollywood glow-up in 2025. Here's a full preview of the 2026 NASCAR season and how to catch the action with DISH. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today!

What is the 2026 NASCAR Schedule?

FOX Sports and NBC Sports remain NASCAR's two biggest broadcast partners, but like last year, Amazon Prime Video and TNT will have coverage in the middle of the season. FOX and FS1 get the season revved up with the first 13 races, but following the All-Star Race on FS1 on May 17, Amazon Prime Video takes the wheel for five races beginning with the Coco-Cola 600 on May 24. TNT will carry the five races that comprise the In-Season Challenge – the Toyota/ Save Mart 350 in Sonoma on June 28 through the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis on July 26. Coverage then shifts to NBC and USA Network for the home stretch of the season, including the Playoffs beginning on Sep. 6.

NASCAR races on FOX, FS1, TNT, NBC and USA Network are available with all DISH packages from America’s Top 120 and up, but you’ll need a separate subscription to Amazon Prime Video in order to see every race.

Here’s a complete look at the 2026 NASCAR schedule (all times Eastern):

• Sunday, Feb. 15: DAYTONA 500 – 2:30pm on FOX
• Sunday, Feb. 22: Autotrader 400 – EchoPark Speedway – 3pm on FOX
• Sunday, March 1: DuraMax Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas – 3:30pm on FOX
• Sunday, March 8: Straight Talk Wireless 500 – Phoenix Raceway – 3:30pm on FS1
• Sunday, March 15: Pennzoil 400 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 4pm on FS1
• Sunday, March 22: Goodyear 400 – Darlington Raceway – 3pm on FS1
• Sunday, March 29: Cook Out 400 – Martinsville Speedway – 3:30pm on FS1
• Sunday, April 12: Food City 500 – Bristol Motor Speedway – 3pm on FS1
• Sunday, April 19: AdventHealth 400 – Kansas Speedway – 2pm on FOX
• Sunday, April 26: Jack Link’s 500 – Talladega Superspeedway – 2pm on FOX
• Sunday, May 4: Würth 400 – Texas Motor Speedway – 3:30pm on FS1
• Sunday, May 10: Go Bowling at The Glen – Watkins Glen International – 3pm on FS1 
• Sunday, May 17: NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway – 3pm on FS1
• Sunday, May 24: Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte Motor Speedway – 6pm on Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday, May 31: Cracker Barrel 400 – Nashville Superspeedway – 7pm on Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday, June 7: Firekeepers Casino 400 – Michigan International Speedway – 3pm on Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday, June 14: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono – Pocono Raceway – 3pm on Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday, June 21: Anduril 250 – Naval Base Coronado – 4pm on Amazon Prime Video
• Sunday, June 28: Toyota/ Save Mart 350 – Sonoma Raceway – 3:30pm on TNT
• Sunday, July 5: Cup Series race at Chicagoland – Chicagoland Speedway – 6pm on TNT
• Sunday, July 12: Quaker State 400 – EchoPark Speedway – 7pm on TNT
• Sunday, July 19: Windown World 400 – North Wilkesboro Speedway – 7pm on TNT
• Sunday, July 26: Brickyard 400 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 2pm on TNT
• Sunday, Aug. 9: Iowa Corn 350 – Iowa Raceway – 3:30pm on USA Network
• Saturday, Aug. 15: Cook Out 400 – Richmond Raceway – 7pm on USA Network
• Sunday, Aug. 23: Cup Series race at New Hampshire – New Hampshire Motor Speedway - 3pm on USA Network
• Saturday, Aug. 29: Coke Zero Sugar 400 – Daytona International Speedway – 7:30pm on NBC

NASCAR Playoffs

• Sunday, Sept. 6: Southern 500 – Darlington Raceway – 5pm on USA Network
• Sunday, Sept. 13: Enjoy Illinois 300 – World Wide Technology Raceway – 3pm on USA Network
• Saturday, Sept. 19: Bass Pro Shops Night Race – Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30pm on USA Network

• Sunday, Sept. 27: Hollywood Casino 400 – Kansas Motor Speedway – 3pm on USA Network
• Sunday, Oct. 4: South Point 400 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 5:30pm on USA Network
• Sunday, Oct. 11: Bank of America 400 – Charlotte Motor Speedway – 3pm on USA Network

• Sunday, Oct. 18: Freeway Insurance 500 - Phoenix Raceway – 3pm on USA Network
• Sunday, Oct. 25: Yellawood 500 – Talladega Superspeedway – 2pm on NBC
• Sunday, Nov. 1: Xfinity 500 – Martinsville Speedway – NBC

• Sunday, Nov. 8: NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Homestead-Miami Speedway – 3pm on NBC

What is the Chase Championship Format?

Like a crew chief tweaking his car's engine, NASCAR has always made adjustments to its points system (Richard Petty famously won seven championships with six different points systems). And while the sport deserves credit for trying to appeal to a wider audience by introducing a playoff format in 2014, last year's Championship race – in which Kyle Larson earned his second championship after points leader Denny Hamilin fell behind due to a late caution – added urgency to return to the old format. 

Still, there are differences between this new "Chase" format and the previous one. Specifically, drivers will now earn 55 points for winning a race, a 15 point increase over the previous point system. According to NASCAR, "points awards for all other positions and stage results remain the same, but bankable playoff points are no longer part of the format." When the playoffs begin with the Southern 500 on Sep. 6, the 16-driver Chase field will see their points reset to 2,100 points for the leader, 2,075 points for the second seed, and 2,065 for third, with a five point drop for each subsequent driver. Instead of narrowing the playoff field from 12 to eight to the "Championship 4," the driver with the most points after the final race of the season on Nov. 8 will be crowned the series champion.

What is the Format of the New NASCAR In-Season Tournament?

Now in its second year, the In-Season Challenge will once again feature a 32-driver bracket similar to March Madness, with drivers competing in a head-to-head format over the course of five races. Last year's event very nearly saw the 32-seed Ty Dillon take home the top prize of $1 million in cash, as he made it all the way to the final race before losing to the No. 6 seed Ty Gibbs.

While NASCAR has to be happy with the excitement that permeated its inaugural In-Season Challenge, there are a few changes to this year's format. First off, the drivers will be seeded based on their full season point total heading into the Challenge, as opposed to using the three prior race results. There are also changes to the schedule. Per NASCAR, "Sonoma Raceway will move from Round 3 in 2025 to the challenge opener in 2026," while the second race will move from the streets of Chicago to the Chicagoland Speedway oval. EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta – which served as the opening venue of last year's In-Season Challenge – will now be third, followed by the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. Once again, the event's final round will take place at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The change in seeding and the variety of tracks that include road courses, short tracks, intermediate ovals, and Indy's iconic speedway should privilege the best all-around drivers in the second year of the event.