NASCAR will set the field for the 2026 Chase for the Cup Series championship Saturday night with a 400-mile race at Daytona International Speedway on NBC.
Daytona will mark the first of four NASCAR Cup Series races this season, which are all airing on NBC. In addition to Saturday’s race at Daytona, NBC will broadcast the final three races of the 2026 season at Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 25), Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 1), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 8).
NASCAR opened the season at Daytona International Speedway in February. Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 for 23XI Racing (which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan) with a last-lap pass on the 2.5-mile oval. Ryan Blaney, who is coming off a victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was the winner at Daytona last August.
Here are the details for Saturday’s race:
How to watch 2026 NASCAR Cup Race at Daytona: TV info
NBC will broadcast the race starting at 7 p.m. ET. The green flag is scheduled to wave shortly after 7:30 p.m. Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.
2026 NASCAR Cup Race at Daytona schedules, start times
Friday, Aug. 28
- 3 p.m.: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying
- 5 p.m.: Cup Series qualifying (truTV)
- 7:30 p.m.: O’Reilly Series Race - Winn-Dixie 250 (CW)
Saturday, Aug. 29
- 7:30 p.m.: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (NBC)
2026 NASCAR Cup Race at Daytona entry list
Click here for the 41 cars entered in Saturday’s Cup race at Daytona.
2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase playoff standings
The top 16 drivers will make the field for the Chase, the 10-race title run that will begin next week. There are 13 drivers locked into the Chase, and five drivers eligible for the final three spots in the championship field.
After 25 regular-season races, here are the standings heading into Daytona:
| 1. Denny Hamlin* | 1001 points |
| 2. Ryan Blaney* | 924 points |
| 3. Ty Gibbs* | 880 points |
| 4. Tyler Reddick* | 860 points |
| 5. Christopher Bell* | 738 points |
| 6. Chase Briscoe* | 727 points |
| 7. Kyle Larson* | 708 points |
| 8. Chase Elliott* | 707 points |
| 9. Joey Logano* | 682 points |
| 10. Chris Buescher* | 676 points |
| 11. Carson Hocevar* | 672 points |
| 12. William Byron* | 644 points |
| 13 .Daniel Suarez* | 638 points |
| 14. Bubba Wallace | 630 points |
| 15. Austin Cindric | 599 points |
| 16. Shane Van Gisbergen | 586 points |
| 17. Ryan Preece | 555 points |
| 18. Brad Keselowski | 520 points |
*--Clinched Chase spot
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship?
Denny Hamlin, who has clinched the No. 1 seed entering the Chase, will have a 25-point head start entering the Sept. 6 opener of the Chase at Darlington Raceway. With four wins this season, Hamlin has emerged as the betting favorite to win his first championship in his 21st Cup season.
