NASCAR announced its 2018 race start times and network coverage for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Monday.
NASCAR's shakeup of its scheduling format will see a short track added to the playoffs while taking away Chicagoland Speedway's kickoff race to the Cup Series playoffs. The playoffs will also feature a road course, kind of.
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Charlotte Motor Speedway's playoff race on Sept. 30 will now take place on the venue’s 2.42-mile road course instead of its 1.5-mile oval.
Chicago will still host a regular-season Cup race (July 1), but it will no longer be a part of the playoffs. Instead, the recently announced second triple-header event weekend held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 16 (which took New Hampshire's September race) will serve as opening track to the 10-race playoffs.
NASCAR also moved the second of two races at Richmond International Raceway's short track to the playoffs (Sept. 22). For the past 13 years, the second race at Richmond has served as the final race before the playoffs began. That honor will now belong to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will see its Cup event in late July moved to September.
2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TV schedule, start times
|
Date |
Location |
Network |
Race Start |
Radio |
|
2/11 |
Daytona 500 Qualifying at Daytona International Speedway |
FOX |
12 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
2/11 |
The Clash at Daytona International Speedway |
FS1 |
3 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
2/15 |
The Duel at Daytona International Speedway |
FS1 |
7 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
2/18 |
DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway |
FOX |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
2/25 |
Atlanta Motor Speedway |
FOX |
2 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
3/4 |
Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
FOX |
3:30 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
3/11 |
Phoenix Raceway |
FOX |
3:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
3/18 |
Auto Club Speedway |
FOX |
3:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
3/25 |
Martinsville Speedway |
FS1 |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
4/8 |
Texas Motor Speedway |
FS1 |
2 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
4/15 |
Bristol Motor Speedway |
FOX |
2 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
4/21 |
Richmond International Raceway |
FOX |
6:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
4/29 |
Talladega Superspeedway |
FOX |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
5/6 |
Dover International Speedway |
FS1 |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
5/12 |
Kansas Speedway |
FS1 |
8 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
5/19 |
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway |
FS1 |
6 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
5/19 |
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway |
FS1 |
8 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
5/27 |
Charlotte Motor Speedway |
FOX |
6 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
6/3 |
Pocono Raceway |
FS1 |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
6/10 |
Michigan International Speedway |
FOX |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
6/24 |
Sonoma Raceway |
FS1 |
3 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
7/1 |
Chicagoland Speedway |
NBCSN |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
7/7 |
Daytona International Speedway |
NBC |
7 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
7/14 |
Kentucky Speedway |
NBCSN |
7:30 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
7/22 |
New Hampshire Motor Speedway |
NBCSN |
2 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
7/29 |
Pocono Raceway |
NBCSN |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
8/5 |
Watkins Glen International |
NBC |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
8/12 |
Michigan International Speedway |
NBCSN |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
8/18 |
Bristol Motor Speedway |
NBCSN |
7:30 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
9/2 |
Darlington Raceway |
NBCSN |
6 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
9/9 |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
NBCSN |
2 p.m. ET |
IMS |
|
9/16 |
Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
NBCSN |
3 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
9/22 |
Richmond International Raceway |
NBCSN |
7:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
9/30 |
Charlotte Motor Speedway |
NBC |
2 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
10/7 |
Dover International Speedway |
NBCSN |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
10/14 |
Talladega Superspeedway |
NBC |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
10/21 |
Kansas Speedway |
NBC |
2 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
10/28 |
Martinsville Speedway |
NBCSN |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
11/4 |
Texas Motor Speedway |
NBCSN |
3 p.m. ET |
PRN |
|
11/11 |
Phoenix Raceway |
NBC |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
|
11/18 |
Homestead Miami Speedway |
NBC |
2:30 p.m. ET |
MRN |
