NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race 2026: How to watch with Sling
The checkered flag will wave for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series and Homestead-Miami on Sunday, Nov. 8. Here’s how to watch the NASCAR Championship race with Sling.
The 2026 NASCAR season crosses the finish line on Sunday, November 8. With the return of The Chase playoff format, this felt a bit like a throwback season for fans who closely watch NASCAR racing. It played out that way too; last year’s Series Champion Kyle Larson is poised to repeat, and another title would extend Hendrick Motorsports’ record by delivering a 16th championship. Although Larson’s coronation is all but decided – with a 67-point lead over No. 2 Christopher Bell, Larson needs just 9 points to claim the championship – there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to watch for. Besides, this is your last chance to watch NASCAR racing before the winter break. That alone is reason enough to tune-in.
Here’s a preview of the NASCAR Championship race at the Straight Talk Wireless 400 in Homestead, FL. To watch the most NASCAR races with Sling, subscribe to Sling Blue with USA Network and, in designated markets, NBC.
How to watch the 2026 NASCAR Championship race with Sling
https://youtu.be/bU9TPMCQXXA?si=jJg9LxDqbLBzLGe1
The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race takes place Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 PM ET on NBC, live from Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NBC is available with Sling Blue or Sling Select in the following markets:
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Hartford
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose
- San Diego
- Washington D.C.
Subscribe to Sling Blue to watch the most NASCAR Racing with Sling.
2026 NASCAR Championship Race: 5 things to watch for
https://youtu.be/1bIXJGSuciI?si=HPuBvdbCdy42oTet
Back-to-back NASCAR Championship coronation for Larson
Barring something truly catastrophic, Kyle Larson will earn his second-straight NASCAR series championship on Sunday, which would be his third overall. The more interesting question is how he will do it. If Larson scores eight stage points (which he would get if he finishes seventh or better in both stages), he’ll become the first driver since Matt Kenseth in 2003 to lock up a Cup title before the checkered flag. But even if he doesn’t go all out for the stage wins, all Larson needs is to finish 28th or better to earn the necessary nine points. Given that Larson won at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2022, as well as the track’s most recent Cup race in 2025, finishing in the top 28 should not be an issue.
The Joe Gibbs Racing hail mary
Heading to Homestead, Kyle Larson leads Christopher Bell by 67 points and Denny Hamlin by 70. These are the only two racers still mathematically alive, and they are teammates with Joe Gibbs racing. With William Bryon winning the penultimate race at Martinsville and Hamilin and Bell finishing sixth and tenth, respectively, it sounds like they’re resigned to their fate (Hamlin told reporters after the race that his team "didn't gain enough to make it realistic”). It has to be a bitter pill for Hamlin in particular. Last season, he led for 208 laps in the finale only to see it slip away in overtime. This year, he entered The Chase No. 1 in points, only to see his postseason slip away due to costly mistakes and setbacks. The wait for his first championship will continue into 2027.
Who steals the spotlight on title day?
Obviously, the championship is the biggest storyline, but there’s still a race to be won, and it’s wide open. Here are the other racers to keep an eye on:
- Tyler Reddick: He opened 2026 with a historic run, becoming the first driver in Cup history to win the first three races of a season, starting with the Daytona 500. He won at Homestead in 2024 by going high around Ryan Blaney in the final turn. His 23XI Racing team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, is having a banner year and a win would be the icing on the cake.
- Ryan Blaney: Although he’s without a win at Homestead, he barely lost to Reddick in 2024, and in 2025 Blaney led more laps there (124) than anyone else. He has been close to winning at this track, and a win would give him confidence heading into the offseason.
- Alex Bowman: He won the pole and finished second behind Larson the last time Cup raced at Homestead, in March 2025.
- William Byron: Bryon is coming off a dominant Martinsville win, where he led 362 of 500 laps and snapped a 35-race winless streak. He also won at Homestead in 2021.
Homestead is back where it belongs, and so is the Chase
The fan-favorite Chase format has been a big winner this season, and this course has a special place in NASCAR history; Homestead hosted the season finale every year from 2002 to 2019. Phoenix took over in 2020, and the finale returns to South Florida this year for the first time in seven years. Homestead hosted the first-ever Chase finale in 2004 and the title-deciding races for all seven of Jimmie Johnson's championships.
- A familiar format returns: 2026 brought back the Chase, a 10-race points-based run to the title, for the first time since 2013. It replaced the elimination-style playoffs and the winner-take-all finale. A race win is worth 55 points.
A championship party, Miami style
Even fans who don't follow the points race have reasons to tune in.
- Pre-race concert: Miami native Jason Derulo will perform the pre-race concert on Nov. 8.
- A one-of-a-kind trophy: Miami pop artist Romero Britto is designing a special trophy for the winner's celebration, painting a custom mural on top of the speedway's tower and serving as honorary creative director. NASCAR hasn't said the trophy replaces the traditional championship trophy.
- Three titles in three nights: The Craftsman Truck Series finale is Friday at 7:30 PM ET, and Kaden Honeycutt leads Layne Riggs by 20 points with no one else eligible. The O'Reilly Auto Parts Series finale is Saturday at 5 PM ET, and Justin Allgaier leads Jesse Love by 22, with Corey Day one point behind Love. Cup wraps up the weekend on Sunday at 3 PM ET.
NASCAR Championship winners 2017-2026
2017 - Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing)
2018 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2019 - Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2020 - Chase Eliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
2021 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
2022 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2023 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
2024 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
2025 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Don’t miss your last chance to watch NASCAR Series racing in 2026. Subscribe to Sling Blue or Select to watch live on NBC in designated markets.