What Channel Is the Daytona 500 on Tonight
The NASCAR Cup Series closes its 2021 regular season at the same place it began.
Daytona International Speedway hosts the final race before the 10-race playoffs begin next weekend. Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 will not only determine which driver will earn the final playoff berth but will also set the points for the postseason, when 16 drivers will chase a season championship.
Kyle Larson enters the race with the top spot in the standings and holds a 28-point lead over Denny Hamlin for the regular-season title. Tyler Reddick, meanwhile sits in 16th, and is best positioned to snare the final playoff spot.
Here is all the information you need to get ready for Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway:
START TIME: 7 p.m. ET.
TV: NBC. Pre-race broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
RADIO: Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
STREAMING: NBC Sports website (for those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider) and NBC Sports app.
RACE DISTANCE: 160 laps around the 2.5-mile oval for a total of 400 miles.
STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 50, Stage 2: 50, Stage 3: 60.
LAST TIME: Michael McDowell emerged as the surprise winner of the 2021 Daytona 500, escaping a big last-lap crash ignited by Brad Keselowski and his Team Penske teammate and late leader Joey Logano to win under caution. And one year ago, William Byron scored his first career Cup win and clinched one of the final berths in the 2020 playoffs, edging his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott by 0.119 seconds.
PLAYOFFS: Fifteen of the 16 playoff spots have been claimed with Kevin Harvick locking up his berth last weekend at Michigan. Tyler Reddick leads his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon by 25 points going into Saturday night's race. Dillon is the only driver below the playoff cutline who can still make the postseason based on points. Every other driver who has not yet locked up a spot must win.
LINEUP: The starting lineup was determined by using NASCAR's competition-based formula. Kyle Larson, who leads the series with five wins this season, will start on the pole alongside his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.
Here is the lineup for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (car number in parentheses):
1. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
2. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
3. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
4. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
5. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
6. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
7. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
8. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
9. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford
10. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
11. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
12. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
13. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
14. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
15. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
16. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
17. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet
18. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
19. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
20. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
21. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
22. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
23. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford
24. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet
25. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
26. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
27. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
28. (77) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
29. (42) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
30. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford
31. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
32. (38) Anthony Alfredo, Ford
33. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
34. (53) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet
35. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet
36. (52) Josh Bilicki, Ford
37. (15) Joey Gase, Chevrolet
38. (16) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet
39. (96) Landon Cassill, Toyota
40. (66) David Starr, Toyota
What Channel Is the Daytona 500 on Tonight
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2021/08/28/daytona-coke-zero-sugar-400-start-time-schedule-lineup-tv/5622347001/