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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.

William Bryon, front right, and Joey Logano, front left, lead the pack during the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

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/