NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 24, for another important day in the 2026 season. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series takes center stage with The Progress Group 250, while the Cup Series holds qualifying ahead of Sunday’s YellaWood 500.
Fans can watch the O’Reilly race live on The CW at 3:30 p.m. ET, and stream it on ESPN Unlimited. O’Reilly Series qualifying begins at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited. ET on ESPN Unlimited. ET on ESPN Unlimited, followed by Cup Series qualifying at 1 p.m. ET on truTV.
The Craftsman Truck Series will not race today after Sammy Smith won Friday’s Love’s RV Stop 225 in a dramatic overtime finish. With the Chase continuing, Saturday’s results could shape the battle for the O’Reilly championship.
How to Watch NASCAR Race Today at Talladega
The Progress Group 250 is Saturday’s main NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway. The 94-lap event covers 250 miles on the 2.66-mile oval and is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The race will air on The CW and stream live on ESPN Unlimited. Fans can also follow the action through Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Before the race, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying begins at 11 a.m. ET, with coverage available through ESPN Unlimited and the CW app. Cup Series qualifying follows at 1 p.m. ET on truTV.
NASCAR’s three national series have no practice scheduled this weekend. Talladega’s close pack racing makes the race an important part of the O’Reilly Series Chase, with three races remaining after Saturday’s event.
Austin Hill won the fall O’Reilly Series race at Talladega in 2025, while Corey Day won the spring event earlier in 2026. Saturday’s race gives drivers another chance to improve their position as the championship battle continues.
NASCAR Truck Series: Sammy Smith Wins at Talladega
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has no event scheduled for Saturday. The series completed the Love’s RV Stop 225 on Friday, with Sammy Smith earning his first career Truck Series victory in his 11th start.
Driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, Smith passed Ty Majeski on the final lap and beat Tyler Ankrum by 0.091 seconds. Austin Green finished third in his Truck Series debut, while Majeski and championship leader Kaden Honeycutt completed the top five.
The race featured 32 lead changes among 15 drivers and five cautions before an overtime finish. A major crash on Lap 17 collected several trucks, including those driven by Tony Stewart, Cleetus McFarland and Corey LaJoie. Later, a Lap 79 crash involving Grant Enfinger and Thomas Annunziata made the afternoon even harder.
Smith led a race-high 21 laps. Gio Ruggiero won Stage 1 before suffering transmission problems, while Tanner Gray won Stage 2.
Honeycutt finished fifth and increased his championship lead over Layne Riggs to 43 points with two races remaining. FS1 carried Friday’s Truck Series race, and the series will resume next Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series: Talladega Qualifying and Sunday Race
The NASCAR Cup Series will qualify on Saturday but will not race until Sunday, October 25. Qualifying begins at 1 p.m. ET on truTV as drivers set their starting positions for the YellaWood 500.
NBC will broadcast Sunday’s Cup Series race at 2 p.m. ET, while HBO Max offers additional coverage through its in-car cameras. Coverage leading up to the race begins at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The YellaWood 500 covers 188 laps and 500 miles. It is the eighth race in the 10-event Cup Series Chase and the 34th points race of the season.
Chase Briscoe won the fall Talladega race in 2025, while Carson Hocevar won the spring race in 2026. Both the race and qualifying could significantly affect the championship battle as the season nears its finale.
Fans attending Saturday’s event can also take part in track activities, including driver introductions and fan-zone events. Brantley Gilbert is scheduled to headline the Saturday night concert.
At home, The CW and ESPN Unlimited carry the main options for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, while truTV carries Cup Series qualifying. The Truck Series action is complete for the weekend, leaving the O’Reilly race as Saturday’s main NASCAR event at Talladega Superspeedway.
How to Watch NASCAR at Talladega Superspeedway Today: TV Channel, Start Time and Streaming