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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The 2026 NASCAR season moves to Nevada this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race weekend marks the fifth points event of the season and continues the early West Coast stretch on the schedule.
Drivers will compete on the 1.5-mile tri-oval known for high speeds and several racing grooves.
The weekend features two national series races, including the Pennzoil 400 for the Cup Series and the LiUNA! race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, now sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
NASCAR has scheduled practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and two main races across Saturday and Sunday. Television, streaming services, and radio networks will carry full coverage of the on-track action.
Saturday Schedule at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track activity begins Saturday, March 14, with practice for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts series. That session starts at noon Eastern Time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and streams on the CW App.
Qualifying for the same series follows at 1:05 p.m. Eastern Time. The session also streams on the CW App.
Later in the afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series cars take the track for practice. Cup practice begins at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and streams on Amazon Prime Video. Audio coverage will also air on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Cup Series qualifying follows at 3:40 p.m. Eastern Time. Fans can watch the session on Amazon Prime Video while radio coverage continues on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Saturday evening shifts the focus to the first race of the weekend at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series level. The LiUNA! will go green at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will broadcast on The CW. Fans who prefer radio coverage can follow the race through the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Sunday Pennzoil 400 Broadcast Details
The main event of the weekend is the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. The race takes place Sunday, March 15, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The scheduled start time for the race is 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Television coverage will air live on FS1 as part of the early-season NASCAR broadcast schedule.
Fans who prefer audio coverage can listen through the Performance Racing Network or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Both networks will provide full race commentary from the start of the event until the checkered flag.
Key Race Information for the Las Vegas Weekend
The Pennzoil 400 will cover 267 laps around the 1.5-mile tri oval. That distance equals 400.5 miles.
The race serves as an important early test for teams in the 2026 season. Las Vegas Motor Speedway often produces long green flag runs and multiple racing lines, which can affect pit strategy and tire management throughout the event.
The weekend schedule also includes press availability sessions following qualifying and the Saturday race. These media sessions take place after track activity concludes and allow drivers and teams to speak about the day’s events.
With two national series races and multiple on-track sessions scheduled across two days, the Las Vegas event remains one of the key early stops on the NASCAR calendar. Fans can follow the full schedule through television, streaming platforms, and radio coverage during the race weekend.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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