How to watch NASCAR at Iowa: Weekend schedule, start time, TV

NASCAR made its return to Iowa Speedway for Round 23 of the 26-race regular season, featuring both the Cup series and the O'Reilly Series. The short track event took place on the weekend after NASCAR's final off-weekend for the 2026 season. William Byron, reigning champion of the Iowa Cup race, found himself seeking his first win of the season after not securing a victory in the previous races. Corey Heim, who had clinched the latest Cup race at Indianapolis, was absent from the Iowa lineup as a part-time driver.

Denny Hamlin stood out in the championship standings, leading Tyler Reddick with an 84-point margin. In the thick of the Chase qualification battle, Austin Cindric hovered in the 16th position, 38 points clear of Ryan Preece.

As the TNT broadcast phase concluded, NBC/USA Sports began airing the remaining 14 races of the 2026 Cup season. All necessary viewing information for this weekend's activities at Iowa, including the complete schedule, channel information, and entry list, was accessible to fans.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, August 7
3:30 PM EST -- ARCA Menards Series practice
4:30 PM EST -- ARCA Menards Series qualifying
7:00 PM EST -- ARCA Menards Series race at Iowa [100 laps] -- FOX SPORTS 1

Saturday, August 8
11:30 AM EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly practice -- ESPN UNLIMITED
12:30 PM EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly qualifying -- CW APP / ESPN UNLIMITED
2:05 PM EST -- NASCAR Cup practice -- TRUTV / HBO MAX
3:10 PM EST -- NASCAR Cup qualifying -- TRUTV / HBO MAX
5:00 PM EST -- NASCAR O'Reilly race [250 laps] -- THE CW / ESPN UNLIMITED

Sunday, August 9
3:00 PM EST -- NASCAR Cup Series pre-race show -- USA NETWORK
3:40 PM EST -- Green flag for NASCAR Cup race [350 laps] -- USA NETWORK

Viewing Details

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa was scheduled for Sunday, August 9, beginning with the pre-race show at 3:00 PM EST, followed by the green flag at 3:40 PM EST, covering 350 laps with stages set at 70, 140, and 140. Fans could catch the action on USA NETWORK, with additional streaming options and radio coverage via MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.