NASCAR announces start times, TV for 2017 Sprint Cup season
NASCAR is moving many of its races closer to prime time in 2017.
The sanctioning body released its broadcast schedule six months earlier than normal Wednesday, and it was notable for many races going to a later start time next season.
There will be just two races that start at 1 p.m. Eastern all year, down from 10 such races in 2016. The 1 p.m. ET slot was when NASCAR dropped the green flag for years on Sunday afternoons, but races have crept toward prime time in search of a larger audience.
In 2017, even the Daytona 500 will start slightly later — 2 p.m. ET — and is one of 17 races across NASCAR’s national series that move to later starts next year, NASCAR said.
Several of the traditional 1 p.m. races will now move to 3 p.m. ET.
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The announcement was part of a wider push to help the industry and fans plan further in advance.
“It’s our responsibility, collectively as an industry, to ensure the sport is healthy, strong and growing by delivering great racing in a way that best meets the needs of our fans,” said Steve Herbst, NASCAR senior vice president, broadcasting and production. “Earlier insight on start times benefits not only fans, but also our teams and tracks, as it provides more opportunities to plan travel and to purchase race tickets.”
In addition, NASCAR said the 2018 Daytona 500 will be on Feb. 18 — a week earlier than it has been in recent years.
Here is the 2017 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule (all times p.m. and Eastern):
Feb. 18: The Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway, 8, Fox Sports 1
Feb. 19: Daytona 500 Qualifying, 3, Fox
Feb. 23: Can-Am Duel at Daytona, 7, Fox Sports 1
Feb. 26: Daytona 500, 2, Fox
March 5: Atlanta Motor Speedway, 2:30, Fox
March 12: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 3:30, Fox
March 19: Phoenix International Raceway, 3:30, Fox
March 26: Auto Club Speedway, 3:30, Fox
April 2: Martinsville Speedway, 2, Fox Sports 1
April 9: Texas Motor Speedway, 1:30, Fox
April 23: Bristol Motor Speedway, 2, Fox
April 30: Richmond International Raceway, 2, Fox
May 7: Talladega Superspeedway, 2, Fox
May 13: Kansas Speedway, 7:30, Fox Sports 1
May 20: NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 6, Fox Sports 1
May 28: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, 6, Fox
June 4: Dover International Speedway, 1, Fox Sports 1
June 11: Pocono Raceway, 3, Fox Sports 1
June 18: Michigan International Speedway, 3, Fox Sports 1
June 25: Sonoma Raceway, 3, Fox Sports 1
July 1: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, 7:30, NBC
July 8: Kentucky Speedway, 7:30, NBC Sports Network
July 16: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 3, NBC Sports Network
July 23: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 3, NBC
July 30: Pocono Raceway, 3, NBC Sports Network
Aug. 6: Watkins Glen International, 3, NBC Sports Network
Aug. 13: Michigan International Speedway, 3, NBC Sports Network
Aug. 19: Bristol Motor Speedway, 7:30, NBC
Sept. 3: Darlington Raceway, 6, NBC Sports Network
Sept. 9: Richmond International Raceway, 7:30, NBC Sports Network
Sept. 17: Chicagoland Speedway, 3, NBC Sports Network
Sept. 24: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 2, NBC Sports Network
Oct. 1: Dover International Speedway, 2, NBC Sports Network
Oct. 7: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 7, NBC Sports Network
Oct. 15: Talladega Superspeedway, 2, NBC
Oct. 22: Kansas Speedway, 3, NBC Sports Network
Oct. 29: Martinsville Speedway, 1, NBC Sports Network
Nov. 5: Texas Motor Speedway, 2, NBC
Nov. 12: Phoenix International Raceway, 2:30, NBC
Nov. 19: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 2:30, NBC
