This weekend marks the start of the Round of 12 for the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in New England, making the NASCAR New Hampshire TV Schedule vital for fans tracking the season’s progression. Alongside NASCAR action, Formula 1 heads to Azerbaijan while IMSA takes on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, creating a busy race weekend across multiple venues.
Complete TV Schedule for NASCAR Events at New Hampshire
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opens the weekend with practice at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday, broadcast live on FS2. Qualifying for the Truck Series follows at 5:10 p.m. ET Friday, also on FS2. On Saturday, fans can catch the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Team EJP 175 starting at noon ET on FS1. Later that afternoon, the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for its practice session at 3 p.m. ET on TruTV and HBO Max, with qualifying airing at 4:10 p.m. ET on the same channels.
Saturday night features ARCA Menards Series coverage of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FS2. The weekend concludes with the much-anticipated NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 race at New Hampshire, airing on USA Network at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, preceded by Countdown to Green starting at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Weekend Overview and NASCAR Cup Series Details
New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host its first NASCAR Cup Series playoff race in the fall since 2017, following the reduction from two races to a single event at this track after that season. The 1.058-mile oval in Loudon serves as a critical battleground as the Round of 12 gets underway, amplifying the stakes for drivers competing for a spot in the championship round.
Friday is expected to be a light day with teams setting up in the garage and transporting equipment on site. Saturday shifts into full gear with inspection, practice, and qualifying activities creating a demanding schedule. The Cup Series practice takes place at 3 p.m. ET, followed closely by qualifying at 4:10 p.m. ET, both airing live to give fans an up-close look at preparations ahead of Sunday’s race.
Sunday’s Mobil 1 301 race broadcast will begin at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network, with the green flag expected shortly after at approximately 2:05 p.m. ET. This race will be a defining moment for playoff contenders as the New Hampshire event carries critical playoff points.
Support Series Activities and Preparation Challenges
Alongside the Cup Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series gets its first taste of New Hampshire’s flat oval since 2017, providing a platform for drivers and teams less familiar with the track. To help them adjust, a 50-minute practice session starts at 3:10 p.m. ET on Friday, with coverage from 3 p.m. ET on FS2. Qualifying for the Truck Series is slated to begin at 4:10 p.m. ET on Friday.
The Team EJP 175 race kicks off Saturday at noon ET on FS1, with the green flag hitting around 12:15 p.m. ET. For fans following smaller but significant events, the Whelen Modified Tour at New Hampshire will begin early Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. ET, streaming live on FLORacing.com from 9 a.m. ET.
Meanwhile, the ARCA Menards Series heads to Salem Speedway in Southern Indiana, a longtime staple in the series’ schedule. This weekend’s race is the 110th time ARCA will visit this historic venue. Teams will participate in a 45-minute practice session beginning at 3:45 p.m. ET, with qualifying set for 5:15 p.m. ET. Neither session will be televised. However, the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 race broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET on FS2, with the race starting at about 8:10 p.m. ET.
Analyzing Recent TV Ratings and Audience Trends
The recent Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol illustrates ongoing challenges in viewership during the NASCAR season due to competition with football broadcasts. Although last year’s Bristol race was the lowest-rated event of the season because of its fall timing amidst football games, this year it did not hold that distinction. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race earned a .79 rating with 1.536 million viewers, showing a decline of 19% in rating and 19.1% in viewership from 2022’s .98 rating and 1.898 million viewers.
Despite these decreases, the race remained the fourth-highest rated prime-time broadcast on Saturday night. However, the race faced stiff competition, airing simultaneously with football games such as Florida vs. LSU on ABC, which attracted 7.028 million viewers, and Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M on NBC, which drew 5.149 million viewers.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 race on Friday night also experienced a decline, with a .45 rating and 767,000 viewers. This represented a 13.4% drop in ratings and a 15.4% decrease in viewers compared to the prior year when the race aired on The CW for the first time. Similarly, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series UNOH 250 on Thursday earned a .16 rating and 276,000 viewers, reflecting a slight downtrend compared to last year’s .17 rating and 289,000 viewers.
Implications for NASCAR Broadcasts and Fan Engagement
As the NASCAR Cup Series advances into the critical playoff phase at New Hampshire, the television schedule and broadcast coverage become increasingly important for fan engagement, especially amid stiff competition from other sports. The live coverage of practices, qualifying, and key races across multiple platforms like FS1, FS2, TruTV, HBO Max, and USA Network allows fans to closely follow their favorite drivers and teams as they vie for championship positions.
This weekend’s mix of racing at different venues—including New Hampshire, Southern Indiana’s Salem Speedway, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for IMSA—highlights the intense, multi-series nature of motorsports in this busy stretch of the season. Teams and drivers face unique challenges as they adapt to different track layouts and conditions, especially when many have little prior experience on the New Hampshire oval.
The ongoing fluctuations in viewership and strong competition from football broadcasts underscore the evolving landscape of sports media rights and how NASCAR must continue to adapt its scheduling and coverage to maintain and grow its audience. Platforms that offer live streaming and multi-channel access will likely play a bigger role as fans seek comprehensive and flexible ways to watch events live or on demand.
