Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography

NASCAR weekend schedule, forecast for return to Watkins Glen


The three national NASCAR series head to Watkins Glen International for a packed weekend of road course racing.

The Craftsman Truck Series teams will kick off the weekend with a Friday afternoon race. The Xfinity Series teams will keep the schedule rolling with a Saturday afternoon race.

The Cup Series teams will then cap off the weekend with a Sunday afternoon race. This is one of three remaining races before the playoffs begin.

The ARCA Menards Series teams will also be in action on Friday at Watkins Glen. They will take part in a Friday afternoon race.

Watkins Glen International forecast and schedule

Friday forecast: The WeatherUnderground forecast calls for sunny skies. A high of 84 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the Truck Series race.

Saturday forecast: The forecast calls for mostly sunny skies throughout the day. A high of 86 degrees and a 5% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity Series race.

Sunday forecast: The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies throughout the day. A high of 89 degrees and a 5% chance of rain at the start of the Cup Series race.

Friday, Aug. 8, schedule (Eastern Time)

  • 8:15 a.m. -- ARCA Menards Series garage hours
  • 10 a.m. -- Truck Series garage hours
  • 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. -- Xfinity Series garage hours
  • 10 - 10:45 a.m. -- ARCA Menards Series practice (No TV)
  • 11 - 11:20 a.m. -- ARCA Menards Series qualifying (No TV)
  • 11:35 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. -- Truck Series practice (FS2)
  • 12:40 - 1:30 p.m. -- Truck Series qualifying (FS2)
  • 2 p.m. -- ARCA Menards Series race (41 laps, 100.45 miles. FS2, Radio coverage on Motor Racing Network)
  • 5 p.m. -- Truck Series race (72 laps, 176.4 miles. FS1, Radio coverage on NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Saturday, Aug. 9, schedule (Eastern Time)

  • 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. -- Cup Series garage hours
  • 8 a.m. -- Xfinity Series garage hours
  • 9:30 - 10:20 a.m. -- Xfinity Series practice (Streaming on CW app)
  • 10:35 - 11:30 a.m. -- Xfinity Series qualifying (Streaming on CW app)
  • 12:05 - 12:55 p.m. -- Cup Series practice (truTV, Max, radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • 1:10 - 2 p.m. -- Cup qualifying (truTV, Max, radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • 3 p.m. -- Xfinity Series race (82 laps, 200.9 miles. CW, Radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, Aug. 10, schedule (Eastern Time)

  • 11 a.m. -- Cup Series garage hours
  • 2 p.m. -- Cup Series race (90 laps, 220.5 miles. USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app, in-car cameras on Max, Radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)