NASCAR returns to Talladega for YellaWood 500—Here’s how to watch for free

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With just three races left in the NASCAR season, things are coming down to the wire.

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Eight drivers remain eligible in the Cup Series playoff, and though no one will be cut until next week’s race at Martinsville, the drivers in the bottom four spots will need to gain some points during this week’s race at Talladega if they want their playoff. hopes to stay alive. See more on the playoff field below.

NASCAR YellaWood 500: what to know

• Where: Talladega Superspeedway (Lincoln, Alabama)

Talladega is one of the fastest courses in the Cup Series, so drivers use tapered spacers (formerly restrictor plates) to cut down and manage speed in order to avoid a “big one” (which is a crash involving five or more cars), but crashes can still occur.

In the YellaWood 500, drivers will compete in three stages of 60, 60, and 68 laps, adding up to 500 miles.

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2025 NASCAR YellaWood 500 start time:

The YellaWood 500 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET today, Oct. 19.

How to watch the 2025 NASCAR YellaWood 500 for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the race for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching racing live for free — its five-day free trial includes NBC. When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

TRY DIRECTV FOR FREE

Sling TV is another affordable way to stream NASCAR and other motorsports; its Select plan includes NBC and starts at $19.99/month.

YellaWood 500 starting grid:

1. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

4. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

5. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford

6. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

9. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota

10. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

11. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

12. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford

13. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

15. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

16. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

17. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

18. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

19. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

20. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

21. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

22. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

23. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

24. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

26. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

27. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

28. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

29. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

30. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

31. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

32. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

34. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

35. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford

37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet

38. Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet

39. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

40. Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

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NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 playoff field

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews