Ways to watch the NASCAR YellaWood 500 in Talladega at no cost

As the NASCAR season nears its end, with only three races remaining, the stakes are escalating.

There are currently eight drivers still in contention for the Cup Series playoffs. While no eliminations will take place until the next race at Martinsville, the bottom four drivers really need to secure points at Talladega this week to stay in the competition. It’s kind of tense, to be honest. For the latest updates, check out the playoff field below.

Talladega is known for being one of the fastest tracks in the Cup Series. To keep speeds in check and prevent pile-ups—referred to as the “big one,” which involves multiple cars—drivers use tapered spacers instead of the older restrictor plates. Still, accidents can happen at any moment.

In the YellaWood 500, the format consists of three stages: the first two are 60 laps each, followed by a 68-lap finale, making a total of 500 miles.

2025 NASCAR YellaWood 500 Start Times:

The YellaWood 500 is set to begin today, October 19th, at 2 PM ET.

How to Watch the 2025 NASCAR YellaWood 500 for Free:

If you don’t have cable, there are options for streaming the race for free. A good choice is live TV streaming services. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial that includes NBC. After that, you can access over 90 live channels starting at $49.99 per month.

Sling TV is another affordable option for streaming NASCAR and other motorsports; its choice plans come with NBC and start at $19.99 monthly.

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, Front Row 38th Motorsport 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, Front Row 34th 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 Josevar, 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, 4th 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

NASCAR Cup Series Round 8 Playoffs Field

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. Christopher Bell
4. Chase Briscoe
5. William Byron
6. Chase Elliott
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Joey Logano