How to watch NASCAR YellaWood 500 in Talladega for free

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

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.

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.

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.

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

NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 playoff 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

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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

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