STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 7, 2021 – The 2021 NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8 will be decided at one of NASCAR’s most unpredictable tracks, the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, this weekend on NBC.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 will be decided this Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. A special hour-and-a-half edition of Countdown to Green pre-race coverage airs at 1 p.m. ET on the broadcast network.
Following Bubba Wallace’s historic first career NASCAR Cup Series victory Monday in a rain-shortened race at Talladega that also marked the second win for a Black driver in Cup Series history, NBC Sports’ race coverage this weekend will feature:
- A live pre-race interview with Wallace at the Peacock Pit Box on Sunday;
- Denny Hamlin live pre-race interview discussing his first victory as an owner of 23XI Racing as well as starting on pole for Sunday’s Cup Series race;
- NBC Sports’ Tim Layden narrating an essay on the impact of Wallace’s victory at Talladega throughout NASCAR, motorsports and the sport industry.
A special 2.5-hour slate of motorsports programming honoring Wallace’s historic win will air today on NBCSN, beginning with the Racing Roots episode detailing his upbringing and childhood at 4:30 p.m. ET. Wallace’s 2019 appearance on the Dale Jr. Download, where he touches on his racing career, family and struggles with mental health, will be presented at 5 p.m. ET. An hour-long version of Monday’s race from Talladega will begin at 6 p.m. ET. The block of programming will encore this evening at 10 p.m. ET on NBCSN, beginning with the Talladega race, followed by Dale Jr. Download at 11 p.m. ET, and concluding with Racing Roots at midnight ET. A graphic with the special programming slate is attached.
The cutoff race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12 begins this Saturday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m. ET from the Charlotte ROVAL with Countdown to Green on NBC, leading into the green flag waving shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup and Xfinity Series elimination races this weekend from Charlotte alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rutledge Wood will also provide reports and engage with fans remotely using #HeyRut throughout Sunday’s race.
Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will contribute coverage from pit road during the Playoff races from the Charlotte ROVAL.
Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett will anchor pre- and post-race coverage from the Peacock Pit Box this weekend, with Marty Snider hosting pre-race coverage on Sunday.
Bubba Wallace became the second Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race with his first career victory Monday in a rain-shortened race at Talladega. Click here for reactions following the historic win. Brandon Brown won his first career Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
2021 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS ROUND OF 12
| Drivers | Points |
| Denny Hamlin | Advanced to Round of 8 |
| Kyle Larson | 3097 (+22) |
| Joey Logano | 3096 (+21) |
| Brad Keselowski | 3095 (+20) |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 3095 (+20) |
| Ryan Blaney | 3090 (+15) |
| Chase Elliott | 3084 (+9) |
| Kyle Busch | 3084 (+9) |
| Kevin Harvick | 3075 (-9) |
| Christopher Bell | 3056 (-28) |
| William Byron | 3040 (-44) |
| Alex Bowman | 3032 (-52) |
NASCAR Pick ‘Em: NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, NASCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each NASCAR Cup Series race. NASCAR Pick ‘Em is available for download now on the NBC Sports Predictor app powered by PointsBet (available in the App Store and Google Play Store) and at nbcsports.com/predictor.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Rick Allen
- Analysts: Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman
- Specialty Reporter: Rutledge Wood
STUDIO COVERAGE TEAM
- Host: Marty Snider
- Analysts: Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBC, NBCSN
- Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
| Date | Coverage | Network | Time (ET) |
| Sat., Oct. 9 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Xfinity Series | NBC | 3 p.m. |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL | NBC | 3:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 10 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| NASCAR Cup Series Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL | NBC | 2:30 p.m. |
| NASCAR Cup Series Post Race | NBCSN | 6 p.m. |
PEACOCK TO STREAM FINAL THREE 2021 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES AIRING ON NBC
For the first time ever, Peacock will live stream three 2021 NASCAR Cup Series races, featuring two Playoffs Round of 8 races and the Championship, that all will be airing on NBC. The races include:
- Sun., Oct. 17 – Texas Motor Speedway
- Sun., Oct. 31 – Martinsville Speedway
- Sun., Nov. 7 – Phoenix Raceway (Championship)
Pre- and post-race coverage airing on NBC will also stream on Peacock. For more information on NASCAR on Peacock, click here.
NASCAR on Peacock is the latest offering to Peacock’s extensive motorsports programming such as INDYCAR, NRX, Pro Motocross, Mecum Auto Auctions, NASCAR America Motormouths and the Peacock originals Lost Speedways, hosted by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and CHASE featuring 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott.
IMSA WEATHERTECH CHAMPIONSHIP: VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Leigh Diffey
- Analyst: Calvin Fish
- Pit Reporters: Kelli Stavast, Dillon Welch
Live coverage of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) will be presented Saturday at noon ET on NBC, kicking off six consecutive hours of motorsports coverage on NBC.
The GT classes will headline the afternoon of racing at VIR: GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD). Live streaming coverage of all IMSA races throughout the weekend will also be available on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
MECUM AUCTIONS: LAS VEGAS
BROADCAST TEAM
- Host: Scott Hoke
- Analysts: John Kraman, Stephen Cox
- Reporters: Bill Stephens, Katie Osborne
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBCSN
- Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
| Date | Network | Time (ET) |
| Thurs., Oct. 7 | NBCSN | 7 p.m.* |
| Fri., Oct. 8 | NBCSN | 7 p.m.* |
| Sat., Oct. 9 | NBCSN | 1:30 p.m. (LIVE) |
| NBCSN | 1 a.m.* |
| Sun., Oct. 10 | NBCSN | 6:30 p.m.* |
*delayed coverage
The three-day auction from the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., features 1,000 classic and collector vehicles ranging from entry-level collectibles to multimillion-dollar auctions, headlined by the Pacific Northwest Collection at No Reserve and the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, among many others.
In addition to coverage on NBCSN, the auction will stream live on Peacock daily Thursday-Saturday.
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