NASCAR Race: Time, Channel, and How to Watch the Instacart 500

Today, drivers will head to the desert for the fifth NASCAR race of the Cup Series schedule. They [...]

By John Newby

Today, drivers will head to the desert for the fifth NASCAR race of the Cup Series schedule. They will take part in the Instacart 500 at Phoenix Raceway and cover 500 kilometers. Here is when the race starts and how to watch.

The Instacart 500 takes place on Sunday shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET, with a broadcast airing on FOX (which fans can watch live using a fuboTV free trial). The green flag will wave at 3:47 p.m. ET barring any unforeseen weather issues. Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer will call the action from the booth for Fox while Jamie Little and Regan Smith serve as pit reporters. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide the radio coverage.

Prior to the green flag waving, actor Jason Biggs will serve as grand marshal and will tell drivers to start their engines. The Phoenix Boys Choir will perform the national anthem in a unique way. The group will use radio frequency, microphones, and transmitters to sing together in a socially-distanced way.

The Instacart 500 marks the 50th time that the Cup Series will hold a race at Phoenix Raceway. The inaugural Phoenix race took place in 1988, which Bill Elliott won. His son, Chase Elliott, capped off the 2020 season with his first championship win, which he secured at Phoenix.

Team Penske's Brad Keselowski will lead the field to green after winning the Busch Pole through NASCAR's unique formula. 25% of the formula is the driver's finishing position from the previous race. Another 25% is the car owner's finishing position from the previous race. 35% is the team owner's points ranking, and the final 15% is the fastest lap from the previous race.

Keselowski will try to win his first race at the Arizona oval after finishing second in the championship race. Kyle Larson, the winner of Sunday's Pennzoil 400, will join him on the front row. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Martin Truex Jr. will round out the top five. The 2020 champ in Elliott will start in the sixth position.

Whether Keselowski wins his first Phoenix race remains to be seen, but racing fans are ready to watch him try. The course has a reputation for wild, overtime finishes given that there have been nine since the inaugural race. Additionally, the last eight Phoenix races were won by seven different drivers. Only Kyle Busch repeated in 2018 and 2019.

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