NASCAR on TV This Week: Aug. 30 – Sept. 1 (2024)

The regular season for the NASCAR Cup Series will come to an end this weekend. But, before it does, teams will contend with one of the toughest tasks of the entire 2024 season.

Where to Watch NASCAR This Weekend

As many of you know, Labor Day is a big weekend in motorsports at all levels. For NASCAR, Labor Day weekend has traditionally meant a visit to Darlington Raceway to sweat. From 2004-2014, this was not the case.

Now, it is the case once again. Darlington Raceway will host a doubleheader of action on the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.

For the NASCAR Cup Series, practice from Darlington is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon with live coverage on USA Network. Qualifying will follow shortly afterwards.

Coverage of the Cook Out Southern 500 will start with Countdown to Green at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday on USA Network. Race coverage will start at 6 p.m. ET with the green flag around 6:10 p.m. ET. NASCAR America Post-Race is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET Sunday night after the race, but recent years have shown that the race likely won’t be over by then. The last three 500-mile races at Darlington have taken over four hours to run.

The weather forecast for Sunday is pretty typical for Labor Day weekend in Darlington. Highs are forecast to be in the lower 90s, although the temperatures will drop as the race continues. What likely won’t is the humidity. If you’re going, hydrate. There is also a slight chance of thunderstorms.

The NASCAR Cup Series will be supported in Darlington by the NASCAR Xfinity Series. They are scheduled to have a full day of preparation at the track Friday.

Practice is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday morning. The session can be seen on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App. Qualifying will follow shortly afterwards. USA Network is airing a Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Everton during practice and qualifying.

Coverage of the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 will start with Countdown to Green at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. Race coverage will start at 3:30 p.m. ET with the green flag around 3:40 p.m. ET.

Saturday’s weather forecast is nearly identical to Sunday. Highs in the lower 90s and humid as heck. The only difference is that the race is during the heat of the day.

Outside of South Carolina, the ARCA Menards Series is holding their second and last dirt race of the season, the Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.

Coverage of the 100-mile dirt race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday night with live coverage on FOX Sports 1. That coverage will be simulcast on FLORacing. The green flag is scheduled for 8:44 p.m. ET.

Weather in Du Quoin figures to be less humid than Darlington. The forecast is for a high around 88 degrees with lower humidity. By race time, it will be cooler than that and pretty comfortable with no chance of rain.

TV Ratings Check — Daytona

Saturday night’s broadcast of the co*ke Zero Sugar 400 earned a 1.9 rating with roughly 3.5 million viewers watching on NBC. Another 100,000 viewers watched on Peaco*ck.

This is an increase of .1 of a point over last year and roughly 200,000 viewers. Those viewers saw Harrison Burton score his first win and Leigh Diffey make his return to NASCAR racing for the first time since 2017.