The NASCAR Cup Series continues this weekend from EchoPark Speedway
The NASCAR Cup Series continues this weekend from EchoPark Speedway
Catch all the action from practice to race day — here’s your full weekend viewing guide.
The Autotrader 400 rolls into EchoPark Speedway this Sunday, Feb. 22, and if you watched Daytona, you already know what kind of chaos we’re in for. The green flag drops at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, and Atlanta’s not your typical intermediate track anymore. Since the reconfiguration, it races more like a mini-superspeedway, which means big drafting packs, wild momentum swings, and drivers moving through the field in a hurry. It’s fast, tight, and usually unpredictable. If you’re expecting a calm, single-file Sunday drive, think again. You can stream all the racing action with 50% off a subscription to Sling TV.
How to watch the 2026 NASCAR Autotrader 400
- When: Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. ET
- TV: Race on FOX
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 Autotrader 400:
What is the broadcast schedule for the 2026 NASCAR Autotrader 400?
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Feb. 22 | 3 p.m. | Autotrader 400 | Fox |
Why we like Sling TV for watching the NASCAR Autotrader 400
If you’re bouncing between NASCAR, basketball, hockey, and random live events, and whatever new show your group chat won’t stop talking about, Sling TV is one of the simplest ways to keep everything in one place without torching your budget. It’s still one of the most affordable big-name live TV streaming services, and it carries the networks you actually need when race weekend rolls around.
Right now, Sling is offering 50% off your first month, which drops the base plan from $46 per month to $23 for month one. Not bad at all. You can choose Sling Orange or Sling Blue, or bundle both together. The combined plan normally runs $61 per month, but with the discount, your first month comes out to $30.50, which is still cheaper than most other live TV streaming options.
And if you’re mainly tuning in for the Autotrader 400 and don’t want a long commitment, Sling also has short-term day, weekend, and week-long passes. That flexibility is clutch. Just be sure to confirm that FOX is available in your local market before you sign up, since coverage depends on where you live.
In what markets does Sling TV carry Fox?
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Chicago
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Detroit
- Gainesville
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis/St. Paul
- New York
- Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- Washington, DC
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.
Can you watch the NASCAR Autotrader 400 for free?
If you’re hoping to watch the Autotrader 400 without locking yourself into another monthly bill, there are still a handful of free trial options out there. Just don’t assume they’re all equal. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all advertise trials, but the actual length can depend on timing and eligibility.
The most reliable option tends to be DIRECTV STREAM. It regularly offers a five-day free trial, which is plenty of time to stream the race and cancel if that’s your plan. Hulu + Live TV usually gives new subscribers a three-day free trial, which lines up nicely with a single race weekend.
Fubo is a bit more inconsistent. As The Streamable’s David Satin has noted, the length of its free trial isn’t always clearly spelled out even during sign-up. Some users report getting just one day, while others see offers closer to seven.
YouTube TV can be similar. The service often promotes trials lasting “up to two weeks,” but some new subscribers say they only receive two days which can make planning tricky.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Watch a recap of last week’s NASCAR Cup Series race
About the 2026 NASCAR Autotrader 400
The Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway hits differently now because this isn’t the Atlanta of the late 1990s or even the 2010s. After the 2021 repave and redesign, the 1.5-mile oval transformed into something that races more like a superspeedway than a traditional intermediate track. The corners were bumped from 24 to 28 degrees of banking, the racing surface was narrowed from 55 feet to 40, and the old, worn-out asphalt from 1997 was finally replaced. The result is tighter lanes, higher sustained speeds, and constant drafting battles that look a lot more like Daytona or Talladega than what fans used to expect in Atlanta.
Over the last four seasons, aerodynamics and momentum have been everything here. Drivers don’t just manage tires and long green-flag runs anymore. They slice through packs, time runs, and try to stay in the right line when the air starts moving. Christopher Bell won this race last season, surviving the chaos and proving once again that track position and perfectly timed moves matter late. It’s still an intermediate oval on paper, but in practice, it’s one of the most unique and unpredictable stops on the Cup Series schedule.
How to watch the 2026 NASCAR Autotrader 400 from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 NASCAR Autotrader 400 as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world, with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to Sling TV in order to stream the race with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. I use it every single day to surf the web. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling (and my preferred option), there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available