How to watch 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400

Saturday night racing is back at Richmond Raceway this weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Virginia for the Cook Out 400 on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network. The 0.75-mile short track packs 400 laps into 300 miles, so there’s not much room to breathe once the field gets bunched up in traffic. Austin Dillon comes back as the defending race winner, while Denny Hamlin enters Richmond sitting on a 103-point lead at the top of the Cup standings. And with Richmond kicking off the final three races before the 16-driver Chase field is locked, there’s not much margin for a bad night anymore. You can stream all the racing action with Sling TV’s multitude of subscription options.

How to watch the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out 400

When: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET
TV: Race on USA Network, qualifying on truTV
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 Cook Out 400:

What is the broadcast schedule for the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out 400?

Date	Time (ET)	Event	Platform
Saturday, Aug. 15	7 p.m.	Cook Out 400	USA Network

Why we like Sling TV for watching the NASCAR Cook Out 400

If you want one service that can cover NASCAR weekends, summer sports, live events, and whatever show everyone suddenly won’t stop talking about, Sling TV is a really solid option. It’s still one of the cheaper live TV streaming services out there, which comes in handy when NASCAR spreads practice, qualifying, and the race across multiple channels. And with football season right around the corner, now’s a pretty good time to get everything sorted before your weekends start filling up again.

Sling also gives you a lot more ways to subscribe than most live TV services. There are several ways to subscribe, including a one-day pass starting at $5, three-day and seven-day options, smaller channel packages, and the full standard lineup for $61 per month. So whether you only need live TV for a few days or want it every month, there’s a lot more flexibility here than you usually get.

For the full Cook Out 400 weekend, Sling Blue makes the most sense. It costs $46 per month and carries USA Network and truTV, so you can watch practice, qualifying, and the race with the same subscription. Sling Blue also carries local ABC, NBC, and Fox stations in select markets.

Save with Sling

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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.

Save with Sling

$19.99+ / month

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Can you watch the NASCAR Cook Out 400 for free?

If you’re just trying to watch the Cook Out 400 and don’t really need live TV for an entire month, there are a few ways to stream it with a free trial. The only annoying part is that those offers aren’t always the same for everyone. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer trials, but how many free days you get can vary depending on the service and sometimes even the account.

DIRECTV STREAM is the easiest one to count on. It regularly offers a five-day free trial, which is more than enough time to catch the race plus the rest of the weekend’s NASCAR coverage without paying. Hulu is another solid option, with new subscribers usually getting three free days, so signing up close to race day should cover the whole weekend.

Fubo is a little less predictable. As The Streamable’s David Satin has explained, it’s not always obvious exactly how long your trial will last even while you’re signing up. Some people may only get one free day, while others can see offers that stretch all the way to seven days.

YouTube TV can be just as inconsistent. The service advertises trials of up to seven days, but some subscribers wind up seeing a much shorter offer which can be pretty frustrating if you’re signing up just to watch one race. Before you finish signing up, take a second to check the final checkout screen so you know exactly how long your free trial will actually last.

	DIRECTV	Fubo	Hulu	Sling TV				YouTube TV
	Free Trial	Free Trial	Free 3-Day Trial	Save with Sling				Free Trial
		$20.99	$9.99	$28.99	$19.99	$29.99	$45.99	$45.99	$64.99
truTV	+ $24	-	+ $61	-	-	+ $6	✓	✓
USA Network	+ $24	-	+ $61	-	-	-	✓	✓

Watch a recap of last week’s NASCAR Cup Series race

How to watch the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out 400 from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 NASCAR Cook Out 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 $3.49 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.