It is a true home game for the entire NASCAR paddock this weekend as all three premier series descend upon Charlotte Motor Speedway for a massive slate of racing. This weekend kicks off the first of five straight tripleheaders designed to bring the 2026 season to a head as The Chase presented by Mobil 1 hits crunch time.
Now, here is the big twist for the fans and teams: for the first time since 2017, the fall festivities in the Queen City are ditching the track's Roval configuration and heading back to the classic 1.5-mile oval. That is a massive shift in how these beasts will be set up and driven, bringing a completely different character to the weekend.
The action starts fast with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series hitting the track on Friday night at 5 p.m. ET, broadcast live on FOX. Teams in this class are allocated five total sets of tires, broken down into three new sets for the race, one for practice, and one for qualifying that transfers over to the race.
Following the trucks, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series takes center stage on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET with television coverage on The CW. Competitors here get six total sets of tires, giving them four new sets for the race alongside one for practice and a single qualifying set that carries over.
Finally, the premier NASCAR Cup Series main event goes green on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, airing on USA Network. These powerhouse machines get an allocation of eleven total sets of rubber, consisting of eight new sets for the race, two for practice, and one for qualifying that transfers directly into the race.
For the Cup and O'Reilly series, qualifying orders, practice results, practice lap averages, and practice lap times are canceled, meaning the starting lineups are set straight per the rule book. The Craftsman Truck Series, however, retains its full schedule of qualifying and practice sessions ahead of the racing action.
