The NASCAR Cup Series Chase heads to Phoenix Raceway on Sunday for the Freeway Insurance 500, and the championship battle is entering its final stretch. Kyle Larson continues to lead the standings with 2,367 points after a sixth-place finish at Charlotte last weekend, extending his advantage over Denny Hamlin to 49 points. Christopher Bell is just two points behind Hamlin in third, while Chase Briscoe has suddenly become one of the field’s hottest drivers after winning back-to-back races at Las Vegas and Charlotte and jumping into fourth.
With only four races left in The Chase, pressure is mounting for everyone trying to catch Larson. Briscoe’s dramatic photo-finish win over Bell last weekend put him within 65 points of the lead, while Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano round out the top six, 85 and 92 points back, respectively. All 16 drivers are still chasing the championship, but the gap is growing for those near the bottom, and opportunities to make up ground are running out.
The green flag drops in Phoenix at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, and race fans across the country can watch every lap on Sling TV.
- When is the NASCAR Freeway Insurance 500?
- What: Freeway Insurance 500 — NASCAR Cup Series Race
- When: Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EDT
- Where: Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix, AZ
- TV: USA Network
How to stream the Freeway Insurance 500 without cable
Kyle Larson will try to hold off the competition as The Chase heads to Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, and NASCAR fans can watch the Freeway Insurance 500 on Sling TV.
Sunday’s race airs on USA Network, making Sling Blue our top pick for fans watching without cable. Sling Orange & Blue also carries the channel, but the cheaper Sling packages won’t work for this one. If you’re mainly interested in NASCAR, Blue is the more affordable choice, while Orange & Blue adds ESPN, TNT, and more live sports coverage.
These are the Sling packages you can use to watch the race on USA Network:
- Sling TV Blue ($45.99/month)
- Sling TV Orange & Blue ($60.99/month)
Sling is our top pick for NASCAR races, but you can also use any of these other top streaming services to catch the action on Sunday:
- DIRECTV STREAM ($59.99/month for the first month, then $89.99/month)
- Hulu + Live TV ($89.99/month with a 3-day free trial; also includes Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited)
- <a href="https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>YouTube TV ($52.99/month for the first two months, then $82.99/month with a variable free trial)
Sling is our favorite option for the regular USA Network broadcast, but NASCAR fans looking for something extra should check out HBO Max. Starting at $18.49/month, HBO Max offers in-car cameras, alternate viewing angles, and multi-view coverage so you can follow your favorite drivers throughout Sunday’s race.
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