Where and when to watch NASCAR this weekend from Bristol

Assuming Mother Nature cooperates, here’s where and when to watch the NASCAR action this weekend from the sport’s most famous short track.

A ticket to Bristol Motor Speedway might not be what it once was, but rest assured that if you enjoy NASCAR, it’s still a place you don’t want to miss a race. There’s something about dozens of cars going around a high-banked half-mile track that is simply spellbinding.

Both the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series are in Bristol this weekend to put “The Last Great Colosseum” through its paces once more. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t been ideal and looks like it could spoil some or most of the scheduled racing. At the time of this post, Weather Channel is calling for an 80 percent chance of rain Saturday and 100 percent Sunday, meaning we could be in for some weekday short track racing, like it or not.

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, however. For now, there are plenty of intriguing storylines heading into Sunday, with Jimmie Johnson back to his winning ways and some of the sport’s young stars still very much in contention each week, particularly Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. A number of other drivers, including Kevin Harvick, are still looking for their first 2017 victories, so the Food City 500 should have no shortage of drama.

Assuming it goes off anything close to the way it’s planned, here’s the full list of times and channels you need for the weekend, courtesy of NASCAR.com.

Next: Charlotte fall race moved to Sunday afternoon

NASCAR Bristol TV schedule

Friday, April 21

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, 11:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1
• XFINITY Series practice, 1 p.m., Fox Sports 1
• XFINITY Series final practice, 3:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1
• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, 4:45 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Saturday, April 22

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, 8:30 a.m., Fox Sports 1
• XFINITY Series qualifying, 9:35 a.m., Fox Sports 1
• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, 11 a.m., Fox Sports 1
• XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, 1 p.m., Fox Sports 1

Sunday, April 23

• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500, 2 p.m., FOX