The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series hits Watkins Glen this weekend, and we've got all of the timing, scheduling and TV information you need for today's qualifying session.
Last year at the Glen, Team Penske star Ryan Blaney stunned road course maestro Shane van Gisbergen to take pole position by 0.033 seconds in a dramatic session.
Van Gisbergen came through to win the race though, with Chris Buescher and Christopher Bell both strong throughout the weekend.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the presence of young hotshot Connor Zilisch, who won both of his Xfinity Series races at the track and finished second in Friday's Truck Series event. The 19-year-old road course wizard will be making his Cup Series debut at the track this weekend, after missing out last year because he fell off his car and broke his collarbone celebrating an Xfinity Series victory the day before.
With that said, we can't wait to see who comes out on top this afternoon!
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What time is NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Watkins Glen today?
NASCAR Cup Series qualifying from Watkins Glen takes place today, Saturday, May 9, at 2:10 p.m. ET.
This follows directly on from Cup Series practice, which is set to get underway at 1 p.m. ET.
Here are the start times converted to your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Practice Start Time | Qualifying Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 1:00 PM | 2:10 PM |
| New York, NY (ET) | 1:00 PM | 2:10 PM |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 1:00 PM | 2:10 PM |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 1:00 PM | 2:10 PM |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 1:00 PM | 2:10 PM |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 12:00 PM | 1:10 PM |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 12:00 PM | 1:10 PM |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 12:00 PM | 1:10 PM |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 12:00 PM | 1:10 PM |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 12:00 PM | 1:10 PM |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 11:00 AM | 12:10 PM |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 11:00 AM | 12:10 PM |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 11:00 AM | 12:10 PM |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 11:00 AM | 12:10 PM |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 10:00 AM | 11:10 AM |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 10:00 AM | 11:10 AM |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 10:00 AM | 11:10 AM |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 10:00 AM | 11:10 AM |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 10:00 AM | 11:10 AM |
What TV channel is NASCAR Cup Series Watkins Glen qualifying on today?
Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying action from Watkins Glen will not be broadcast live on traditional TV. Instead, it will be shown live on Prime Video.
You can download the Prime Video app on your handheld device from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.
You can also download the app on your TV on devices such as the following:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- VIZIO Smart TV
- LG TV
- Chromecast
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Today's qualifying session will also be broadcast live on the radio, with PRN and SiriusXM having the call.
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Live stream options
The best live stream option for today's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Watkins Glen is Prime Video.
For the first half of the season through San Diego (June 21), Prime Video is set to air all Cup Series practice and qualifying, with the exception of the Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star Race.
Qualifying Order
Here is the full list of Cup Series drivers set to take part in this weekend's event at Watkins Glen, listed in the order in which they will qualify on Saturday.
| Qualifying Order | Driver | Car No. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | * Katherine Legge | 78 |
| 2 | Cole Custer | 41 |
| 3 | * Josh Bilicki(i) | 66 |
| 4 | Cody Ware | 51 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 22 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 20 |
| 7 | Todd Gilliland | 34 |
| 8 | Josh Berry | 21 |
| 9 | Noah Gragson | 4 |
| 10 | Ty Gibbs | 54 |
| 11 | Ty Dillon | 10 |
| 12 | Kyle Larson | 5 |
| 13 | Michael McDowell | 71 |
| 14 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 |
| 15 | Ross Chastain | 1 |
| 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 |
| 17 | Kyle Busch | 8 |
| 18 | Zane Smith | 38 |
| 19 | Connor Zilisch # | 88 |
| 20 | Chase Briscoe | 19 |
| 21 | Austin Dillon | 3 |
| 22 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 |
| 23 | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 |
| 24 | Riley Herbst | 35 |
| 25 | Erik Jones | 43 |
| 26 | Austin Cindric | 2 |
| 27 | Ryan Preece | 60 |
| 28 | Brad Keselowski | 6 |
| 29 | Alex Bowman | 48 |
| 30 | Bubba Wallace | 23 |
| 31 | William Byron | 24 |
| 32 | Daniel Suárez | 7 |
| 33 | Ryan Blaney | 12 |
| 34 | Carson Hocevar | 77 |
| 35 | Chris Buescher | 17 |
| 36 | Tyler Reddick | 45 |
| 37 | Denny Hamlin | 11 |
| 38 | Chase Elliott | 9 |
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