What channel is IndyCar on? Laguna Seca start time, TV channel & more

When is the IndyCar race at Laguna Seca?

The event is held over three days – Friday, Sept. 17 sees one practice session, Saturday, Sept. 18 features second practice and qualifying, while Sunday, Sept. 19 sees a morning warm-up followed by the race.

Friday, Sept. 17

• 2.30-3.15pm Pacific time – Practice
Saturday, Sept. 18

• 10.45-11.30am Pacific time – Practice
• 2.05-3.20pm Pacific time – Qualifying

Sunday, Sept. 19

• 9.00-9.30am – Warm-up
• 12.23 – “Drivers, start your engines”
• 12.30 – Green flag for Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps)

What is the full on-track schedule? (All times are local/Pacific)

Friday, Sept. 17

9.30-10.15am – NASA Touring Car practice
10.30-11.15am – Indy Lights practice
12.45-1.15pm – NASA Touring Car qualifying for Race 1
1.30-2.00pm – Indy Lights qualifying for Race 1
2.30-3.15pm – IndyCar Series Practice 1
3.45-4.30pm – NASA Touring Car Race 1

Saturday, Sept. 18

9.00-9.30am – NASA Touring Car warm-up
9.45-10.15am – Indy Lights qualifying gor Race 2
10.45-11.30am – IndyCar Series Practice 2
12.00-12.30pm – NASA Touring Car qualifying for Race 2
12.45-1.45pm – Indy Lights Race 1
2.05-3.20pm – IndyCar Series Qualifying
3.45-4.30 – NASA Touring Car Race 2

Sunday, Sept. 19

9.00-9.30am – IndyCar Series Warm-up
10.00-11.00 – Indy Lights Race 2
12.30 – Green flag for Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps)

How can I watch IndyCar at Laguna Seca? 

Friday, Sept. 17

Practice 2.30-3.15pm PT – Peacock live streaming

Saturday, Sept. 18

Practice 10.45-11.30am PT – Peacock live streaming

Qualifying 2.00-3.30pm PT – Peacock live streaming

Sunday, Sept. 19

Warm-up 9.00-9.30am PT – Peacock live streaming

Race 12.00-3.00pm PT – NBC broadcast

Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT IndyCar Series, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.

Can I stream the IndyCar race? 

The race itself cannot be streamed, just practice, qualifying and warm-up.

How can I listen to the race?

The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 205 and 211, indycar.com and the IndyCar Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT IndyCar Series practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

Mark Jaynes will be lead announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers, while Dan Rusanowsky and Alex Wolff will report from the pits.

What’s the weather forecast for the race?

Friday will see a peak temperature of 73degF, with the day mainly sunny. Both Saturday and Sunday will be cloudier, and with temperatures reaching only 70degF.

Race weekend details

Track: 11-turn 2.258-mile road course in Monterey, CA.

Race distance: 95 laps / 214.51 miles.

Firestone tire allotment: Six sets of primaries – seven for rookies – and four sets of alternate tires.

Push-to-pass parameters: 150 seconds total, with maximum time of 15sec per activation.

2019 race winner: Colton Herta (Harding Steinbrenner [Andretti]-Honda)

2019 pole winner: Colton Herta (Harding Steinbrenner [Andretti]-Honda), 70.1405sec / 114.867mph

Qualifying record: Helio Castroneves (Reynard-Honda) in 2000 – 67.722sec/118.969mph

Race notes:

There have been nine different winners in 14 NTT IndyCar Series races this season. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America and Portland), Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Ganassi’s Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2 and Belle Isle-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Belle Isle - 2 and Nashville), Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Gateway), Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – 2).

The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, ’01 and ’14.

The points lead has changed hands six times this season between Palou, O’Ward and Dixon. With only one round to go,

This weekend’s Firestone GP of Monterey will be the 24^th Indy car race at Laguna Seca but just the second since 2004. Teo Fabi won the first Indy car race here for Forsythe Racing in 1983. Colton Herta and Helio Castroneves are the only former winners entered in this year’s race. The latter has raced here four times.

Four rookies will compete this weekend – Scott McLaughlin (Penske-Chevrolet), Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing with RWR-Honda), Jimmie Johnson (Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda) and Callum Ilott (making his second IndyCar start) in the Juncos-Hollinger-Chevrolet.

Due to last year’s race cancelation due to the COVID-19, pandemic, other drivers making their first Laguna Seca starts as IndyCar drivers this weekend include Oliver Askew, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay.

Entry list