Where to Watch F1, NASCAR, and the Bathurst 1000 This Weekend

Formula 1 – Japanese Grand Prix
Sunday, October 9th – 1:00 a.m. ET – ESPN2

After two years away from the schedule for COVID-related reasons, one of Formula 1’s greatest tracks is back. Unfortunately for drivers, the fast and challenging Suzuka Circuit was wet throughout Friday’s practice sessions and expected to be wet for Sunday’s race.

Max Verstappen starts on pole for the race, needing to outscore Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez by just eight points to clinch a championship this weekend. Leclerc starts second, but Verstappen can clinch the title by winning and taking the fastest lap even if Leclerc finishes there.

Australian Supercars – Bathurst 1000
Saturday, October 8th – 8:15 p.m. ET – YouTube (Subscription-based)

Australia’s greatest motor race is here again, the final Bathurst 1000 for the Holden badge after the GM satellite shut down in 2020. Ford’s newest Mustang will race a Camaro in Supercars next year, so this is the last hurrah for Australia’s greatest racing cars as we know them today.

With Supercars dominating force Scott McLaughlin spending 2022 winning IndyCar races, domestic star Shane van Gisbergen entered the year as a heavy favorite in both the championship and the Bathurst 1000. He leads the championship hunt over Cam Waters by nearly two rounds worth of points, but Waters and endurance co-driver James Moffat will start the race on pole while van Gisbergen and co-driver Garth Tander will have to roll out from seventh.

NASCAR – Charlotte Roval
Sunday, October 9th – 2:00 p.m. ET – NBC

NASCAR’s playoffs are supposed to have a rhythm, and in the Round of 12 that rhythm is one calm intermediate race at Texas Motor Speedway before two chaotic events at Talladega and the Charlotte road course. This year, for a wide variety of reasons, that rhythm was flipped on its head by a Texas race full of flat tires and intentional on-track contact. Then, in an even stranger turn, Talladega finished without a massive wreck. All that sets up a strange race at the Roval, the infield road course built into Charlotte Motor Speedway. Alex Bowman’s out of the car with a concussion again, so only Christopher Bell is in an effective must-win situation. Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, meanwhile, are the only two drivers more than 20 points clear of the cutoff line. That leaves eight other drivers fighting for six remaining spots in the playoff field on points. At the Roval, that’s a recipe for the chaos Talladega lacked.