2026 NASCAR Schedule

StandOnIt said:
I think the new will wear off at N.Wilkesboro in about 3 years myself. Maybe a fan diversion about how crappy the car is will suffice for some, but I don't think that small of a track is that entertaining unless they bubba into each other and cause cautions.
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I'd like someone to explain the appeal of NW without relying on the words 'history', 'tradition', 'legacy', 'old school' or similar terms. Maybe seeing a full Cup points race will make it apparent to me. The truck races haven't.

The last thing the national appeal of this sport needed was another race moved back to the southeast.
 
Personally except in rare cases, the caliber of the drivers doesn't throw back to the days of old when they had all of the beating and banging, fights etc. You do find that at the local small tracks occasionally, but it's pretty rare even in the Trucks. So fans of that type find something else to be redneck about and there is this car...it's the worst car known to man lol.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
Personally I am fine with the Roval but that seemed like low hanging fruit to appease a majority of fans.

Watkins Glen early May is weird. Could be 45 degrees and raining or 75 and sunny.
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Mother’s Day weekend, school still in session, sketchy weather all sounds like a recipe for a smaller turnout at what’s predominantly a camping destination you have to go out of your way to visit. I hope I’m wrong.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Mother’s Day weekend, school still in session, sketchy weather all sounds like a recipe for a smaller turnout at what’s predominantly a camping destination you have to go out of your way to visit. I hope I’m wrong.
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Darlington had a favorable reception on Mother's Day for several years.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'd like someone to explain the appeal of NW without relying on the words 'history', 'tradition', 'legacy', 'old school' or similar terms. Maybe seeing a full Cup points race will make it apparent to me. The truck races haven't.

The last thing the national appeal of this sport needed was another race moved back to the southeast.
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The ASR this year was one of the more favorably-rated short track races in the Gen 7 era. Maybe only the ‘happy accident’ that was the 2024 Bristol spring race had a better reception. But it’s a pretty unique short track, nothing cookie cutter about it, and raced really well for the Cuppers this year.

SMI had mechanisms to give it a points race without shifting the geographical balance of the calendar, they just chose not to do so. And I think a big part of that is the idea of giving away a Bristol points date just isn’t good for optics any way you look at it.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'd like someone to explain the appeal of NW without relying on the words 'history', 'tradition', 'legacy', 'old school' or similar terms. Maybe seeing a full Cup points race will make it apparent to me. The truck races haven't.

The last thing the national appeal of this sport needed was another race moved back to the southeast.
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Yep.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'd like someone to explain the appeal of NW without relying on the words 'history', 'tradition', 'legacy', 'old school' or similar terms. Maybe seeing a full Cup points race will make it apparent to me. The truck races haven't.

The last thing the national appeal of this sport needed was another race moved back to the southeast.
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You have to give the fans what they want. That's how they lost so many in the past by exploiting the current fans to chase new ones.
 
I do think its hilarious that race fans complain about it being too cold for a race. You do realize that these are the same people that will sit in a snow storm for hours watching a football game? In the north once it hits mid 50s some people break out shorts
 
wi_racefan said:
You have to give the fans what they want. That's how they lost so many in the past by exploiting the current fans to chase new ones.
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But do the fans know what they want and does NASCAR know whether some social media opinions accurately reflect the opinion among the fanbase?

After the inaugural Roval race was a success while the Gen 6 struggled to put on good racing on intermediates rovals (and RC's in general) were gonna be the next big thing so NASCAR started going to the Daytona and Indianapolis RC's and a bunch of other road courses.
Nowadays fans are complaining about too many road courses.
Fans were complaining about boring racing at the Brickyard 400 but as soon as the Indy RC replaced the Brickyard 400 fans wanted it back.
Fans also wanted less intermediates but as soon as Chicagoland and Kentucky were dropped they wanted them back.
Then dirt tracks were gonna be the next big thing until fans didn't want them anymore and then it was tracks getting the Atlantadega treatment.
 
kkfan91 said:
Its the Daytona 500, Indy 500 of winged sprint car racing. Larson is a huge draw to any sprint car race, even if this one still be packed without him.
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Yeah, but what difference does it make whether it's opposite Iowa vs. Richmond? Larson won't available either way.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Yeah, but what difference does it make whether it's opposite Iowa vs. Richmond? Larson won't available either way.
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If it’s opposite a Saturday night race as Richmond is projected, Larson won’t be able to compete. If it were the weekend of Iowa, he could very easily commute an hour up the road between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon for both events.
 
MRM said:
The Knoxville Nationals is always the second weekend in August. Richmond won't go against it.
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wi_racefan said:
I do think its hilarious that race fans complain about it being too cold for a race. You do realize that these are the same people that will sit in a snow storm for hours watching a football game? In the north once it hits mid 50s some people break out shorts
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I would much rather sit at a racetrack in the mid 50s than the mid 80s but most people do not agree with me. Early May I am still skiing.
 
FLRacingFan said:
If it’s opposite a Saturday night race as Richmond is projected, Larson won’t be able to compete. If it were the weekend of Iowa, he could very easily commute an hour up the road between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon for both events.
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So this isn't Knoxville TN?
 
Has Larson ruled out doing the Indy 500?

I know there are rumors going around that FOX wants that race to start mid-afternoon (2 or 3pm).
 
HoneyBadger said:
Has Larson ruled out doing the Indy 500?

I know there are rumors going around that FOX wants that race to start mid-afternoon (2 or 3pm).
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He has zero interest in attempting the 500 again so long as he’s still a full time Cup driver. He really struggled to enjoy himself the past two years. Just too taxing logistically and mentally.
 
I've often said Trucks should be a mostly short track/road course series so I'm willing to give St.Pete a shot.
Of all the IndyCar street tracks, it's the least likely to be a total fustercluck for the trucks.
FLRacingFan said:
No more Portland for Xfinity.
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That one was coming for some time. That track joined the Xfinity schedule with a Cup race in mind for the PNW market.
Then fans starting being against road courses so there was no way it would ever make it to the Cup schedule and no reason to keep it for Xfinity.
 
This schedule has some big hits, and some...big misses.

Hits:

-Chicagoland

-North Wilkesboro points race

-San Diego

-Homestead finale

Misses:

-Roval still being there

-Dover loses its only points race to throw in another race in the Southeast, which in turn dampens my excitement for North Wilkesboro...in fact, it's ironic, because North Wilkesboro was also a historic staple that got killed to throw in another track...talk about irony

-Talladega still being round of 8

-Watkins-Glen in May???

More hits than misses, I suppose, but...eek.
 
DaleJrFan2003 said:
This schedule has some big hits, and some...big misses.

Hits:

-Chicagoland

-North Wilkesboro points race

-San Diego

-Homestead finale

Misses:

-Roval still being there

-Dover loses its only points race to throw in another race in the Southeast, which in turn dampens my excitement for North Wilkesboro...in fact, it's ironic, because North Wilkesboro was also a historic staple that got killed to throw in another track...talk about irony

-Talladega still being round of 8

-Watkins-Glen in May???

More hits than misses, I suppose, but...eek.
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I wanted North Wilkesboro to replace the Bristol spring race. I'm guessing FOX had a lot of say in that.

We all knew Dover was on borrowed time when Speedway Motorsports bought it. Plus, there are rumors about NASCAR wanting to race in Philadelphia.
 
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