2018 Cup Schedule

Acs

Acs

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Big Changes leaked by Motorsport.com:
https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/big-changes-coming-to-2018-nascar-cup-schedule-907615/

  • The second Cup date at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which Speedway Motorsports Inc. moved from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, will serve as the kickoff race to the Cup series playoffs, replacing Chicagoland Speedway.

  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has traditionally hosted its lone Cup event in late July, will become the 26th race of the Cup season and the last chance for drivers to win their way into the playoffs.

  • Richmond International Raceway, which has hosted the 26th race since the playoff format debuted in 2004, will become one of the 10 playoff races, adding a second short track to the 10-race run to the championship.

  • Chicagoland Speedway, which has traditionally kicked off the playoffs, will likely move into the regular season.
 
By my calculashuns, the playoff races would then be
Round 1:
Vegas
Richmond
Dover
Round 2:
Charlotte
Talladega
Kansas
Round 3:
Martinsville
Texas
Phoenix
Homestead
 
Acs said:
Big Changes leaked by Motorsport.com:
https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/big-changes-coming-to-2018-nascar-cup-schedule-907615/

  • The second Cup date at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which Speedway Motorsports Inc. moved from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, will serve as the kickoff race to the Cup series playoffs, replacing Chicagoland Speedway.

  • Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has traditionally hosted its lone Cup event in late July, will become the 26th race of the Cup season and the last chance for drivers to win their way into the playoffs.

  • Richmond International Raceway, which has hosted the 26th race since the playoff format debuted in 2004, will become one of the 10 playoff races, adding a second short track to the 10-race run to the championship.

  • Chicagoland Speedway, which has traditionally kicked off the playoffs, will likely move into the regular season.
Click to expand...

Woa...hope that Indy race is a road track atleast
 
Only thing I dislike is the second race at vegas, Last thing the schedule needs is more cookie cutters. Otherwise this is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.
 
Good schedule changes. Richmond is a lot better than NH and Vegas and Chicago are comparable. Then you have Charlotte using the roval which may or may not be better than the oval.
 
Assuming the Indy race remains "The Brickyard", that's going to be one hell of a post race show between covering the prestige of winning the race, plus going over who made it into the playoffs and interviewing all of the drivers.
 
Good moves, IMO. I like Indy in P26 on the oval. I like Las Vegas as the kickoff point for the playoff. The worn, rough Chicago surface gives good racing, but as an event, Chicago has seemed lifeless and dull in recent years. Vegas can throw a better party, I'm sure. And Richmond has had great racing the last two years, since the downforce reductions kicked in.

Net change: Vegas and Richmond are in; Chicago and Loudon are out; Indy is more prominent with better weather; Chicago is demoted to a lesser date but without competition from the Bears. It's all good, IMO.

IMO, the Charlotte infield road course is likely. I'll be excited to see how that works.

I also think Atlanta deserves a better date than P2. After the West Coast swing seems feasible to me.
 
RacerrecaR said:
Moving the Brickyard to race 26 was strictly to increase tv ratings and attendance. Nothing more.
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And you know what? Personally I think it's a good idea. It's a decent bandaid. Richmond is getting it's spot in the Chase, so besides Talladega, Indianapolis might have a good spot.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Good moves, IMO. I like Indy in P26 on the oval. I like Las Vegas as the kickoff point for the playoff. The worn, rough Chicago surface gives good racing, but as an event, Chicago has seemed lifeless and dull in recent years. Vegas can throw a better party, I'm sure. And Richmond has had great racing the last two years, since the downforce reductions kicked in.

Net change: Vegas and Richmond are in; Chicago and Loudon are out; Indy is more prominent with better weather; Chicago is demoted to a lesser date but without competition from the Bears. It's all good, IMO.

IMO, the Charlotte infield road course is likely. I'll be excited to see how that works.

I also think Atlanta deserves a better date than P2. After the West Coast swing seems feasible to me.
Click to expand...

I did a mockup schedule of what I'd like to see in another thread, and it seems like NASCAR would make the most sense having the West coast swing after Daytona be Phoenix/Las Vegas/Auto Club/Texas/Atlanta.
 
Great news! I think Las Vegas kicking off the "playoffs" will be pretty big, hope it's a night race. Excited for Richmond to be in the playoffs too, finally another short track. I do wonder what will happen to my home track of Chicagoland and where it will be slotted in the schedule. If I had to guess maybe back to its former July date but hopefully at night. The July day races were rough baking in the stands.
 
I commend nascar for adding another short track in the chase in place of a cookie cutter aero track.
 
FLRacingFan said:
It'll be going up against NFL opening Sunday now so more of an attendance thing. Better hope the Colts don't open at home.
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They open away in LA this upcoming season so I'd venture to say they will open at home in the 2018 season.
 
If moving the Brickyard is meant to boost ratings and attendance there will be some disappointed people. If the Colts or Bears are playing anywhere that is where the focus of Hoosiers will be.
 
The NFL..... Who the heck cares? Opening week of the NFL or not, don't you people know how to multitask yet?

BREAKING NEWS.....

The NFL and NASCAR have coexisted for a long, long time now.

Does everyone on this board work for NBC & FOX?

Sit back and enjoy the race and/or the NFL matchup of your choice on race day. There's not a reason that both can't be accomplished. Relax fellow face fans. We'll all be okay. :cool:
 
Nice to see some switcharoos with the cup schedule... if they could put infineon or another doable road course somewhere in that second round of playoffs, that would be a pretty interesting run to the title.
 
MRM said:
Good point. Saturday might work well in that spot. That is typically a down weekend for college football and there wouldn't be much tough competition.
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Yeah, most college football games that weekend are huge mismatches, like Alabama vs. Northeast Southwest Chattanooga State Polytechnic Institute. The Indy race could probably survive going up against that, but it's gonna get crushed going up against opening day in the NFL.
 
joe h said:
Only thing I dislike is the second race at vegas, Last thing the schedule needs is more cookie cutters. Otherwise this is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.
Click to expand...
Positive thoughts there buddy. :biggrin:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
The NFL..... Who the heck cares? Opening week of the NFL or not, don't you people know how to multitask yet?

BREAKING NEWS.....

The NFL and NASCAR have coexisted for a long, long time now.

Does everyone on this board work for NBC & FOX?

Sit back and enjoy the race and/or the NFL matchup of your choice on race day. There's not a reason that both can't be accomplished. Relax fellow face fans. We'll all be okay. :cool:
Click to expand...
I love this post 100 % NFL/NASCAR Sunday's are what two TV's are made for! I just sit back and enjoy....
 
ToyYoda said:
Yeah, most college football games that weekend are huge mismatches, like Alabama vs. Northeast Southwest Chattanooga State Polytechnic Institute. The Indy race could probably survive going up against that, but it's gonna get crushed going up against opening day in the NFL.
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I'm not trying to be a wise ass or start a flame war but from my short time on this bored I feel like most or all of us here are hard core race fans that really dont care about the casual fan that NASCAR is trying to bring in. In fact I would bet that most casual fans have let the sport from the time it was popular and dont even follow. So my question is if NASCAR does decide to run the Brickyard on NFL Week 1, why is it a big deal to us? We will watch anyway while casual fans will watch the NFL. I dont find Brickyard/Week 1 on the same day a big deal, I'll be watching both. well just Red Zone while watching the Race. I guess the dueling sentiments make me curious in terms of some hate the casual fan and blame them for the troubles NASCAR in by them trying to cater to a casual fan but then we have to worry about what time races are on and what other spot is opposite of that.
 
Snappy D said:
I'm not trying to be a wise ass or start a flame war but from my short time on this bored I feel like most or all of us here are hard core race fans that really dont care about the casual fan that NASCAR is trying to bring in. In fact I would bet that most casual fans have let the sport from the time it was popular and dont even follow. So my question is if NASCAR does decide to run the Brickyard on NFL Week 1, why is it a big deal to us? We will watch anyway while casual fans will watch the NFL. I dont find Brickyard/Week 1 on the same day a big deal, I'll be watching both. well just Red Zone while watching the Race. I guess the dueling sentiments make me curious in terms of some hate the casual fan and blame them for the troubles NASCAR in by them trying to cater to a casual fan but then we have to worry about what time races are on and what other spot is opposite of that.
Click to expand...


if you pay attention there are quite a few guys here that are more football fans by far than Nascar race fans..it makes more sense around here when you figure it out. Racers race, Hard core fans don't know or really give much of a care when football season starts.
 
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