2025 schedule news/rumors

The big sponsors leaving the sport is a harsh signal about the penetration and growth value of NASCAR. This does not make me happy but if you count the companies dropping out vs those coming in it’s not looking great.

The question is where are they going? Is it a response to the sport or a shift in marketing to something besides team sports?

I was getting into the Chicago race hope enough fills the gap to keep it viable.
 
If they are just bailing on something that is already cancelled then yes not ad big a deal.
 
RaceCritter said:
The big sponsors leaving the sport is a harsh signal about the penetration and growth value of NASCAR. This does not make me happy but if you count the companies dropping out vs those coming in it’s not looking great.

The question is where are they going? Is it a response to the sport or a shift in marketing to something besides team sports?

I was getting into the Chicago race hope enough fills the gap to keep it viable.
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NASCAR doesn't know what it is or what it wants to be. Low tech/driver focused? Oh hey SMT. Stock car? Chevy doesn't even have anything that pretends to be stock in the series. More stock car.....My stock vehicle has a fuel gauge and tire pressure sensors......Oval series? Yeah, but let's throw a bunch of road courses in there.....It goes on and on....Those of us who have fallen in love with the sport years ago, stick around waiting to see what NASCAR wants to be.....those who are taking a peek, are confused and head to Indy Car and/or F1. To your question....I think that sponsors are largely those taking a peek.....
 
I'm damned if I'm starting a '2026 Schedule' thread before the 2025 season starts. For those of you filling in your Bingo cards, here's the opening number:

Along with the sellout announcement, the World Center of Racing has also released the date for next year’s DAYTONA 500, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
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And tickets are already on sale.

 
O’Donnell essentially ruled out superspeedways (which lack support from drivers and teams) and added that road and street courses “might be a little tough.” That leaves short tracks and intermediates as fair game – and not necessarily just those that are in warm-weather destinations in the fall.

“You could go international or you could use that same model of going to a short track in the U.S.,” O’Donnell said. “Where NASCAR comes in, rewards that track and their competitors for what they’re doing and makes some upgrades to the facility that we leave for the next generation of racers. And then we stay for a little bit and move on to the next one. So I think a combination of both of those would be really cool. I really like the idea of NASCAR coming in and investing in the short tracks.”
 
StandOnIt said:
“You could go international or you could use that same model of going to a short track in the U.S.,” O’Donnell said. “Where NASCAR comes in, rewards that track and their competitors for what they’re doing and makes some upgrades to the facility that we leave for the next generation of racers. And then we stay for a little bit and move on to the next one. So I think a combination of both of those would be really cool. I really like the idea of NASCAR coming in and investing in the short tracks.”
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As much as I abhor, loathe, and flat-out hate the superspeedways, I'd rather see a championship race there than at LA, Bowman Gray, or anywhere else too small to have a full 40-car field and competitive pit stops.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
As much as I abhor, loathe, and flat-out hate the superspeedways, I'd rather see a championship race there than at LA, Bowman Gray, or anywhere else too small to have a full 40-car field and competitive pit stops.
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Yes. I think he's referring more to Wilkesboro but who knows. The championship will always be at one of their long time staple tracks though IMO. Daytona is definitely possible, however unlikely. The rest, again, who knows what the future holds.
 
hmmm298 said:
Yes. I think he's referring more to Wilkesboro but who knows. The championship will always be at one of their long time staple tracks though IMO. Daytona is definitely possible, however unlikely. The rest, again, who knows what the future holds.
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Also, regarding the possible changes for 26. Logano is one of if not the best plate racer today. 2026 is an even year. Fate could send us to Daytona. Maybe a new bold prediction?
 
hmmm298 said:
Yes. I think he's referring more to Wilkesboro but who knows. The championship will always be at one of their long time staple tracks though IMO. Daytona is definitely possible, however unlikely. The rest, again, who knows what the future holds.
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I've personally thought a rotation between Darlington, Miami, Phoenix and Las Vegas made sense. It's still pretty nice in early November in the Pee Dee
 
Daytona is way more than just a race. It is tradition, excitement to get the racing season started, it is a ton of fun to be there and to watch at home. I like it for the speed and how technical it is to survive the race.

As far as Daytona road course race for the CUP cars, I went to the one they had during the COVID BULL SH!T and it sucked.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Were the trucks able to do competitive pit stops? For a variety of reasons, I didn't see either of the truck races.

A Cup race would be considerably longer, so I'd expect more cautions.
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Wilkesboro has a perfectly normal pit road it's a 5/8ths mile bigger than Bristol and Martinsville.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Earlier in the linked article, O'Donnell rules out having the championship at the plate tracks. I'm not sure how I feel about having at NW; have they run a full 40 cars there yet?
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About 40 years ago. Dale Sr had some moments in the pits there I believe also, so yes to pit stops. The pits would surely have been upgraded now, not removed.
 
I wish the Xfinity race at Rockingham wasn't a 'Dash for Cash' race. Cup drivers aren't allowed to enter those. It would have been interesting to see who might want to take a crack at the track. Maybe the Truck race? We'll see when @StandOnIt gets the entry list up next week!
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I wish the Xfinity race at Rockingham wasn't a 'Dash for Cash' race. Cup drivers aren't allowed to enter those. It would have been interesting to see who might want to take a crack at the track. Maybe the Truck race? We'll see when @StandOnIt gets the entry list up next week!
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Larson is entered in all three races at Bristol and that is a dash for cash race. The Trucks might be also. I think it is during the playoffs they are excluded.
 
donthaveanickname said:
The rule was only changed this year, until last year Cup drivers weren't allowed to enter these races.
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As with anything Nascar, it isn't that simple. If a Cup driver has less than 3 years experience in Cup racing they can participate during the playoff races in the lower series.
No restrictions on Xfinity or the Trucks to being able to move up or down during their playoff races. They can race, but they are not included in the playoffs in other series they haven't designated they were full time in.
 
StandOnIt said:
As with anything Nascar, it isn't that simple. If a Cup driver has less than 3 years experience in Cup racing they can participate during the playoff races in the lower series.
No restrictions on Xfinity or the Trucks to being able to move up or down during their playoff races. They can race, but they are not included in the playoffs in other series they haven't designated they were full time in.
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My comment was about Dash 4 Cash races, where it is in fact that simple.

When it comes to the playoffs, all Cup drivers used to be banned from these races, regardless of experience.
When was that rule changed?
 
donthaveanickname said:
My comment was about Dash 4 Cash races, where it is in fact that simple.

When it comes to the playoffs, all Cup drivers used to be banned from these races, regardless of experience.
When was that rule changed?
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I expanded on your post while I was digging around. Don't take it personal. The rules change and bend all the time in Nascar, I have no idea when it was changed, I wasn't digging in that area.
 
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