2026 NASCAR Schedule

I really dont get the push for the California market. They've been doing everything they can to get rid of the internal combustion engine through regulation. In the next couple years they also have 2 refineries closing because they've forced them out through regulation.

But heck let's take 40 fuel sucking race cars there and race around for 3 hours!
 
wi_racefan said:
They've been doing everything they can to get rid of the internal combustion engine through regulation. ... But heck let's take 40 fuel sucking race cars there and race around for 3 hours!
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What does one have to do with the other? Cities take actions to prevent and punish violent crime but fund facilities for 22 men to assault each other. There are public facilities for the display of non-native animals but it's illegal for private citizens to keep them. Need more examples of sanctioned controlled activities that private individuals aren't allowed to do?

Life ain't entertainment, and entertainment ain't life.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
What does one have to do with the other? Cities take actions to prevent and punish violent crime but fund facilities for 22 men to assault each other. There are public facilities for the display of non-native animals but it's illegal for private citizens to keep them. Need more examples of sanctioned controlled activities that private individuals aren't allowed to do?

Life ain't entertainment, and entertainment ain't life.
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Because some of the less intelligent in this country love to bash the biggest and wealthiest state that is one of the world's largest economies all while praising states with policies they like that have life expectancy worse than 3rd world countries or electrical grids that would fail if you sneeze on them.
 
wi_racefan said:
I really dont get the push for the California market. They've been doing everything they can to get rid of the internal combustion engine through regulation. In the next couple years they also have 2 refineries closing because they've forced them out through regulation.

But heck let's take 40 fuel sucking race cars there and race around for 3 hours!
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For people who don't pop their head up much and look around, do you know that China has as much renewable energy in place and working that is more than all of the U.S. energy combined? And we have people in the U.S. being told that windmills cause cancer?
 
kkfan91 said:
Because some of the less intelligent in this country love to bash the biggest and wealthiest state that is one of the world's largest economies all while praising states with policies they like that have life expectancy worse than 3rd world countries or electrical grids that would fail if you sneeze on them.
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The electrical grid in CA is terrible. I work at industrial sites all over CA and it shocks me how often the power company will call and shut them down because there is too much demand on the grid. Nothing like running a cement plant and all of a sudden getting a call that your power is getting shut off in 20 min.
 
wi_racefan said:
The electrical grid in CA is terrible. I work at industrial sites all over CA and it shocks me how often the power company will call and shut them down because there is too much demand on the grid. Nothing like running a cement plant and all of a sudden getting a call that your power is getting shut off in 20 min.
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You're in the cement industry?
 
wi_racefan said:
The electrical grid in CA is terrible. I work at industrial sites all over CA and it shocks me how often the power company will call and shut them down because there is too much demand on the grid. Nothing like running a cement plant and all of a sudden getting a call that your power is getting shut off in 20 min.
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California areas shut down the grids for a lot of reasons. High wind fire danger, drought conditions causing low energy output from hydroelectric, and grid problems are some of the reasons during peak draw times. Concrete plants are energy hogs so they usually one of the first to go in a heat wave.
 
If only I could get a fart powered generator I’d be set.
 
Carson was at Chicagoland Speedway yesterday. He has a whole thread of pics and vids. It’s great what he is doing by getting this track back in the news. Looks like they have some work to do to freshen it up but, they have a whole year’s worth of time to get it ready.

 
Charlie Spencer said:
Not good. I needed this domino to fall differently for my 'Cup at Rockingham' Bold Prediction to have any chance. Probably means Wilkesboro remains an exhibition too and doesn't get a points race.
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I do think (purely speculation) Cup will return to The Rock, most likely in exhibition race form. It’s still early yet in the Rock’s comeback, I’d say let’s have one or two more stand alone Xfinity/truck races there and see how it goes before they sort of go all in with the Cup race.
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
I do think (purely speculation) Cup will return to The Rock, most likely in exhibition race form. It’s still early yet in the Rock’s comeback, I’d say let’s have one or two more stand alone Xfinity/truck races there and see how it goes before they sort of go all in with the Cup race.
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Oops….very very wrong
 
With all the speculation about expanding tracks (like adding San Diego), any new location would either replace a current one or require cutting one race from those tracks that have two per year. Maybe San Diego would replace Mexico City.

What tracks do you believe must NEVER lose having two races per year? My nominees are: Daytona, Charlotte, Talladega, Darlington, Martinsville, Atlanta and Bristol. Maybe Las Vegas, just because it’s needed for early spring weather and is a worthy track for late in the season. I’m OK with reducing Phoenix to one. Kansas is a good track, but do they really need two? Some would say cut Bristol to one, but it’s such a unique and iconic track that’s hard to do. Which would you keep?

I think we need points races at North Wilksboro and Rockingham. So adding those two plus trying to add a California track means cutting Mexico City (easy choice IMO) and two more. Where do those come from?
 
The Clash is returning to Bowman Gray.

I'm betting, in 2027, the All Star Race moves there.

Cook Out Clash Returns to Historic Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026

Cook Out Returns as Entitlement Partner for the Opening NASCAR Cup Series Exhibition Event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

WINSTON SALEM, N.C. (July 9, 2025) – Today, NASCAR announced the Cook Out Clash will return to Bowman Gray Stadium as the opening exhibition event for the 2026 season. Following the sold-out success of this year’s Cook Out Clash, the first NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race of the 2026 season will return to the historic venue on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1. The Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse’ will be broadcast by FOX Sports.

“We wrote a new chapter in the storied history of motorsports at Bowman Gray Stadium with the Cook Out Clash this year,” said Joey Dennewitz, Managing Director, NASCAR Regional. “As NASCAR’s first weekly racetrack, we are proud to bring the 2026 Cook Out Clash back to the original home to grassroots racing. Thanks to the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University for their continued partnership at ‘The Madhouse’.”

“The City of Winston Salem is deeply honored to have been chosen to host the 2026 Cook Out Clash,” said City of Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “The 2025 race was an immensely successful event for all parties involved. We will work hard to ensure that the 2026 Cook Out Clash is even more successful.”

Cook Out, one of the fastest growing family-owned restaurant chains in the nation, will return as the entitlement partner for the 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989, Cook Out is known for its Cook Out burgers as part of the “best combos in town.” The restaurant chain has 350 locations across 11 states.

“We are proud to support the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in our backyard in Winston-Salem,” said Jeremy and Morris Reaves, CEO and Founder of Cook Out. “We look forward to bringing our NASCAR racing family together in our community once again with the Cook Out Clash. Last year was so amazing and we can’t wait to do it again!”

Cook Out has a strong presence in NASCAR as it is the entitlement partner for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway, and the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway where it also serves as the Official Quick Service Restaurant. It is also a proud sponsor of the NASCAR Youth Series and is an active sponsor at the grassroots level.

“Cook Out is an amazing partner that continues to have a positive impact across NASCAR,” said Justin Swilling, Project Lead for the Cook Out Clash. “Their support continues to take our events to the next level, and we look forward to working together to make this year’s Cook Out Clash another memorable sold-out event.”

To download the Cook Out Clash logos, click here.

Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile short track, holds a special place in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly racetrack. In 1949, Bill France Sr. and Alvin Hawkins, two founding fathers of NASCAR, brought motorsports to the facility as the first weekly racetrack and first paved racetrack that NASCAR competed on. In 2024, NASCAR took over the long-term management of racing operations at Bowman Gray Stadium in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971. Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted many NASCAR legends including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, and others. Petty won his 100th NASCAR Grand National race in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at the racetrack.

More recently, Bowman Gray Stadium hosted several East Series races from 2011 to 2015. Ben Kennedy, great grandson of Bill France Sr., won an East Series race there in 2013. Other winners include two-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Cup Series drivers Ryan Preece and Corey LaJoie.

This year’s Cook Out Clash was the first Cup Series race at the historic track since 1971. Chase Elliott, 2020 Cup Series champion, won this year’s Cook Out Clash. With a history of intense competition, NASCAR is proud to bring the Cup Series back for the Cook Out Clash at ‘The Madhouse.’

For more information and to get on the list to purchase tickets for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, visit NASCARClash.com. To learn more about the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season with weekly modified, sportsman, street stock and stadium stock competition, visit bowmangrayracing.com.

About Bowman Gray Stadium

Built in 1937, Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile short track, holds a special place in NASCAR history as the longest-running weekly racetrack. The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971 and hosted several East Series races from 2011 to 2015. The Cup Series returned in 2025 with the Cook Out Clash for the first time since 1971. For more information, visit bowmangrayracing.com.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.



For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Not good. I needed this domino to fall differently for my 'Cup at Rockingham' Bold Prediction to have any chance. Probably means Wilkesboro remains an exhibition too and doesn't get a points race.
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I'm thinking Wilkesboro remains the All Star Race next year.

One hot rumor I've heard is NASCAR is looking at buying Hickory to host an exhibition but there is a ton of work that has to be done before that happens. North Wilkesboro, in 2022 before the renovations, was in better condition than Hickory is today.

I'd like to see Rockingham take Darlington's spring date eventually.
 
HoneyBadger said:
I'm thinking Wilkesboro remains the All Star Race next year.

One hot rumor I've heard is NASCAR is looking at buying Hickory to host an exhibition but there is a ton of work that has to be done before that happens. North Wilkesboro, in 2022 before the renovations, was in better condition than Hickory is today.

I'd like to see Rockingham take Darlington's spring date eventually.
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I HOPE they rescue and purchase Hickory Motor Speedway. What a historic track, and can produce great racing, but needs a lot of attention. My home track, where I saw my first in person NASCAR race in 1970. My daddy loved racing so much he and my mother and my grandparents are buried at the cemetery next to the track. Ned Jarrett did a wonderful job with that track for many years, along with others. Current owners haven’t put enough money into it, and competing weekly against tough competition for attendance and participating drivers is killing that track. The challenge with Hickory hosting a Cup exhibition would be seating. Even with refurbishing the main grandstand it would require serious engineering to add seats to the turns and backstretch areas…if that’s even possible due to the terrain.
 
HoneyBadger said:
I'm thinking Wilkesboro remains the All Star Race next year.

One hot rumor I've heard is NASCAR is looking at buying Hickory to host an exhibition but there is a ton of work that has to be done before that happens. North Wilkesboro, in 2022 before the renovations, was in better condition than Hickory is today.

I'd like to see Rockingham take Darlington's spring date eventually.
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The All Star race at Hickory would be awesome.
 
I dunno about NASCAR buying more tracks until the monopoly lawsuit is settled.

I dunno about buying another short track in NC at all.
 
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