NASCAR has locked in its 2026 schedule.
San Diego, which was previously announced, will be one of the headliners as Cup Series teams compete on an active military base for the first time. Meanwhile, Chicagoland Speedway is indeed getting a second chance, and Dover Motor Speedway, which will be on the schedule, will not have a points-paying race for the first time since joining the sport in 1969.
But with Speedway Motorsports giving Dover the All-Star Race, that means one of its other facilities, North Wilkesboro Speedway, picks up a points-paying event. North Wilkesboro last hosted a Cup Series points race in 1996.
Bowman Gray Stadium and Daytona remain the first two races on the calendar. Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the championship race, which was previously announced.
And there will be a second off weekend for Cup Series teams, which will fall after the Brickyard 400 in early August.
Fox Sports will carry the opening portion of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule through the All-Star Race. Prime Video will have its five races begin with the Coca-Cola 600 and go through the inaugural event in San Diego.
The in-season tournament will also return in 2026 during the TNT Sports portion of the schedule. Sonoma Raceway will be the first of those five races in the in-season tournament and for the TNT Sports portion of the schedule.
NBC Sports picks up after the off weekend with the race at Iowa Speedway and goes through championship weekend.
“This is a l andmark schedule that demonstrates NASCAR’s continued innovation with a strong mix of beloved venues and exciting new and returning racetracks for race fans from coast to coast,” said Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer. “The 2026 NASCAR national series schedules celebrate our nation’s 250
NASCAR Cup Series schedule:
· Sunday, February 1: The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
· Sunday, February 15: Daytona 500
· Sunday, February 22: EchoPark Speedway
· Sunday, March 1: Circuit of the Americas
· Sunday, March 8: Phoenix Raceway
· Sunday, March 15: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
· Sunday, March 22: Darlington Raceway
· Sunday, March 29: Martinsville Speedway
· Sunday, April 5: Easter (off weekend)
· Sunday, April 12: Bristol Motor Speedway
· Sunday, April 19: Kansas Speedway
· Sunday, April 26: Talladega Superspeedway
· Sunday, May 3: Texas Motor Speedway
· Sunday, May 10: Watkins Glen
· Sunday, May 17: Dover Motor Speedway (All-Star Race)
· Sunday, May 24: Charlotte Motor Speedway
· Sunday, May 31: Nashville Speedway
· Sunday, June 7: Michigan International Speedway
· Sunday, June 14: Pocono Raceway
· Sunday, June 21: San Diego
· Sunday, June 28: Sonoma Raceway
· Sunday, July 5: Chicagoland Speedway
· Sunday, July 12: EchoPark Speedway
· Sunday, July 19: North Wilkesboro Speedway
· Sunday, July 26: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
· Sunday, August 2: Off weekend
· Sunday, August 9: Iowa Speedway
· Saturday, August 15: Richmond Raceway
· Sunday, August 23: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
· Saturday, August 29: Daytona International Speedway
· Sunday, September 6: Darlington Raceway
· Sunday, September 13: World Wide Technology Raceway
· Saturday, September 19: Bristol Motor Speedway