The 2026 schedule for all three nationwide divisions is out, and between the Dover All-Star Race, a return to Chicagoland, and a North Wilkesboro factors race, there’s lots to take a look at.
In a Wednesday media availability, NASCAR govt vice chairman and chief venue and racing innovation officer, Ben Kennedy, in addition to managing director, competitors operations, Jusan Hamilton, addressed the numerous adjustments as they sit up for the brand new 12 months.
Dover All-Star Race
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs
NASCAR confirmed that the Dover race will “greater than seemingly” be a day race, because the monitor has no everlasting lights.
“We labored with Speedway Motorsports on the shift there,” defined Kennedy. “A part of it was making an allowance for whether or not shifting them into Might felt prefer it was a greater time of 12 months from at the least a warmth perspective, and we thought of a handful of different tracks as effectively. We felt like that one was the very best.
“Quite a lot of concerns, simply as we take into consideration every one in all these strikes, and Dover was the best choice that we had for ’26.”
Dover is actually swapping locations with North Wilkesboro on the schedule, however this leaves Dover with no factors race. To mitigate that, there will likely be points-paying races for Xfinity and Truck Collection at Dover that very same weekend.
Issues about Watkins Glen climate
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs
One other query mark on the brand new schedule is the plan to race at Watkins Glen Worldwide on Might 9-10. The race has by no means run that early within the 12 months, and a few assume the unstable climate and early season slot might damage attendance. Nonetheless, NASCAR management disagrees.
“I am from Ithaca, New York, so I spent a variety of time at Watkins Glen, and I feel the primary time I went to the Glen was most likely 1995 or 1996,” mentioned Hamilton. “It’s going to positively be a change to have that race happen in Might.
“The cool factor about having the race happen that point of 12 months, faculty remains to be in session, the inhabitants of central New York is way increased that point of 12 months, so you will have the chance to doubtlessly attain a fan demographic up there that is sometimes not round through the summer season. So far as climate goes, you look — we have a look at a variety of information in any respect our venues, and climate is at all times definitely a consideration. You look at the moment of the 12 months, it says on common decrease 70s through the day, probability of rain is comparatively low even in comparison with August. The information that we have checked out.
“I can inform you from expertise, I do not need to — my private expertise to be what dictates our strikes ever, however being up there just lately in Might, (you) nonetheless have people that reside in that space, it sometimes looks like summer season in Might. I do not see an enormous threat in having the race that point of 12 months. I feel the climate for tenting must be nice, and I feel we’ll be capable to placed on a extremely good present that point of 12 months. Once more, the essential factor is having the ability to attain a fan demographic up there and ensure that we’re doing what we have to do for the northeast fan, which that is the place I come from, so definitely have a ardour for ensuring we ship there.”
Placing Vehicles with IndyCar at St. Pete
Scott McLaughlin, Workforce Penske
Picture by: Penske Leisure
For the primary time within the historical past of the NASCAR Truck Collection, they are going to race at a road course in 2026. In reality, they are going to do it twice with the addition of the San Diego race, however earlier than that, they are going to be part of IndyCar’s season-opening weekend at St. Pete.
NASCAR defined that their companions at FOX Sports activities, who maintain the printed rights to each races, have been carefully concerned on this determination.
“There’s a variety of collaboration that takes place anytime we hyperlink collectively on joint occasions like that,” mentioned Hamilton. “It is also one other alternative for us to study and develop with road course racing, as I discussed. It is the primary road course occasion in 30 years, within the 30-year historical past of the Truck Collection.
“Having that occasion on their schedule and ensuring that our improvement collection have races on their schedule which can be conducive to what we’re doing with our premier collection within the NASCAR Cup Collection can also be crucial. These drivers in improvement, at some point their aim is to get to NASCAR Cup Collection, and to have the ability to get expertise on a road course in one in all our decrease tier collection can also be crucial. All of that I’d say performs into that call.”
NASCAR officers additionally expressed a want to work extra carefully with IndyCar sooner or later, opening the door for extra mixed weekends.
No races within the Pacific Northwest
Normal view of Portland Oregon
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
With Portland falling from the NASCAR Xfinity Collection schedule, there will likely be no national-level races in that area of the nation subsequent 12 months. Nonetheless, collection officers stay excited about increasing their presence there.
“Yeah, we would like to be within the Pacific Northwest sooner or later,” mentioned Kennedy. “I feel we have mentioned this a pair instances: We’re at all times new markets we might go and discover sooner or later, and the Pacific Northwest has at all times been excessive on our listing. Whether or not that is the Seattle space, the Portland area, or I’d even toss Colorado, though it isn’t on the West Coast, Colorado is one other market that we want to go and discover sooner or later.
“Despite the fact that we cannot have Portland again on the schedule subsequent 12 months, (we) nonetheless have a variety of good relationships, each with Inexperienced Savoree, who’s going to be the promoter of the St. Pete occasion in February, however then a handful of different monitor house owners and operators within the Pacific Northwest area. We have had just a few conversations with them. Nothing has come to fruition fairly but, however would like to have a possibility to have a Cup Collection occasion up there sooner or later.”
Getting Chicagoland race-ready
Kyle Busch wins, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs
Chicagoland Speedway returns to the Cup schedule in 2026, but it surely hasn’t hosted a NASCAR race since 2019. The intermediate oval wants a bit upkeep to get it prepared for a race on Fourth of July weekend in 2026.
NASCAR has already despatched a facility improvement group out to the monitor to look it over. Kennedy famous that the SAFER Barrier foam must be changed in some areas, in addition to another minor touchups.
“I feel the excellent news is it is comparatively race-ready, so we’ll most likely have to interchange a number of the SAFER foam, defined Kennedy. “We’ll most likely must put a contemporary coat of paint on it, clear up a number of the grandstands, (and) renovate a number of the suite areas. There’s some parking areas that must be repaved. We will have a protracted listing of enhancements that we’ll must make to the power, and we’ll make that effectively prematurely of the time that we come there in July.”
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