The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is here.
After much deliberation over the past few weeks and even months, NASCAR revealed its plans for the 2026 Cup season, including not just a new track but also some familiar races returning to the schedule.
In addition to the previously announced Naval Base Coronado in San Diego joining the schedule, replacing the Chicago street course, the Cup Series will return to Chicagoland Speedway for the first time since 2019 and also run a points-paying race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, something that hasn’t occurred since 1996.
Chicagoland will also feature the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series as part of its weekend, while North Wilkesboro will add the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
2026 O’Reilly Schedule | 2026 Truck Schedule
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, meanwhile, is off the schedule for 2026, and Dover Motor Speedway’s lone Cup event becomes the All-Star Race.
2026 also marks the return of Homestead-Miami Speedway as the championship venue, while Phoenix Raceway’s second date moves to the beginning of the Round of 8.
“Obviously, a lot of collaboration, a lot of time, a lot of energy that went into it, and it’s just a good blend like we’ve had over the past few years of innovation and tradition, of being able to celebrate our history and our roots and where we come from, but then also having these bold new moves that we’re introducing to the schedule,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR evp and chief venue & racing innovation officer, said in a release. “For events like a street race in San Diego at the Naval Base Coronado or taking the championship race back to Homestead-Miami Speedway or even a beloved track that our fans have been asking for the past several years in bringing a points race back to Chicagoland, or bringing a points race to North Wilkesboro for the first time in 30 years.
“So a lot of milestone moments that will be created next year, certainly a lot of anticipated moments, I think, that our fans are going to have. Certainly proud of the work that everyone’s done to help put this together.”
Other moves on the 2026 schedule include Watkins Glen International’s race occurring much earlier in the season on May 10, as well as New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s lone date moving out of the playoffs and into August. Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway also see slight moves for their second dates, coming during the playoffs.
2026 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule
Feb. 1: Bowman Gray Stadium (Clash)
Feb. 15: Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 22: EchoPark Speedway
March 1: Circuit of the Americas
March 8: Phoenix Raceway
March 15: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 22: Darlington Raceway
March 29: Martinsville Speedway
April 12: Bristol Motor Speedway
April 19: Kansas Speedway
April 26: Talladega Superspeedway
May 3: Texas Motor Speedway
May 10: Watkins Glen International
May 17: Dover Motor Speedway (All-Star Race)
May 24: Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 31: Nashville Superspeedway
June 7: Michigan International Speedway
June 14: Pocono Raceway
June 21: Naval Base Coronado (San Diego)
June 28: Sonoma Raceway
July 5: Chicagoland Speedway
July 12: EchoPark
July 19: North Wilkesboro Speedway
July 26: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 9: Iowa Speedway
Aug. 15: Richmond Raceway
Aug. 23: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Aug. 29: Daytona (Final race of regular season)
Sept. 6: Darlington Raceway (Round of 16 opener)
Sept. 13: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Sept. 19: Bristol
Sept. 27: Kansas (Round of 12 opener)
Oct. 4: Las Vegas
Oct. 11: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Oct. 18: Phoenix (Round of 8 opener)
Oct. 25: Talladega
Nov. 1: Martinsville
Nov. 8: Homestead-Miami Speedway (Championship)
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.