Revealed: The full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar has been unveiled, featuring 36 points-paying races and two exhibition events, making for a 38-race schedule across 40 weeks.

The most significant change sees Homestead-Miami reclaim the season finale from Phoenix, marking the first time since 2019 that the Florida oval will decide the championship.

As previously announced, a new street course around San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado will debut on June 21. 

However, its arrival won’t increase the number of road and street races, with the Chicago Street Course being dropped after three seasons. Its traditional oval counterpart, Chicagoland Speedway, returns to the schedule in its place, taking over the Independence Day weekend slot.

The 1.5-mile oval in Illinois was a regular fixture on the Cup Series from 2001-2019.

Another notable addition is North Wilkesboro, which will stage its first points-paying race since 1996. The historic venue had hosted the All-Star Race for the past three years, but that event now moves to Dover Motor Speedway on May 17.

The In-Season Challenge will also return in 2026, with its five-race slate comprising Sonoma, Chicagoland, Atlanta Speedway, North Wilkesboro and Indianapolis.

Elsewhere, Phoenix’s second race will shift to October 18, serving as the opening round of the playoffs’ ‘Round of 8’.

As tradition dictates, the season will open with the non-points Clash, which will remain at Bowman Gray Stadium for a second consecutive year, before the Daytona 500 officially launches the campaign on February 15.

The only break in the main season comes on April 4-5, between the Martinsville and Bristol rounds.

“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,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president and chief venue & racing innovation officer.

“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.”

2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar