2024 NASCAR schedules revealed – The Checkered Flag

NASCAR’s 2020s schedule shake-ups are persevering with for an additional yr because the 2024 NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Sequence function varied adjustments that, whereas maybe not as wide-scale as lately, are nonetheless main starting from the return of Iowa Speedway to configuration swaps for Bristol Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Cup and Truck Sequence’ Bristol Filth race has been dropped after a three-year experiment and can return to being on the concrete. Likewise, Indianapolis has stopped flirting with the infield street course because the Cup and Xfinity Sequence race on the 2.5-mile oval once more. With the Truck Sequence dropping Knoxville Raceway after 2022, NASCAR’s nationwide sequence not have dust races for the primary time since 2012.

“We’re definitely open to dust racing, whether or not it’s with our Cup Sequence, Xfinity Sequence or Craftsman Truck Sequence. One thing we’re going to proceed to contemplate,” stated NASCAR’s senior vice chairman of racing improvement and technique Ben Kennedy. “That stated, I believe after we’ve seen racing on the dust at Bristol play out for the previous few years and listening to a number of the fan suggestions, we felt prefer it was a possibility for us to shake issues up a bit, transfer again to the concrete floor within the spring, and transfer again to all asphalt and concrete tracks for ’24.

“I believe that stated, as we take into consideration what the longer term appears to be like like, dust racing does have a novel place in motorsports. You consider numerous our drivers, they got here from dust racing. You consider a number of the finest racing that I’ve personally seen, it’s on dust. Do I believe there’s going to be a mud race someday sooner or later? I believe so. What that observe appears to be like like or what the time is, we’ll see, nevertheless it’s one thing we’re going to maintain our pulse on for certain. I believe just like a few of these distinctive types of tracks like road programs, if it does come again on the schedule, I don’t suppose it’s going to be one thing the place we’ve got fifteen completely different dust tracks. I believe it is likely to be one or two that we’d have all year long and actually make it one thing particular.”

Maybe the most important change is the addition of Iowa Speedway to the Cup calendar. The observe, owned by NASCAR, had lengthy been thought-about a possible Cup host web site because it welcomed Xfinity and Vans solely to be dropped from each schedules attributable to COVID-19 in 2020.

Some schedule rumours that in the end didn’t come to fruition embrace the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval being dropped for the oval structure, the return of Rockingham Speedway after a restoration effort, and the addition of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. The latter, which at the moment hosts Method One’s Canadian Grand Prix, was an Xfinity observe from 2008 via 2012 and was teased as NASCAR continued increasing its observe range as officers have lengthy mulled including a world date.

“As we take into consideration worldwide venues typically, we nonetheless are bullish about discovering our approach both north of the border, whether or not that be in Montreal or Toronto or one other market, or south of the border down into Mexico,” Kennedy defined. “As we’ve talked about prior to now, we wish to carry our NASCAR Cup Sequence there sooner or later. We predict it’s necessary for us to get exterior of the USA with our sequence not directly, form or kind, in order that’s one thing we’re going to maintain our pulse on as we take into consideration 2025 and past.”

Within the meantime, the NASCAR México Sequence will support the Cup Series for the primary time by showing on the season-opening Busch Mild Conflict exhibition on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Date-wise, the Cup Sequence playoffs can be pushed again per week, making Darlington Raceway the final race of the common season moderately than Daytona Worldwide Speedway. The playoffs will now start at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier than heading to Watkins Glen Worldwide, which joins the postseason whereas Texas Motor Speedway is swapped out and can now have its lone race in April.

Atlanta’s addition means the playoffs can have two superspeedway-based tracks. Its presence coupled with Watkins Glen and Bristol within the Spherical of 16 was designed to “take a look at the variability of our drivers and their abilities”, as Kennedy put it.

On the Xfinity stage, Bristol and Kansas commerce locations such that the previous will as soon as once more be the common season finale. Portland Worldwide Raceway is the one standalone race as Street America is off the schedule for the primary time since 2009, although the latter’s absence has been attributed to NBC’s protection of the Summer time Olympics and is believed to be a one-off disappearance.

The Olympics, that are completely coated by NBC very like the Cup and Xfinity Sequence’ second halves, closely factored into delaying the schedule launch as NASCAR sought to place the items collectively. Because of the Paris Video games, the Cup Sequence has a two-week summer season break between Indianapolis and Richmond. NASCAR’s present tv contract with FOX and NBC additionally expires after 2024, although solely The CW has been confirmed as a broadcaster for 2025 onwards because the unique community for the Xfinity Sequence.

“I do know that ’25 goes to look completely different,” Kennedy commented. “Naturally, we’ll be in our new media rights settlement, so it received’t be an Olympic yr, so I believe the schedule total can have numerous variability to it as we take into consideration ’25.

“[…] As you consider the structure of the schedule, numerous that’s pushed from our conversations with them and programming and instances, whether or not it’s a day race, a primetime race, a Saturday night time race, the place numerous our home windows are. They definitely have a really large voice on the desk. That stated, we even have numerous voices to listen to from, so our followers are most likely primary on that listing. Broadcast companions are excessive on the listing. Our groups and drivers are excessive on the listing. Our companions are excessive on the listing. There are numerous people which can be definitely weighing in as we take into consideration these scheduling adjustments, and it’s incumbent upon us to soak up all that information and data and suggestions, attempt to make the most effective calculated choices as we take into consideration rolling out the subsequent schedule.”

The Truck Sequence will solely have one street course race at Circuit of the Americas as Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automobile Course has been dropped.

For the fifth yr in a row, all three sequence will conclude their seasons with NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Cup Sequence

Xfinity Sequence

Craftsman Truck Sequence