NASCAR on Wednesday released the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
As is almost always the case, the itinerary for the sport’s premier division features some obvious “wins” — along with a few head-scratchers.
Let’s quickly explore two areas where NASCAR got it right, and two areas where the sport’s decision makers went in a direction that was completely wide of the mark.
What Did NASCAR Nail With The 2026 Cup Series Schedule?
Giving North Wilkesboro Speedway its first Cup Series points race since 1996 jumps off the page as a two thumbs-up move for NASCAR. Since being resurrected three years ago to host the All-Star Race after sitting almost completely idle for the better part of three decades, the venerable North Carolina short track has been one of the hottest tickets in the sport.
Although its seating capacity is small compared to most Cup Series venues, North Wilkesboro is filling the seats it does have — which is a lot more than most NASCAR tracks can claim in the year 2025. While the overall quality of the racing at the .625-mile oval remains a work-in-progress, North Wilkesboro has proven itself more than deserving of a points race. So, kudos to NASCAR for making it happen.
The big news for me on the 2026 @NASCAR schedule is @NWBSpeedway getting a points race! I can't wait to call 400 laps of night racing there on July 19. It's massive for the surrounding community, and every fan of NASCAR is going to feel like a winner next July.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) August 20, 2025
Similarly, NASCAR moving the Cup Series finale back to Homestead-Miami Speedway — a move it had previously announced — warrants applause. Phoenix Raceway has done a commendable job with Championship Weekend since the 1-mile track replaced Homestead in that slot in 2020. But the sad truth is that the Next Generation Cup Series car, which debuted in 2022, makes passing very hard at tracks a mile or shorter in length.
Homestead, a high-banked mile-and-a-half track, is likely to put on a much better show than Phoenix for as long as the Next Generation car exists. If in doubt about this claim, just go back and watch the final lap of last year’s race at the South Florida facility (available below). It was a dandy of a finish. And one that we can probably expect to see replicated and then some when a championship is on the line.
TYLER REDDICK PASSES RYAN BLANEY IN THE FINAL CORNER!
HE WINS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI AND IS GOING TO THE NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP! pic.twitter.com/GtgwGyY6jb
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 27, 2024
What Did NASCAR Get Wrong With The 2026 Cup Series Schedule?
Easily the biggest “What were they thinking?” change to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is NASCAR’s selection of Dover Motor Speedway for the All-Star Race. A staple of the Cup Series tour since 1969, Dover hosted two points races from 1971-2020. But since 2021, the 1-mile all-concrete oval known as The Monster Mile has held just one annual Cup Series date. Now, it’s losing its lone points race but getting the All-Star Race — a $1-million-to-win exhibition that NASCAR and race promoters love to pump up as the best thing since sliced bread.
The only problem? The racing at Dover, particularly since the inception of the Next Generation car, has been lacking in entertainment value. And, consequently, attendance has suffered greatly. To suggest Dover is suddenly going to put on a show for the ages is wishful thinking. Awarding North Wilkesboro a points race is great, but NASCAR should have shipped the All-Star Race to a track that can actually meet the moment. Dover is not that place. To make matters worse, Dover doesn’t have lights. That means this will almost certainly be the first daytime All-Star Race since 1991.
Ben Kennedy says the Dover All-Star Race will "more than likely be a day race." They don't have lights there, obviously, so would have to be some sort of temporary lighting.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 20, 2025
NASCAR has also made a mistake in moving the Mother’s Day race from Kansas Speedway to Watkins Glen. It’s bad enough that the Cup Series even competes on Mother’s Day, after not doing so for many decades. But Mother’s Day at a road course? Given just how unpopular road courses are right now with many drivers after Shane van Gisbergen’s recent dominance, the last thing the Cup Series should be doing is racing on a road course on a day when members of the traveling circus shouldn’t be racing at all. It sends the wrong message to the drivers and their family members, who devote their lives to the sport.
