The 2026 NASCAR Cup Schedule Has Some BIG MOVES!

NASCAR just can’t keep a schedule under wraps, and once again Jordan Bianchi got the scoop early. The full 2026 Cup Series schedule is here, and while some moves felt predictable, others came out of nowhere and left fans scratching their heads. From Watkins Glen moving to May, to Dover getting the All-Star race, and even how NBC shuffled its playoff dates, this release has plenty to unpack.

• Why did NASCAR move Watkins Glen out of its traditional August spot, and will that hurt attendance?
• Is Kansas really the right choice for April, considering past weather headaches?
• How will the new summer stretch with Prime and TNT, including Chicagoland’s July return, reshape the midseason vibe?
• Do NBC’s playoff tweaks, like Vegas in the Round of 12 and New Hampshire out of the postseason, make sense long term?

There’s plenty to like, like San Diego landing on Father’s Day and Chicagoland making its big return, but there are also some head-scratchers that might feel awkward until we see them play out. The 2026 schedule doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does set up a few intriguing experiments — and raises the question of whether 2027 will be the real year of big change. What do you think of the 2026 Cup schedule? Did NASCAR get it mostly right, or are there moves here that could backfire? Let us know your take.

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