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The 2020s have brought plenty of new things to NASCAR, most importantly, new tracks being added to the schedule. Many of these races have been big hits, and they have changed the face of a schedule that many once complained was bland and predictable. Here is every new NASCAR race of the 2020s.
In 2020 and 2021, NASCAR had to make some scheduling changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One conundrum was how to replace Sonoma on the 2020 schedule, which was unavailable due to the pandemic. NASCAR decided to run a race in 2020 on a modified version of the Daytona road course, featuring an extra chicane on the front stretch just after turn four.
NASCAR returned to the venue to spice up the Clash in 2021, and two weeks later, it returned as the second race of the season in place of Auto Club Speedway, which was unavailable due to the pandemic. The racing at the venue wasn’t bad, but this meant there were three races at Daytona. When everything was back to normal by the end of 2021, the track no longer served a purpose for NASCAR.
In 2021, NASCAR began to experiment with the schedule, and one experiment was adding a dirt race. This came by covering one of the series’ most beloved tracks in the dirt for the spring race. While fans were excited to see dirt racing back, this was not the capacity they expected.
The dirt race had its moments, but it had its naysayers. Some drivers and fans did not like dirt racing in NASCAR, and most people didn’t like that it cost a race at Bristol. With no purpose-built dirt track seemingly ready for NASCAR, it seems dirt will be off the schedule for a while.
One of the fans’ requests for many years was for more road courses on the schedule. In 2021, NASCAR gave in, and the series gained several road courses, including Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The first race at the track was marred by a run, but since then, it’s been a positive addition to the calendar.
The track was built for F1, meaning the facilities are top-notch. The fans also support the race, and the racing product has been solid, even amidst the struggles of the Next-Gen car on road courses.
When NASCAR moved their “Champions Week” to Nashville in 2019, the city welcomed NASCAR with open arms. It was quickly apparent that NASCAR needed a race in the market as soon as possible. While attempts to renovate the Nashville Fairgrounds have encountered multiple issues, the long-dormant Nashville Superspeedway was available.
The track reopened in 2021 to a sellout crowd, and the grandstands sold out again in 2023. The Next-Gen car also races well on intermediate tracks, providing great racing and a great atmosphere.
Road America was the third road course NASCAR added to the schedule, and the fans immediately fell in love with it. The inaugural race brought in over 100,000 people, and many wondered if this could be NASCAR’s next Fourth of July tradition. Unfortunately, the race only lasted two years.
The combination of lackluster TV ratings and the addition of the Chicago Street Race meant Road America returned to an Xfinity-only weekend in 2023. The Olympic break meant that the track was dropped from the NASCAR schedule entirely in 2024.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course attempted to kill two birds with one stone. The oval was not producing great racing, and fans were asking for more road courses. Adding the Indianapolis road course allowed NASCAR to stay in the market while eliminating what many saw as a boring and declining race.
However, racing on the road course was just not the same as racing on the oval. The races were quite chaotic during the first two years as the crazy turn-one restart caused multiple pileups. Eventually, NASCAR returned to the Indianapolis Oval for the 2024 season, thus reviving the Brickyard 400.
The season-opening Clash needed a jolt, and NASCAR no longer had the option of running it the week before the Daytona 500 due to the Super Bowl being pushed back a week. In 2022, NASCAR had the idea to build a 1/4-mile track inside the LA Coliseum to host the Clash. The race was a huge hit, and NASCAR returned in 2023 and 2024.
The future of the event is uncertain, however. To keep it from getting too stale in a fickle market, many wonder if it could move to 2025. The three-year contract for the event is up, so a decision has to be made.
In 2022, the NASCAR Cup Series made its long-awaited debut at the World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway Motorsports Park. The track sold out the grandstands in 2022 and 2023, and the racing was decent.
While the flat track may not be best suited for the Next-Generation cars, it’s still a solid venue that the fans support. NASCAR will be back in the St. Louis area in 2025 at Gateway.
In 2023, after over a quarter-century sitting largely dormant, the North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted NASCAR once again. The track hosted NASCAR’s All-Star Race in 2023 and 2024, and it plans to host the same race in 2025.
The racing product has been lackluster in the Cup Series, but, that’s primarily down to the Next-Gen car struggling on short tracks. The Truck Series has hosted a couple of solid races there, and the most recent repave gives fans optimism that North Wilkesboro could be great once the rules package is sorted out.
In 2023, NASCAR took to city streets for the first time since the Daytona Road/Beach Course in the 1950s. They went big, hosting the race on the Streets of Chicago. While rain hampered the weekend, canceling the Xfinity Series race after only 25 laps, the Cup Series race was a certified banger with a surprise winner.
However, it’s uncertain whether this event will have much staying power. The contract between NASCAR and the city runs through 2025, but public and government opposition to the race puts the future into question.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Iowa for the first time this weekend, but it’s not NASCAR’s first rodeo at the track. The Xfinity Series and Truck Series visited the venue between one and two times per year from 2009 through 2019. The race sold out quickly, and Iowa fans have already embraced NASCAR.
However, a questionable repave makes many wonder how the racing will be at Iowa. Regardless, the fans are happy to show up, which already makes this race at least partially successful.
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