All Confirmed Dates on the 2026 NASCAR Schedule (So Far)
What’s Happening? As we roll into the 2025 NASCAR season, rumors and confirmations for the 2026 NASCAR National Series Schedules will…
Since the end of the 2024 season, NASCAR officials have frequently commented on the future of the championship weekend. It looks likely that NASCAR will rotate the host track soon. What might this format look like based on what officials have said, and what tracks could be a part of this rotation?
What’s Happening? As we roll into the 2025 NASCAR season, rumors and confirmations for the 2026 NASCAR National Series Schedules will…
An overlooked aspect of O’Donnell’s comments is how this format will look. While he has expanded on tracks and even what signifies a potential track, he has not explained what the term “Rotating” means.
The first mention of rotating the host track came in the form of a report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. From that report, O’Donnell suggested that NASCAR was simply considering rotating to different locations throughout the next few seasons.
Readers could interpret this as NASCAR going to a market for a few years and then moving to another or as a similar format to the Super Bowl or College Football National Championship, which finds a new venue each season.
However, this week, when O’Donnell brought the subject back up on the Debut episode of NASCAR’s new podcast Hauler Talk, he further clarified what this could look like.
“But I think a rotation is what the fans would like,” O’Donnell said. “Again, I go back to being a big fan of sports—college football, NFL—that rotation, the anticipation of a new venue. I think you’ll see that with NASCAR as well.”
If NASCAR goes this route, the host track will likely change each season. That being said, the NASCAR Cup Series alone will race at 28 different tracks in 2024, with over a dozen more across the country. So, how will NASCAR decide who will host the championship and who won’t?
What’s Happening? NASCAR may move the Championship Race from Phoenix, but not in the traditional sense. According to a recent report,…
Neither O’Donnell nor Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, have ruled specific tracks out of hosting the championship or out of being a part of this rotation. However, we can make some general assumptions.
In that podcast interview, O’Donnell even utilized the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium’s Clash attendance as an example, stating, “any oval where we can pull it off.” That being said, for a race as important as the championship, a venue as small as BGS, no matter the atmosphere and how well it sells out, can likely be ruled out.
Furthermore, O’Donnell claimed that teams could be apprehensive about racing on a superspeedway for the championship and that “Road courses and street courses might be a little tough. Who knows? Down the road, depending on the balance of where we race.”
While we cannot write Road Courses off for eligibility, some teams could have problems with the grueling physical and mechanical demands of those tracks. That being said, three boxes must be checked for a host track.
On multiple occasions, including the podcast and Nov. 8’s State of the Sport press conference, NASCAR officials have made it clear the ideal track will have a healthy combination of atmosphere, attendance, and racing.
What’s Happening? It is no secret that the NASCAR Championship Race weekend could move from Phoenix. However, in a new interview…
When looking at tracks that match these qualifications, ovals, specifically intermediate and short tracks, come to mind. If NASCAR wants thrilling racing, perhaps Homestead or Kansas; if NASCAR wants wild, maybe go to Martinsville or Bristol.
In fact, at the State of the Sport press conference, O’Donnell listed a few options. These comments revolved around questions about returning Championship weekend to Homestead-Miami Speedway, a track that hosted the race from 2002 to 2019. Fans love the quality and style of racing at the track and have clamored for its return.
While clarifying that Phoenix is a great track for the championship, O’Donnell stated that Homestead has “certainly been one that we’ve looked at,” however, O’Donnell also stated this:
“And then you look at a number of other venues that are out there, you know, Darlington, Charlotte, you name it, Vegas. There’s a lot of considerations for us.”
So, as of right now, NASCAR has “looked at” Charlotte, Darlington, Homestead, and Las Vegas. While this was not in the context of a rotational system, these tracks prior consideration as hosts, would likely qualify them for the rotation.
If NASCAR starts rotating the championship, it looks like the sport will remain open-minded, realistic, and consider its teams. For now, Phoenix is the championship host, but NASCAR may have something special lined up for the future.
What’s Happening? During Friday’s State of the Sport press conference, NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell was asked if NASCAR’s Championship weekend would…
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