NASCAR released its 2024 schedule for the Cup Series on Wednesday, and while there aren’t an abundance of changes like we’ve seen in recent years, the new adjustments are big ones.
Throughout the last few seasons, NASCAR has been revamping it’s schedule to feature more road course races, a greater variety in track types and some novelty races, like the preseason Clash at the Coliseum and the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race. But now, some of those recent changes are reverting back.
Pieces of the 2024 schedule had been previously reported, but now that the whole thing is officially out, here are our six biggest takeaways.
1
Atlanta and Watkins Glen shake up NASCAR's playoff tracks
Atlanta Motor Speedway still has two races on the 2024 schedule, and Watkins Glen International still has its one. But next season, they’ll both be part of the 10-race playoffs. In 2023, both tracks had all their events held during the regular season.
Replacing Darlington Raceway in the postseason, Atlanta will open the playoffs’ Round of 16 in September — a week later than usual — with Watkins Glen and Bristol closing out the three-race round.
2
Darlington will close NASCAR's regular season instead of Daytona
Daytona International Speedway has been bookending the Cup Series’ regular season, but that won’t be the case in 2024. With Darlington getting bumped out of the playoffs, the 1.366-mile South Carolina track instead will host the regular-season finale. But Daytona is still getting two races next season, of course, but its second one will be the weekend before Darlington.
3
NASCAR's headed to Iowa!
Only one new track was added to the Cup Series schedule for 2024, and it’s Iowa Speedway. The 0.875-mile oval will host its first Cup race Sunday, June 16, 2024 — though the track held second-tier Xfinity Series and third-tier Truck Series races there from 2009 through 2019. Because of that, several big drivers have previously won at Iowa in other series, including Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott.
Next summer will mark the Cup Series’ first race in the state of Iowa since 1953 at Davenport Speedway.
4
RIP Bristol's dirt race
It was an interesting run, but after three seasons of NASCAR running one dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, it’s all back to concrete, the track announced last month. The Bristol dirt race wasn’t for everyone and the competition wasn’t always spectacular, but it was a fun experiment that’s now over.
Bristol will host an afternoon race in March and the a night race in the playoffs in September.
5
Indy is going back to the oval too
Again, after three seasons of racing on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, the Cup Series is retreating back to the iconic 2.5-mile oval.
Via NASCAR.com:
“We’ve seen the road course play out for a handful of years at Indianapolis,” [NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy Ben] Kennedy said. “And what better way to return to the oval than the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 and really make it something special again? And again, I think the way that these Next Gen cars are racing on a lot of these tracks, I’m excited to see what the racing product looks like for the first time when the Next Gen cars run around the oval.”
6
There's a two-week break for the Olympics
With NBC broadcasting the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, adjustments needed to be made with the network broadcasting the second half of the NASCAR schedule.
Following the Indy race on July 21, NASCAR will have two weeks off before returning to Richmond Raceway for an August 11 race.
The championship race will also be a week later, set for November 10.
7
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule
Feb. 4 — Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 8 p.m. ET
Feb. 15 — Duel at Daytona International Speedway, 7 p.m. ET
Feb. 18 — Daytona International Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 25 — Atlanta Motor Speedway, 3 p.m. ET
Mar. 3 — Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 3:30 p.m. ET
Mar. 10 — Phoenix Raceway, 3:30 p.m. ET
Mar. 17 — Bristol Motor Speedway, 3:30 p.m. ET
Mar. 24 — Circuit of The Americas, 3:30 p.m. ET
Mar. 31 — Richmond Raceway, 7 p.m. ET
Apr. 7 — Martinsville Speedway, 3 p.m. ET
Apr. 14 — Texas Motor Speedway, 3:30 p.m. ET
Apr. 21 — Talladega Superspeedway, 3 p.m. ET
Apr. 28 — Dover Motor Speedway, 2 p.m. ET
May 5 — Kansas Speedway, 3 p.m. ET
May 12 — Darlington Raceway, 3 p.m. ET
May 19 — NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, 8 p.m. ET
May 26 — Charlotte Motor Speedway, 6 p.m. ET
June 2 — World Wide Technology Raceway, 3 p.m. ET
June 9 — Sonoma Raceway, 3 p.m. ET
June 16 — Iowa Speedway, 7 p.m. ET
June 23 — New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
June 30 — Nashville Superspeedway, 3:30 p.m. ET
July 7 — Chicago street course, 4:30 p.m. ET
July 14 — Pocono Raceway, 2:30 p.m. ET
July 21 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
Aug. 11 — Richmond Raceway, 6 p.m. ET
Aug. 18 — Michigan International Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
Aug. 24 — Daytona International Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sept. 1 — Darlington Raceway, 6 p.m. ET
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs 2024
Sept. 8 — Atlanta Motor Speedway, 3 p.m. ET
Sept. 15 — Watkins Glen International, 3 p.m. ET
Sept. 21 — Bristol Motor Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sept. 29 — Kansas Speedway, 3 p.m. ET
Oct. 6 — Talladega Superspeedway, 2 p.m. ET
Oct. 13 — Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, 2 p.m. ET
Oct. 20 — Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
Oct. 27 — Homestead-Miami Speedway, 2:30 p.m. ET
Nov. 3 — Martinsville Speedway, 2 p.m. ET
Nov. 10 — Phoenix Raceway, 3 p.m. ET
*NASCAR exhibition race
