OPINION: 3 Pros and 3 Cons of NASCAR's 2026 Schedule

EDDIE KALEGI - STAFF WRITER

Photo Credit: NASCAR Media Group (August 20th, 2025)

On Wednesday morning, NASCAR made the 2026 calendar for all three of its national touring series official. While some changes had previously been rumored, if not already confirmed by multiple outlets, there were others that seemingly came with no warning.

That being said, here are three things I like, and three that I detest, about what’s to come next season.

Pro #1 - Championship weekend returns to Homestead-Miami

Although this has been public knowledge for months, it’s worth revisiting once again. If NASCAR’s playoff system will maintain its ‘winner take all’ finale format, that final venue should rotate. Said rotation should include Homestead-Miami Speedway, a track with more than a decade of past history hosting championship weekend, is located in an atmospheric and warm city, and has produced great racing with the Next Gen car. After years of seeing titles settled off of wacky restarts at Phoenix Raceway and its bizarre “dogleg” just past the start-finish line, getting back to South Beach to crown next year’s three champions is nothing short of an industry win.

Pro #2 - North Wilkesboro gets a Cup Series points race

A historic venue has earned its rightful place back on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar. North Wilkesboro Speedway has produced noticeably solid racing on All-Star weekend the past three springs, even with the unquestionable shortcomings of the Next Gen car at short tracks. With lapped traffic and multiple grooves, the Craftsman Truck Series has simultaneously demonstrated the type of show that can be put on with a full field on this track. And most importantly, the fans have been present, selling out the facility this past May. Even as someone who believes NASCAR has oversaturated the southeastern market, there’s no denying that North Wilkesboro Speedway deserves its spot as a points race.

Pro #3 - Chicagoland Speedway returns

Speaking of comebacks, Chicagoland Speedway will roar back to life next July, hosting its first NASCAR race weekend in seven years. Obviously, adding another intermediate track is great for the cards we’re dealt with the Next Gen car, but it’s also significant that NASCAR keeps its place in the Windy City. While I’m very excited about the San Diego street race, losing Chicago’s event is disappointing, though I understand the logistical and infrastructural hurdles that race dealt with. I’m glad that NASCAR didn’t completely abandon the biggest midwestern urban market, and instead brought back a classic.

Con #1 - Dover All-Star Race

Less than a decade ago, Dover Motor Speedway hosted two NASCAR Cup Series points events per year, including a playoff race. Now, the Monster Mile has been relegated to a daytime All-Star Race that will be run on the same afternoon as Indianapolis 500 qualifying. While Dover’s on-track product has certainly been lackluster in recent years, the facility is undeniably one-of-a-kind, and simply deserves better. Additionally, coming from someone who is already a fervent hater of NASCAR’s “All-Star” event in any capacity, the limited aura the event even has is when it’s run under the lights. Let’s not forget that the most infamous All-Star Race is quite literally coined “One Hot Night.” A daytime exhibition race might just be NASCAR’s most irrelevant Cup Series event in recent memory, and that dubious honor shouldn’t be held by a track with as much history and nuance as Dover.

Con #2 - Five Craftsman Truck Series road course races

I’m all for road course racing. I also agree with many in the industry who say that the Craftsman Truck Series schedule should reasonably mirror the Cup Series, as it's the development site for future top level talent. Plus, I think that the standalone St. Petersburg race for the division in conjunction with the NTT INDYCAR Series will be awesome. But five road course races in 2026, effectively making up 20% of the division’s schedule, is genuinely insane. Recent history says Craftsman Truck Series road course races have either been snoozers (Lime Rock in June), or complete messes (Watkins Glen earlier this month), with no in-between. Five road courses, including two street circuits, is overkill for NASCAR’s tertiary division.

Con #3 - Portland removed from Xfinity Series calendar

While not nearly to the extent of INDYCAR, one systemic problem NASCAR scheduling continues to face is the alienation of certain American regional markets. Dover’s departure from the Cup Series’ points-paying calendar feels like the latest step in a recent trend of scaling back involvement in the northeast, but a far more forgotten racing community is the pacific northwest. NASCAR has long ignored this part of the country, but there was some solace in the fact that the Xfinity Series had visited Portland International Raceway in Oregon the past three summers. Well, when the division rebrands to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, it will say goodbye to “PIR,” instead making a second visit to Darlington. Yes, the track “Too Tough to Tame” is one of the secondary series’ best, but losing Portland is very unfortunate. It wasn’t the best track out there for NASCAR road course racing, but it was the sport’s sole involvement in the pacific northwest, with no clear path for an eventual return to the region.

For more reaction to the 2026 schedule, tune into this Friday's episode of Motorsports Today! We'll be live at 12:00 PM on wrsu.org! Can't listen live? Every episode is also available on Spotify!