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NASCAR has announced the official start times and television networks for all races across its three national series for the 2026 season. The full calendar features 36 races on the Cup Series schedule, beginning in February and concluding in November, with FOX, Prime Video, TNT Sports, USA Network, NBC, and Peacock sharing broadcast duties once again.
The 2026 campaign will feature several notable shifts from last year’s lineup, including a new event at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego (June 21), the return of Chicagoland Speedway (July 5), and the finale returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway (November 8) for the first time since 2019. Phoenix Raceway will move from hosting the finale to becoming the first event in the semifinal round.
The 2026 season returns at “The Madhouse” with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1 for the second straight year. Two weeks later, the DAYTONA 500 returns on February 15 (2:30 p.m. ET) to headline Speedweeks, as FOX and FS1 will air the first half of the season until the All-Star race.
Prime Video will begin its second season of NASCAR coverage with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24. The streamer’s five-race run includes the landmark event at Naval Base Coronado, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
TNT Sports will take over the broadcast schedule from Sonoma Raceway beginning June 28, opening the second In-Season Challenge. USA Sports and NBC will carry the final 14 races under the new USA Sports banner, starting with Iowa Speedway (August 9) on USA Network and ending with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on NBC.
Other calendar changes include Darlington's summer race moving to March, Richmond Raceway to August, and Watkins Glen International shifting from its traditional August slot to Mother’s Day weekend in May. Dover will host the All-Star Race (May 17), while North Wilkesboro Speedway will host a points-paying event (July 19) for the first time since September 29, 1996. With Homestead-Miami joining the playoffs, New Hampshire moves to the regular season on August 23.
Full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series TV Schedule
NASCAR also confirmed that the Xfinity Series will officially rebrand as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026. The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will make its debut on a street circuit for the first time when it joins the St. Petersburg Grand Prix weekend on Feb. 28, with INDYCAR racing on Saturdays. FOX will remain the home of the Truck and ARCA Menards Series.
2026 NASCAR Playoff format still under review
While the 2026 calendar is confirmed, the playoff structure remains undecided. NASCAR officials have confirmed that the next season will not feature a one-race finale, but the playoff system is expected to stay in some form. The postseason will likely begin at Darlington Raceway with the Southern 500 in September. Still, officials are evaluating whether to expand the format to a 3-3-4 round setup instead of the current 3-3-3-1 structure.
On his Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, Mike Forde, said discussions within the playoff committee had concluded and the final decision now rests with the sanctioning body.
“Where it stands right now… I don’t think the playoff committee is going to meet again,” Forde said (via Jayski). “They’re going to take all the feedback they got - from every walk of life, from no playoffs at all to keeping it the same - and really beat that all up. They’re announcements to come. Honestly, I don’t know where it is. It could be in two weeks, it could be in two months.”
Fans and insiders continue to debate the current system following the dramatic 2025 finale, where Denny Hamlin dominated much of the championship race before the final pit stops handed Kyle Larson his second Cup title.
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