CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR released the 2024 Cup Series schedule and it features several key changes, including a new venue for the regular season finale, a major change to the first round of the playoffs and the inaugural Cup race at a track familiar to longtime fans.
The biggest change comes in the 26th race of the regular season, when NASCAR will set the playoff grid at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. The change moves Darlington off its traditional Labor Day date and out of the playoffs, where it's been the last few years.
Daytona International Speedway, which has hosted the regular season finale the last four seasons, will move one week earlier on the schedule, hosting its summer race on Aug. 24. The shake-up is mostly due to NBC Sports' obligation to the Olympics, which will result in a two-week break for NASCAR next summer.
Iowa Speedway will host its first-ever Cup Series race on June 16. The track has hosted the Xfinity Series and Truck Series for years, as well as IndyCar events. The track's Cup date was revealed this week in a news conference with Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Other changes include Bristol reverting back to two races on the concrete surface after three years of racing on dirt. Bristol's spring race will move to March 17, while Richmond Raceway will take Bristol's Easter night slot on March 31.
When the playoffs roll around, we'll see two changes in the opening round. Atlanta Motor Speedway will have the playoff opener on Sept. 8 before the series heads north for the first playoff race in the history of Watkins Glen International. Watkins Glen's move into the playoffs will essentially be a trade with Texas Motor Speedway, which moves from October to mid-April. It's the first time Texas won't have a race in NASCAR's playoffs since 2004.
Charlotte Motor Speedway's schedule remains mostly unchanged. Charlotte will host the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend, as well as a playoff race on the Roval on Oct. 13. There had been some speculation that Charlotte would run twice on its oval, but Speedway Motorsports' Marcus Smith shot that down this week, saying the Roval allows Charlotte to be one of the most unique venues in all of motorsports.
Full 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
- Feb. 4: Clash at the LA Coliseum
- Feb 15: Duel at Daytona
- Feb. 18: Daytona 500
- Feb. 25: Atlanta Motor Speedway
- March 3: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- March 10: Phoenix Raceway
- March 17: Bristol Motor Speedway
- March 24: Circuit of the Americas
- March 31: Richmond Raceway
- April 7: Martinsville Speedway
- April 14: Texas Motor Speedway
- April 21: Talladega Superspeedway
- April 28: Dover Motor Speedway
- May 5: Kansas Speedway
- May 12: Darlington Raceway
- May 19: North Wilkesboro (All-Star Race)
- May 26: Charlotte Motor Speedway
- June 2: World Wide Technology Raceway (St. Louis)
- June 9: Sonoma Raceway
- June 16: Iowa Speedway
- June 23: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- June 30: Nashville Superspeedway
- July 7: Chicago Street Race
- July 14: Pocono Raceway
- July 21: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Aug. 11: Richmond Raceway
- Aug. 18: Michigan International Speedway
- Aug. 24: Daytona International Speedway
- Sept. 1: Darlington Raceway (regular season finale)
- Sept. 8: Atlanta Motor Speedway (playoffs begin)
- Sept. 15: Watkins Glen International
- Sept. 21: Bristol Motor Speedway
- Sept. 29: Kansas Speedway
- Oct. 6: Talladega Superspeedway
- Oct. 13: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
- Oct. 20: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Oct. 27: Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Nov. 3: Martinsville Speedway
- Nov. 10: Phoenix Raceway (championship race)
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