It’s time to evaluate all the changes now that the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar has been made public (thanks to reporter Jordan Bianchi on Wednesday). And there are going to be a lot of changes in 2025—mostly of the date-shifting kind, but some bigger ones as well.

There are many more tidbits to consider, but the main stories will likely centre on Bowman Grey Stadium’s comeback and NASCAR’s upcoming event in Mexico City. As is customary, I will now list the adjustments to the 2025 plan in order of preference—or, in one case, downright dislike.

The following list of 21 modifications, ranked, is for the 2025 NASCAR schedule:

Mexico City on June 15th.

Let’s go! Sorry to Iowa Speedway, but the schedule for 2024 lacked the kind of eye-catching new addition we’d seen for 2022 (the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) and 2023 (the Chicago Street Race).

I guess we can put that behind us for 2025. For the first time since 1958, NASCAR is bringing the Cup Series across the border for an international points race, which will also add a top-notch track to the schedule.

Since NASCAR’s last visit (an Xfinity Series race in 2008), Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has undergone changes and is now the yearly home of Formula One, which had a combined weekend attendance of almost 400,000 spectators last year.

Mexican motorsports fans are passionate about their sport, so it’s likely that there will be a sizable and enthusiastic crowd to watch favourite son Daniel Suárez and the other Cup stars compete in the fifth-most populous city in the world.

For the first time in almost 65 years, NASCAR’s international points race will take place at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. (Source: Getty Images / Manuel Velasquez)
2. August 23 is the regular-season Daytona finale.

An excellent new NASCAR scheduling tradition—Daytona at the end of the regular season and the Southern 500 to start the playoffs—was ruined by the Olympics. Now that the calendar has returned to normal, the one-year anomaly has been duly corrected.

3. Michigan makes an early June 8 move.

There’s nothing humorous about those poor Michigan supporters; they’ve been like cartoon characters with clouds of rain always hanging over their heads. Hopefully, Michigan will experience its first rain-free weekend since before the pandemic by moving from August to early June.

4. Bristol departs on April 13.

In terms of weather-related race cancellations, Bristol’s early spring date of March 17th, this year, is usually a wild card. A month later increases the likelihood of a lovely spring day significantly.

5. Nashville relocates on June 1st.

Fans from Nashville have had to put up with intense heat at a stadium that forbids the use of coolers and loose ice, so it hasn’t always been easy. There might be enough of a difference between late June and early June to make the fan experience more comfortable.

6. Talladega till October 19 for Round 3.

I had thought this move could be towards the bottom of this list when The Athletic announced it earlier this month. Round 3: Talladega? A superspeedway to decide who gets to go to Championship 4? Just one more blow to the playoff system’s legitimacy.

However, Chris Gabehart, the crew chief for Denny Hamlin, made some thought-provoking remarks on SiriusXM Radio. As a competitor, Gabehart stated that he genuinely believed Talladega in this position would be superior than in Round 2 for several reasons. Initially, there was not much chance that any of the eight remaining drivers would win the race and secure a spot in the final four. Second, the inability of a driver who qualifies for the playoffs to win would free up a space for another driver to go to the championship round on points, favouring the stronger teams’ ability to race their way into Phoenix.

Therefore, even if I’m still a little concerned that a random race would have an excessive influence on Championship 4, a lot of those worries have been allayed by Gabehart’s remarks.

 

 

Talladega is a place where anything can happen, but moving to the third round may still be the best way to guarantee the best cars a spot in the Championship 4. (Getty Images / Sean Gardner)
7. On August 16, Richmond loses a race.

Richmond was my all-time favourite track on the circuit in the middle of the 2000s. Better than Bristol and Martinsville combined. Its races were always thrilling and of high quality.

It’s difficult to see Richmond in this light, despite the fact that the racing product and fan support have declined for years. Before it was too late, NASCAR should have been able to address the short-track racing issue because it is never ideal to see a short track eliminated from the calendar (particularly in favour of a road course).

Even though it’s sad, considering Richmond’s current situation, this was the right decision, and Mexico City will be a huge success as a successor.

8. Iowa shifts in August 3.

Whether it’s in the middle of June or the beginning of August, Iowa will undoubtedly be unbearably hot. However, postponing the race results in an unintentional link between NASCAR and the opening of the neighbouring Knoxville Nationals a few days later. The 360 Nationals, which are sprint cars with smaller engines, are currently scheduled for the same weekend as this Iowa race. This could lead to a Kyle Larson double-duty weekend.

9. February 2 clash at Bowman Grey Stadium

Aside from the cold, I have mixed feelings about the choice to relocate the Clash to Bowman Grey. The Los Angeles Coliseum appeared to have established the framework for a potential NASCAR Stadium Series, where Cup cars could launch their careers in a number of important markets and garner attention from the wider sports community.

Bowman Grey will undoubtedly create a fantastic scene and satisfy the traditional fans, but I’m not sure whether it advances the sport. Given how this event has changed, it feels like a lost chance.

Additionally, NASCAR has made the decision to abandon the Los Angeles market with no concrete plans to come back, leaving Southern California fans to choose between zero Cup events in 2025 and two as recently as 2023 (Coliseum, Fontana).

In addition, Winston-Salem is only an hour’s drive away from five more Cup races—two in Charlotte, two in Martinsville, and one in North Wilkesboro—which, given how desperately other parts of the nation need NASCAR competition, seems like a lot.

10. Watkins Glen will not make the playoffs (Aug. 10)

Although the outcome of the forthcoming Watkins Glen playoff race is still unknown, it is acceptable to move it back to its customary month. The Glen is popular with campers and is best enjoyed in the summer months rather than in the autumn when school resumes.

Furthermore, two road courses in the last ten races are not required as long as Charlotte Motor Speedway maintains its insistence on hosting the Roval for its playoff race.

On September 7, Gateway makes it into the playoffs.

This one was peculiar, as I had never heard anyone argue that the song should be in the playoff group. It’s not as though this is a stunning, recently constructed building with the newest conveniences.

Nevertheless, with the resources at their disposal, the ownership group has probably accomplished more than anyone else on the circuit. And the St. Louis market, which does not have an NFL club, will undoubtedly welcome a major autumn event.

12. New Hampshire makes a postseason comeback on September 21.

For the first seven years of the Chase, New Hampshire served as the host and maintained a playoff race for a further seven years. However, the circuit hasn’t been used as a playoff venue since it was reduced to a single race in 2018.

Was there a growing chorus calling for its comeback to the playoffs? If that’s the case, I had not heard it. It’s concerning since racing on shorter, flatter courses right now isn’t that good—in my “Was it a good race?” poll, each of the track’s last several races received a dismal 65 percent. Are we thus anticipating that in order to create a more engaging race, Goodyear and NASCAR will improve the tyre situation?

In any case, it just seems like a strange choice.

13. On July 20, Dover enters the summer.

Purchasing this track later in the year may assist with rain because it hasn’t always had the best luck with the weather. Except that Dover lacks lights and it will be really hot. Fans might, however, prefer the heat and humidity over a rainout. It will also be the busiest time of year for tourists, and the Delaware beaches are just an hour away.

14. COTA is moved on March 2 earlier.

Since we haven’t yet had a chance to enquire about the schedule as of this writing, I’d be interested in knowing the thinking behind this one. With two weeks to go, Austin will now enter the third points race of the season, surpassing Las Vegas (which will now start after Phoenix rather than first).

It’s difficult to guess without additional information, but there’s undoubtedly a good reason why NASCAR wants to have a road course race this early in the season (it will be the earliest since the Daytona road race in 2021, which was impacted by COVID).

15. Kansas will host the Mother’s Day race on May 11.

Since Kansas is currently the greatest track in NASCAR, there are no grievances over anything Kansas-related. I wouldn’t mind if you scheduled all 38 races at Kansas. However, the fact that the mothers in the business won’t be able to spend Mother’s Day with their families in Charlotte is a slight setback for race teams. Darlington (which moves to April) owned this date, so there was at least an opportunity to spend some more time with the family.

16. Pocono on June 22, one month earlier

There are no complaints about this; aside from the fact that the last three races were held in July, the track has enjoyed incredible attendance. I hope that none of the momentum is affected by this.

17. Atlanta relocates on June 28.

This year, there was no repeat location in the calendar until Race 25, which was six and a half months away. Atlanta’s second race is moved to Race 18 (four months between races) if it is held earlier in the season. While it may not seem like much, it generally seems preferable when tracks can spread out their release dates as much as feasible.

18. On July 13, Sonoma relocates later.

Date equity has merits, and Sonoma has hosted its race in June every year since 1998. The “June Gloom” in the Bay Area frequently results in cool, overcast mornings and delightful, sunny afternoons. In California, July is significantly more of a blue-skies-and-sun-all-day kind of month, which might make the Sonoma race considerably hotter than usual for fans.

19. April 20 is the one week off during the season.

Positively, Easter is once again an off-week after many in the NASCAR industry expressed displeasure at having to race during the holiday (Bristol Dirt, Richmond).

However, it’s sad because, excluding Super Bowl Sunday between the Clash and Daytona 500, this is the only true off week of the whole season. You did indeed read correctly: In 2025, the Cup Series will run nonstop from April 27 to November 2 without a single weekend break. That is a marathon grind of 28 weeks, much longer than even the 22-week stretch this year between the Daytona 500 and the Olympic break.

Even if this is already the longest sports season ever, the way it’s being handled is a big part of the reason careers are ending prematurely and teams are having trouble hiring competent workers.

To give folks a break, I would personally prefer to see three off weeks strewn throughout the season. But rather than continuing to compete head-to-head until Thanksgiving, NASCAR and its TV partner NBC probably want to get out of the NFL’s way as soon as possible.

20. Phoenix wins the title again (Nov. 2)

Alright, unlike the other items on this list, this isn’t an “adjustment” to the schedule. However, why isn’t it? Phoenix, which keeps putting on rather dull displays, will be competing in its sixth consecutive championship race. It’s a pleasant venue, yes. It does indeed sell out. But only venues with outstanding racing should host the championship event if NASCAR insists on having the entire season culminate in a winner-take-all championship race.

21. Homestead relocates to March 23 (late March)

What a loss to this beloved location. This South Florida jewel was forced to suffer for two years after losing the championship by holding spring dates that meant nothing, yet the echoes of all the great contemporary season finales still linger there. In other words, when Homestead is not in a highlighted playoff place, nobody pays any attention to it. This seemed to be fixed when it was awarded a Round 3 race in 2022.

However, even that will disappear after this season, with Homestead reduced to a meaningless date in March. I suppose it’s because it’s warm then?

Nevertheless, it’s possible that Homestead’s return to the championship race in 2026 is the long-term goal. This will all have been worthwhile if that is the case.