March 26, 2019 | By Lee Spencer

Sweeping changes abound in 2020 NASCAR schedule

NASCAR drivers will duel in the desert to decide the 2020 championships. 
 
When the sanctioning body released next year’s schedule on Tuesday, the most significant change was moving the season finale to Phoenix Raceway on November 8. This marks the earliest the NASCAR season has ended since Jeff Gordon won the 1998 title at Atlanta. 
 
Teams will also trek west immediately following the 2020 Daytona 500 on Feb. 16th to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a triple-header on Feb. 21-23. Martinsville will be under the lights for the first time in its 70-year history. Pocono Raceway will double down with a weekend of consecutive Cup races on June 27-28, while Daytona International Speedway moves from its traditional July 4th week to become the cut-off race for the Playoffs. 
 
Speaking of the Playoffs, all three of NASCAR’s short tracks will be featured in the post-season.
 
“The fans and the industry as a whole have been vocal about the desire for sweeping changes to the schedule, and the 2020 slate is a reflection of our efforts to execute against that feedback,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “These changes are a result of unprecedented consensus-building with our race tracks and broadcast partners; something we look to continue into 2021 and beyond.”
 
Other notable changes include Atlanta moving to March 15—hopefully, a more temperate date than its February/March weekend over the last five years. Homestead-Miami and Texas Motor Speedways follow with a slightly earlier date for Bristol on April 5. 
 
Martinsville Speedway scored the Mother’s Day weekend in May, moving the Cup feature to Saturday night under the lights for the first time since the track opened in 1949. The last time NASCAR ran Cup in May on the half-mile track was in 1979 when Bobby Isaac won the Virginia 500.
 
Kansas Speedway’s first date of the season will be the week after Memorial Day and Coca-Cola 600 weekend. The Brickyard 400 returns to July replacing Daytona’s summer date. Darlington Raceway kicks off the Playoffs on Sept. 6. And Bristol Motor Speedway moves into the Playoffs on Sept. 19, one week at Richmond. The penultimate race of the season—and the race that will determine the Championship 4—will be Martinsville Speedway on Nov. 1. 
 
NASCAR will also take two consecutive weeks off in July to accommodate NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Olympics.

 

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

Sunday, Feb. 9

The Clash

Thursday, Feb. 13

Duel at Daytona

Sunday, Feb. 16

Daytona 500

Sunday, Feb. 23

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sunday, March 1

Auto Club Speedway

Sunday, March 8

ISM Raceway

Sunday, March 15

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Sunday, March 22

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Sunday, March 29

Texas Motor Speedway

Sunday, April 5

Bristol Motor Speedway

Sunday, April 19

Richmond Raceway

Sunday, April 26

Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 3

Dover International Speedway

Saturday, May 9

Martinsville Speedway

Saturday, May 16

All-Star Race, Charlotte

Sunday, May 24

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sunday, May 31

Kansas Speedway

Sunday, June 7

Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, June 14

Sonoma Raceway

Sunday, June 21

Chicagoland Speedway

Saturday, June 27

Pocono Raceway

Sunday June 28

Pocono Raceway

Sunday July 5

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Saturday July 11

Kentucky Speedway

Sunday, July 19

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Sunday, Aug. 9

Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, Aug. 16

Watkins Glen International

Sunday, Aug. 23

Dover International Speedway

Saturday, Aug. 29

Daytona International Speedway

 

PLAYOFFS BEGIN

Sunday, Sept. 6

Darlington Raceway

Saturday, Sept. 12

Richmond Raceway

Saturday, Sept. 19

Bristol Motor Speedway

Sunday, Sept. 27

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sunday, Oct. 4

Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, Oct. 11

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sunday, Oct. 18

Kansas Speedway

Sunday, Oct. 25

Texas Motor Speedway

Sunday, Nov. 1

Martinsville Speedway

Sunday, Nov. 8

ISM Raceway

 

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