2014 Sprint Cup schedule released
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule released Tuesday includes the traditional 36 points races and five non-points races.
The season opens with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 23, and the "regular season" concludes at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 6. The 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins the following weekend at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 14, with the final scheduled for Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The biggest change to the weekly race lineup is Darlington Raceway's weekend moving up one month to April. 12. Kansas Speedway's event shifts from late April to May 10 and switches to a night race for the first time.
NASCAR also announced the Air Titan track drying system will be required to be on site at every track in 2014. The system made its debut at Martinsville Speedway in April, and has been available at eight races this year.
"One of the things we're excited to announce today is that in addition to another great season of racing we're also working as hard as we can for our fans in the stands and those watching on TV for them to have the best chance at each of our events to see a completed race," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing operations.
"We all know that the time it takes to dry the track and the impact it's had on those either watching it in the stands or on TV was really the main reason Brian France asked for a solution to reduce that time frame."
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule
Date, Site (Network)
Feb 15, Daytona International Speedway (Sprint Unlimited) (FOX)
Feb 16, Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying) (FOX)
Feb 20, Daytona International Speedway (Duels) (FOX)
Feb 23, Daytona 500 (FOX)
Mar 2, Phoenix International Raceway (FOX)
Mar 9, Las Vegas Motor Speedway (FOX)
Mar 16, Bristol Motor Speedway (FOX)
Mar 23, Auto Club Speedway (FOX)
Mar 30, Martinsville Speedway (FOX)
Apr 6, Texas Motor Speedway (FOX)
Apr 12, Darlington Raceway (FOX)
Apr 26, Richmond International Raceway (FOX)
May 4, Talladega Superspeedway (FOX)
May 10, Kansas Speedway (FOX)
May 17, Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race) (FS1)
May 25, Charlotte Motor Speedway (FOX)
Jun 1, Dover International Speedway (FOX)
Jun 8, Pocono Raceway (TNT)
Jun 15, Michigan International Speedway (TNT)
Jun 22, Sonoma Raceway (TNT)
Jun 28, Kentucky Speedway (TNT)
Jul 5, Daytona International Speedway (TNT)
Jul 13, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (TNT)
Jul 27, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (ESPN)
Aug 3, Pocono Raceway (ESPN)
Aug 10, Watkins Glen International (ESPN)
Aug 17, Michigan International Speedway (ESPN)
Aug 23, Bristol Motor Speedway (ABC)
Aug 31, Atlanta Motor Speedway (ESPN)
Sep 6, Richmond International Raceway (ABC)
Sep 14, Chicagoland Speedway (ESPN)
Sep 21, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (ESPN)
Sep 28, Dover International Speedway (ESPN)
Oct 5, Kansas Speedway (ESPN)
Oct 11, Charlotte Motor Speedway (ABC)
Oct 19, Talladega Superspeedway (ESPN)
Oct 26, Martinsville Speedway (ESPN)
Nov 2, Texas Motor Speedway (ESPN)
Nov 9, Phoenix International Raceway (ESPN)
Nov 16, Homestead-Miami Speedway (ESPN)
