NASCAR-friendly markets are getting more races. The best, worst parts of 2021 schedule

Alex Andrejev
·4 min read

I might be relatively new to NASCAR writing, but I’ve watched enough racing by now to have some thoughts on 2021.

The full 2021 Cup Series schedule — which was released in a sort of strange, slow trickle via individual track announcements on Wednesday after advanced copies were leaked to various media outlets — is characterized by, “The most changes since 1969,” according to NASCAR.

The sport’s major takeaway from this year and its pandemic-era format seemed to be that change can work, and NASCAR was able to push that fairly far for ‘21 thanks in part to recent restructuring of track ownership groups. Speedway Motorsports, which owns and operates eight tracks that host Cup races, went private in 2019 as NASCAR finalized a merger with International Speedway Corporation. The resulting restructuring appears to be more flexibility in terms of shifting races between tracks.

Certain details, such as start times and schedules for the Xfinity Series and Truck Series, have yet to be announced, but the initial Cup schedule release gives us plenty to think about.

The good things about the NASCAR schedule

  • NASCAR is trying things, including lots and lots of road course races. Six, to be exact, primarily at courses that have long been absent for Cup, including Road America, Circuit of the Americas and the Indianapolis road course. The new courses should offer a nice change of pace from a typically intermediate-heavy schedule, and they come fairly spaced out.

  • There also appears to be expansion in certain NASCAR-friendly markets, such as Tennessee, Texas and Georgia. Nashville is getting a race, Texas is getting two and Bristol is running on dirt.

  • Finally, the non-change I am personally excited to see is that NASCAR will keep Daytona as its final regular season race in late-August. Do we remember how exciting this year’s finish was?! As a refresher, it was a close, cutthroat superspeedway race won by William Byron to secure his spot in the postseason. It was a fun to watch.

The bad parts of NASCAR’s schedule

  • The move to new tracks inevitably means the loss of dates at others, and it’s sad to think about what will happen to those locations. Kentucky Speedway, which also had an exciting show this year, is losing its stop, as is Chicagoland Speedway. While Kentucky has plans to continue hosting “special events, commercial television production, music festivals, other racing series and stand-alone RV rallies and camping events,” the Cup Series stop was a hard-won fight for the track originally, and it’s losing a marquee weekend.

  • The All-Star Race is also leaving Charlotte and heading to Texas, which feels like a bit of a bummer for the region where it has long been held. NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said Wednesday that the All-Star Race was an event that TMS president Eddie Gossage has long asked for. O’Donnell also said Texas has “always felt like an All-Star market,” and he’s not wrong. Texas seems like a natural second home for the non-points race, which is meant as much for show and sponsors as it is competition. On a personal note, though, I’m bummed I won’t get to see the race in its full glory at home. Instead, I’ll have to fly, but I’m sure Texas will make the trip worth it.

What’s confusing about NASCAR’s 2021 schedule

  • The jury is still out on Bristol’s dirt track. It will be an exciting event for drivers who grew up racing dirt, like Austin Dillon and Christopher Bell. Production-wise, though, it sounds like a major undertaking to transform the historic concrete short-track into a dirt course. A report from NBC Sports said a World of Outlaws event at the track required roughly 14,000 truckloads of dirt to be moved in, but BMS president Jerry Caldwell said it’s what fans said they wanted on speedway surveys, and certain drivers at least seem excited. “I hope it’s something that becomes a staple,” Dillon said. Purists will complain. I’m not upset, just undecided. Check back in 2022.

2021 NASCAR CUP SCHEDULE

  • Tuesday, February 9: Clash (Daytona Road Course)

  • Thursday, February 11: Duel at Daytona

  • Sunday, February 14: DAYTONA 500

  • Sunday, February 21: Homestead-Miami

  • Sunday, February 28: Auto Club

  • Sunday, March 7: Las Vegas

  • Sunday, March 14: Phoenix

  • Sunday, March 21: Atlanta

  • Sunday, March 28: Bristol Dirt

  • Saturday, April 10: Martinsville

  • Sunday, April 18: Richmond

  • Sunday, April 25: Talladega

  • Sunday, May 2: Kansas

  • Sunday, May 9: Darlington

  • Sunday, May 16: Dover

  • Sunday, May 23: Circuit of The Americas road course, Austin, Texas

  • Sunday, May 30: Charlotte

  • Sunday, June 6: Sonoma

  • Sunday, June 13: All-Star (Texas)

  • Sunday, June 20: Nashville Superspeedway

  • Saturday & Sunday, June 26-27: Pocono Doubleheader

  • Sunday, July 4: Road America

  • Sunday, July 11: Atlanta

  • Sunday, July 18: New Hampshire

  • Sunday, August 8: Watkins Glen

  • Sunday, August 15: Indianapolis Road Course

  • Sunday, August 22: Michigan

  • Saturday, August 28: Daytona

  • Sunday, September 5: Darlington*

  • Saturday, September 11: Richmond*

  • Saturday, September 18: Bristol*

  • Sunday, September 26: Las Vegas*

  • Sunday, October 3: Talladega*

  • Sunday, October 10: Charlotte Roval*

  • Sunday, October 17: Texas*

  • Sunday, October 24: Kansas*

  • Sunday, October 31: Martinsville*

  • Sunday, November 7: Phoenix*

* = playoff race