What I'm hearing about NASCAR's 2026 schedule: Mexico City, Chicago and more

New York Times

17-07-2025

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is starting to come together. Bowman Gray Stadium will again host the 'Clash' exhibition season opener, the Daytona 500 will be held on Feb. 15, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the championship, and the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, two of the sport's crown-jewel races, will be on their respective traditional holiday weekends.
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But what about some of the big unknowns that will go a long way to dictating what the 2026 schedule looks like? Here's the latest on how it's taking shape, based on conversations with a dozen league and team sources in the NASCAR industry.
NASCAR wants to return, and Mexico City would like NASCAR back, but racing in 2026 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit is still uncertain, even after what most considered a successful weekend for the first Cup points race outside the continental United States since the 1950s. The problem, according to those industry sources, is finding room on both parties' calendars.
In NASCAR's debrief after last month's race, teams made clear to the league the logistics needed to be smoother — preferably by scheduling an off week either before or after Mexico City. NASCAR acknowledges that it's best to have an off week around Mexico City.
But how would this happen, considering NASCAR's 38-week schedule affords little room for a break?
The best option, multiple sources said, would be to shift Mexico City to either the week before or after Easter — the lone weekend next year between Daytona and the Homestead finale that Cup isn't expected to be racing. Finding a spring date on NASCAR's schedule, however, is challenging, as several tracks traditionally hold races at that time of year. NASCAR also needs a solution that makes sense logistically, reducing the burden on hauler drivers who had to travel from outside Detroit, Michigan, to Mexico City in just a few days.
Visiting Mexico City at another time of the year is difficult due to the 2026 sports schedule in Mexico's capital. Starting in June, the month in which NASCAR held its event this year, Mexico City is hosting the FIFA Men's World Cup soccer tournament, with five matches scheduled in the city from June 11 to July 5. This is not a head-to-head competition NASCAR wants to face. Then, in the fall, Formula One makes its annual stop, effectively eliminating this window. This leaves spring to make it work.
While returning to Mexico City for 2026 is uncertain, both sides want to continue this relationship, according to industry sources. It's just a matter of finding the right time — and it's becoming likelier that it might have to be 2027.
Would NASCAR like to race in downtown Chicago next year? Yes, provided the league can strike the right deal.
Are both the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago amenable to NASCAR coming back for a fourth consecutive year? Yes, provided they can strike the right deal for them.
These caveats have left the future of the Chicago Street Course up in the air.
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Staging a race around Grant Park is not easy for NASCAR or the city. It's expensive and requires shutting down several major roads. Is there a date other than the Fourth of July weekend that works better? And would NASCAR, after three successful years, be better served leaving, letting the anticipation for a return build, then coming back sometime in the future?
The popularity of the race is a significant factor in the decision. NASCAR loves it, and so do league and team sponsors. Drivers have spoken glowingly about it too, including Kyle Larson. 'It's probably my favorite event in NASCAR each year,' he said.
And, most importantly, local officials appear to have warmed up to it, too. This was made known to NASCAR in recent discussions regarding the race's future, according to sources involved with the talks. The support at the state and local levels has increased the likelihood of a fourth race in downtown Chicago.
The Chicago Street Course is a big piece of the puzzle that will shape the 2026 schedule. Expect a resolution soon.
With the uncertainty surrounding the Chicago Street Race, should NASCAR consider going back to Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.? Many drivers would be in favor of that solution to stay in the market and return to the 1.5-mile track that hosted Cup and Xfinity Series races from 2001-2019.
Swapping the Chicago Street Race for Chicagoland would allow NASCAR to maintain a presence in the third-largest media market in the U.S. and add another oval to the schedule that should produce high-quality racing. The capital improvements that NASCAR would need at the track — estimated around $4 million, according to industry sources — are not high, though NASCAR would pay the bill itself.
A return to Chicagoland could happen in 2026, but it's no sure thing. Right now, the focus within NASCAR, those sources said, is to finalize the San Diego race and sort out the respective futures of Mexico City and the Chicago Street Race. Chicagoland, though, is an option if a spot opens up.
Nothing has changed since The Athletic's report last month on NASCAR nearing a deal for a race in the San Diego area. Discussions are ongoing, industry sources said, and the expectation is that an agreement will be reached. An announcement is tentatively slated for later this month.
A street course race in San Diego would accomplish NASCAR's goal of adding one new big event to its schedule each year, following in the footsteps of the Clash being held at both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Bowman Gray Stadium, returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway after a nearly 30-year absence, the Chicago Street Course, Mexico City and several others.
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After the All-Star Race bounced around for several years, the venerable short track in North Carolina's foothills has helped restore some of the importance. The All-Star Race feels special again.
NASCAR recognizes this, and the 2026 All-Star Race is expected to return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for a fourth consecutive year, industry sources said, even as there's rising support to see the track host a Cup Series points race, which it last did in 1996.
Circuit of the Americas and Speedway Motorsports — which effectively rents out the Austin, Texas, road course — have operated on a year-to-year basis for the past few years. This partnership is expected to continue in 2026, industry sources said, with NASCAR tentatively slated to race there in early March — a renewal coming after what was widely viewed as the best NASCAR race there.