NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Schedule Features Return to Chicago, Break for Olympics

NASCAR will take an unusual two-weekend break next summer while NBC-TV broadcasts the Summer Olympics from Paris. The 2024 Cup Series schedule released on Wednesday shows no races on July 28 and August 4, prime mid-summer dates when NASCAR has always presented events.

NBC and its affiliates will cover the Games from their Friday, July 26 opening ceremonies through their final ceremonies on Sunday, August 11. The August 11 race at Richmond, Va. is at night, allowing USA Network to broadcast. The Olympic coverage will fall between the July 21 Brickyard 400 at Indy and Richmond’s second race, on Aug. 11

The full 36-race schedule shows a new race on June 16 at the 7/8th-mile Iowa Speedway near Newton. The track’s first Cup race since it opened in 2006 comes at the expense of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. That 2-mile track, which has hosted 33 Cup Series races since it opened in 1997, is being razed and its land sold off to developers. It’s expected that a half-mile track will be built nearby in time for the 2025 or 2026 season.

Much of next year’s schedule had been released in drips and drabs in recent weeks. Previously confirmed were Feb. 18 for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, May 26 for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the June 16 race in Iowa, the July 21 Brickyard 400 at Indy, and the Sept. 1 Southern 500 at Darlington, S.C.

The 10-race, championship-deciding Playoffs will have a slightly different look. The first three-race elimination series is Sept. 8 at Atlanta, Sept. 15 at Watkins Glen, then Sept. 21 at Bristol. Round 2 of the elimination tournament will be Sept. 29 at Kansas, then Oct. 6 at Talladega, and Oct. 13 on the Charlotte Roval. Round 3 will begin Oct. 20 in Las Vegas, then goes to Homestead on Oct. 27, and Martinsville on Nov. 3. The championship race will be Nov. 10 at Phoenix, a week later than this year.

Unlike recent years, when the track was covered in dirt, the 2024 spring race at Bristol will return to its half-mile, high-banked asphalt surface. And despite mixed signals from some within the Chicago community, NASCAR will run a second street race through downtown on July 7 weekend.

“NASCAR is committed to delivering an annual schedule that continues to be bold and dynamic across all three national series while maintaining the famed destinations that our fans love,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of Racing Development and Strategy.

“The 2024 schedules strike a great balance between visiting many of our traditional tracks that continue to put on a great show, and newer locations like our first Cup race in Iowa and our highly anticipated return to the streets of Chicago that create ‘bucket list’ moments and attract new fans to America’s leading motorsport.”

2024 NASCAR Cup Schedule

*Sun., Feb. 4: Busch Light Clash at the ColiseumLos Angeles Coliseum

*Wed., Feb. 14: Daytona 500 qualifying, Daytona International Speedway

*Thu., Feb. 15: Daytona 500 Duels, Daytona International Speedway

Sun., Feb. 18: Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway

Sun., Feb. 25: Ambetter Health 400, Atlanta Motor Speedway

Sun., Mar. 3: Pennzoil 400, Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sun., Mar. 10: United Rentals 500k, Phoenix Raceway

Sun., Mar. 17: Food City 500, Bristol Motor Speedway

Sun., Mar. 24: Echopark Texas Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas

Sun., Mar. 31: Toyota Owners 400, Richmond Raceway

Sun., April 7: NOCO 400Martinsville Speedway3:00pmFS1MRN

Sun, April 14: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Texas Motor Speedway

Sun., April 21: GEICO 500, Talladega Superspeedway

Sun., April 28: Würth 400, Dover Motor Speedway

Sun., May 5: AdventHealth 400, Kansas Speedway

Sun., May 12: Goodyear 400, Darlington Raceway

*Sun., May 19: All-Star Open, North Wilkesboro Speedway