NASCAR makes radical adjustments to overhaul 2020 Cup Series schedule

NASCAR announced Tuesday afternoon a swift wave of significant changes to their 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with captivating shifts during both the regular season and the Cup Playoffs.

NASCAR will no longer crown its champion in South Florida but instead move to the desert near Phoenix, Arizona following the renovation and reconfiguration of ISM (Ariz.) Raceway. As part of the new schedule, the champion will be crowned a week earlier on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020.

In an effort to cater to NASCAR fans cravings of more short tracks in the post-season Playoffs, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway will become part of the 10-week Playoff stretch as the first cut-off race on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Bristol will join the Charlotte ROVAL (Oct. 11) and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Nov. 1 as cut-off races, creating intense and pressure-packed “win-or-go-home” scenarios for its competitors.

The famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway will become the first race of the NASCAR Playoffs on Sept. 6, with Las Vegas shifting to the first race of the second round on Sun., Sept. 27.

“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.”

The Great American Race, the Daytona 500, will once again open NASCAR season on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, but the series’ annual second visit to the “World Center of Racing” has swam to later in the day.

In a summer shift, Indianapolis Motor Speedway will give up its fall date for Independence Day weekend slated for July 5, 2020 – with Daytona becoming the final race of the regular season on Saturday night, Aug. 29.

“Quite fittingly, the birthplace of NASCAR will host the bookend races to the 2020 regular season,” O’Donnell added. “Racing in Daytona – particularly in the summer under the lights – never fails in delivering intense and unpredictable action. There’s no question this venue will create some incredible drama as drivers make one last push for a playoff spot.”

Following the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s trip to the West Coast will commence immediately with stops in Las Vegas (Sunday, Feb. 23), Auto Club (Sunday, March 1) and ISM Raceway (Sunday, March 8).

Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway will drop several races in the schedule to Sunday, Mar. 15 followed by Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway new placeholder on Sunday, Mar. 22.

After spending the last few years in mid-March, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway will move back in the schedule to Mother’s Day weekend when cars hit the track under the lights on Saturday, May 9.

Pocono Raceway will make history when it helps kick off NASCAR’s summer portion of the schedule. On Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, the Tricky Triangle will host back-to-back premier series events.

The 2020 Cup Series schedule will air on either the FOX or NBCS family of networks with additional coverage from the Motor Racing Network (MRN), Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Specific times and networks will be released at a later date.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule:

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