The highly anticipated 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule will receive a facelift during its regular-season schedule but maintain a familiar 10-race playoff format.
According to a copy of the 2021 Cup schedule obtained by CATCHFENCE.com, with a majority of the dates independently confirmed, the Cup Series will visit more road courses, see fewer races on the intermediate tracks and hold its first race on dirt since 1970.
The copy of the schedule obtained is the most recent distributed but is not final.
Among the highlights of the schedule, which will be officially released on Wednesday afternoon in its entirety by NASCAR, are six road course events – beginning with a race at the Circuit of the Americas on May 23, 2021.
Other road course events in the Cup series will be June 6 at Sonoma, Calif., a new stop on July 4 at Road America (Wisc.), Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen, N.Y., Aug. 15 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, and traditional fall Oct. 10 Playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Removed from the 2021 schedule are Kentucky Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, one race at Texas Motor Speedway, one at Michigan International Speedway, one at Dover International Speedway (replaced by Nashville Superspeedway) and the famed event on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
Other new races added included a spring race at Bristol which will be converted to a dirt track. The last Cup race held on dirt was a nearly a half-century ago on Sept. 30, 1970, at the half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, N.C.
Also new to the 2021 schedule includes a second summer Atlanta race, the All-Star Race moved to Texas Motor Speedway and an already previously announced race at Nashville Superspeedway in June.
The 2021 playoff schedule will contain the same races as this season with a likely swap of the Texas and Kansas event weekends.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR’s 2021 schedule is also subject to change once officially announced.
Proposed 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule:
February 14 | Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (Daytona 500)
February 21 | Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway
February 28 | Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway
March 7 | Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway
March 14 | Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway
March 21 | Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway
March 28 | Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
April 4 | Off-Weekend
April 10 | Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
April 18 | Richmond (Va.) Raceway
April 25 | Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
May 2 | Kansas Speedway
May 9 | Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
May 16 | Dover (Del.) International Speedway
May 23 | Circuit of the Americas (COTA)
May 30 | Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
June 6 | Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway
June 13 | All-Star Race (Texas Motor Speedway)
June 20 | Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
June 26 | Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
June 27 | Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
July 4 | Road America (Wisc.)
July 11 | Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway
July 18 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 25 | Off-Weekend (Olympics)
August 1 | Off-Weekend (Olympics)
August 8 | Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
August 15 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
August 22 | Michigan International Speedway
August 28 | Daytona International Speedway
Sept. 5 | Darlington Raceway
Sept. 11 | Richmond Raceway
Sept. 18 | Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 26 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 3 | Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 10 | Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Oct. 17 | Texas Motor Speedway
Oct. 24 | Kansas Speedway
Oct. 31 | Martinsville Speedway
Nov. 7 | Phoenix Raceway
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
