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To be released today, NASCAR has completed major changes to the 2021 Cup Schedule. Some highlights:
Addition of Circuit of America's and Road America road courses
A second race at Atlanta
A second race at Darlington!!!
Road course at Indy instead of Oval
Nashville joins on June 20
Bristol to have a dirt track race in Spring race
Chicagoland and Kentucky to be axed
All Star race to be at TMS (losing one of its points races)
Pocono doubleheader to remain
No mid-week races scheduled for next year
There will now be 6 road course races, doubling from three. Less 1.5 mile and 2 mile races.
I'm excited about the Circuit and Road America additions. I enjoy road course racing. I'm a little weary about the dirt track at Bristol...have to see how that goes (gimmick?). Not sad about losing races at TMS and Chicagoland. Ready to lose Fontana as well when they reconfigure the track.
No complaints here. Sounds like NASCAR really listened to the fans when they put this scheduled together.
Happy to see Chicagoland and Kentucky off the schedule.
Glad Atlanta got their 2nd race back
So glad Indy is running the road course and not the oval
Nashville, Road America and COTA are all nice additions
The Bristol dirt race will be interesting, still not sure about this one though
ROFLMAO the Brickyard 400 is officially dead, but I'm sure NASCAR will continue the charade that the road course race at IMS is a "crown jewel." Just go to a real friggin road course.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 09-30-2020 at 09:47 AM..
After further introspection, I do applaud NASCAR for overhauling the schedule. The TV contracts drive NASCAR way more than gate revenue these days, and I think the powers that be realize with ratings and attendance WAY off their late 90s/early 2000s peak, the next round of TV deals won't be nearly as lucrative if the fans don't come back.
I still do not believe NASCAR has the fanbase necessary to support a 35+ race schedule. Cutting it down by about 1/3 would go a long way toward refilling the stands and regenerating interest in the sport.
Dover down to 1 race as well at Dover and as well at Michigan.
The only thing that I see on the schedule that looks.. Questionable.. Is the July 11 Atlanta race. Hopefully, that's a night race. Otherwise, that will be miserable.
All Star race will be a tough turnaround.. Sonoma to Texas.
I wonder if the plan is to rotate the All Star Race or if they're just moving it to Texas 'permanently'
Regardless of the 'too many races' side of things.. This is certainly a move in the right direction, as we're getting more different types of tracks. Though, I'd love to see somewhere like The Rock or Iowa added in to increase the short tracks.. and yes, I know Rockingham isn't really a short track (Unless you count Little Rock) but it always put on wonderful racing due to the abrasive surface, similar to Darlington.
And.. Yes.. Wilkesboro, but.. Again.. It's too far gone. The Rock, at least, is still in usable condition.
As NASCAR begins to compete with NFL and College football in September, I would like to see more Saturday night races. You will still have some issues with a marquee college game on Saturday night, but it leaves Sundays open just for NFL.
As NASCAR begins to compete with NFL and College football in September, I would like to see more Saturday night races. You will still have some issues with a marquee college game on Saturday night, but it leaves Sundays open just for NFL.
I've been saying that for years. Can't for the life of me understand why they don't run more Saturday night races during the NFL season.
I think Iowa may be a dead speedway soon. The Cup Series isn't going there and IndyCar pulled out.
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