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NASCAR today announced the 2018 schedule for all three of its national series, and the lineup includes an array of changes to the tracks that make up the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
NASCAR will add a second short track to the playoff slate, as the 0.75-mile Richmond International Raceway hosts the second playoff race for the first time. In a surprising twist, Charlotte Motor Speedway serves as the first cutoff race, but it won’t be the 1.5-mile layout. For the first time, NASCAR will run on the Charlotte road course oval – a.k.a. the roval – marking the first time the playoffs will see a road-course layout among its ten races.
Next season, the final regular season race in the Monster Energy Series will be contested at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Round of 16 kicks off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The season will start a week earlier, as the Daytona 500 returns to its traditional Presidents Day weekend on Sunday, February 18.
Speedweeks kicks off with an action-packed Sunday, February 11 at Daytona International Speedway, with a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season-opening double-header featuring the Clash and Daytona 500 pole qualifying.
“Fan feedback was a major driver in developing these schedules, and we worked very closely with the industry to set the stage for an exciting 2018 season,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “This season has delivered more dramatic moments to fans, and with the adjustments to the 2018 schedules we’re in a great position to build upon that success.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series joins NASCAR Goes West, the annual three-race swing to the West Coast, making March 2-4 a triple-header weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The fall weekend at Las Vegas serves as the final regular season event for the NASCAR XFINITY Series, with a three-race opening round of Richmond, Charlotte and Dover. The fall Bristol race will finalize the playoff field for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with Round of 8 races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Las Vegas and Talladega.
All races will air on either the FOX or NBC family of networks, MRN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
See below for all three NASCAR national series schedules.
2018 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
2/11 Daytona International Speedway (Clash / Daytona 500 Qualifying)
2/15 Daytona International Speedway (Duel)
2/18 Daytona 500
2/25 Atlanta Motor Speedway
3/4 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
3/11 Phoenix International Raceway
3/18 Auto Club Speedway
3/25 Martinsville Speedway
4/8 Texas Motor Speedway
4/15 Bristol Motor Speedway
4/21 Richmond International Raceway
4/29 Talladega Superspeedway
5/6 Dover International Speedway
5/12 Kansas Speedway
5/19 Charlotte Motor Speedway (Monster Energy All-Star Race)
5/27 Charlotte Motor Speedway
6/3 Pocono Raceway
6/10 Michigan International Speedway
6/24 Sonoma Raceway
7/1 Chicagoland Speedway
7/7 Daytona International Speedway
7/14 Kentucky Speedway
7/22 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/29 Pocono Raceway
8/5 Watkins Glen International
8/12 Michigan International Speedway
8/18 Bristol Motor Speedway
9/2 Darlington Raceway
9/9 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
9/16 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
9/22 Richmond International Raceway
9/30 Charlotte Motor Speedway
10/7 Dover International Speedway
10/14 Talladega Superspeedway
10/21 Kansas Speedway
10/28 Martinsville Speedway
11/4 Texas Motor Speedway
11/11 Phoenix International Raceway
11/18 Homestead-Miami Speedway
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
2018 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
2/17 Daytona International Speedway
2/24 Atlanta Motor Speedway
3/3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
3/10 Phoenix International Raceway
3/17 Auto Club Speedway
4/7 Texas Motor Speedway
4/14 Bristol Motor Speedway
4/20 Richmond International Raceway
4/28 Talladega Superspeedway
5/5 Dover International Speedway
5/26 Charlotte Motor Speedway
6/2 Pocono Raceway
6/9 Michigan International Speedway
6/17 Iowa Speedway
6/30 Chicagoland Speedway
7/6 Daytona International Speedway
7/13 Kentucky Speedway
7/21 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/28 Iowa Speedway
8/4 Watkins Glen International
8/11 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
8/17 Bristol Motor Speedway
8/25 Road America
9/1 Darlington Raceway
9/8 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
9/15 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
9/21 Richmond International Raceway
9/29 Charlotte Motor Speedway
10/6 Dover International Speedway
10/20 Kansas Speedway
11/3 Texas Motor Speedway
11/10 Phoenix International Raceway
11/17 Homestead-Miami Speedway
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
2018 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
2/16 Daytona International Speedway
2/24 Atlanta Motor Speedway
3/2 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
3/24 Martinsville Speedway
5/4 Dover International Speedway
5/11 Kansas Speedway
5/18 Charlotte Motor Speedway
6/8 Texas Motor Speedway
6/16 Iowa Speedway
6/23 Gateway Motorsports Park
6/29 Chicagoland Speedway
7/12 Kentucky Speedway
7/18 Eldora Speedway
7/28 Pocono Raceway
8/11 Michigan International Speedway
8/15 Bristol Motor Speedway
8/26 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
9/14 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
10/13 Talladega Superspeedway
10/27 Martinsville Speedway
11/2 Texas Motor Speedway
11/9 Phoenix International Raceway
11/16 Homestead-Miami Speedway
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE