2011-09-28

NASCAR Sprint Schedule - Earlier Talladega Chase Race Among Next Year's Lineup Adjustments

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2011) – NASCAR announced today the 2012 schedule for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with a lineup featuring a number of adjustments from the 2011 edition.

 

"We believe the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will once again provide fans with what they’ve come to expect every season – the world’s most exciting and competitive form of motorsports," said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. "Next year’s schedule has a few adjustments that we think will be good for the fans and good for the overall flow of the season. One thing will remain constant, however, and that’s the intense competition we see week in and week out from our drivers and race teams."

 

One of those adjustments takes place during NASCAR’s playoffs – the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – and could affect the strategy during the championship run. Talladega Superspeedway’s Chase event moves up two weeks to Oct. 7, becoming the fourth race in the Chase. Often labeled as the wild-card track in the Chase, Talladega’s grueling test is now staged during the first half of the Chase.

 

Talladega swaps its Chase date with Kansas Speedway (Oct. 21) to accommodate Kansas’ repave, scheduled for after the track’s spring event. As such, Kansas’ spring date has also been moved. Kansas now will be the eighth race of the season on April 22. Talladega’s spring event moves to May 6, and Dover International Speedway’s spring event returns to its traditional spot on June 3.

 

As previously announced, the season-opening Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway will start one week later with the running of the preseason "non-points" Shootout at Daytona on Feb. 18. The 54th annual Daytona 500 will run on Feb. 26.

 

The race dates for Phoenix International Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway have likewise been moved a week later, to March 4 and March 11, respectively.

 

Two other featured adjustments to the 2012 schedule:

Texas Motor Speedway’s spring date will be moved to April 14, to accommodate the traditional open week for the Easter holiday.

Daytona’s summer event and Kentucky Speedway’s race will swap weekends in 2012, as the July 4th holiday falls mid-week next year. Kentucky’s race will be June 30; Daytona will run on July 7.

 

As in past years, FOX will broadcast the first 13 races of next year’s schedule. TNT will follow, broadcasting the next six. ESPN/ABC will broadcast the final 17 events. Race start times will be announced at a later date.

 

NASCAR will also release the 2012 schedules for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at a later date.

2012 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

 

Date

Site

Network

2/18

Daytona International Speedway (Shootout)

FOX

2/19

Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying)

FOX

2/23

Daytona International Speedway (Duel)

SPEED

2/26

Daytona 500

FOX

3/4

Phoenix International Raceway

FOX

3/11

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

FOX

3/18

Bristol Motor Speedway

FOX

3/25

Auto Club Speedway

FOX

4/1

Martinsville Speedway

FOX

4/14

Texas Motor Speedway

FOX

4/22

Kansas Speedway

FOX

4/28

Richmond International Raceway

FOX

5/6

Talladega Superspeedway

FOX

5/12

Darlington Raceway

FOX

5/19

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

SPEED

5/27

Charlotte Motor Speedway

FOX

6/3

Dover International Speedway

FOX

6/10

Pocono Raceway

TNT

6/17

Michigan International Speedway

TNT

6/24

Infineon Raceway

TNT

6/30

Kentucky Speedway

TNT

7/7

Daytona International Speedway

TNT

7/15

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

TNT

7/29

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

ESPN

8/5

Pocono Raceway

ESPN

8/12

Watkins Glen International

ESPN

8/19

Michigan International Speedway

ESPN

8/25

Bristol Motor Speedway

ABC

9/2

Atlanta Motor Speedway

ESPN

9/8

Richmond International Raceway

ABC

9/16

Chicagoland Speedway

ESPN

9/23

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

ESPN

9/30

Dover International Speedway

ESPN

10/7

Talladega Superspeedway

ESPN

10/13

Charlotte Motor Speedway

ABC

10/21

Kansas Speedway

ESPN

10/28

Martinsville Speedway

ESPN

11/4

Texas Motor Speedway

ESPN

11/11

Phoenix International Raceway

ESPN

11/18

Homestead-Miami Speedway

ESPN

 

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