2024-08-31

NASCAR Announces 2025 National Series Schedules

NASCAR Announces 2025 National Series Schedules

 

NASCAR Cup Series Goes International for First Points Race in Modern Era

With Visit to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City;

The Clash Moves to Historic Bowman Gray Stadium

 

Historic Venue Rockingham Speedway Added to NASCAR Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Schedules

 

Lime Rock Park Joins CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Slate for First Time Ever

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 29, 2024) – NASCAR continues to set historic milestones with its national series schedules, as the 2025 slates were announced today for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, which expands its schedule to 25 races for the first time since 2011. New venues will highlight the various series schedules, including Bowman Gray Stadium, Rockingham Speedway and Lime Rock Park. And, as announced earlier this week, NASCAR will etch another first into the record books in 2025 when the Cup Series goes international for a points race in Mexico City, Mexico.

The 2.674-mile historic road course in Mexico City was home to the Xfinity Series from 2005-2008, but for the first time ever, the track will host an international points event in the Cup Series airing live on Prime Video on Sunday, June 15. The Xfinity Series will make its return to the course as well when cars hit the track first on Saturday, June 14. NASCAR fans can catch the live Xfinity Series action from Mexico City on The CW.

The visit to Mexico will be the second of two new tracks on the Cup Series schedule, as NASCAR's premier series heads back to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time in 54 years for The Clash. The traditional season-opening exhibition event which will once again air live on FOX. The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971. Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted many NASCAR legends including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, and others. Petty won his 100th NASCAR Grand National race in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at the racetrack.  

"It's no secret we've been bullish about growing NASCAR beyond our borders, and the 2025 schedule is an important and thrilling first milestone in that journey," said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President, Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer. "In addition to racing in Mexico, we've been able to bring back more historic and fan-favorite venues for the first time in decades across our national series. Not only will this combination of venues maintain the high levels of excitement and anticipation for NASCAR racing, but it also delivers one of the most diverse and challenging schedules anywhere in motorsports."

As has been customary, the season will officially commence with the running of the 67th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 live on FOX. The next 12 Cup Series races will air on FOX Sports platforms, including Homestead-Miami Speedway moving back to the spring (Sunday, March 23) and culminating with the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, May 18.

As previously announced, Prime Video will make its NASCAR debut with the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25. Then, following Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, June 1, the highly anticipated In-Season Tournament will officially get underway at Michigan International Speedway (Sunday, June 8) with the first of three rounds of seeding events that will set the tournament brackets that includes the race in Mexico City (Sunday, June 15) and concludes at Pocono Raceway (Sunday, June 22).

TNT Sports will then make its return to NASCAR for the first time since 2014 when the action gets underway from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 28. As previously announced, this race will also be the start of the in-season elimination events which will take place throughout the entirety of the five-race TNT Sports portion of the season, culminating with the $1 million tournament winner being crowned on the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27. As part of the TNT Sports schedule, the Cup Series will return to the streets of Chicago for the third straight year on Sunday, July 6.

On Sunday, Aug. 3 NASCAR returns to Iowa Speedway where Cup Series coverage shifts to NBC Sports platforms for 14 consecutive races, including the entire Cup Series Playoffs and Championship finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Elsewhere in the Playoffs, World Wide Technology Raceway located outside St. Louis, Mo. will make its debut in the Cup Series postseason as the second race in the Round of 16 on Sunday, Sept. 7, nestled between the Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 31 and the final race in the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 13.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will make its return to the Playoffs for the first time since 2017 when the Cup Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series head to Loudon on Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21 for the first race in the Cup Series Round of 12 and last race in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 10 

Additional highlights in the 2025 NASCAR national series schedules include:

  • On Saturday, Aug. 23, the second Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway will shift back to its customary spot, playing the ever-important role as the last chance for drivers to secure their spot in the Playoffs.

 

  • Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, which have hosted Cup Series Playoff races since the inception of the format in 2004, will move to new spots in the Playoffs. Kansas Speedway will move to the second race of the Round 12 on Sunday, Sept. 28 joining New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway's ROVAL (Sunday, Oct. 5). Talladega Superspeedway will move to the second race of the Round of 8 on Sunday, Oct. 19 joining Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 12) and Martinsville Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 26). 

 

  • The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series return to historic Rockingham Speedway on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19, respectively. The Xfinity Series last competed at the venue from 1982 to 2004; the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series makes its return after a two-year stint in 2012 and 2013.

 

  • Bristol Motor Speedway will become the opening race in the Xfinity Series Playoffs on Friday, Sept. 12.

 

  • The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will expand from 23 to 25 races, a testament to the demand for its unique style of racing and intense competition.

 

  • For the first time ever, NASCAR heads to the iconic 1.5-mile road course at Lime Rock Park when the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series travels for a standalone event at the Connecticut venue on Saturday, June 28.

 

For tickets to 2025 NASCAR events, visit www.nascar.com/2025schedule.

FOX Sports, Prime Video, TNT Sports and NBC Sports will broadcast the 2025 Cup Series season; The CW will carry the entire Xfinity Series season and FOX Sports will once again be home to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.

Below are the full 2025 NASCAR national series schedules (Playoff races in bold font):

2025 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

 

Date

Race / Track

Sunday, February 2

Clash (Bowman Gray)

Sunday, February 16

DAYTONA 500

Sunday, February 23

Atlanta

Sunday, March 2

COTA

Sunday, March 9

Phoenix

Sunday, March 16

Las Vegas

Sunday, March 23

Homestead-Miami

Sunday, March 30

Martinsville

Sunday, April 6

Darlington

Sunday, April 13

Bristol

Sunday, April 27

Talladega

Sunday, May 4

Texas

Sunday, May 11

Kansas

Sunday, May 18

North Wilkesboro (All-Star Race)

Sunday, May 25

Charlotte

Sunday, June 1

Nashville Superspeedway

Sunday, June 8

Michigan

Sunday, June 15

Mexico City

Sunday, June 22

Pocono

Saturday, June 28

Atlanta

Sunday, July 6

Chicago Street Race

Sunday, July 13

Sonoma

Sunday, July 20

Dover

Sunday, July 27

Indianapolis

Sunday, August 3

Iowa

Sunday, August 10

Watkins Glen

Saturday, August 16

Richmond

Saturday, August 23

Daytona

Sunday, August 31

Darlington

Sunday, September 7

World Wide Technology Raceway

Saturday, September 13

Bristol

Sunday, September 21

New Hampshire

Sunday, September 28

Kansas

Sunday, October 5

Charlotte Roval

Sunday, October 12

Las Vegas

Sunday, October 19

Talladega

Sunday, October 26

Martinsville

Sunday, November 2

Phoenix (Championship)

 

2025 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE

 

Date

Race / Track

Saturday, February 15

Daytona

Saturday, February 22

Atlanta

Saturday, March 1

COTA

Saturday, March 8

Phoenix

Saturday, March 15

Las Vegas

Saturday, March 22

Homestead-Miami

Saturday, March 29

Martinsville

Saturday, April 5

Darlington

Saturday, April 12

Bristol

Saturday, April 19

Rockingham

Saturday, April 26

Talladega

Saturday, May 3

Texas

Saturday, May 24

Charlotte

Saturday, May 31

Nashville Superspeedway

Saturday, June 14

Mexico City

Saturday, June 21

Pocono

Friday, June 27

Atlanta

Saturday, July 5

Chicago Street Race

Saturday, July 12

Sonoma

Saturday, July 19

Dover

Saturday, July 26

Indianapolis

Saturday, August 2

Iowa

Saturday, August 9

Watkins Glen

Friday, August 22

Daytona

Saturday, August 30

Portland

Saturday, September 6

World Wide Technology Raceway

Friday, September 12

Bristol

Saturday, September 27

Kansas

Saturday, October 4

Charlotte Roval

Saturday, October 11

Las Vegas

Saturday, October 18

Talladega

Saturday, October 25

Martinsville

Saturday, November 1

Phoenix (Championship)

 

2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

 

Date

Race / Track

Friday, February 14

Daytona

Saturday, February 22

Atlanta

Friday, March 14

Las Vegas

Friday, March 21

Homestead-Miami

Friday, March 28

Martinsville

Friday, April 11

Bristol

Friday, April 18

Rockingham

Friday, May 2

Texas

Saturday, May 10

Kansas

Saturday, May 17

North Wilkesboro

Friday, May 23

Charlotte

Friday, May 30

Nashville Superspeedway

Saturday, June 7

Michigan

Friday, June 20

Pocono

Saturday, June 28

Lime Rock Park

Friday, July 25

Lucas Oil IRP

Friday, August 8

Watkins Glen

Friday, August 15

Richmond

Saturday, August 30

Darlington

Thursday, September 11

Bristol

Saturday, September 20

New Hampshire

Friday, October 3

Charlotte Roval

Friday, October 17

Talladega

Friday, October 24

Martinsville

Friday, October 31

Phoenix (Championship)

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.


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2024-08-27

Jacob Mercer Locks into Title Chase with a Pair of 3rd Place Finishes

Jacob Mercer Locks into Title Chase with a Pair of 3rd Place Finishes
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communication/First Draft Media
It has been a strong 2024 local motorsports regular season for 3rd generation racer Jacob Mercer.

Fresh from his recent back-to-back 3rd place main event finishes at Peterborough Speedway, the hard-charging youngster is getting ready for the track's Saturday, August 31st Championship Clash. Mercer's No. 81 machine holds-down 2nd place in the Late Model standings and is less than 30 points out of the division's overall lead.
"Our team always gives me an excellent car and I can't imagine this weekend's regular season finale will be any different," explained Jacob Mercer. "We're looking at this show the same as we do with every other race. The crew has put together some excellent set-up notes to help us deal with the ever-changing weather and track conditions. We'll be looking for the best possible outcome at the end of the night."
As the regular season winds down, Jacob Mercer and the Mercer Motorsports team would like to thank everyone associated with the program for their support during the year. Whether at the track or behind the scenes, family, friends and crew members are a valuable asset to everything the team has been able to accomplish throughout the home track racing schedule.
Jacob Mercer and the No. 81 team are proud to be associated with quality sponsorship partners including Sine's Flooring, Durmach Precision Tooling, Facility Services, Courtice Septic, Beyond Signs & Design, Lindsay Dodge Chrysler, CARSTAR Lindsay, Lindsay Buick GMC, Highland Designs by Tracy Pattison, Cressman Tree Maintenance, Richter Law, BJ Tackle, Kawartha Metals, K9INE Protection, YoungCo Septic Design & Install, Cliffshore Excavating, Sarah Turck Sherwood Mortgage Group, Andrea Spohn Desjardins Insurance, Ganaraska Financial, Cooper Equipment Rentals, Parkin Lawn Care, Holdaway Motorsports and Clarke Motorsports Communications.
Make sure to add the Saturday, August 31st Championship Clash at Peterborough Speedway to your Labour Day Weekend racing plans. Pit gates open at noon, with grandstand admission at 3:00. Racing starts at 4:00.
Stay connected with Jacob Mercer and the No. 81 Mercer Motorsports team at the track or by finding, liking and following 81 Mercer Motorsports on Facebook.
Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
Heading into the 2024 Championship Clash – Saturday, August 31st – at Peterborough Speedway, Jacob Mercer (No. 81) is less than 30 points away from the track's Late Model title.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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2024-08-22

ICAR sera l’hôte du Evirum 100, qui verra 24 pilotes en piste ce samedi

ICAR sera l'hôte du Evirum 100, qui verra 24 pilotes en piste ce samedi

Daytona (FL), le 21 août 2024 - C'est maintenant au tour du Complexe ICAR d'être l'hôte de la série NASCAR Canada le 24 août prochain. Le tarmac de l'aéroport situé en banlieue de Montréal verra 24 voitures s'affrontées pendant 43 tours, dans le cadre de l'Evirum 100. 
Ce sera la 11e fois que la série visite ICAR, la première fois étant en 2011. Bien que la série y ai courru maintes fois, seulement 4 vainqueurs ne sont monté sur le podium; Robin Buck (2011), Andrew Ranger (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016), Kevin Lacroix (2015, 2017, 2021, 2022) et Marc-Antoine Camirand lors de l'édition 2023. 
Cette année, plusieurs prétendants au titre seront en piste, et tous sont soif de victoire. Tout d'abord, trois des quatre lauréats seront en piste, soit Camirand dans la Chevrolet #96 GM Paillé, Andrew Ranger dans la Chevrolet #27 GM Paillé et Kevin Lacroix représentant les couleurs de NAPA dans la Dodge #74 NAPA Racing / Quick Strut. 
Toutefois, plusieurs autres pilotes ont dans la mire un premier gain sur ce tracé de 2.3 kilomètres, notamment Louis-Philippe Dumoulin dans la Dodge #47 WeatherTech Canada/ Omnifab/ Bellemare, ou bien les jeunes loups Alex Guénette, dans la Chevrolet #39 Casino Grand Royal Wôlinak/DLGL/GLEA, et Alex Labbé qui sera aux commandes de la Chevrolet #36 AB Express / Lussier / VR Victoriaville. Fort d'une deuxième place au Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Labbé avait également terminé en 2e place lors de l'événement à ICAR en 2023. 
Le pilote vétéran Alex Tagliani s'était imposé aux avants-postes lors de l'épreuve l'an dernier, mais n'avait pas réussi à traduire ses efforts par une victoire, concluant la course en 3e position. 
Steve Côté sera de retour au volant de la Chevrolet #29 aux couleurs d'Evirum et BKFC. D'ailleurs Evirum réserve aux spectateurs présents une expérience écoresponsable hors du commun dans l'allée marchande. 
D.J. Kennington aura besoin d'un bon résultat puisqu'il se trouve en 5e position au championnat, avec 331 points. Son but  sera de visiter le cercle des vainqueurs avec la Dodge #17 Castrol Edge/Brimstone Games/CIM Metals. Il a d'ailleurs signé la 5e position lors des 60 Tours Rousseau Métal il y a deux semaines, récoltant de précieux points, ce qui n'a pas été le cas de Jaston Hathaway qui a été victime d'un accident dans les rues de Trois-Rivières, alors que sa Chevrolet #3 ASSA ABLOY/Accentra/Leland Industries a terminé sa course dans le mur. Avec un abandon en poche, il aurait besoin de tous les points possibles pour remonter dans le classement. 
Plusieurs pilotes venant de la région de Montréal seront en piste, notamment Justin Arseneau qui représentera les couleurs de Chevrolet 440/ Fibro Piscine/ Volaria Airshow à bord de la Chevrolet #03. Le pilote montréalais Simon Charbonneau effectue une saison partielle, il représentera TransGestion / NAPA Pièces d'autos St-Jérôme/ IAI Experts-Conseil / Miller Thomson aux commandes de la Chevrolet #88. Frédérik Ladouceur en sera à son deuxième départ en série NASCAR Canada. Le pilote de Mirabel sera au volant de la Dodge #51 L'entrepôt Pièces d'Auto / Ray Junior Investments.
Les activités de la journée débuteront à 10h15 avec les essais, puis à 13h30 pour la séance de qualifications. Les fans présents sur le site pourront rencontrer les pilotes de NASCAR Canada lors de la séance d'autographes à 16h10, puis le coup d'envoi de l'Evirum 100 sera donné à 17h30. 
Ceux qui ne peuvent être présents pourront regarder l'épreuve sur l'application TSN+ ou bien sur FloRacing.com 

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