The summer stretch kicks off a new look to the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Although the first 16 races of the season have pretty much followed the schedule pattern of the last several years that’s not the case for the final 20 that will both wrap up the regular season and make up the playoffs.
The makeover starts this week at Chicagoland Speedway, which after years of hosting the first playoff race moves back into July. It’s a return to the “Windy City” speedway’s roots and a throwback to when the facility first opened in 2001. NASCAR’s Chicago visit was a mid-summer event and the 2018 calendar brings that back to the 1.5-mile track.
2018 Monster Energy Cup Series Schedule
The annual Independence Day-theme Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona rolls around next, a staple on the schedule for decades. Kentucky, the now only visit to New Hampshire and the second race of the season at Pocono close out July.
August begins with the second road course race at Watkins Glen, race number two of the campaign at Michigan and then the Bristol night race.
September’s Labor Day weekend traditional stop at Darlington Raceway remains in its rightful place but then the regular season finale the following week has a whole new flavor.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is now home to the 26th race of the regular season and this year’s Brickyard 400 will determine the remaining drivers to qualify for the playoff field. Yes, it’s fair to say racing at Indianapolis could use some much-needed energy and the decision to not employ the All-Star Race rules package – a variation of which provided a memorable Indy Xfinity Series race a year ago – was hoped to bring a spark.
But even without a different rules package, the scramble to get into the playoffs for a number of drivers might provide some intrigue and at the very least story lines to this year’s stop in Indy.
The start of the playoffs has a new look with Chicago now replaced by Las Vegas Motor Speedway and for the first time the desert track hosts two Cup races. Richmond follows with a Saturday night stop and along with Martinsville there are now two short tracks in the playoff schedule.
And of course, the biggest wrinkle in the schedule change department comes the last Sunday in September when Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course makes its debut. There have been a few tire tests at the layout but not until later in July will all teams get a chance to test, so there’s no telling what kind of racing the idea will create. Oh, by the way, Charlotte is a first round elimination race.
There is growing sentiment to radically rearrange the Cup schedule something that is at minimum two years away due to the current track agreements. Even then it’s doubtful there will be any kind of huge undertaking other than perhaps moving several dates around.
The balance of this year’s schedule provides a taste of what even a few adjustments can bring. It’s a little bit the same but enough of a difference to throw a few curveballs into the mix to spice things up.
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Motor Racing Network.
