DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR officials announced the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule Wednesday, which features 39 events starting on Feb. 6 and ending on Nov. 6.
Tuesday NASCAR announced that the Clash – NASCAR’s prelude event to the Daytona 500 since 1979 – will take place inside the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 6.
The NASCAR Cup Series will visit another track for the first time when the green flag flies at World Wide Technology Raceway just outside St. Louis, Mo., on June 5. The addition of World Wide Technology Raceway means Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., will host one NASCAR Cup Series race instead of two next season.
“I set some ambitious goals when I took over the racetrack and to see them come to fruition is a dream come true,” said Curtis Francois, World Wide Technology Raceway owner. “Thanks to the hard work of our team, corporate partners such as Dave Steward and World Wide Technology, and sponsors like Bommarito Automotive Group, I am proud to welcome the NASCAR Cup Series to the St. Louis region. I can’t wait to celebrate this incredible victory with our fans.”
The 1.25-mile asymmetrical oval has hosted 21 Camping World Truck Series races since 1998 and was also a part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule from 1997 – 2010. Numerous NASCAR legends and champions have visited Victory Lane over the years. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998, 1999), Kevin Harvick (2000, 2001, 2010), Kyle Busch (2009) and Brad Keselowski (2010) earned wins at World Wide Technology Raceway early in their careers.
“As we demonstrated last year, we are committed to creating the most dynamic schedule for our fans, long term,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of strategy and innovation. “With the addition of new and unique venues like the Coliseum and World Wide Technology Raceway, each in markets with passionate NASCAR fans, we’re continuing to build on bold changes to deliver the best racing in the world.
“This latest iteration of the schedule should lend itself to another season filled with drama and great racing on the track, starting with the Daytona 500 and culminating with NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.”
In another move – and a nod to recent history – Homestead-Miami Speedway will return to the Playoff mix. The popular 1.5-mile track will be a key venue when it hosts the second of three Round of 8 races on Oct. 23. In addition, Texas (Sept. 25) and Las Vegas (Oct. 16) will swap dates and lead off the Round of 12 and Round of 8, respectively.
“We can’t wait for October of 2022, taking us back to our storied past in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Al Garcia. “From our very first Cup Series race here in 1999 up until two years ago, we hosted the premier series in the fall and we are thrilled to have that tradition rekindled. In 18 of the last 20 years, we crowned a champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway, so it’s great to be back in the title mix. We are excited to welcome fans back to our community during the fall, which is so nice in South Florida. We can’t wait for their return, and we will have the greatest 1.5-mile venue ready for them.”
In addition, Kansas will move up in the Playoffs schedule, becoming the second race in the Round of 16 (Sept. 11).
The 2022 season will officially kick off with the running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 20 – an event that will also host the regular season points race debut of the Next Gen race car. The Cup Series will then immediately head back out West, beginning with a stop at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 27 – the first time NASCAR will visit the high-speed two-mile oval in nearly two years – followed by Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 6) and Phoenix Raceway (March 13).
The Bristol Dirt Race returns to the schedule, this time under the lights on Easter Sunday Night (April 17). The NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race will also return to Texas Motor Speedway in 2022. The annual event featuring NASCAR’s biggest stars will shift to earlier in the season when festivities get underway on May 22.
After a natural off-week (June 19) following the conclusion of FOX Sports’ Cup Series coverage, Nashville Superspeedway will again kick off the NBC Sports’ portion of the schedule on June 26. The action in the Music City will immediately be followed by another fan favorite, Road America, which will highlight Fourth of July festivities for the second consecutive season.
Watkins Glen Int’l will host the penultimate race of the regular season (Aug. 21) followed by the regular season finale under the lights at Daytona Int’l Speedway (Aug. 27).
As previously announced, Phoenix Raceway will be the home to NASCAR Championship Weekend for the third consecutive year, Nov. 4 – 6.
Start times and specific networks will be announced at a later date, as will the 2022 schedules for the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
2022 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule
Feb. 6 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, Calif. (The Clash)
Feb. 17 – Daytona Int’l Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla. (Duel at Daytona)
Feb. 20 – Daytona Int’l Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla. (Daytona 500)
Feb. 27 – Auto Club Speedway – Fontana, Calif.
March 6 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, Nev.
March 13 – Phoenix Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.
March 20 – Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, Ga.
March 27 – Circuit of the Americas – Austin, Texas
April 3 – Richmond Raceway – Richmond, Va.
April 9 – Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, Va.
April 17 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn. (Dirt Track)
April 24 – Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, Ala.
May 1 – Dover Int’l Speedway – Dover, Del.
May 8 – Darlington Raceway – Darlington, S.C.
May 15 – Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.
May 22 – Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas (All-Star Race)
May 29 – Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C. (Coca-Cola 600)
June 5 – World Wide Technology Raceway – Madison, Ill.
June 12 – Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, Calif.
June 26 – Nashville Superspeedway – Lebanon, Tenn.
July 3 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
July 10 – Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, Ga.
July 17 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, N.H.
July 24 – Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, Pa.
July 31 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – Indianapolis, Ind.
Aug. 7 – Michigan Int’l Speedway – Brooklyn, Mich.
Aug. 14- Richmond Raceway – Richmond, Va.
Aug. 21 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Aug. 27 – Daytona Int’l Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla. (Regular Season Finale)
Sept. 4 – Darlington Raceway – Darlington, S.C. (Southern 500)
Sept. 11 – Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.
Sept. 17 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn.
Sept. 25 – Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 2 – Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, Ala.
Oct. 9 – Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL – Concord, N.C.
Oct. 16 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 23 – Homestead-Miami Speedway – Homestead, Fla.
Oct. 30 – Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, Va.
Nov. 6 – Phoenix Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.