In recent years, NASCAR has shown capacities to make alterations to their Cup Series schedule and a new change might come soon.
NASCAR is open to making changes to its schedule and even race tracks. In the 2022 season, NASCAR changed its venue for The Clash away from Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They will keep this change for the 2023 season too.
Another change for the upcoming season is that NASCAR All-Star Race will take place at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Furthermore, NASCAR will head to Chicago for the street course race on July 2, 2023.
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However, there are just minor changes compared to what might be coming in the 2025 season. NASCAR might expand its 38-race season to 42, as per RacinBoys’s Lee Spencer. Speaking on The Pit Reporters Podcast, Spencer said:
“If what we’re hearing, for whatever reason, they expand the schedule, you’ll probably need the additional partners to pony up the cash to make it work…I’m hearing 42 races…I think they set that up for the new TV schedule to give a little piece of the pie to everybody…probably 40 (points races) and 2 (exhibition events).”
NASCAR last expanded its schedule in 2001 when it started running a 38-race season, along with the Busch Light Clash and All-Star Race.
Spencer’s prediction is based on NASCAR’s TV deal which is set to expire at the end of the 2024 season. Adding four points races would be a significant change for the series.
It remains to be seen how the drivers might feel about it. For one driver, 2020 Champion Chase Elliott, that might not be a problem, as he previously suggested NASCAR have “a more compact schedule” over a shorter timeframe.