The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar is officially released and it brings several notable changes for next year. The calendar is loaded with 38 races, kicking off with the iconic Daytona 500 on February 16, in Daytona, Florida.
The most significant change next season is the introduction of NASCAR’s first international points race in 67 years, scheduled to take place in the streets of Mexico City on June 15.
Another major shift comes as the series will move The Clash, traditionally held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Known for hosting significant NASCAR moments like Richard Petty’s 100th career win in 1969, Bowman Gray will see NASCAR Cup Series action for the first time since the early ’70s on February 2, 2025.
The Southern California race, a staple since 1997, has been removed from the calendar for 2025 due to major renovations at the Fontana track. New Hampshire Motor Speedway will reintroduce a playoff race for the first time since 2017, further diversifying the 2025 season on September 21.
A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 24, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. NASCAR announces the 2025 Cup Series calendar.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
The regular season finale will take a familiar stage at the Daytona International Speedway on August 23, leading into the playoffs starting on August 31 at Darlington Raceway, and wrapping up at Phoenix Raceway on November 2.
Broadcasting takes on a new dimension with Amazon Prime Video airing a special five-race bracket-style competition from June 28 through July 27.
NASCAR’s executive vice president Ben Kennedy spoke about the addition of the Mexico event, as Newsweek previously reported:
“This has been on our radar for a long time. We’ve been talking about the continued iteration of our schedule, right? You can go back a few years, went to new markets like Nashville and Austin, Texas.
“We went to the Coliseum for the Clash. … We went to our first street race in downtown Chicago, and this is going to be another first for us in a lot of ways. This is going to be certainly a monumental event for us, the first time we’re going south of the border.”
For the Mexico race to take place, Richmond was reduced from two race weekends to one. Kennedy commented on the change:
“We’re still committed to Richmond. It’s an important track, an important market certainly, as we think about where our NASCAR fans are today.
“We’ve seen some exciting storylines certainly coming out of that track over the past few years and excited to continue to be there next year, put on a great event for our fans, and put a lot of that energy and resources into that event.”
NASCAR Cup Series 2025 schedule
Feb. 2: Clash at Bowman Gray
Feb. 16: Daytona 500
Feb. 23: Atlanta
March 2: Circuit of The Americas
March 9: Phoenix
March 16: Las Vegas
March 23: Homestead-Miami
March 39: Martinsville
April 6: Darlington
April 13: Bristol
April 27: Talladega
May 4: Texas
May 11: Kansas
May 18: North Wilkesboro (ASR)
May 25: Charlotte
June 1: Nashville
June 8: Michigan
June 15: Mexico City
June 22: Pocono
June 28: Atlanta
July 6: Chicago
July 13: Sonoma
July 20 Dover
July 27: Indianapolis
Aug. 3: Iowa
Aug. 10: Watkins Glen
Aug. 16: Richmond
Aug. 23: Daytona
Playoffs
Aug. 31: Darlington
Sept. 7: Madison, Ill.
Sept. 13: Bristol
Sept. 21: New Hampshire
Sept. 28: Kansas
Oct. 5: Charlotte (road)
Oct. 12: Las Vegas
Oct. 19: Talladega
Oct. 26: Martinsville
Nov. 2: Phoenix
