If you’re anything like me, the beginning of a new year raises one big question: When does the racing start again? If you’re a stock car fan, then great news: The 2025 racing schedule kicks off soon!
The NASCAR Cup Series season begins in early February, though the first points-paying event isn’t until later that month. If you’re looking to tune in this year, we’ve got all the details you need.
When does the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season start?
The NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off on February 3 with The Clash at Bowman Gray. This is an exhibition race, so it doesn’t count for points, but it is historically the beginning of the American stock car racing season.
If you’re just looking to get stuck into the action, then the year truly begins on February 16, when the Daytona 500 will take place. This high-stakes event sets the tone for the full season, and you won’t want to miss it.
Big changes for the broadcast schedule
For the past several years, the NASCAR Cup Series season has been divided in half when it comes to broadcasting partners. The year would off on FOX and, in the summer, it would over to NBC.
That’s changing in 2025.
Now, as usual, the year kicks off on FOX and will run there for several weeks. The final event on the FOX calendar is the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
The following weekend, starting with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, the Cup Series will swap over to Prime Video for just five events.
Beginning with Atlanta in late June, we’ll see another swap to TNT. Then, beginning with August’s event at Iowa Speedway, we’ll swap to USA for the rest of the season.
The regular season, playoffs, and mid-season tournament
Since 2005, the NASCAR Cup Series championship has been decided by an elimination-style Playoffs format. We’ll continue that trend in 2025, with the year largely split up into two sections: the Regular Season, and the Playoffs.
The Regular Season begins and ends at Daytona: February’s Daytona 500 kicks off that element of the season, while late August’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona marks the end. During the regular season, drivers battle for the wins and points that will help them qualify for the Playoffs.
When the Playoffs start, a total of 16 drivers will attempt to battle for the championship, although anyone can win a race. Every three races, the four lowest-scoring drivers will be dropped from the running, until we reach the season finale. There, the four remaining drivers in the championship hunt will battle on equal terms for a title; whoever finishes first on track wins.
But this year, we also have the introduction of a mid-season tournament. This five-race tournament will feature 32 drivers who are seeded into a bracket and who will be pitted against one another during each race. The driver who finishes highest in the event will move on to the next round, and the driver who ultimately wins the challenge will take home a $1 million prize.
The in-season tournament kicks off with June’s Atlanta Motor Speedway event before moving onto Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis.
Understanding NASCAR:
👉 NASCAR Playoffs explained: Format, rules, tracks, and schedule
👉 How to follow an oval race: An IndyCar and NASCAR guide for F1 fans
NASCAR 2025 Cup Series season:
Feb 2: The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
Feb 13: Duels at Daytona International Speedway
Feb 16: Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Feb 23: Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Mar 2: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas
Mar 9: Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway
Mar 16: Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Mar 23: Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Mar 30: NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway
Apr 6: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway
Apr 13: Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Apr 27: Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway
May 4: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway
May 11: AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway
May 18: NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
May 25: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 1: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway
June 8: Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway
June 15: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Mexico City at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
June 22: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Pocono Raceway
June 28: Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway
July 6: Grant Park 165 at the Chicago street circuit
July 13: Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway
July 20: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Dover Motor Speedway
July 27: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug 3: Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway
Aug 10: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Watkins Glen International
Aug 16: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Richmond Raceway
Aug 23: Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway
Aug 31: Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway
Sep 7: Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway
Sep 13: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway
Sep 21: NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at New Hampshire Speedway
Sept 28: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway
Oct 5: Bank of America ROVAL at the Charlotte road course
Oct 12: South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct 19: NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at Talladega
Oct 26: NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville
Nov 2: NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway
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