Jump to content

2026 NASCAR Cup Series

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kyle Larson enters the season as the defending Cup Series champion.

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series will be the 78th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 55th season for the modern-era Cup Series. The preseason will feature the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium exhibition race on February 4 at Bowman Gray Stadium, followed by the season-opening 68th running of the Daytona 500 on February 15 at Daytona International Speedway. The season will end with at Homestead–Miami Speedway on November 8.[1]

Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports returns as the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion.[2]

Teams and drivers

[edit]

Chartered teams

[edit]
Manufacturer Team No. Driver Crew chief References
Chevrolet Haas Factory Team 41 Cole Custer Aaron Kramer [3][4]
Hendrick Motorsports 5 Kyle Larson Cliff Daniels [5]
9 Chase Elliott Alan Gustafson [6]
24 William Byron Rudy Fugle [7]
48 Alex Bowman Blake Harris [8]
Hyak Motorsports 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Mike Kelley [9][10][11]
Kaulig Racing 10 Ty Dillon Mike Cook [12]
16 A. J. Allmendinger Trent Owens [13]
Richard Childress Racing 3 Austin Dillon Richard Boswell [14][15]
8 Kyle Busch Jim Pohlman [16][17]
Rick Ware Racing 51 Cody Ware Billy Plourde [18][19]
Spire Motorsports 7 Daniel Suárez Ryan Sparks [14][20][21][22]
71 Michael McDowell Travis Peterson [23][22]
77 Carson Hocevar Luke Lambert [24][22]
Trackhouse Racing 1 Ross Chastain Brandon McSwain [25][26]
88 Connor Zilisch (R) Randall Burnett [27][28][29][30]
97 Shane van Gisbergen Stephen Doran [27][31]
Ford Front Row Motorsports 4 Noah Gragson Grant Hutchens [32][33]
34 Todd Gilliland Chris Lawson [34]
38 Zane Smith Ryan Bergenty [35]
RFK Racing 6 Brad Keselowski Jeremy Bullins [36]
17 Chris Buescher Scott Graves [14]
60 Ryan Preece Derrick Finley [14][18]
Team Penske 2 Austin Cindric Brian Wilson [37]
12 Ryan Blaney Jonathan Hassler [38]
22 Joey Logano Paul Wolfe [39]
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Josh Berry Miles Stanley [40]
Toyota 23XI Racing 23 Bubba Wallace Charles Denike [41]
35 Riley Herbst Davin Restivo [42]
45 Tyler Reddick Billy Scott [14]
Joe Gibbs Racing 11 Denny Hamlin Chris Gayle [43][44]
19 Chase Briscoe James Small [45]
20 Christopher Bell Adam Stevens [46][47]
54 Ty Gibbs Tyler Allen [14]
Legacy Motor Club 42 John Hunter Nemechek Travis Mack [14]
43 Erik Jones Justin Alexander [48][49]

Non-chartered teams

[edit]
Manufacturer Team No. Driver Crew chief Races References
Chevrolet Beard Motorsports 62 Anthony Alfredo Darren Shaw 1 [50]
JR Motorsports 40 Justin Allgaier TBA 1 [51]
Ford Front Row Motorsports 36 Chandler Smith TBA 1 [52]
Garage 66 66 Casey Mears Carl Long 1 [53][54][55]
Chad Finchum 2
Josh Bilicki 1
RFK Racing 99 Corey LaJoie TBA 1 [56]
Toyota 23XI Racing 67 Corey Heim Bootie Barker 12 [57][58]
Legacy Motor Club 84 Jimmie Johnson TBA 2 [59][60][61]

Team changes

[edit]

Chevrolet unveiled a new body style for the ZL1 in November 2025 for the 2026 season to replace the model that had been used since 2022. The redesign is based on the Camaro ZL1 Carbon Performance Package accessories kit.[62] Haas Factory Team and Rick Ware Racing will switch from Ford to Chevrolet in 2026.[4] HFT will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, while RWR will form a technical partnership with Richard Childress Racing.[19]

Driver changes

[edit]

Justin Haley will not return to Spire Motorsports.[20] Haley returned to Kaulig Racing, driving in the Craftsman Truck Series.[63] Daniel Suárez, who was released from Trackhouse Racing, will move to Spire Motorports in Haley's place.[21]

Rookie

[edit]
See also: NASCAR Rookie of the Year § Cup Series

Connor Zilisch signed a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing to replace Suárez in 2026.[29]

Rule changes

[edit]

Technical changes

[edit]

Horsepower

[edit]

Horsepower increased from 670 to 750 at tracks under 1.5 miles and road courses.[64]

Track packages

[edit]

Bristol, Darlington, Dover, Nashville, New Hampshire, and St. Louis would run the short track package rather than the intermediate package from previous years.[65] NASCAR also mandated a permanent A-post flap for all races to prevent flips. The A-post flap debuted last year at Daytona II.[66]

Policy changes

[edit]

Loosening lower series restriction

[edit]

The amount of races full-time Cup drivers can run in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series was increased to ten and eight, respectively, up from the 2025 restriction of five in each series. Cup drivers remain ineligible to compete in the regular season finale and postseason events.[67]

Age limit

[edit]

The minimum age requirement to race in the O'Reilly Auto Parts series was raised to 17. This change creates a staggered minimum age: 16 in Trucks, 17 in O'Reilly, and 18 in Cup series events.[68]

Qualifying hand restriction

[edit]

The restriction of hands out the window during qualifying at drafting tracks such as Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta (EchoPark) was added, and drivers who touch the window net or the hole in between to redirect air qualifying time will be disallowed.[69]

Charter agreement changes

[edit]

Following the outcome of the 23XI Racing lawsuit, all teams were offered "evergreen" charters. In contrast to previous agreements, which expired at a set date, the new agreement would include charters that would not expire.[70]

Points system changes

[edit]

Postseason format

[edit]

NASCAR revealed a new postseason format in January 2026. Used in the top three series, it is a return of the Chase for the Cup format previously used from 2004 to 2013. The top 16 drivers on points after 26 races will qualify for the Chase, with the 'win-and-you’re-in' rule being scrapped, and starting points in the Chase will be staggered based on the regular season standings.[71] This format replaced a derided playoff system, which included four "rounds" with points resets. With the change, playoff points are not longer awarded.[71]

First-place point increase

[edit]

The points awarded for finishing first in a race was increased from 40 to 55.[71]

Fastest lap restriction

[edit]

Drivers who enter the garage during a race will no longer be eligible for the fastest lap bonus point. If the driver's fastest lap was achieved before they entered the garage, it will still stand.[72]

Schedule

[edit]

The 2026 schedule was released on August 20, 2025, and consists of 31 oval races, 3 road course races, 1 street track race, and four non-championship races to be held on ovals.[1] The start times were announced on November 12.[73]

Notes: Race names and title sponsors are subject to change. Not all title sponsors/names of races have been announced for 2026. For the races where a 2026 name and title sponsor has yet to be announced, the title sponsors/names of those races in 2025 are listed.[1]

Bolded races indicate an event generally known as a Crown Jewel race.

 O  Oval track
 R  Road course
 S  Street course

No Race name Track Location Date Time (ET)[73] TV Radio
Regular Season
Cook Out Clash  O  Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, North Carolina February 4[a] 6 pm FOX MRN
America 250 Florida Duel at Daytona[75]  O  Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida February 12 7 pm FS1
1 Daytona 500 February 15 2:30 pm FOX
2 Autotrader 400[76]  O  EchoPark Speedway Hampton, Georgia February 22 3 pm PRN
3 DuraMAX Grand Prix[77]  R  Circuit of the Americas Austin, Texas March 1 3:30 pm
4 Straight Talk Wireless 500[78]  O  Phoenix Raceway Avondale, Arizona March 8 FS1 MRN
5 Pennzoil 400  O  Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada March 15 4 pm PRN
6 Goodyear 400  O  Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina March 22 3 pm MRN
7 Cook Out 400  O  Martinsville Speedway Ridgeway, Virginia March 29 3:30 pm
8 Food City 500  O  Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee April 12 3 pm PRN
9 AdventHealth 400  O  Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas April 19 2 pm FOX MRN
10 Jack Link's 500  O  Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama April 26 3 pm
11 Würth 400  O  Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas May 3 3:30 pm FS1 PRN
12 Go Bowling at The Glen  R  Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York May 10 3 pm MRN
NASCAR All-Star Open  O  Dover Motor Speedway Dover, Delaware May 17 1 pm PRN
NASCAR All-Star Race 3 pm
13 Coca-Cola 600  O  Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, North Carolina May 24 6 pm Prime
14 Cracker Barrel 400  O  Nashville Superspeedway Lebanon, Tennessee May 31 7 pm
15 FireKeepers Casino 400  O  Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan June 7 3 pm MRN
16 The Great American Getaway 400  O  Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania June 14
17 Anduril 250[79]  S  Coronado Street Course San Diego, California June 21 4 pm
NASCAR In-Season Challenge[80]
18 Toyota/Save Mart 350  R  Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California June 28 3:30 pm TNT MRN
19 TBA  O  Chicagoland Speedway Joliet, Illinois July 5 6 pm
20 Quaker State 400  O  EchoPark Speedway Hampton, Georgia July 12 7 pm PRN
21 Window World 450[81][82]  O  North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro, North Carolina July 19
22 Brickyard 400  O  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana July 26 2 pm IMS
Regular Season
23 Iowa Corn 350  O  Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa August 9 3:30 pm USA MRN
24 Cook Out 400  O  Richmond Raceway Richmond, Virginia August 15 7 pm
25 Mobil 1 301  O  New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire August 23 3 pm PRN
26 Coke Zero Sugar 400  O  Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida August 29 7:30 pm NBC MRN
Cup Series Chase[71]
27 Cook Out Southern 500  O  Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina September 6 5 pm USA MRN
28 Enjoy Illinois 300  O  World Wide Technology Raceway Madison, Illinois September 13 3 pm
29 Bass Pro Shops Night Race  O  Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee September 19 7:30 pm PRN
30 Hollywood Casino 400  O  Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas September 27 3 pm MRN
31 South Point 400  O  Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada October 4 5:30 pm PRN
32 Bank of America 400[83]  O  Charlotte Motor Speedway[b] Concord, North Carolina October 11 3 pm
33 Freeway Insurance 500[85]  O  Phoenix Raceway Avondale, Arizona October 18 MRN
34 YellaWood 500  O  Talladega Superspeedway Lincoln, Alabama October 25 2 pm NBC
35 Xfinity 500  O  Martinsville Speedway Ridgeway, Virginia November 1
36 Straight Talk Wireless 400  O  Homestead–Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida November 8 3 pm

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Clash was originally scheduled to take place on February 1 but was postponed to February 2, before being again postponed to February 4 due to snow in Winston-Salem.[74]
  2. ^ The fall Charlotte race was originally announced as on the Roval configuration, but news broke in January that it would move to the oval track.[84]

Confirmed schedule changes

[edit]

Homestead–Miami Speedway will return to its traditional date as the season finale for all three major series.[86] To accommodate this change, New Hampshire Motor Speedway was removed from The Chase.[1] Chicago Street Course officials announced that the Grant Park 165 will not return in 2026, with hopes to revive the event in future seasons.[87] The Cup Series will return to Southern California with a street race at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego.[88] To accommodate this change, Mexico City was dropped from the schedule due to a conflict with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[89] The NASCAR All-Star Race was moved from North Wilkesboro Speedway to Dover Motor Speedway, giving the former a points race, the first regular-season race held there since the 1996 season.[1] Chicagoland Speedway will also return to the schedule for the first time since the 2019 season.[1] The Charlotte Motor Speedway fall race will move away from the roval layout to the oval, after seven years as a road course race.[90]

Season summary

[edit]

Preseason race

[edit]

Due to a historic snowstorm over the United States, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was postponed three times from its original Saturday and Sunday dates, before ultimately being condensed to a one-day event on Wednesday, February 4.[91][92][74] Defending champion Kyle Larson won pole position. Weather plagued the event, causing NASCAR to mandate use of wet weather tires after a scheduled half-race break. After a event record 17 cautions, Ryan Preece won the Clash, joining Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin as drivers who won the Clash before winning their first race.[93]

Results and standings

[edit]

Race results

[edit]
No. Race Pole position Most laps led Fastest race lap Winning driver Manufacturer Report
Preseason exhibition races
Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Kyle Larson Kyle Larson N/a Ryan Preece Ford Report
America 250 Duels Report
Regular Season
1 Daytona 500 Report
Reference:[94]


See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "Kyle Larson takes Cup title as Ryan Blaney wins shocker in Sonoran Desert". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "Cole Custer to drive for Haas Factory Team in 2025". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Crandall, Kelly (September 5, 2025). "Haas NASCAR team reuniting with Chevrolet in '26". Racer. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Kyle Larson, HendrickCars.com extend with Hendrick Motorsports through 2026". NASCAR. September 16, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  6. ^ "Chase Elliott signs contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. February 20, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  7. ^ "Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron agree to four year contract extension". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 23, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  8. ^ "Alex Bowman signs three year contract extension; Ally signs five year extension with Hendrick Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. February 15, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  9. ^ "Ricky Stenhouse Jr signs contract extension with JTG Daugherty Racing UPDATE". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 5, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  10. ^ "Justin Haley on the hot seat". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 29, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  11. ^ Christie, Toby (September 2, 2025). "Stenhouse Confirms Return to HYAK Motorsports for 2026 Season". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  12. ^ Srigley, Joseph (December 3, 2025). "Ty Dillon Returning to Kaulig Racing Full-Time in 2026". Racing America On SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  13. ^ "Kaulig Racing says A.J. Allmendinger will return to Cup next season". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 1, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "2026 NASCAR Cup Series Team / Driver Chart". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  15. ^ "Richard Childress Racing Announces Cup Series Competition Leadership Appointments". Richard Childress Racing. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  16. ^ "Kyle Busch signs one year contract extension with Richard Childress Racing". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 24, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  17. ^ "Jim Pohlman to serve as Kyle Busch's crew chief next year". Jayski's Silly Season Site. October 16, 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  18. ^ a b "T.J. Puchyr agrees to buy Rick Ware Racing". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 26, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Rick Ware Racing to switch back to Chevrolet". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. December 6, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Spire Motorsports, Justin Haley to part ways at end of season". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Daniel Suarez signs with Spire Motorsports for 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 22, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c "Spire Confirms Truck Return, Announces Promotions". Frontstretch. December 12, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  23. ^ "Michael McDowell leaving Front Row Motorsports at season's end: UPDATE: Moving to Spire". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 8, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  24. ^ "Carson Hocevar to drive No. 77 for Spire Motorsports next season". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 10, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  25. ^ DeGroot, Nick (February 16, 2023). "Ross Chastain signs multi-year contract extension with Trackhouse". Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  26. ^ "Trackhouse to pair Chastain with McSwain". Racer. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  27. ^ a b "Trackhouse Racing announces changes for 2026 season". Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 7, 2025.
  28. ^ "Daniel Suarez not returning to Trackhouse Racing in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "Connor Zilisch to drive Trackhouse Chevy in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 23, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  30. ^ "Randall Burnett to crew chief for Connor Zilisch in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  31. ^ "Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing announce multiyear contract extension". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  32. ^ "Noah Gragson signs multi-year deal with Front Row Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  33. ^ Srigley, Joseph (January 9, 2026). "Front Row Motorsports Announces Competition Changes for 2026". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  34. ^ "Todd Gilliland signs extension with Front Row Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 5, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  35. ^ "Zane Smith returns to Front Row Motorsports, will drive No. 38". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. January 2, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  36. ^ "Brad Keselowski headed to Roush Fenway Racing in driver-ownership role". NASCAR. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  37. ^ "Austin Cindric say changes in Penske IndyCar program will not impact him UPDATE". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 1, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  38. ^ "Ryan Blaney Signs Long-Term Contract Extension with Team Penske". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 17, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  39. ^ "NASCAR Champion Joey Logano and Team Penske Agree to Contract Extension". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 24, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  40. ^ "Josh Berry to drive for Wood Brothers Racing next season after signing multi-year deal". Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  41. ^ "Bubba Wallace signs multi-year contract extension with 23XI Racing". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. September 18, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  42. ^ "23XI Racing expanding to three teams with Riley Herbst". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 20, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  43. ^ "Denny Hamlin signs contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  44. ^ Weaver, Matt (July 25, 2025). "Denny Hamlin inks multi-year NASCAR extension with Joe Gibbs Racing". The Sporting News. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  45. ^ "Chase Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 25, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  46. ^ "Rheem Returning to Sponsor Christopher Bell". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. September 29, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  47. ^ Konenski, Austin (October 14, 2022). "NASCAR: Christopher Bell signed 'long-term deal' with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022". Sportsnaut. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  48. ^ "Erik Jones signs multi-year contract extension with Legacy Motor Club". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. August 13, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  49. ^ "Justin Alexander named crew chief for Erik Jones in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  50. ^ Brooks, Amanda (January 20, 2026). "Beard Motorsports begins ninth NASCAR season with 2026 Daytona 500 bid". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  51. ^ "JR Motorsports to attempt 2026 Daytona 500 with Justin Allgaier". Motorsport Network. November 14, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  52. ^ "Chandler Smith to attempt Daytona 500 with Front Row Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  53. ^ "Casey Mears attempting Daytona 500 with support from S.I. Yachts and The Gracie Foundation". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 3, 2026. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  54. ^ Srigley, Joseph (January 16, 2026). "Southern Tier Security Returns to Garage 66 for Expanded Partnership". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  55. ^ Albino, Dustin (January 16, 2026). "Southern Tier Security sponsoring Garage 66 in seven races during 2026 Cup season". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  56. ^ "RFK Racing to Field Fourth Daytona 500 Entry, Bringing Back No. 99 |". www.rfkracing.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  57. ^ "Robinhood Expands Partnership with 23XI Racing". 23XI Racing. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  58. ^ "Corey Heim to run 12 Cup races in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  59. ^ "Jimmie Johnson could run more races in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  60. ^ "Jimmie Johnson to run Cup race at San Diego". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 5, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  61. ^ "Jimmie Johnson to compete in Daytona 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site. December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  62. ^ "Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 racecar set to debut new look for 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 14, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  63. ^ "Kaulig Racing adds Daniel Dye and Justin Haley to RAM 1500 roster". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 29, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  64. ^ "Teams to run 750hp engines at road courses and tracks shorter than 1.5 miles in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  65. ^ "NASCAR issues technical updates, specifying rules for 750-horsepower tracks, A-post flaps". NASCAR. November 14, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  66. ^ "NASCAR Makes Technical Changes; A-Post Flap Now Mandatory". November 14, 2025. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  67. ^ "NASCAR to allow Cup drivers to run more lower series races". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  68. ^ "NASCAR to allow Cup drivers to run more lower series races". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. November 1, 2025. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  69. ^ "Drivers can no longer put hands out window during qualifying". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 7, 2026. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  70. ^ Albino, Dustin (December 11, 2025). "NASCAR reaches settlement with 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  71. ^ a b c d "NASCAR returns to Chase championship format for 2026". NASCAR. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  72. ^ "NASCAR Announces Rules Updates Ahead Of 2026 Season". Forbes. January 16, 2026.
  73. ^ a b "NASCAR announces start times, networks for 2026 national series races". November 12, 2025.
  74. ^ a b "Cook Out Clash postponed to Wednesday". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 1, 2026. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  75. ^ "America 250 Florida and NASCAR announce 'Duel at Daytona' partnership in commemoration of America's Semiquincentennial". Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  76. ^ "Autotrader 400". EchoPark Speedway. July 21, 2025.
  77. ^ "DuraMAX to sponsor Cup Series race at COTA". Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  78. ^ "STRAIGHT TALK WIRELESS 500". Phoenix Raceway. November 6, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  79. ^ "Anduril 250 Race the Base NASCAR Cup Series Street Race to Headline NASCAR San Diego Weekend Presented by Anduril". NASCAR. August 14, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  80. ^ "In-Season Challenge returns to Cup Series schedule in 2026". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  81. ^ "Window World 400 Marks North Wilkesboro's First NASCAR Cup Series Points Race Since 1996". North Wilkesboro Speedway. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  82. ^ "50 laps added to 2026 NASCAR Cup race at North Wilkesboro". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  83. ^ "Charlotte Motor Speedway returns to oval racing for Bank of America 400 chase weekend". Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 3, 2026. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  84. ^ Gluck, Jeff (January 27, 2026). "By ditching Roval, NASCAR continues hot streak of favorable moves". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  85. ^ Srigley, Joseph (October 31, 2025). "Freeway Insurance Named Premier Partner of NASCAR". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  86. ^ "NASCAR Championship Weekend to return to Homestead in 2026". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. May 7, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  87. ^ Crandall, Kelly (July 18, 2025). "Chicago street circuit dropped from NASCAR schedule for 2026". Racer. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  88. ^ "San Diego to host NASCAR's latest cup series innovation with a street race at Naval Base Coronado". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  89. ^ Bianchi, Jordan (July 30, 2025). "Mexico City is out for NASCAR's 2026 schedule; Chicagoland likely in: Sources". The Athletic. New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  90. ^ Gluck, Jeff (January 27, 2026). "By ditching Roval, NASCAR continues hot streak of favorable moves". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  91. ^ "Cook Out Clash Saturday events postponed at Bowman Gray Stadium". NASCAR. January 29, 2026.
  92. ^ "Clash postponed to Monday". January 31, 2025.
  93. ^ "Ryan Preece wins Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray amid winter weather". NASCAR. February 4, 2026.
  94. ^ "2026 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats, Race Results". racing-reference.info.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_NASCAR_Cup_Series&oldid=1337314213"