2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule: Playoffs shakeup expected with two new tracks per reports

The 2025 NASCAR calendar will reportedly have two new tracks in the season. According to reports, a major shakeup is expected in the calendar as Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a track in Mexico City, which is expected to be a road course, will be added to the calendar.

The two additions had been announced earlier. Bowman Gray is returning to the calendar for the first time since 1971. That was the last time it hosted a Cup Series race. The race in Mexico City, meanwhile, will be the first time in 67 years that a Cup Series point race will be held internationally.

However, to accommodate for these two races, the Richmond Raceway will reportedly not be witnessing one of its two events. Also, NASCAR won't be returning to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, host of the Busch Light Clash since 2022. Instead, Bowman Gray is reportedly expected to hold the pre-season Clash.

Talking about the inclusion of Mexico City on the calendar, the sport's executive VP Ben Kennedy stated:

"This is a historic moment for our sport, and specifically for the NASCAR Cup Series, in being able to expand our footprint to Mexico," The Athletic quoted him. "We’ve been bold about our intentions to grow on a global scale."

Here is the expected schedule for the 2025 season, according to The Athletic:

Expected 2025 Date	Location
Feb. 2	Bowman Gray Stadium (Clash)
Feb. 16	Daytona
Feb. 23	Atlanta
March 2	Austin
March 9	Phoenix
March 16	Las Vegas
March 23	Homestead
March 30	Martinsville
April 6	Darlington
April 13	Bristol
April 27	Talladega
May 4	Texas
May 11	Kansas
May 18	North Wilkesboro (All-Star)
May 25	Charlotte
June 1	Nashville
June 8	Michigan
June 15	Mexico City
June 22	Pocono
June 28	Atlanta
July 6	Chicago Street Race
July 13	Sonoma
July 20	Dover
July 27	Indianapolis
Aug. 3	Iowa
Aug. 10	Watkins Glen
Aug. 16	Richmond
Aug. 23	Daytona
Aug. 31	Darlington
Sept. 7	Gateway
Sept. 13	Bristol
Sept. 21	New Hampshire
Sept. 28	Kansas
Oct. 5	Charlotte (Roval)
Oct. 12	Las Vegas
Oct. 19	Talladega
Oct. 26	Martinsville
Nov. 2	Phoenix

The second race at Daytona will mark the final race of the 2025 Regular Season and the playoffs are expected to start from Darlington (August 31st).

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Other reported changes in the 2025 NASCAR schedule

The 2025 calendar would be the sixth consecutive year that the sport is adding new venues in the Cup Series. With the addition of the two new venues, a major shakeup is expected in the entire calendar.

As per the report from The Athletic, Homestead-Miami Speedway's second race will be shifted to the Regular Season along with Watkins Glen International and Atlanta Motor Speedway. In addition to that, Daytona's second race will get back to hosting the final race of the Regular Season. Darlington will hold the first playoff race.

Races held at Gateway (World Wide Technology Raceway) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway will move from hosting regular season races to the playoffs. More interestingly, the Cup Season will reportedly take an off during the Easter weekend and will not race on Easter Sunday for the first time since the 2021 season. This was a topic of debate in the sport earlier this year.