NASCAR to announce 2023 calendar in the 'next six to eight weeks'

Amidst the excitement and chaos of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, the governing body is gearing up to hype up fans of the sport to another level. The latest in the highest echelon of stock car racing came in the form of the announcement of the 2023 Cup Series schedule in the coming weeks.

The expected time frame for the release of the complete schedule is six to eight weeks. NASCAR's Chief Operating Officer Steve O'Donnell broke the news on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's show The Morning Drive and said:

“Working on some exciting things. Hopefully, something to announce in the next six to eight weeks in terms of where we’re going to be, and then we’ll be off and running for ’23, and we’ll continue to evolve for ’24 and beyond.”

Officials have also stirred up interest in the release by teasing the addition of 'a big event' to the 2023 season, but refrained from divulging further details. O'Donnell also acknowledged the fans' reaction to this year's All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway, and hinted at a new venue for the same next year. He said:

“We have moved that around a little bit. We’d like to continue to do that for next year. So that is certainly something we’re discussing with Speedway Motorsports.”

Three events for next season have confirmed their dates for 2023, while the rest of the roster remains to be unveiled. The confirmed dates are as follows:

Sunday, February 5, 2023: The Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Sunday, February 19, 2023: 65th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway

Sunday, November 5, 2023: Cup Series title decider at Pheonix Raceway

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NASCAR COO on inaugural Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway

Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's Chief Operating Officer, also elaborated on the Pacific Automation 147, which marked the Xfinity Series' debut at Portland International Raceway.

O'Donnell emphasized how the Northwest region of the country is shaping up to be a big market for the sport in the future as he spoke to Dustin Long of NBC Sports saying:

“As you look at the Northwest, that has been an area we’ve been eager to get back to. Had some good dialogue with Portland. I thought they did a terrific job in terms of what they were faced with the weather. I’d love to be back there and see the sun shining in Portland and continue to focus on the Northwest because that is a big area for us in the future.”

The NASCAR Cup Series goes live from Nashville Superspeedway on June 26th for the Ally 400.