NASCAR announces 2025 schedules: Richmond gets just one Cup Series race

Fans knew they were up for a change when it was announced that NASCAR was going south of the border to Mexico City for its first international race in almost 60 years.

The “unlucky” party in this case is Richmond Raceway, which loses its spring race to Mexico but holding on to the August 16th night race.

The decision by NASCAR has led to some unhappy fans in the capital city and those fans who flocked to Richmond regularly for decades vowing that they are “done” with NASCAR.

But as all of these changes take place, the NASCAR announcement also opens new hope for fans. North Wilkesboro will continue to host The All Star Race, legendary Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., will host The Clash for the first time after three races in the LA Coliseum on the West Coast. Last but not least, the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series will return to Rockingham, N.C., and “The Rock” for races in 2025 that most certainly puts a wedge in the door for a possible return by the Cup Series down the road.

In the announcement sent out by the governing body, “NASCAR continues to set historic milestones” as the 2025 slates were announced today for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, which expands its schedule to 25 races for the first time since 2011.

New venues will highlight the various series schedules, including Bowman Gray Stadium, Rockingham Speedway and Lime Rock Park. And, as announced earlier this week, NASCAR will etch another first into the record books in 2025 when the Cup Series goes international for a points race in Mexico City, Mexico.

The 2.674-mile historic road course in Mexico City was home to the Xfinity Series from 2005-2008, but for the first time ever, the track will host an international points event in the Cup Series airing live on Prime Video on Sunday, June 15. The Xfinity Series will make its return to the course as well when cars hit the track first on Saturday, June 14. NASCAR fans can catch the live Xfinity Series action from Mexico City on The CW.

The visit to Mexico will be the second of two new tracks on the Cup Series schedule, as NASCAR’s premier series heads back to Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time in 54 years for The Clash. The traditional season-opening exhibition event which will once again air live on FOX. The racetrack hosted 29 NASCAR Grand National, now NASCAR Cup Series, races from 1958 to 1971. Bowman Gray Stadium has hosted many NASCAR legends including Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Glen Wood, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook and others. Petty won his 100th NASCAR Grand National race in the 1969 Myers Brothers 250 at the racetrack.

“It’s no secret we’ve been bullish about growing NASCAR beyond our borders, and the 2025 schedule is an important and thrilling first milestone in that journey,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Executive Vice President, Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer. “In addition to racing in Mexico, we’ve been able to bring back more historic and fan-favorite venues for the first time in decades across our national series. Not only will this combination of venues maintain the high levels of excitement and anticipation for NASCAR racing, but it also delivers one of the most diverse and challenging schedules anywhere in motorsports.”

As has been customary, the season will officially commence with the running of the 67th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 live on Fox. The next 12 Cup Series races will air on Fox Sports platforms, including Homestead-Miami Speedway moving back to the spring (Sunday, March 23) and culminating with the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, May 18.

As previously announced, Prime Video will make its NASCAR debut with the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25. Then, following Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, June 1, the highly anticipated In-Season Tournament will officially get underway at Michigan International Speedway (Sunday, June 8) with the first of three rounds of seeding events that will set the tournament brackets that includes the race in Mexico City (Sunday, June 15) and concludes at Pocono Raceway (Sunday, June 22).

TNT Sports will then make its return to NASCAR for the first time since 2014 when the action gets underway from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 28. As previously announced, this race will also be the start of the in-season elimination events which will take place throughout the entirety of the five-race TNT Sports portion of the season, culminating with the $1 million tournament winner being crowned on the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27. As part of the TNT Sports schedule, the Cup Series will return to the streets of Chicago for the third straight year on Sunday, July 6.

On Sunday, Aug. 3 NASCAR returns to Iowa Speedway where Cup Series coverage shifts to NBC Sports platforms for 14 consecutive races, including the entire Cup Series Playoffs and Championship finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Elsewhere in the Playoffs, World Wide Technology Raceway located outside St. Louis, Mo., will make its debut in the Cup Series postseason as the second race in the Round of 16 on Sunday, Sept. 7, nestled between the Playoffs opener at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 31 and the final race in the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 13.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will make its return to the Playoffs for the first time since 2017 when the Cup Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series head to Loudon on Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21 for the first race in the Cup Series Round of 12 and last race in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 10

Additional highlights in the 2025 NASCAR national series schedules include:

• On Saturday, Aug. 23, the second Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway will shift back to its customary spot, playing the ever-important role as the last chance for drivers to secure their spot in the Playoffs.
• Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, which have hosted Cup Series Playoff races since the inception of the format in 2004, will move to new spots in the Playoffs. Kansas Speedway will move to the second race of the Round 12 on Sunday, Sept. 28 joining New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL (Sunday, Oct. 5). Talladega Superspeedway will move to the second race of the Round of 8 on Sunday, Oct. 19 joining Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 12) and Martinsville Speedway (Sunday, Oct. 26).
• The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series return to historic Rockingham Speedway on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19, respectively. The Xfinity Series last competed at the venue from 1982 to 2004; the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series makes its return after a two-year stint in 2012 and 2013.
• Bristol Motor Speedway will become the opening race in the Xfinity Series Playoffs on Friday, Sept. 12.
• The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will expand from 23 to 25 races, a testament to the demand for its unique style of racing and intense competition.
• For the first time ever, NASCAR heads to the iconic 1.5-mile road course at Lime Rock Park when the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series travels for a standalone event at the Connecticut venue on Saturday, June 28.

For tickets to 2025 NASCAR events, visit www.nascar.com/2025schedule.

Fox Sports, Prime Video, TNT Sports and NBC Sports will broadcast the 2025 Cup Series season; The CW will carry the entire Xfinity Series season and FOX Sports will once again be home to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.

2025 Cup Series Schedule

* = In-season tournament
# = Playoffs

2025 Xfinity Series Schedule

# = Playoffs

2025 Craftsman Truck Series Schedule

# = Playoffs