According to NASCAR’s 2026 schedule, sweeping changes include the removal of the international stop in Mexico, the All-Star Race shifting from North Wilkesboro to Dover, and NWS earning a points event instead. Another significant adjustment comes with Watkins Glen, which moves from its customary August date to Mother’s Day weekend in May.
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When pressed about the decision and the reason behind the same, Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Competition Operations, recalled his own connection to the track. A New York native, he first visited Watkins Glen in the mid-1990s and has since gained a deep familiarity with the venue and its fan base.
He explained, “The cool thing about having the race take place that time of year, school is still in session, the population of central New York is much higher that time of year, so you have the opportunity to potentially reach a fan demographic up there that’s typically not around during the summer.”
Addressing weather concerns, Hamilton added, “As far as weather goes, you look, we look at a lot of data at all our venues, and weather is always certainly a consideration. You look at that time of the year, it says on average lower 70s during the day; chance of rain is relatively low even compared to August.”
He noted that data analysis played a major role in setting the new date. Drawing from his recent personal visits in May, Hamilton said the region already feels like summer that time of year.
With locals still present before the vacation season, he believes conditions for camping will be ideal and NASCAR can stage a strong show. His passion, rooted in his own ties to the Northeast, is to ensure the sport reaches that audience and delivers for those fans.
Among other changes, New Hampshire Motor Speedway exits the playoff stretch to make room for Homestead, now hosting the penultimate regular-season race. After the Easter break in April, teams will also receive a second weekend off in early August, a welcome relief following this year’s grind of one break and 28 consecutive races to close the season.
To accommodate San Diego and Chicagoland, NASCAR has dropped Mexico and the Chicago Street Course, the downtown temporary circuit that had staged Cup races for the last three years.
