If you’re staring at your TV guide looking for the roar of Cup Series engines today, you’re going to be a little disappointed. It is Friday, January 16, 2026. We are currently in that weird, quiet pocket of the year where the haulers are being polished, the crews are caffeinated beyond belief, and the drivers are doing their final media rounds before the chaos actually starts.
Basically, there is no Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series racing on this weekend's NASCAR schedule.
Don't panic. This isn't a permanent hiatus or some weird lockout. We are exactly two weeks away from the official preseason kickoff at Bowman Gray Stadium. While the "main" show is still in the shop, the grassroots scene is actually starting to heat up if you know where to look.
When Does the 2026 NASCAR Schedule Actually Start?
The wait is almost over. Honestly, the off-season always feels like it’s ten years long, but we’re down to the final stretch. The "Madhouse" is calling.
On Sunday, February 1, the Cup Series returns to the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for the Cook Out Clash. This is the second year in a row that NASCAR has ditched the Los Angeles Coliseum in favor of the tight, flat quarter-mile in Winston-Salem. If you saw last year’s race, you know it’s basically a high-speed bumper car derby. It’s legendary. It’s loud. It’s exactly what the sport needs to shake off the winter rust.
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Before we get to that, though, next weekend—specifically Saturday, January 31—is the Cook Out Madhouse Classic. That’s the "invitation-only" event for the Modified and Sportsman divisions. It’s the appetizer before the Cup Series main course, and usually, the local Modified guys put on a show that’s just as wild as the pros.
The Big One: Daytona 500 Dates
After the Clash, everything moves to Florida. Here is how the mid-February "Speedweeks" block looks for the 2026 season:
- Thursday, Feb 12: The America 250 Florida Duel races (The Qualifiers).
- Friday, Feb 13: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener.
- Saturday, Feb 14: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity) at 5:00 PM ET on The CW.
- Sunday, Feb 15: The 68th Running of the Daytona 500 at 2:30 PM ET on FOX.
What's Changing for the 2026 Season?
NASCAR isn't just bringing back the same old playbook this year. They’ve actually overhauled the postseason in a way that’s making a lot of "old school" fans pretty happy.
The biggest news? The "win-and-you’re-in" playoff rule is dead.
Starting this year, the series is reverting to a version of the old "Chase" format. The top 16 drivers on points after 26 races move forward. Winning a race is still huge—the points for first place actually jumped from 40 to 55—but you can’t just luck into a win at a superspeedway and coast for the rest of the summer. You have to be consistent.
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They also scrapped the playoff point for winning a stage. It’s a massive shift in philosophy that rewards the grind of the full season rather than just "clutch" moments in the final ten weeks.
New Teams and Faces to Watch
If you’re looking for a reason to get excited while you wait for the green flag, check out the roster changes. There’s been a ton of movement in the garage.
Daniel Suárez has made the jump from Trackhouse Racing over to Spire Motorsports. That’s a big move for a Spire team that is clearly trying to shed its "underdog" label. Taking his place at Trackhouse is the young phenom Connor Zilisch, who will be piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet for the full season.
Meanwhile, Kyle Busch is entering 2026 with a massive chip on his shoulder. He’s coming off back-to-back winless seasons, which is almost unthinkable for a guy with his resume. To fix that, Richard Childress Racing brought in Jim Pohlman as his new crew chief. Pohlman is fresh off an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship with Justin Allgaier, so the expectations are sky-high.
The 2026 Cup Series Schedule Highlights
Since there's no race on this weekend's NASCAR schedule, now is the time to mark your calendar for the rest of the year. NASCAR really leaned into the "variety" aspect for 2026.
We have a street race in San Diego on June 21 called the Anduril 250. It’s happening at Naval Base Coronado. Seeing Cup cars fly past active-duty naval ships is going to be a vibe, to say the least.
Then you have the return to Chicagoland Speedway on July 5. Fans have been begging for that 1.5-mile oval to come back for years, and they finally got their wish. The regular season ends, as always, with the high-stakes drama of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on August 29.
The Final Stretch
The 2026 season will officially end at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8. Moving the championship race away from Phoenix has been a hot topic of debate for a while, but Homestead is widely considered one of the best "driver's tracks" on the circuit because of how the tires wear out and the multiple lanes of racing.
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What to Do This Weekend Instead
Since the Cup cars are still in the shop, what are you supposed to do with your Saturday and Sunday?
Honestly, this is the best time to catch up on the technical side of the sport. If you haven't seen the new video board updates at Bowman Gray or the liveries for the new Wayne Taylor Racing GTP entries (if you're into IMSA, which runs the Rolex 24 later this month), go check those out.
You can also keep an eye on the ASA SpeedFest in Cordele, Georgia, which usually runs around this time. It’s not "National Series" NASCAR, but it’s where guys like Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace grew up.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check your local listings for FloRacing or The NASCAR Channel for grassroots Modified action this weekend.
- Renew your NASCAR TrackPass or streaming subscriptions now before the Daytona rush crashes the servers in February.
- Keep an eye on the ARCA Menards Series entries for Daytona; Cleetus McFarland has been teasing a run that should be pretty wild to follow.
The engines will be firing soon enough. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts, because once February 1 hits, it’s a non-stop sprint to November.