NASCAR Cup Series: 2020 schedule gives hope for major changes in 2021

NASCAR released the 2020 Cup Series schedule on Tuesday. The schedule features a new Championship 4 location and other changes.

For years now, fans have been pining and pleading with NASCAR for major changes to the Cup Series schedule. They want more short tracks, more road courses, but most of all, less 1.5-mile tri-ovals, and they’ll take that last point however they can get it.

The earliest those changes were thought to be coming is 2020, when NASCAR is set to renegotiate contracts with the tracks, allowing new tracks to enter the conversation.

But, as it turns out, NASCAR has found areas to change immediately starting with the 2020 schedule. ISM Raceway is now the location of the Championship 4 race, Bristol Motor Speedway moved into the playoffs, Martinsville Speedway got a night race and Pocono Raceway of all tracks got a doubleheader. It’s absolute craziness.

Do not expect the craziness to end anytime soon. NASCAR President Steve Phelps said in September that “everything is in play” in regard to future schedule changes. Judging by the 2020 slate, he was serious.

Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to RACER.

"“And at the end of the day, we will take all that and cull it down and make a decision we believe is in the best interest of NASCAR. So, whether that’s doubleheaders, pulling the schedule forward, back, this, that, it’s all in play, because there are stakeholders that think that’s the right direction to go in.”"

Tuesday’s announcement, in conjunction of other rumors and stories circulating through the motorsports world, paints a picture of what we can maybe expect from future schedules.

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Everything we’ve been hearing about Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway along with Bristol moving to the playoffs and Martinsville getting a night race may be a clue about a short track revival. The 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway could join the Cup Series schedule along with Nashville.

Phoenix moving to the season finale could begin NASCAR moving the Championship 4 location annually. Fans and drivers have been asking about it for years. Nothing against the action at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but what race fan wouldn’t want to see the championship decided in their area? Former season finale venues can crown champions again. Other tracks can add to their prestige.

Pocono getting a doubleheader might be them testing the waters for more doubleheaders or even mid-week races. Drivers want a condensed, but not shortened, schedule to enjoy longer off-seasons.

Mid-week racing and double-headers are the way to go and there are multiple ways of implementing them. One track hosting two races in a weekend is one way. Cup Series cars racing at one track on Thursday and then heading somewhere else to race Sunday is another. Gateway Speedway owner Curtis Francois claims his track is the perfect place for a mid-week race.

Changes were coming in 2021; we all knew that. NASCAR is in no position to try to protect the status quo. But even the biggest believers in that change had to have been skeptical before the 2020 schedule dropped. Now, a major shift in the way NASCAR’s schedules look are all but inevitable. From a return to Nashville, debut races at Gateway and Iowa, Wednesday or Thursday races, dirt tracks and any radical idea you can think of, like Phelps said, “everything is in play.”