NASCAR extends return schedule through June 21

NASCAR has extended the return to racing schedule through Sunday, June 21 after initially revealing races from Sunday, May 17 through Wednesday, May 27.

NASCAR is officially scheduled to get back underway this Sunday, May 17 at Darlington Raceway with the fifth race on the 2020 Cup Series schedule. The fourth and most recent race took place at Phoenix Raceway all the way back on Sunday, March 8, meaning this Sunday will mark 10 weeks since the most recent real-life action.

This return to racing was announced at the end of April as the first of four Cup Series races during a 11-day span. Darlington Raceway is scheduled to host a second race on Wednesday, May 20 before NASCAR travels to Charlotte Motor Speedway for races on Sunday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 27.

Now NASCAR’s official return schedule has been extended for another three and a half weeks, and this updated schedule includes five more Cup Series races.

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On Sunday, May 31, Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled to host a Cup Series race. Then on Sunday, June 7, the Cup Series is scheduled to return to Atlanta Motor Speedway, which is where everybody was when the season was officially suspended back on Friday, March 13.

Just three days later on Wednesday, June 10, Martinsville Speedway is scheduled to host a Cup Series race, then just four days later on Sunday, June 14, Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to do so as well. Finally, Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to host a Cup Series race on Sunday, June 21.

All five of these races were races that were initially postponed by the pandemic, and all are scheduled to run their initially scheduled distances.

The Xfinity Series, Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series have also been factored into this schedule. Xfinity Series action is scheduled to take place at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30 and Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6.

Then Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to host two Xfinity Series races, one on Saturday, June 13 and another on Sunday, June 14, before Talladega Superspeedway hosts one on Saturday, June 20.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is scheduled to host a Truck Series race on Saturday, June 6, and Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to do so on Saturday, June 13. Finally, Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to host an ARCA race on Saturday, June 20.

Unfortunately, fans will not be in attendance for any of these races.

“As we prepare for our return to racing at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, the industry has been diligent in building the return-to-racing schedule,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We are eager to expand our schedule while continuing to work closely with the local governments in each of the areas we will visit. We thank the many government officials for their guidance, as we share the same goal in our return – the safety for our competitors and the communities in which we race.”

Tune in to Fox at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 17 for the The Real Heroes 400 to mark NASCAR’s return at Darlington Raceway.