NASCAR extends return to racing schedule through August 2

By Asher Fair | Jun 4, 2020

NASCAR, Kansas Speedway (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

NASCAR has confirmed the third installment of the return to racing schedule, and it runs from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, August 2.

After a successful return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR got the second installment of the return to racing schedule underway this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The second installment of this schedule runs through Sunday, June 21, when Talladega Superspeedway is set to host a Cup Series race. Now the third installment of this schedule has been released.

One big obstacle in confirming this new schedule was Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf not initially approving the return of racing in his state. The Democrat governor did not give the green light for NASCAR to race at Pocono Raceway, even without fans in attendance, but a recent ruling in the state allowed that to change.

More from NASCAR

As a result, Pocono Raceway is set to lead off this new schedule installment on the final weekend in June. The Tricky Triangle is scheduled to host an ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, June 26, a Truck Series race and a Cup Series race on Saturday, June 27, and an Xfinity Series race and a Cup Series race on Sunday, June 28.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is then scheduled to play host to an Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 4 and Cup Series race on Sunday, July 5 before NASCAR moves to Kentucky Speedway for Xfinity Series races on Thursday, July 9 and Friday, July 10, a Truck Series race on Saturday, July 11 and a Cup Series race on Sunday, July 12.

Midweek racing is set to return at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but not for any points-paying Cup Series events. On Wednesday, July 15, there is scheduled to be an ARCA Menards Series race as well as the Cup Series All-Star Open and All-Star Race.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway had been scheduled to host a Cup Series race on Sunday, July 19. That race has now been bumped back by two weeks to Sunday, August 2, when there was originally no race scheduled due to the now postponed Summer Olympics. Now Texas Motor Speedway is set to slot into the third weekend in July.

Texas Motor Speedway had been scheduled to host a race weekend at the end of March, but that was postponed due to the pandemic. It is now scheduled to host an Xfinity Series race and a Truck Series race on Saturday, July 18 and a Cup Series race on Sunday, July 19.

The following weekend was also originally slated to be an off weekend due to the Summer Olympics, but now Kansas Speedway is set to host five races. The track had been slated to host a race weekend at the end of May, but the pandemic caused that to shift, as the postponed Bristol Motor Speedway race weekend from early April ended up landing there.

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

There is scheduled to be a Cup Series race on Thursday, July 23, a Truck Series race and an ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, July 24, and another Truck Series race along with an Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 25. The full broadcast schedule for the third installment of this return to racing schedule can be found on NASCAR’s website.