When the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule was released, there were two new additions and thus two tracks removed from the calendar.
Chicagoland Speedway, which had most recently been on the schedule in 2020 (before COVID-19 restriction-related changes resulted in its removal), hasn't hosted a race since 2019. But it is set to replace the Chicago Street Course. The Chicago Street Race had been contested each year since 2023 and was NASCAR's first ever street circuit event.
NASCAR, however, opted to keep the street course trend alive with a brand-new race at Naval Base Coronado. The Coronado Street Course was added in place of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after NASCAR's Mexico race lasted only a single season.
Now a third non-oval has been removed from the calendar, and just like Chicago, it is set to be replaced by an oval in the same general area.
In fact, in this case, the same exact venue.
The Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval began hosting playoff races in 2018 in place of the track's oval, leaving the Coca-Cola 600 as the only annual race at the traditional Charlotte Motor Speedway oval. But the novelty of the Roval race had begun to wear off, especially after the first few races of the Next Gen era (2022 to present).
Now, according to The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi, the Roval race is no more.
NEWS: Charlotte NASCAR playoff race to shift off the Roval and will return to the oval beginning this season, sources tell @TheAthletic. https://t.co/MtkGDipxxz
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) January 26, 2026
The move comes after NASCAR announced the new postseason format for 2026, bringing an end to the 12-year run of the four-round, 10-race knockout playoff setup. The Chase format, which was used from 2004 to 2013, is effectively set to return, and with the Roval out, all 10 of the Chase races are set to be oval races.
The change means that there are just three road courses remaining on the Cup Series schedule for 2026. They are scheduled to take place at Circuit of the Americas in March, Watkins Glen International in May, and Sonoma Raceway in June.
Chicagoland Speedway is set to retain the Chicago Street Course's Independence Day Weekend date in July, and the Coronado Street Course is set to retain Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez's Father's Day date in June.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, February 15 with the 68th annual Daytona 500, which is set to air live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and catch all of the action!