The NASCAR Cup Series didn't run a single Saturday night race until mid-August at Richmond Raceway, but this weekend's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway was the third over the past six weekends, as Daytona International Speedway also hosted its traditional Coke Zero Sugar 400 on a Saturday night to conclude the regular season in late August.
But beyond this weekend, there are no more Saturday races on the Cup Series schedule in 2026. All races remaining on the schedule are set to take place on a Sunday afternoon, meaning that this Sunday is the final Sunday without a race scheduled from now until the end of the season in early November.
Next Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway is set to begin a stretch of seven races over seven Sundays to conclude the 2026 season. NASCAR hasn't run seven straight points races on Sundays since the 10-week stretch from the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
NASCAR set for seven straight Sunday races to conclude 2026
After the Kansas race, NASCAR is set to head west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 on Sunday, October 4. The 5:00 p.m. ET start time is the latest scheduled start time remaining on the 2026 calendar.
The following Sunday, October 11, Charlotte is set to host its first oval playoff race since 2017, with the Bank of America 400 moving away from the Roval layout after eight consecutive seasons.
Phoenix Raceway, which hosted the championship race each year from 2020 to 2025, has been moved up by three weeks this year and is set to host the Freeway Insurance 500 on Sunday, October 18. Talladega Superspeedway is scheduled to host the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 25, followed by the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1.
For the first time since 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway is set to host the season finale, with the Straight Talk Wireless 400 scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 8.
While there have already been seven qualifying rainouts this year, NASCAR has not yet had to postpone a race to Monday, although they did move up the start times for three events to give themselves more flexibility amid less-than-ideal weather forecasts.
Tune in to USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 27 for the live broadcast of the Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway.
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