The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season opened up with seven consecutive race weekends, prior to the off weekend for Easter.
NASCAR raced on Easter just once from 1971 to 2021, and that only happened in 1989 because of the fact that a February race was snowed out and needed to be rescheduled.
NASCAR wisely ditched its Easter race in 2025 after running races on the holiday in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the Cup Series once again had an off weekend for Easter this season.
But unlike a year ago, the Easter off weekend isn't the only off weekend of the 2026 calendar, after 2025 saw a stretch of 28 consecutive race weekends from late April to early November to wrap up the season. NASCAR hadn't previously run Cup Series races during 28 consecutive weeks since 1971.
When is the next NASCAR Cup Series off weekend?
There are 30 more race weekends remaining on the schedule in 2026, as Easter took place two weeks earlier this year than it did in 2025. However, those 30 races have been split up into stretches of 16 and 14, respectively.
Beginning this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Cup Series is set for a stretch of 16 consecutive race weekends through the end of July. The series is then set for its second and final off weekend of the season during the first weekend in August.
The race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, August 9 is set to kick off a stretch of 14 straight race weekends to end the season. The season is scheduled to end on Sunday, November 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is one week later than it ended a year ago at Phoenix Raceway.
Of the 30 remaining races on the 2026 schedule, 29 are points races, with the lone exhibition race being the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway in mid-May. This is set to mark the first ever All-Star Race at Dover, as the race had previously been contested at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which is now scheduled to host a points race in what was formerly Dover's July slot.
Fox Sports 1 is set to provide live coverage of the Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway starting at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 12. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!