Previously announced races at the new downtown Chicago street course and a return to the revered North Wilkesboro track will highlight an otherwise largely unchanged 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule when it is released later Wednesday, The Athletic has learned.
The 2023 Cup playoffs will remain identical to this year’s version, and there is just one notable date shift (Richmond’s second race moves from August to July, and the Indianapolis road course race moves from July to August).
In reviewing copies of all three national series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck) schedules, other items of interest include:
— The final race on the 2-mile layout at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California. NASCAR had previously not given any indications on the timeline for converting the facility into a short track, but is now saying the February race there will be the last one on the current track.
— The Chicago street course and North Wilkesboro Speedway are the new venues on the Cup schedule. Chicago is hosting its first race on July 2, while the non-points All-Star Race will be held at North Wilkesboro on May 21.
— The 10-race Cup playoffs remain unchanged from 2022. The cutoff races (Bristol, Charlotte Roval and Martinsville) and championship finale (Phoenix) also stay as is.
— With Texas Motor Speedway losing the All-Star Race, the track will host just a single Cup race weekend for the first time since 2004.
— The spring Martinsville Cup race shifts from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.
— The Xfinity Series will also race on the Chicago street course. Previously, NASCAR stated that an unspecified IMSA class would serve as the support series for Cup that weekend.
— Although Cup won’t be returning to Road America in 2023, Xfinity will continue to race on the popular Wisconsin track as it has since 2010. Altogether, there are eight road courses on the Xfinity schedule.
— Bristol shifts from concluding the Xfinity regular season this year to the playoff opener in 2023. The regular season wraps Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway.
— Sonoma Raceway will host its first ever Xfinity race on June 10. The Truck Series will not return to Sonoma in 2023.
— For the first time since 1996, North Wilkesboro will host a NASCAR points race when the Truck Series visits the fabled short track on May 20.
— The Milwaukee Mile also returns to the Truck schedule, hosting its first NASCAR national series race since 2009.
— Bristol is the only dirt track on the Truck schedule, with Knoxville Raceway falling off.
All three series schedules are below, with playoff races highlighted in green.

2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule DateRace/trackSunday, Feb. 5Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum)Thursday, Feb. 16Duel at DaytonaSunday, Feb. 19Daytona 500Sunday, Feb. 26Auto ClubSunday, March 5Las VegasSunday, March 12PhoenixSunday, March 19AtlantaSunday, March 26COTASunday, April 2RichmondSunday, April 9Bristol DirtSunday, April 16MartinsvilleSunday, April 23TalladegaSunday, April 30DoverSunday, May 7KansasSunday, May 14DarlingtonSunday, May 21North Wilkesboro (All-Star Race)Sunday, May 28CharlotteSunday, June 4World Wide Technology RacewaySunday, June 11SonomaSunday, June 25Nashville SuperspeedwaySunday, July 2Chicago Street RaceSunday, July 9AtlantaSunday, July 16New HampshireSunday, July 23PoconoSunday, July 30RichmondSunday, August 6MichiganSunday, Aug. 13Indianapolis Road CourseSunday, Aug. 20Watkins GlenSaturday, Aug. 26DaytonaSunday, Sept. 3DarlingtonSunday, Sept. 10KansasSaturday, Sept. 16BristolSunday, Sept. 24TexasSunday, Oct. 1TalladegaSunday, Oct. 8Charlotte RovalSunday, Oct. 15Las VegasSunday, Oct. 22Homestead-MiamiSunday, Oct. 29MartinsvilleSunday, Nov. 5Phoenix (Championship)

2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule DateVenueSaturday, Feb. 18DaytonaSaturday, Feb. 25Auto ClubSaturday, March 4Las VegasSaturday, March 11PhoenixSaturday, March 18AtlantaSaturday, March 25COTASaturday, April 1RichmondSaturday, April 15MartinsvilleSaturday, April 22TalladegaSaturday, April 29DoverSaturday, May 13DarlingtonSaturday, May 27CharlotteSaturday, June 3PortlandSaturday, June 10SonomaSaturday, June 24Nashville SuperspeedwaySaturday, July 1Chicago Street RaceSaturday, July 8AtlantaSaturday, July 15New HampshireSaturday, July 22PoconoSaturday, July 29Road AmericaSaturday, Aug. 5MichiganSaturday, Aug. 12Indianapolis Road CourseSaturday, Aug. 19Watkins GlenFriday, Aug. 25DaytonaSaturday, Sept. 2DarlingtonSaturday, Sept. 9KansasFriday, Sept. 15BristolSaturday, Sept. 23TexasSaturday, Oct. 7Charlotte RovalSaturday, Oct. 14Las VegasSaturday, Oct. 21Homestead-MiamiSaturday, Oct. 28MartinsvilleSaturday, Nov. 4Phoenix (Championship)

2023 NASCAR Truck Series schedule DateRace/trackFriday, Feb. 17DaytonaFriday, March 3Las VegasSaturday, March 18AtlantaSaturday, March 25COTASaturday, April 1TexasSaturday, April 8Bristol DirtFriday, April 14MartinsvilleSaturday, May 6KansasFriday, May 12DarlingtonSaturday, May 20North WilkesboroFriday, May 26CharlotteSaturday, June 3World Wide Technology RacewayFriday, June 23Nashville SuperspeedwaySaturday, July 8Mid-OhioSaturday, July 22PoconoSaturday, July 29RichmondFriday, Aug. 11Lucas Oil IRPSunday, Aug. 27MilwaukeeFriday, Sept. 8KansasThursday, Sept. 14BristolSaturday, Sept. 30TalladegaSaturday, Oct. 21Homestead-MiamiFriday, Nov. 3Phoenix (Championship)

(Photo: David Jensen / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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