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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR is strategically laying the groundwork for a significant evolution in its scheduling approach, with a clear target date of 2032 for a comprehensive overhaul. While the immediate future, including the 2027 schedule, presents a familiar landscape, the sanctioning body is actively engaged in a long-term planning process, working backward from its ambitious 2032 vision.
During a recent digital press conference, NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy and executive Julie Giese articulated this forward-thinking strategy. Kennedy stated, "We’re thinking about 2028 through 2030, where do we want to go in the next few years? I know Steve (O’Donnell, president) has mentioned this a handful of times, but what is that we want to do as we approach 2032 and the next media rights cycle, and putting all of our cards on the table." He further elaborated, "I think that’s an opportunity for us to think big and bold, and then over the next several years, we’ll certainly be working backwards from there, but we want to continue to put out the best schedule we possibly can for the sport and for our fans."
This long-term perspective comes at a time when the 2027 schedule, recently released, offers limited departures from recent iterations. The NASCAR Cup Series will see the return of the street course race at Naval Air Station North Island for its second consecutive season. Concurrently, after the inability to finalize a return to Grant Park, Chicagoland Speedway is set to host a Cup Series event once again. The upcoming season notably lacks any new international venues or entirely new domestic locations. Similarly, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will not feature any standalone events. While the Craftsman Truck Series will make a return to Mosport in Canada for the first time since 2019, the overall national touring schedule for 2027 is largely characterized by continuity.
International Ambitions and North American Focus
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A key component of NASCAR’s future scheduling considerations involves international expansion. Earlier in the summer, the organization bolstered its international efforts by hiring former UFC executive Adam Layton as its senior vice president of NASCAR International.
Currently, Kennedy indicated that NASCAR’s international strategy is primarily focused on North America, with a keen interest in exploring additional opportunities in Mexico and Canada. "Just logistically speaking, it’s much simpler for us to either go north of the border or south of the border and back given that we don’t have many off-weeks in this schedule," Kennedy explained. "So I think that’s an opportunity."
He also highlighted the potential flexibility offered by certain exhibition races. "And frankly, as we’ve talked about the future of exhibition races, take The Clash as an example, it runs a week or two before the Daytona 500 (so) we have some flexibility to move that date. I think that’s an opportunity if we ever wanted to go overseas or to other locations like a Brazil or Europe as an example." This suggests that while immediate international races are not on the horizon, the long-term strategy includes the possibility of venturing to more distant markets, contingent on logistical feasibility and the scheduling of less date-sensitive events.
Exploring Military Installations for Unique Venues
Another significant avenue for future scheduling development lies in utilizing active military installations. Following the confirmation of NASCAR’s return to the Naval Air Station North Island, the organization announced it had initiated explorations for additional races on Department of Defense bases, potentially beginning as early as 2028.
"We’re likely going to focus on domestic bases and that’s our goal right now," Kennedy stated. "We’ve had a number of conversations with the DOD exploring different options and opportunities, some in markets that we frankly aren’t in today, others in markets that we are in at iconic installations." He added, "So we’re working on now trying to understand which ones are feasible, which ones are possible, and hopefully we’ll be sharing some more news on that front here in the next few months."
Kennedy revealed that he has provided the Department of Defense with a "wish list" of desired locations, specifically mentioning the Pacific Northwest and the Heartland regions of the United States. The Department of Defense has also presented NASCAR with a list of markets they are keen for the organization to explore.
"I think there are opportunities for us to also lean into if there are special moments or special anniversaries at a lot of these bases," Kennedy commented. "This year was a great way to kick it off being the 250th anniversary of our country and the Navy. So I think there are other time considerations that we’ll take into account as we think about the future, but very productive conversation with them."
The logistical challenges of transforming military bases into race venues are significant. Kennedy acknowledged the extensive work required, stating, "I think we have a long list of potential options. Now it’s going to be up to us and Julie’s going to be leading these efforts to begin to understand what is actually feasible at many of these locations. Can you build a temporary course on them? Is there enough real estate and room at many of the bases there? We may have to get very creative with how we build these courses."
He emphasized the time-intensive nature of such projects, referencing the planning and execution of the San Diego event: "So a lot of work that will come on that front. And if we’re talking about 2028, it took over two years for us to, from the very first meeting that we had in San Diego to the time that we put on that event. So we need to hit the ground running pretty quickly to be ready for 2028."
Considering Washington D.C. as a Potential Market
The possibility of NASCAR racing in Washington D.C. has also emerged as a topic of discussion, particularly following the successful IndyCar Freedom 250 event held in the nation’s capital. Julie Giese, who attended the IndyCar race, noted the organizational efforts behind such events.
While not confirming any immediate plans, Giese did not dismiss the potential for NASCAR’s interest should the right opportunity arise. "It was really great to be there," Giese said. "Kudos to the entire IndyCar team and Bud Denker that put that on. It was an incredibly well done and a great moment for motorsports. I think again, for us, as Ben said, there are a lot of opportunities from a market perspective and we know and we’ve proven that we can take our sport to those markets in very unique ways." She continued, "So that’s a market we’ll continue to look at along with a lot of others and see where that takes us."
The sentiment for bringing NASCAR to Washington D.C. has been echoed by political figures. White House officials Doug Collins, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation, have publicly advocated for such an event. Collins expressed his strong support, stating, "I think it should be every year, but I’ve got one to add to it. I’m an old Southern boy. I’m a NASCAR boy. It’s time to bring NASCAR to DC. I’ve already tweeted about it. NASCAR can handle anything. We need NASCAR in DC as well. Along with IndyCar, two American sports, put them right here."
Coexistence of Chicagoland Speedway and Chicago Street Race
The scheduling decision to return NASCAR to the intermediate track at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, rather than the downtown Chicago street circuit, has raised questions about the potential for both venues to coexist in the future. The downtown race is not slated for the 2027 calendar due to an inability to reach an agreement on operational costs between the city, the state of Illinois, and the sanctioning body. Additionally, Chicago had expressed a desire for NASCAR to consider a different date, as the street race had previously been held during the Independence Day weekend.
Despite these immediate challenges, both parties have indicated a willingness to continue discussions regarding the potential for a Grant Park street race in 2028 and beyond. Giese commented on the market’s capacity for multiple events, stating, "I think the weekend that we had in Joliet at Chicagoland Speedway was tremendous. And the thing that we learned with that event as you look at the Chicago Street Race is there was a limited crossover on who attended both events."
She further elaborated, "So this is obviously a big market in the country. We already have a million race fans here, so we do feel like Chicago has an opportunity to be able to host two events if needed or if there’s that opportunity. I think, again, we have a certain number of events on the calendar that come into play as well, but the market itself we do believe could hold two races." This perspective suggests that the sheer size and existing fanbase of the Chicago market could potentially support both a traditional oval track race and a street circuit event, provided logistical and financial agreements can be reached. The strategic planning leading up to 2032 will undoubtedly factor in the viability and appeal of such dual-market events.
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