The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase will unfold over ten distinct events, beginning on September 6 at Darlington Raceway and culminating with the season‑ending championship at Homestead‑Miami Speedway on November 8.
The opening battle, the Cook Out Southern 500, is renowned for its abrasive concrete surface and the 500‑mile test it imposes on drivers and crews.
In the weeks that follow, the schedule strings together four back‑to‑back contests at Darlington, World Wide Technology Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, each offering a different challenge ranging from short‑track intensity to intermediate‑track strategy.
The Road to the Championship
October brings a shift to larger, high‑speed venues, including the glittering Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the twisting Charlotte Roval, and the storied Phoenix Raceway, before the series heads to the superspeedway at Talladega and the historic Martinsville.
The championship finale returns to Homestead‑Miami Speedway, a track that has hosted the title race intermittently since 2002, adding a layer of nostalgia to the climax.
Broadcast partners USA, NBC and HBO Max will split the television coverage, while radio listeners can tune into MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio for live play‑by‑play.
Across the ten‑race stretch, fans can expect a mix of daytime and night events, each set against a backdrop of diverse track types that test the full spectrum of NASCAR’s racing philosophy.