CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Wilkesboro Speedway is back on the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season schedule.

The historic race track in Wilkes County is set to host a points-paying race on July 19, 2026, NASCAR announced Wednesday in its schedule release.

It will be the 0.625-mile track’s first points-paying race since 1996. NASCAR is moving its annual All-Star Race to Dover, opening the door for North Wilkesboro to reclaim a permanent spot on the Cup calendar.

Rockingham Speedway returns to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Series, hosting its second consecutive Easter weekend on April 3 and 4.

Charlotte fans keep two big weekends: The Coca-Cola 600 returns to Memorial Day weekend as usual, and the playoff Roval hits the track in October.

Homestead-Miami Speedway will decide the Cup champion, taking over the finale on Nov. 8. A new street course race will run at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego on June 21, and Chicagoland Speedway is returning July 5 after six years off the Cup slate.

Downtown Chicago’s street race and the series’ first Mexico City event, which debuted in 2025, are both off the schedule for 2026 — but NASCAR says both could return as soon as 2027.

Other notable changes: Watkins Glen slides to Mother’s Day weekend in May, Iowa Speedway remains for an Aug. 9 race after two straight years of sellouts, and teams get two off weekends in the summer.

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

— Feb. 1 Clash (Bowman Gray Stadium)

— Feb. 15 Daytona 500

— Feb. 22 Echopark Speedway (Atlanta)

— March 1 COTA

— March 8 Phoenix

— March 15 Las Vegas

— March 22 Darlington

— March 29 Martinsville

— April 12 Bristol

— April 19 Kansas

— April 26 Talladega

— May 3 Texas

— May 10 Watkins Glen

— May 17 All-Star Race (Dover)

— May 24 Charlotte

— May 31 Nashville

— June 7 Michigan

— June 14 Pocono

— June 21 San Diego

— June 28 Sonoma

— July 5 Chicagoland

— July 12 Echopark Speedway (Atlanta)

— July 19 North Wilkesboro

— July 26 Indianapolis

— Aug. 9 Iowa

— Aug. 15 (Saturday) Richmond

— Aug. 23 New Hampshire

— Aug. 29 (Saturday) Daytona

NASCAR playoff races

— Sept. 6 Darlington

— Sept. 13 World Wide Technology Raceway (St. Louis)

— Sept. 19 (Saturday) Bristol

— Sept. 27 Kansas

— Oct. 4 Las Vegas

— Oct. 11 Roval

— Oct. 18 Phoenix

— Oct. 25 Talladega

— Nov. 1 Martinsville

— Nov. 8 NASCAR Championship at Homestead-Miami

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