NASCAR schedule release sparks Denny Hamlin criticism

NASCAR officially announced the 2026 Cup Series schedule last weekend, and Denny Hamlin isn't a fan.

Several big calls were made when next year's tracks and dates were released, many of which have proved controversial among the NASCAR community.

Here are just a select few of the big decisions made by NASCAR officials:

- The All-Star race will now be held at Dover, with North Wilkesboro given a points-paying race.

- Watkins Glen is shifting from its traditional August date to a weekend in May.

- There will be two off weekends in 2026, as opposed to one in 2025.

- The Chicago street race is no longer, instead replaced with a race at an active Naval base in San Diego

- The championship race will be held at Homestead, leaving Phoenix for the first time since 2020.

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Denny Hamlin gives NASCAR schedule D+

Speaking in a media scrum ahead of the weekend's action at Daytona International Speedway, Hamlin was asked for his thoughts on how the 2026 schedule looked.

Offering it a meagre grading, he clearly isn't a fan: "D plus, I don't know.

"Definitely taking away from Dover, I don't necessarily agree with that.

"I don't know what kind of tricks you make to kinda make that race compelling, but certainly Dover fans endured a lot of heat for a lot of time to have some races taken away. So that's unfortunate for them.

"And then there's just some other ones that are, you know, kinda headscratchers. I don't think it was a C or better for sure."

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NASCAR Cup Series 2026 schedule

Here is the official 2026 lineup in full:

Sunday, Feb. 1: Clash (Bowman Gray Stadium)
Sunday, Feb. 15: Daytona 500
Sunday, Feb. 22: EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)
Sunday, March 1: Circuit of The Americas (Austin)
Sunday, March 8: Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, March 15: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 22: Darlington Raceway
Sunday, March 29: Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, April 5: OFF WEEK
Sunday, April 12: Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 19: Kansas Speedway
Sunday, April 26: Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, May 3: Texas Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 10: Watkins Glen International
Sunday, May 17: All‐Star Race (Dover Motor Speedway)
Sunday, May 24: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 31: Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, June 7: Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, June 14: Pocono Raceway
Sunday, June 21: San Diego (Naval Base Coronado)
Sunday, June 28: Sonoma Raceway
Sunday, July 5: Chicagoland Speedway
Sunday, July 12: EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)
Sunday, July 19: North Wilkesboro Speedway
Sunday, July 26: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, Aug. 2: OFF WEEK
Sunday, Aug. 9: Iowa Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 15: Richmond Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 23: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 29: Daytona International Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 6: Darlington Raceway*
Sunday, Sept. 13: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway* (St. Louis)
Saturday, Sept. 19: Bristol Motor Speedway*
Sunday, Sept. 27: Kansas Speedway*
Sunday, Oct. 4: Las Vegas Motor Speedway*
Sunday, Oct. 11: Charlotte Roval*
Sunday, Oct. 18: Phoenix Raceway*
Sunday, Oct. 25: Talladega Superspeedway*
Sunday, Nov. 1: Martinsville Speedway*
Sunday, Nov. 8: NASCAR Championship (Homestead-Miami Speedway)*

*Playoff races

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