After this weekend, NASCAR will go to slumber for about three months. Kyle Larson already has one hand on the 2026 Cup Series championship with a 67-point lead entering the Homestead-Miami finale. All he needs is a clean finish to clinch his third Cup title, and all eyes will then move to 2027.

NASCAR unveiled the 2027 season schedule in Aug. 2026, and it promises to shake up the usual order. While 2026 replaced and added a few new tracks to the NASCAR circuit and marked the return of the highly talked-about Chase format, the 2027 schedule will change how the venues go racing. But that’s not all the upcoming year has to offer. While silly season welcomes fresh talent into their first full season, certain veterans and experienced racers are looking to battle at the front of the field for their last run in the Cup Series.

NASCAR 2027 Schedule

The 2027 campaign will follow the same 36-race format, with 26 regular-season races and 10 Chase races. However, NASCAR has moved, replaced, and allocated certain races differently for the upcoming season.

As usual, the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21 will open the season. The season will begin with the Wheatley Vodka Clash and The Duel held on Feb. 13 and 18, respectively.

Some other important track swaps between the regular season and Chase format include the All-Star race moving from Dover to North Wilkesboro, while North Wilkesboro loses its points race status to become an All-Star-only race in 2027. The calendar also describes Watkins Glen as the Chase’s only road course of the season.

Other races that have switched their positions between formats are:

1. Richmond, Watkins Glen, and New Hampshire: Will become Chase races and will move out of the regular season calendar.
2. Gateway and Bristol: Will go from being Chase/playoffs races to regular season races in 2027.
3. Daytona: Used to hold the regular season finale but will not do so next year, with Darlington taking over.

And while the 2026 Chase season opened with a race in Darlington, the 2027 NASCAR schedule will host the Chase season opener in Richmond instead.

Here’s what the NASCAR 2027 season schedule looks like so far:

Silly Season: Confirmed Driver Moves and Potential Breakthroughs

Each year, the off-season turns into driver market exploration and an announcement timeline. For 2027, fresh talents are transitioning into full-time seats, drivers are exploring retirement and seat-swap options, and one legend will retire at the very first race of the season.

1. Jesse Love and Corey Heim make their full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut: While both Jesse Love and Corey Heim made their NASCAR Cup Series debuts in 2025 and 2024, respectively, the drivers will enter their first full season in 2027. Love will join Wood Brothers Racing by replacing Josh Berry in the No. 21 car. Heim, on the other hand, will join 23XI Racing and will replace Riley Herbst in the No. 35 car.
2. Josh Berry and Riley Herbst join Legacy Motor Club: Berry will replace John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 Toyota, and Herbst joins from 23XI Racing to pilot the No. 84 Toyota.
3. Veterans John Hunter Nemechek and Brad Keselowski have no seats: Legacy Motor Club released Nemechek based on a three-year review of performance data and on-track execution. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski recently announced his split from the RFK Racing team after his attempt to buy the team failed, and he expressed his desire to work as both a driver and an investor. The drivers do not have any other seats secured as of the Homestead-Miami Championship weekend in 2026.
4. Jimmie Johnson will retire at the Daytona 500: While Johnson has already retired from full-time NASCAR racing, he will take a complete retirement at the 2027 Daytona 500, ending his part-time run in the NASCAR Cup Series.

While many drivers on the current grid are locked in with contract extensions, Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series after its last campaign in 2012 could open up opportunities for drivers like Brad Keselowski, who has been associated with the brand for the longest time.

While that concludes what the 2027 season has to offer when it comes to the calendar and the silly season, NASCAR has also teased potential upgrades, improved racing packages, a faster officiating process, improved Stage 1 racing by preventing long fuel-saving stints, and more to improve the overall racing product in 2027.