NASCAR's iRacing Series has been a great way to fill the void left by the Cup Series races that have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic since mid-March. But for a business that depends on real, live racing, NASCAR is eager to get teams and drivers back to the racetrack.
With states beginning to lift restrictions and with race teams in North Carolina allowed to work again as essential businesses, that return will come Sunday, May 17.
MORE: Tracking postponed NASCAR races
NASCAR recently released a revised Cup Series schedule for May as it attempts to keep a 36-race slate intact. For now, with remaining doubt about how NASCAR can construct its schedule beyond May given differing restrictions on gatherings of people from state to state, the short-term schedule includes four races at only two tracks. Further adjustments to the schedule “will be released in the near future,” according to NASCAR.
Below is everything we know about NASCAR's return to real racing after months of virtual competitions on the iRacing platform.
Updated NASCAR schedule for 2020
NASCAR on April 30 released its revised Cup Series schedule for May 2020. It remains committed to running 36 races, four of which were completed before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world. According to Fox Sports, NASCAR hopes to keep its 10 playoff races in the fall intact and at their original tracks.
Below is the Cup Series revision announced by NASCAR:
| Date | Track | Race length |
| Sunday, May 17 | Darlington | 400 miles |
| Wednesday, May 20 | Darlington | 310 miles |
| Sunday, May 24 | Charlotte | 600 miles |
| Wednesday, May 27 | Charlotte | 300 miles |
For now, NASCAR is scheduling races within driving distance of the Charlotte area, where most race teams are headquartered. That eliminates most of the travel-related logistics issues associated with running multiple races in one week, which appears necessary for a full season of racing.
Because those tracks are hosting more races than originally scheduled, NASCAR had to take races away from Chicagoland, Richmond and Sonoma. Via NASCAR, below are the details of those changes:
— "Chicagoland’s NASCAR Cup Series race, originally set for June 21, has been reassigned to Darlington on May 17. The 1.5-mile Illinois track’s Xfinity Series race that was scheduled June 20 will be held May 19 at Darlington. Chicagoland was also set to host the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (June 19) and ARCA Menards Series (June 18); officials indicated that those races will be reassigned at a later date."
— "Richmond Raceway’s springtime Cup Series event on the initial schedule for April 19 has been moved to Darlington on May 20. A Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race that was to be run April 18 remains postponed, with officials saying details would come later for rescheduling. The .75-mile Virginia track’s Sept. 11-12 race weekend remains on the schedule."
— "Sonoma Raceway’s Cup Series date for June 14 has been moved to Charlotte on May 27. Officials for the road course said in a release that they had worked with NASCAR to find an alternate date on the schedule, but that a suitable replacement could not be reached, 'given the ongoing uncertainty around large events in California.'"
Below are the eight NASCAR Cup Series races that are currently postponed (and their original dates on the schedule):
- Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 15)
- Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (March 22)
- O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (March 29)
- Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 5)
- Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway (April 19) — moved to Darlington (May 20)
- Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (April 26)
- Cup Series Race at Dover International Speedway (May 3)
- Cup Series Race at Martinsville Speedway (May 9)
When will NASCAR start racing again?
NASCAR has announced a revised Cup Series schedule for an 11-day period in May that would begin with a race at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17. The track, located in South Carolina and roughly a two-hour drive from the Charlotte area, will then host a second race on Wednesday, May 20. Both races would run without fans at the track.
The first Darlington race would be 400 miles long, with the second, scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, being 310 miles.
The following week, Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the Coca-Cola 600 on its originally scheduled date of Sunday, May 24, followed by a 300-mile race on Wednesday, May 27 — also both without fans. The annual All-Star Race at Charlotte would be a casualty as NASCAR attempts to run a complete schedule of 36 points races in 2020.
The revised schedule does not include previously rumored races at Martinsville (May 31), Bristol (June 3), Atlanta (June 7) and Homestead-Miami (June 14).
NASCAR, confirming earlier reports, said in its April 30 announcement that there would be no practice sessions for any of the four May races, which will all be one-day events, and that there will only be qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600.