Photo for Headline Surfer / Austin Cindric leads the pack to the checkered flag in the 2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway back in February. The first race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup series will be on Feb. 19 at DIS. For the first time ever, the sights, sounds, and speed of NASCAR are coming to the streets of downtown Chicago on July 1-2, 2023. One of the most iconic cities in the world, Chicago will add another chapter to its illustrious sports history when a NASCAR Cup Series street race debuts against the backdrop of Lake Michigan and Grant Park, televised on NBC.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR has announced the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
During the organization’s 75th anniversary season, NASCAR’s national series will visit an exciting mix of history-rich venues, short tracks, and road courses, with the sport reaching a new level of excitement with the already-announced Chicago Street Race – a bold, first-of-its-kind addition in a globally renowned city.
“As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy, said Wednesday. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.”
“As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing development and strategy (shown here), said Wednesday. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.”
The 2023 Cup season will get underway with “round two” of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place in East Coast primetime on Sunday, Feb. 5 on FOX. Two weeks later, on Sunday, Feb. 19, the 65th annual DAYTONA 500 will unfold live on FOX from Daytona International Speedway.
Additional highlights to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include:
• NASCAR will head west for the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, Feb. 26) before visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Mar. 5) and Phoenix Raceway (Sunday, Mar. 12).
• As previously announced, NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race (Sunday, May 21) will be hosted by North Wilkesboro Speedway – the first time the track will welcome the Cup Series since 1996.
• The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will once again begin at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Sept. 3), with the NASCAR Championship Race set for Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5.
As for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a pair of road courses join the schedule for the first time in its four-decade history, as Names Will Be Made at Sonoma Raceway (June 10) and the Chicago Street Race (July 1). Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener (Friday, Sept. 15) and the series will culminate with its championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 4.
What’s old is new for the ‘Tough Trucks’ as CRAFTSMAN returns to the series, as does a race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. Trucks will make a return to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the second race of the Round of 10 on Sunday, August 27. The visit will mark the first time the Trucks have returned to Brew City since 2009.
In addition, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will get the festivities started on All-Star weekend when the trucks join the stars from the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996, on Saturday, May 20.
The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs will get underway on Friday, Aug. 11 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and like the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, will crown a champion at Phoenix Raceway (Friday, Nov. 3) for the fourth consecutive year.
For tickets to 2023 NASCAR events, please visit
The FOX Sports and NBC Sports family of networks will again broadcast the 2023 NASCAR season. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008 along the I-4 tourism corridor in greater Daytona Beach to Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed 115 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases such as the George Zimmerman murder trial, Frederick has appeared on national crime shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis.