For the first time since 2019, Phoenix Raceway will not host the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race in 2026. It’s a change that fans have long been asking for, specifically with the on-track product at Phoenix having been relatively lackluster since the Next Gen car was introduced back in 2022.
But unlike another track on the 2025 playoff schedule, Phoenix is set to continue hosting a playoff race, and that is because Homestead-Miami Speedway, the former host of the title race, is set to return to its old schedule slot as the site of the Championship 4, despite currently being out of the playoffs entirely.
As a result, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is set to host a playoff race in 2025 for the first time since 2017, will not be back on the playoff schedule next year.
New Hampshire out of NASCAR playoffs after just one year
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is scheduled to move from the round of 8 to the round of 12, which is where New Hampshire is currently positioned. New Hampshire is set to be this year’s round of 12 opener, while Kansas Speedway is set to host the middle race of the round. Next year, Kansas is set to host the round of 12 opener, and Las Vegas is set to host the middle race…