The minute the 2024 schedules dropped for the three national touring series, our staff immediately started commenting in our group chat about what was to come and what we loved and hated.
There was confusion over some race dates. Some of us were flabbergasted it took so long to put together a schedule that wasn’t much different than previous years.
Some opinions were nonchalant while others were very passionate about one specific thing or another. It was very apparent we had varying views of the schedules.
With staff located all over the country, it makes for lively discussion when it comes to what we would like to see regarding tracks and the on-track product.
What follows is a compilation of our praises and grievances of the 2024 NASCAR schedules.
NASCAR Cup Series
The Good
The overwhelming majority of our staff was thrilled to see Bristol Dirt gone. Additionally, they gave a huge thumbs up on the addition of Iowa Speedway to the Cup schedule. The majority also seemed in favor of Darlington Raceway being the regular season finale. We also mostly agreed that moving Texas Motor Speedway out of the Playoffs was a good idea.
However, from there, we differed on what we liked about the schedule. A handful of staff liked the return to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but some were skeptical if the NextGen car would allow for a good race on that layout.
Finally, many approved of the summer Richmond Raceway date being a night race due to the heat.
The Bad
While our Gregory Latham liked having Watkins Glen International in the Playoffs, he was in the minority. Rob Cwick is a longtime WGI attendee and he “hates” the date change. Others were not happy about two road courses in the Playoffs.
Seeing three short tracks scheduled near each other was another huge discussion topic. Many of us cannot understand how NASCAR is unable to shuffle the schedule so Martinsville Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Richmond are not within the same four-week period year after year.
Atlanta Motor Speedway in February was frowned upon as well. It will likely still be very cold at that time and many felt switching the date with Circuit of the Americas would provide a better weather environment for both races.
Then, there is the Charlotte ROVAL. Some like it, some don’t. Latham would like to see it go away while Terra Jones and Tiffany Faw are all in for the road course and oval combo race.
While back-to-back off weeks are nice (for those wanting to binge the Olympics), they come so late in the season that burnout is going to be at the forefront quickly.
The Ugly
First of all, racing on Easter? That was a big no from the PPN team.
Next, looking at the Playoffs, we all agreed the current schedule makes the Rounds of 16 and 12 both wildcards which sets up early exits for many of the better drivers.
NASCAR threw in consecutive drafting races to start the season with the Daytona 500 then Atlanta. Some pondered, “Does NASCAR want to kill the crews and set up teams to begin the season?”
Then there are two “tracks” that left the PPN staff scratching their heads. The Chicago Street Race, specifically on July 4th weekend. Multiple people said, “This weekend belongs at Daytona.” And finally, there was agreement that The Clash at the L. A. Coliseum continues to be a waste of time and money.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
The Good
Everyone was pleased to see two Talladega Superspeedway dates on the calendar for NXS. Additionally, PPN staff was thrilled with Bristol as the regular season finale for the series.
The Bad
While there was excitement to see the Fall BMS race close out the regular season, we did not like that this was the only visit to The Last Great Coliseum. There was also disappointment over Portland International Raceway remaining on the schedule. The travel expenses for teams seem to be a bit too extreme for this race weekend to make sense.
The Ugly
Two words: Road America. This was a great place for a great race. The PPN staff would like it back!
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The Good
Looking at the Truck Series schedule, there are multiple doubleheader weekends with NXS which makes for a great two-for-one ticket value for fans. The Truck series always puts on a great show on short tracks, so there was a lot of excitement seeing two BMS and two Martinsville Speedway dates in 2024.
Additionally, kudos to NASCAR for bringing this series back to Milwaukee Mile Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The Bad
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was left off the schedule which is unfortunate. This was a great track that seemed to have great attendance. Additionally, this leaves only one road course on the 2024 NCTS schedule – COTA.
While the Trucks will visit Bristol twice, neither visit with dirt. Some staff would like to see the Trucks still have a dirt race on the schedule.
The Ugly
Forcing the limited-budget series to start their season with back-to-back drafting tracks will be tough for teams.
Some felt this series has an ‘identity crisis’ and a lot of work could still be done with the schedule. It used to be that the Truck Series would race at many tracks the NCS and NXS did not visit, however, NASCAR has gotten away from that. When you combine that with the drawn-out, spaced-out schedule, fans tend to forget about the NCTS. An idea would be to start their season later in the year, allowing it to be more compacted, and have their Playoffs align better with NXS and NCS.
Summary
Overall, our staff felt NASCAR left fans wanting more. We understand Olympic Coverage put a major kink in plans, but they could have done some experimenting under the guise of the Olympics. Waiting this long for the 2024 schedules just to be let down with very little change seemed to disgruntle more than appease.
Fans want variety, not more road courses. There is definitely more work to be done. Maybe those in charge could share their thought processes. How much will the establishment listen to the fans? Fingers crossed for 2025! (And for the love of God, move the Championship weekend from Phoenix International Raceway!)
Favorite Takeaways
Terra Jones: I LOVE that Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks will be racing at the Fall Martinsville race! It’ll be a freezing cold weekend being the beginning of November, but the action on track should make up for that!
Rob Cwick: Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Bristol for the Round of 16? That’s Playoff hell!
Jane Waldrop: Has no one checked the Farmer’s Almanac for weather conditions? We’re gonna have snow and heat issues. Also, why did it take so long to put this out? Google Sheets collaborative effort and it could’ve been done in 10 minutes!
Gregory Latham: No new tracks other than Iowa? Kentucky (Speedway) and Chicagoland would have been nice!
Daniel Smith: I wish more tracks had only one race date. What do we have to do to get more West Coast tracks on the schedule? (Some tried to convince him COTA and Texas are “West Coast tracks,” but he wasn’t buying it. He claimed East Coast fans are biased!)
