NASCAR 2020 playoff schedule: Changes for Xfinity and Truck Series but not Cup Series

Alex Andrejev
·3 min read

NASCAR announced Thursday that its 2020 playoff schedule for the Cup Series would remain as originally scheduled: Ten races culminating in the final-four championship event at Phoenix Raceway on November 8.

All race dates and venues will remain intact from NASCAR’s original Cup schedule despite earlier changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The sanctioning body said it will determine if fans are allowed at playoff events, which begin September 6 at Darlington Raceway, on a “market-by-market basis, in accordance with local and state guidelines.”

“The one fortunate part of this latter part of the season and the playoffs is we were able to keep the original tracks and dates intact when it came to the Cup Series,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said in a release. “But definitely they have had to be flexible with integrating some of the other series into those events so that they had a good championship schedule as well.”

NASCAR has updated venues for both its lower-level Xfinity and Truck Series. In Xfinity, Talladega Superspeedway was added as the second race in the first round of playoffs on October 3. There were previously only two races scheduled in the first Round of 12. Bristol Motor Speedway will now host the regular season finale on September 18.

In Trucks, Kansas Speedway was added to the schedule on October 16, as well as Texas Motor Speedway on October 25, which is the new date for the race in Texas that was postponed in March. Bristol will host the playoffs opener for Trucks on September 17, and the series will now visit Richmond Raceway on September 10 for the regular season finale to fulfill the race originally scheduled for April 18.

Additionally, the Xfinity Series will run a regular season race at Richmond on September 12, making that a Friday and Saturday double-header for the series at that track, while Trucks has added a regular season race at Darlington on September 6, aligning with the start of the Cup Series playoffs at Darlington.

NASCAR has also added ARCA Menards Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 17) and Kansas Speedway (October 16), as well as an ARCA Menards West Series race at Phoenix Raceway (November 7).

NASCAR 2020 CUP PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Round of 16

  • Sunday, Sept. 6 - Darlington Raceway - 501 mi

  • Saturday, Sept. 12 - Richmond Raceway - 300 mi

  • Saturday, Sept. 19 - Bristol Motor Speedway - 267 mi

Round of 12

  • Sunday, Sept. 27 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - 400 mi

  • Sunday, Oct. 4 - Talladega Superspeedway - 500 mi

  • Sunday, Oct. 11 - Charlotte Motor Speedway (Road Course) - 249 mi

Round of 8

  • Sunday, Oct. 18 - Kansas Speedway - 400 mi

  • Sunday, Oct. 25 - Texas Motor Speedway - 501 mi

  • Sunday, Nov. 1 - Martinsville Speedway - 263 mi

Round of 4 - Championship

  • Sunday, Nov. 8 - Phoenix Raceway - 312 mi

NASCAR 2020 XFINITY PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Round of 12

  • Sunday, Sept. 26 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - 300 mi

  • Saturday, Oct. 3 - Talladega Superspeedway - 300 mi

  • Saturday, Oct. 10 - Charlotte Motor Speedway (Roval) - 155 mi

Round of 8

  • Sunday, Oct. 18 - Kansas Speedway - 400 mi

  • Saturday, Oct. 24 - Texas Motor Speedway - 300 mi

  • Saturday, Oct. 31 - Martinsville Speedway - 131 mi

Round of 4 - Championship

  • Saturday, Nov. 7 - Phoenix Raceway - 200 mi

NASCAR 2020 TRUCKS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Round of 10

  • Thursday, Sept. 17 - Bristol Motor Speedway - 107 mi

  • Friday, Sept. 25 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway Superspeedway - 201 mi

  • Saturday, Oct. 3 - Talladega Superspeedway - 250 mi

Round of 8

  • Friday, Oct. 16 - Kansas Speedway - 200 mi

  • Sunday, Oct. 25 - Texas Motor Speedway - 220 mi

  • Friday, Oct. 30 - Martinsville Speedway - 105 mi

Championship

  • Friday, Nov. 6 - Phoenix Raceway - 150 mi