As news about the 2026 NASCAR schedule begins to leak, driver Denny Hamlin expressed frustration this week over the lack of involvement from teams and drivers in shaping the calendar. The schedule, expected to be officially announced soon, reportedly includes significant changes such as the addition of the San Diego street course and the Homestead-Miami Speedway hosting the championship weekend. Hamlin highlighted on his Actions Detrimental podcast that the sanctioning body makes these decisions without consulting those directly competing.
Some of this schedule stuff is slowly leaking out. This is typical each year. The weeks leading up where they’re leaking this track is in, this track is out,
Hamlin said. They’ve said Iowa is in limbo… Chicagoland, no Chicago [Street Race], San Diego is in. I don’t know, it’s interesting kind of how it all works.
I can assure you with one thing for certain, as much as they talk about collaboration — NASCAR doesn’t collaborate at all with the teams, drivers or anyone on the schedule. That’s their whole thing. We have nothing to do with it, no input, no nothing. Whatever it is, it’s what they came up with.
Additional schedule revisions and potential venue shifts
Beyond the confirmed changes, reports indicate that Chicagoland Speedway could return to the schedule, potentially taking over the slot of Mexico City. Sports journalist Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic mentioned the growing possibility that the All-Star Race may move from North Wilkesboro Speedway to Dover Motor Speedway. This development has implications for North Wilkesboro, where a Cup Series points race could be reinstated for the first time since 1996. Jeff Gordon was the last driver to win a Cup Points race there, capturing the Tyson Holly Farms 400.
Hamlin voiced support for the idea of a points race at North Wilkesboro and suggested eliminating the All-Star Race to provide teams an additional rest period during the demanding season.
Why don’t we just give the damn teams a week off? Like, they are running us through the grinder. It is a grind trying to get to the racetrack every single weekend,
Hamlin said.
Definitely would enjoy another break, and I just don’t see the need of trying to force this.
Implications for teams and the future of NASCAR scheduling
The ongoing pattern of NASCAR making schedule decisions without team input feeds into broader tensions between drivers, teams, and the sanctioning organization. Hamlin’s comments underscore a sense of frustration among competitors over the grueling nature of the current race calendar and the lack of collaborative planning. As teams prepare for the official announcement of the 2026 schedule, these concerns may prompt calls for more inclusive discussions to ensure the calendar better reflects the needs and realities faced by those on the track.