On Tuesday, NASCAR released the 2009 schedules for the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series, finally putting to rest any rumors of major changes for the upcoming season. There were some date changes in all three series, as well as a race in both the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series being moved to new tracks. Overall, the schedule released by NASCAR is what many teams, tracks, and fans had anticipated, though the announcement does come as a blow to Bruton Smith, who was attempting to realign the schedule and add dates at some of his company's tracks.
“The 2009 schedule reflects realigned dates that are good opportunities for everyone involved in our sport – fans, sponsors, tracks and teams," said NASCAR President Mike Helton.
The biggest change to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the three way swap of dates late in the season. The Auto Club Speedway of Southern California made the biggest gain with the schedule realignment, by getting the fourth race in the Chase from Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR and track officials hope that the schedule change will increase attendance at a track which had been suffering from poor ticket sales in recent years, particularly due to the extreme heat during the summer months.
As a result of the change, Talladega Superspeedway will keep a race in the Chase, but will be moved back to the seventh race, which was previously held by Atlanta Motor Speedway. To complete the swap, Atlanta will take over the Labor Day weekend race from Auto Club Speedway.
While the changes in the Sprint Cup Series reflected better opportunities for all, Bruton Smith was snubbed by NASCAR, which refused Smith's two major changes to the Sprint Cup schedule. Smith wanted NASCAR to give Kentucky Speedway, a track that SMI was preparing to buy, a date on the schedule. As a result, the sale of the track may fall through. Bruton Smith's request that the a second date be added to Las Vegas Motor Speedway also was denied.
In the Nationwide Series, there are two major changes to the schedule. The series will not be traveling to Mexico City in 2009, opening up a date in the 35 race season, which was taken and moved to Iowa Speedway. The race will be on August 1st. Also, the race in Montreal at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was moved to the final weekend in August.
In the Truck Series, the 25 race schedule remained mostly unchanged, except for a late season race that was moved from Atlanta Motor Speedway to Chicagoland Speedway.
2009 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway*
Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 22 Auto Club Speedway
March 1 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 22 Bristol Motor Speedway
March 29 Martinsville Speedway
April 5 Texas Motor Speedway
April 18 Phoenix International Raceway
April 26 Talladega Superspeedway
May 2 Richmond International Raceway
May 9 Darlington Raceway
May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Lowe’s Motor Speedway*
May 24 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
May 31 Dover International Speedway
June 7 Pocono Raceway
June 14 Michigan International Speedway
June 21 Infineon Raceway
June 28 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 4 Daytona International Speedway
July 11 Chicagoland Speedway
July 26 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 2 Pocono Raceway
Aug. 9 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 16 Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 22 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 6 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 12 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 27 Dover International Speedway
Oct. 4 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 11 Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 17 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct. 25 Martinsville Speedway
Nov. 1 Talladega Superspeedway
Nov. 8 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 15 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 22 Homestead-Miami Speedway
* – Denotes non-points event.
2009 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 14 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway
Feb. 28 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 21 Bristol Motor Speedway
April 4 Texas Motor Speedway
April 11 Nashville Superspeedway
April 17 Phoenix International Raceway
April 25 Talladega Superspeedway
May 1 Richmond International Raceway
May 8 Darlington Raceway
May 23 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
May 30 Dover International Speedway
June 6 Nashville Superspeedway
June 13 Kentucky Speedway
June 20 Milwaukee Mile
June 27 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 3 Daytona International Speedway
July 10 Chicagoland Speedway
July 18 Gateway International Raceway
July 25 O’Reilly Raceway Park
Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway
Aug. 8 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 15 Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 21 Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 30 Circuit Gilles Villenueve
Sept. 5 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 11 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 26 Dover International Speedway
Oct. 3 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 10 Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 16 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct. 24 Memphis Motorsports Park
Nov. 7 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 14 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway
2009 NASCAR TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 13 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway
March 7 Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 28 Martinsville Speedway
April 25 Kansas Speedway
May 15 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
May 23 Mansfield Motorsports Park
May 29 Dover International Speedway
June 5 Texas Motor Speedway
June 13 Michigan International Speedway
June 19 Milwaukee Mile
June 27 Memphis Motorsports Park
July 18 Kentucky Speedway
July 24 O’Reilly Raceway Park
Aug. 1 Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 19 Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 28 Chicagoland Speedway
Sept. 12 Gateway International Raceway
Sept. 19 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 26 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Oct. 24 Martinsville Speedway
Oct. 31 Talladega Superspeedway
Nov. 6 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 13 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 20 Homestead-Miami Speedway
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