What games are left in the NASCAR Cup regular season?
The NASCAR Cup Series returns this weekend after a three-week hiatus, with just four rounds remaining in the regular season.
Here’s a guide on which tracks to keep ahead of the playoffs, with some drivers still looking to win key wins where they need to book a spot.
Why is NASCAR taking a break?
Traditionally, broadcasters Fox Sports and NBC cover the cup season differently.
Fox’s first half, including the Daytona 500, and NBC’s second half, including the end of the regular season and the playoffs.
NBC also owns the rights to broadcast the Olympics in the Americas, for which it paid $7.75 billion to the International Olympic Committee.
Not wanting a conflict between the Tokyo Cup and the event, a three-week break is set in the NASCAR calendar.
It’s also the last break for teams and drivers between the season restart and the championship race in Phoenix in November.
Making history at Indy
Sunday’s race will feature a road race at Watkins Glen for the first time since 2019.
The event was missed last season due to New York State’s covid-19 quarantine regulations.
A week later, the Cup goes to Indianapolis — but for the first time ever, it won’t be raced on the 2.5-mile oval.
Photo by Chris Grayson/Getty Images
The event has been held on the famous oval track since NASCAR began racing at the IMS in 1994, but in 2021 it will be a 2.4-mile road race.
Not only is NASCAR racing at IMS that weekend, IndyCar will be in town for its own road race.
This is the first time that the top two classes of racing and open-top racing have been combined for a combined event.
Oval watch regular season
After the double-header race on the road route, NASCAR will head north to Michigan’s two-mile oval.
Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick, the defending champion, has swept two races at the 2020 circuit.
The final race of the regular season will be at Daytona at the Super Speedway.
This will be the second time the event has closed the regular season, starting on the traditional July 4, 2020.
Who Qualifies for the Playoffs?
With only 16 spots left in the NASCAR playoffs, a win secures the driver’s seat.
In this season’s 22-point race, 13 drivers shared the victory.
Aric Almirola is the latest to win the No. 10 SHR Ford Mustang in New Hampshire.
Photo by Chris Grayson/Getty Images
Series points leader Denny Hamlin has yet to win a race in No. 11 Joe Gibbs Toyota, but has 283 points above the tangent.
He’ll almost certainly score, as will Harvick (+82).
However, Hamlin and Harvick are still unable to advance if there is a new match-winner this season.
Michael Jordan-backed 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace couldn’t actually get points.
#23 Needs a win to make the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 in the Pitbull co-owned Trackhouse Racing machine is in a similar position.
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Jack usually writes or reads anything related to motorsport – from Formula 1 to NASCAR to British truck racing. His work as a motorsport reporter has been published in prestigious outlets such as Autosport, Motorsport.com and Motorsport News. In addition to racing, he is an avid amateur astronomer, podcast listener, and enjoys walks in the park with his three dogs.
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