Only seven weeks remain in what was an experimental 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Headlined with a road course-heavy schedule, including four new tracks and one beloved venue receiving a dirt transformation, the sanctioning body sought more stability and strategic fine-tuning with the release of the upcoming circuit.
It’s evident that growth is the centerpiece of NASCAR’s logic, as the sport seeks a more prominent role in big market areas while trying to appease a notoriously divisive fanbase. The 2022 Cup schedule isn’t nearly as egregious as the current format, but rather an attempt to capitalize on trial-and-error amassed this year.
In an unconventional twist, fan reception has been predominantly positive towards the upcoming Cup Series schedule, and for good reason. There is a lot to be excited about with the changes set to take place next season.
What’s New?
Added: LA Memorial Coliseum, Auto Club Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway
Unless you’ve been living under a rock like Patrick Star in “SpongeBob SquarePants,” odds are you heard about the polarizing addition to the 2022 schedule. The Busch Clash will move from Daytona International Speedway to Los Angeles, where the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum will be transformed into a quarter-mile, asphalt oval.
Fans have been clamoring for more short tracks, and NASCAR crossed off many boxes with this move to the Golden Coast. The stadium, which seats over 78,000 spectators, will become the shortest track on the circuit and be held at the No. 1 entertainment city in the U.S.
Another element that factored into the decision to move the Clash to Los Angeles on Feb. 6 is that the Super Bowl will be held at SoFi Stadium the following weekend, and it’s only a seven-mile trip between venues.
You’ll notice a common trend in reference to NASCAR and the NFL with the 2022 schedule, but for the sake of the Clash specifically, this should garner some new viewers at home and in person before the biggest sporting event in the U.S.
The most significant concern for having the Clash in Los Angeles is teams traveling over 2,300 miles from NASCAR’s hub in North Carolina for an exhibition event. Well, the beauty of an “exhibition event” is that it doesn’t account for points and it’s completely optional.
All in all, this should provide NASCAR a viewership boost while potentially attracting a new audience. Not to mention, this will be the debut of the Next Gen car, and it should prove to be a grand entrance in the biggest market possible.
Also not to be overlooked, World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) will host its first Cup race after being a mainstay for NASCAR’s developmental series since 1998. The 1.25-mile track has provided some incredible racing over the years, and it also sits five miles away from Downtown St. Louis.
“I think it brings an opportunity to really bring the racing action to the fans that are in these larger markets where you have a lot of fans and give them the opportunity to not only come out and experience the race but also come out for the first time to even see what it’s like,” NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Ben Kennedy, said.
Note: Auto Club Speedway returns to start the ‘West Coast Swing,’ but it will be the two-mile tri-oval. The proposed half-mile short track that will replace the current configuration is expected to be completed by 2023.
Addition By Subtraction?
Removed: Daytona (road), Pocono 2
NASCAR’s lone venue cuts to the current schedule were the Daytona road course and a second race at Pocono Raceway. Truthfully, if the sanctioning body was going to replace two events, these were two of the preferred candidates.
While the Daytona made for one of the more compelling road course events in 2021, the circuit already travels to this track twice in one season for two of the biggest events of the year. Sure, the case could’ve been made to remove the mess that was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, but it really wasn’t given a fair shot with the curbing crisis, and NASCAR can’t completely skip over one of the most famous tracks in the world.
As for Pocono losing its second race, this one is a bit of a shock. Had this been three or four years ago, it would have been a great decision, as the 2.5-mile track hasn’t always produced the best on-track product. The 550-horsepower package actually did wonders for this track over the past two years, and the racing was the best it had been in many years.
It’s also unfortunate to see Pocono’s doubleheader experiment come to an end so early after it never really had a shot at success in two seasons marred by COVID-19 protocols.
All Gas, No Breaks.
In one of the more controversial decisions regarding the 2022 schedule, June 19th will serve as the only off-week for the 36-race season. Many had anticipated a shortened schedule going into the upcoming season due to the relentless nature of the current circuit and outcry from those within the sport, but it ended up being the complete opposite.
“We felt like it was important, especially for our fans that are sitting at home watching the event or coming out to a race, to have a lot of momentum from the start of our season at Daytona, the Daytona 500, all the way to Sonoma where FOX will close their portion of the season, and then from Nashville Superspeedway where NBC picks us up all the way to the championship race at Phoenix,” Kennedy said.
NASCAR is an entertainment-driven industry, as is the NFL. It seems as if the sanctioning body is trying to follow a similar formula to the most successful professional sports organization in the U.S.
Aside from the Clash being held in a football stadium the week before the Super Bowl, players have been campaigning for shortened seasons due to injury and personal lives. Yet, the NFL added another game to their original 17-week schedule.
Note: One of the most controversial races (Bristol on dirt) will be completed in primetime on Easter Sunday in 2022.
Vibe Switch.
Notable Moves: Circuit of The Americas (3/27), Richmond Raceway 2 (8/14), Homestead-Miami Speedway (10/15)
The change was imminent and necessary to compile a successful schedule for 2022. After being plagued by inclement weather in May, Circuit of The Americas is being moved back to Marchhopings for a dry racing surface.
In one of the best moves in recent memory, Richmond Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway will swap dates, pushing Miami into the playoffs and forcing the .75-mile track out.
Fans and teams were understandably upset when Homestead got uprooted from its Championship weekend to the beginning of the year in 2020. The destination venue consistently produces some of the best on-track action, and it felt wrong to have one date so early on in the season,
Richmond, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of Homestead. Although nestled in the heart of what NASCAR was built on, the .75-mile track typically produces green-flag, non-compelling racing, which didn’t really garner a spot in the playoffs without its rich history.
You can check out the complete 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule here.
