NASCAR Cup Series 2026 Guide: Remaining Schedule, Playoffs and Daytona Tickets
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The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series is entering its most important stretch of the season, with the regular season winding down before the playoffs begin. For racing fans in Florida, the spotlight turns to Daytona International Speedway, where the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 29 will serve as the regular season finale and one of the year's most unpredictable races.
NASCAR will head back to Florida this August. Photo Credit: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Whether you're planning to attend a race, follow the championship battle, or experience NASCAR for the first time, here's everything you need to know about the remainder of the 2026 season.
What is the NASCAR Cup Series?
The NASCAR Cup Series is the premier championship in American stock car racing, featuring the sport's top drivers competing across superspeedways, short tracks, road courses, and intermediate ovals throughout the United States.
Drivers earn points during the regular season before the championship transitions into the NASCAR Playoffs, a multi-round elimination format that determines the series champion over the final races of the year.
Remaining 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule
As of August 3, 2026, these are the remaining Cup Series races:
Date | Race | Venue |
August 9 | Iowa Speedway | Newton, Iowa |
August 15 | Richmond Raceway | Richmond, Virginia |
August 23 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Loudon, New Hampshire |
August 29 | Coke Zero Sugar 400 | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida |
September 6 | Darlington Raceway | Darlington, South Carolina |
September 13 | World Wide Technology Raceway | Madison, Illinois |
September 19 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Bristol, Tennessee |
September 27 | Kansas Speedway | Kansas City, Kansas |
October 4 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Las Vegas, Nevada |
October 11 | Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval | Concord, North Carolina |
October 18 | Phoenix Raceway | Avondale, Arizona |
October 25 | Talladega Superspeedway | Talladega, Alabama |
November 1 | Martinsville Speedway | Martinsville, Virginia |
November 8 | Championship Race | Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida |
Daytona Race Weekend: Two Nights of NASCAR Action
Race fans heading to Daytona International Speedway over the final weekend of August can enjoy back-to-back NASCAR events before the Cup Series playoffs begin.
On Friday, August 28, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to Daytona for the Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola, one of the series' signature superspeedway races. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. ET and serves as the opening night of the weekend's racing action. Like the Cup Series, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series features close drafting and pack racing, making Daytona one of its most exciting stops.
The excitement continues on Saturday, August 29, when the NASCAR Cup Series takes center stage with the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The race marks the regular season finale, giving drivers one last opportunity to secure a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs before the championship field is finalized. The green flag is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Where to Buy Tickets
Fans can purchase tickets for both Daytona race weekend events through StubHub, where a variety of seating options and resale listings are available.
Purchase Tickets:
Visitors can also check the official Daytona International Speedway event calendar for race weekend schedules, parking information, camping, FanZone access, and venue policies before attending.
The Road to the Championship
Following Daytona, the NASCAR Cup Series enters the playoff portion of the season, where drivers compete through multiple elimination rounds before the championship is decided at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8.
The return of the championship race to Homestead places South Florida back at the center of the NASCAR calendar, with the season's title set to be decided on one of the sport's most respected intermediate tracks.