The schedule for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series has been confirmed – the 65th year of NASCAR competition.
The 2013 season will kick off at Daytona International Speedway for the traditional shootout and 500 mile race, with all teams set to debut their new range of Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camrys.
“The new NASCAR Sprint Cup cars for next season have dominated fan conversation for more than a year, and the time is approaching to unleash them on the race track,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO.
“Next year's schedule again will offer a strong mix of challenges for our talented drivers, and we believe fans will continue to enjoy what they've come to expect: the most exciting and competitive racing in the world.”
The 2013 Cup schedule will have a familiar feel, opening with the Daytona 500 before moving west to Phoenix (March 3) and Las Vegas (March 10). For the third consecutive season, the Chase for the Sprint Cup will start at Chicagoland. The Chase will conclude at the season finale on November 17 at Homestead-Miami.
With Kansas Speedway's repave project complete, next season's fall event at Talladega will return to its traditional spot on the calendar. Talladega's 2013 Chase race, the sixth of the 10-race playoff, will be run October 20. Kansas will host its 2013 Chase event on October 6.
2013 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
16/2 Daytona International Speedway (Shootout)
17/2 Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying)
21/2 Daytona International Speedway (Duel)
24/2 Daytona 500
3/3 Phoenix International Raceway
10/3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
17/3 Bristol Motor Speedway
24/3 Auto Club Speedway
7/4 Martinsville Speedway
13/4 Texas Motor Speedway
21/4 Kansas Speedway
27/4 Richmond International Raceway
5/5 Talladega Superspeedway
11/5 Darlington Raceway
18/5 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (Charlotte Motor Speedway)
26/5 Charlotte Motor Speedway
2/6 Dover International Speedway
9/6 Pocono Raceway
16/6 Michigan International Speedway
23/6 Sonoma
29/6 Kentucky Speedway
6/7 Daytona International Speedway
14/7 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
28/7 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
4/8 Pocono Raceway
11/8 Watkins Glen International
18/8 Michigan International Speedway
24/8 Bristol Motor Speedway
1/9 Atlanta Motor Speedway
7/9 Richmond International Raceway
15/9 Chicagoland Speedway
22/9 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
29/9 Dover International Speedway
6/10 Kansas Speedway
12/10 Charlotte Motor Speedway
20/10 Talladega Superspeedway
27/10 Martinsville Speedway
3/11 Texas Motor Speedway
10/11 Phoenix International Raceway
17/11 Homestead-Miami Speedway