NASCAR 2025 schedule puts Phoenix Raceway at center of the action

NASCAR 2025 schedule puts Phoenix Raceway at center of the action

By Adam Stern

Chevrolet driver William Byron (24) leads the pack across the start/finish line at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 4, 2023 during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Avondale.

Though NASCAR has just unveiled the 2025 schedules for its three national circuits, the auto racing juggernaut is already well under way in working on slates for 2026 as it eyes expansion globally and domestically.

For the premier Cup Series, the headline of the 2025 slate will be the recently announced event in Mexico that will mark the Cup Series’ first points race outside the U.S. in 67 years. The auto racing property is also reportedly likely to return to Rockingham Speedway in southern North Carolina with its lower-level Xfinity and Truck series, according to Fox Sports. Rockingham was formerly owned by ISC and SMI and hasn’t hosted the premier level of NASCAR since 2004. It is now owned by a local group named Rockingham Properties.

Once again, the season will concludes on Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. This will be the sixth-consecutive year that the Valley has hosted the championship. The championship was first moved to Phoenix Raceway in 2020 after the racetrack underwent a $178 million renovation project.

The 2025 Cup Series regular season race in Phoenix is set for March 9.

NASCAR bullish on Phoenix Raceway

NASCAR President Steve Phelps has previously touted the Valley track's role in the growth of the sport over the past few years, pointing to increases in ratings, admissions, camping, reputation and relevance. Phoenix Raceway is led by president Latasha Causey, who took over the job in November 2022. She is the first black female NASCAR track president.

Latasha Causey is president of NASCAR's Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR also previously announced it is moving the season-opening Busch Light Clash to Bowman-Gray Stadium in North Carolina on Feb. 2, as it continues mixing in new and old venues to the schedule. It's the Cup Series’ first competitive visit to the 0.25-mile track since 1971. That track was the site of Richard Petty’s 100th career series win in 1969.

Two weeks later, the regular season gets underway with the 67th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 16. 

Prime Video will air the Mexico City race on June 15, with NASCAR delivering on its bid to get a major event on the schedule of its new media partner. The schedule will include the independently owned World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis moving into the playoffs for the first time, while Daytona will return to being the regular-season finale after serving as the penultimate race of the regular season this year. As expected, NASCAR will get back to having no two-week break like it had this year during the Paris Games at the request of NBC Sports.

Meanwhile, NASCAR is already working on 2026: after NASCAR Chief International Officer Chad Seigler told SBJ last November that NASCAR was open to putting on races in Brazil with its U.S.-based series, Motorsport.com reported in early August that NASCAR execs were in Brazil meeting with elected officials in Sao Paolo about bringing the Clash there in 2026. Also, NASCAR is looking into other future locations for street races in the U.S. and could host one in San Diego as soon as 2026, sources have told SBJ.

Final Thoughts:

Phoenix Raceway continues to be the heart of NASCAR’s excitement, securing its place as the ultimate destination for the sport’s biggest moments. With the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race returning to Avondale for the sixth consecutive year, Phoenix is cemented as a key player in NASCAR's evolving global and domestic strategy. As the sport expands its horizons with international races and historic tracks, Phoenix Raceway’s ongoing role showcases its significance in NASCAR’s future. For fans in the Valley, this means more action, more history in the making, and more reasons to cheer.