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As the familiar sights and sensations that signal the coming of spring emerge from their slumber, so too has a new season of racing roared to life. The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is now well underway, with the exhibition Busch Light Clash and season-opening Daytona 500 having led into the season.

This year, the 2022 season schedule continues NASCAR's process of re-aligning its long-stagnant calendar, with two new racetracks added to the 36-race schedule.

  • The Clash, an exhibition race that opens the season, was moved from Daytona International Speedway to a purpose-built quarter mile track within the Los Angeles Coliseum. Joey Logano was the winner in a race that marked the first time in decades that NASCAR had raced within the confines of a major sports stadium.
  • World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in St. Louis, long a part of the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series schedules, will host a Cup race for the first time and replace one of Pocono Raceway's two dates

The other changes to the schedule are as follows:

  • Bristol Motor Speedway's Dirt Race will be moved to Easter Sunday night, April 17. This will mark the first time the Cup Series has raced on Easter since 1989, when a snowstorm forced a race at Richmond to be postponed from February to the next off week
  • Homestead-Miami Speedway will return to its traditional place on the schedule in the fall, moving to October 23 to become the second race of the playoffs Round of 8
  • Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway have swapped their playoff dates, with Texas (Sept. 25) becoming the first race of the Round of 12 and Vegas becoming the first race of the Round of 8 respectively. The All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway will also move from early June to May 22
  • Kansas Speedway's fall race will be moved to Sept. 11, becoming the second race of the Round of 16. Richmond Raceway's second race, which traditionally fell on this date, will be moved to Aug. 14. Richmond's spring race moves to early April, making it the first short track race of the season
  • Circuit of the Americas' race has been moved from mid-May to the end of March. COTA's inaugural Cup Series weekend in 2021 was plagued by rain and standing water, which caused several major accidents and ended the race short of its scheduled distance.
  • The penultimate race before the end of the regular season will be held on a road course, as Watkins Glen International's race will move to August 21. Michigan International Speedway's race will move to Aug. 7
  • Pocono Raceway will host only one Cup Series race for the first time since 1981. NASCAR's annual trip to Pocono will come on July 24
  • There is only one off week the entire season, with the Cup Series taking off for the week of Father's Day on June 19

Here is the complete 2022 schedule, including the winners so far:

2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

(* denotes non-points race)

  • Sunday, Feb. 6 - The Clash* - Los Angeles Coliseum (Winner: Joey Logano)
  • Thursday, Feb. 17 - Daytona 500 Duels - Daytona International Speedway (Winners: Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher)
  • Sunday, Feb. 20 - Daytona 500 - Daytona International Speedway (Winner: Austin Cindric)
  • Sunday, Feb. 27 - Auto Club Speedway (Winner: Kyle Larson)
  • Sunday, March 6 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Winner: Alex Bowman)
  • Sunday, March 13 - Phoenix Raceway (Winner: Chase Briscoe)
  • Sunday, March 20 - Atlanta Motor Speedway (Winner: William Byron)
  • Sunday, March 27 - Circuit of the Americas (Winner: Ross Chastain)
  • Sunday, April 3 - Richmond Raceway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
  • Saturday, April 9 - Martinsville Speedway (Winner: William Byron)
  • Sunday, April 17 - Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt (Winner: Kyle Busch)
  • Sunday, April 24 - Talladega Superspeedway (Winner: Ross Chastain)
  • Sunday, May 1 - Dover International Speedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
  • Sunday, May 8 - Darlington Raceway (Winner: Joey Logano)
  • Sunday, May 15 - Kansas Speedway (Winner: Kurt Busch)
  • Sunday, May 22 - All-Star Race* - Texas Motor Speedway (Winner: Ryan Blaney)
  • Sunday, May 29 - Coca-Cola 600 - Charlotte Motor Speedway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
  • Sunday, June 5 - World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Winner: Joey Logano) 
  • Sunday, June 12 - Sonoma Raceway (Winner: Daniel Suarez) 
  • Sunday, June 19 - OFF
  • Sunday, June 26 - Nashville Superspeedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
  • Sunday, July 3 - Road America (Winner: Tyler Reddick)
  • Sunday, July 10 - Atlanta Motor Speedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
  • Sunday, July 17 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Winner: Christopher Bell)
  • Sunday, July 24 - Pocono Raceway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
  • Sunday, July 31 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Winner: Tyler Reddick)
  • Sunday, Aug. 7 - Michigan International Speedway (Winner: Kevin Harvick)
  • Sunday, Aug. 14 - Richmond Raceway (Winner: Kevin Harvick)
  • Sunday, Aug. 21 - Watkins Glen International (Winner: Kyle Larson)
  • Saturday, Aug. 27 - Coke Zero Sugar 400 - Daytona International Speedway (Winner: Austin Dillon)

NASCAR Cup Series playoffs

Round of 16

  • Sunday, Sept. 4 - Southern 500 - Darlington Raceway (Winner: Erik Jones)
  • Sunday, Sept. 11 - Kansas Speedway (Winner: Bubba Wallace)
  • Saturday, Sept. 17 - Bristol Motor Speedway (night) (Winner: Chris Buescher)

Round of 12

  • Sunday, Sept. 25 - Texas Motor Speedway (Winner: Tyler Reddick)
  • Sunday, Oct. 2 - Talladega Superspeedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
  • Sunday, Oct. 9 - Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Winner: Christopher Bell)

Round of 8

  • Sunday, Oct. 16 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Winner: Joey Logano)
  • Sunday, Oct. 23 - Homestead-Miami Speedway (Winner: Kyle Larson)
  • Sunday, Oct. 30 - Martinsville Speedway (Winner: Christopher Bell) 

Championship Race

  • Sunday, Nov. 6 - Phoenix Raceway (Winner: Joey Logano)