For the first time in its history, NASCAR has signed sanction agreements with its tracks over multiple years.

NASCAR has announced agreements with 23 tracks to host NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events for the next five seasons, and with 24 to host NASCAR XFINITY Series events through the 2020 season.

“NASCAR and the tracks take seriously our collective responsibility to the fans and each stakeholder to ensure the sport is healthy, strong and growing, so we can deliver great racing to the fans for many decades to come,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “The live event experience always will be important to creating a lifetime fan in NASCAR.

“Among the goals that we set out to accomplish with our track partners was to provide consistency for race fans and the industry stakeholders. We feel like we have a nice balance of that for 2016. The stability of five-year agreements positions us well to deliver fans with schedules as early as possible over the next several years. This is a new approach for our industry, and one that benefits everyone: fans, tracks, teams, drivers, OEMs, media and partners.”

In addition, NASCAR also set the 2016 racing schedule for both NSCS and NXS competition. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is still being finalized and will be announced later. Of importance, for 2017 and beyond, is the fact that NASCAR and the tracks will negotiate dates with the tracks over the final four years of the agreement.

While no major changes were revealed for the NSCS schedule, there are a few. The May events at Richmond International Raceway will move from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday for the NXS-NSCS doubleheader, Dover moves from post-Charlotte to pre-Charlotte in May, and Michigan’s August date was moved to later in the month. The July date at Daytona International Speedway will revert back to a Saturday night race as NBC kicks off its coverage for the 2016 season.

Additionally, the NXS will compete at Pocono for the first time in June as companion to the NSCS.

2016 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

Date      Site     

2/13      Daytona International Speedway (Sprint Unlimited)       

2/14      Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying)        

2/18      Daytona International Speedway (Duel)             

2/21      Daytona 500     

2/28      Atlanta Motor Speedway           

3/6        Las Vegas Motor Speedway       

3/13      Phoenix International Raceway

3/20      Auto Club Speedway     

4/3        Martinsville Speedway 

4/9        Texas Motor Speedway

4/17      Bristol Motor Speedway             

4/24      Richmond International Raceway           

5/1        Talladega Superspeedway         

5/7        Kansas Speedway          

5/15      Dover International Speedway 

5/21      Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race)           

5/29      Charlotte Motor Speedway       

6/5        Pocono Raceway            

6/12      Michigan International Speedway          

6/26      Sonoma Raceway          

7/2        Daytona International Speedway           

7/9        Kentucky Speedway      

7/17      New Hampshire Motor Speedway          

7/24      Indianapolis Motor Speedway  

7/31      Pocono Raceway            

8/7        Watkins Glen International        

8/20      Bristol Motor Speedway             

8/28      Michigan International Speedway          

9/4        Darlington Raceway      

9/10      Richmond International Raceway           

9/18      Chicagoland Speedway

9/25      New Hampshire Motor Speedway          

10/2      Dover International Speedway 

10/8      Charlotte Motor Speedway       

10/16    Kansas Speedway          

10/23    Talladega Superspeedway         

10/30    Martinsville Speedway 

11/6      Texas Motor Speedway

11/13    Phoenix International Raceway

11/20    Homestead-Miami Speedway   

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE