Dale Earnhardt Jr. dishes on NASCAR schedule rumors, new tracks, return of an old track

The NASCAR schedule continues to be an ever-changing entity. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a little bit of inside knowledge about 2026. A full schedule for next season likely won’t come out until August or September this year, but what could that look like as rumors swirl around the industry?

Coming out of the Mexico City weekend and soon turning towards the Chicago Street Course, the newness of this 2025 NASCAR schedule is evident. This is not the schedule it used to be back in the 2000s or even the 2010s.

NASCAR wants to continue pushing the boundaries of what and where a Cup Series race is. Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared a little bit of 2026 schedule news on his Dale Jr. Download podcast this week.

“Would I go back [to Mexico City]? Absolutely,” Dale Jr. said. “I’m hearing some rumors that it’s probably, it’s a chance it stays on the schedule, but it might not be in the same part of the season. They might move it to a different part of the schedule. I hear there’s a lot of conversation, I’ll just say, around you know, what happens, I guess we might not go back to Chicago Street Course. There’s a chance Chicagoland can come back, I’m hearing, but I’m not 100% sure about that. San Diego idea, there’s a chance to race in the streets, I guess, of San Diego, or create some sort of course there. That’s pretty realistic.”

So, Mexico City likely stays, but changes dates. At least, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sources. No surprise there, really. NASCAR would like to have an off week after that race, if it returns in the future. Give teams a good time to relax and get back to normal.

Then there is Chicago. This is year three of the event, and we have seen that three years appears to be the limit on many of these new races. The Clash at LA Coliseum lasted three years, we have seen North Wilkesboro serve as the All-Star Race for three years, and now Chicago Street is coming up on year three.

Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported this week that San Diego is on NASCAR’s radar. A street race in Southern California would be major. The sport continues to look for a way back to that market.

It was also revealed that Philadelphia is a city that NASCAR would like to race in. Steve O’Donnell has his eyes on Franklin Field for a temporary track, much like the LA Coliseum. A short track race in the heart of Philly.