NASCAR Realigns 2011 Schedule With Major Shakeup Seen Around The Board

As expected, the realignment process that NASCAR has been working on for the past few weeks is finally set to begin in 2011.

The 36-race Sprint Cup schedule will see some significant changes when the season begins, with the most significant being the September 18 date, which kicks off the beginning of the 10-race chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Auto Club Speedway, which held two races during the Sprint cup season, lost one their dates to Kansas Speedway, which will now host two races when the upcoming season begins.

Another significant change will be the addition of NASCAR’s newest member to the schedule—Kentucky—which will follow the Coke Zero 400 on July 9.

NASCAR is hoping that the schedule change will draw more fan interest to the sport, along with supplying the drivers a more diverse challenge by moving the tracks around.

The 2011 schedule is as follows:

Feb. 12 Budweiser Shootout *            

Feb. 17 Gatorade Duel *            

Feb. 20 Daytona  

Feb. 27 Phoenix  

Feb. 25 Phoenix

March 6 Las Vegas  

March 20 Bristol            

March 27 Fontana  

April 3 Martinsville        

April 9 Texas  

April 17 Talladega  

April 30 Richmond  

May 7 Darlington  

May 15 Dover  

May 21 All-Star Race *  

May 29 Charlotte  

June 5 Kansas  

June 12 Pocono        

June 19 Michigan  

June 26 Sonoma  

July 2 Daytona  

July 9 Kentucky  

July 17 Loudon  

July 31 Indianapolis  

Aug. 7 Pocono  

Aug. 14 Watkins Glen  

Aug. 21 Michigan  

Aug. 27 Bristol  

Sept. 4 Atlanta  

Sept. 10 Richmond  

Sept. 18 Chicago  

Sept. 25 Loudon        

Oct. 2 Dover  

Oct. 9 Kansas  

Oct. 15 Charlotte  

Oct. 23 Talladega        

Oct. 30 Martinsville        

Nov. 6 Texas  

Nov. 13 Phoenix  

Nov. 20 Homestead

*Non-points event