NASCAR to limit qualifying runs to eight races in '21

[January 09, 2021]    NASCAR will run eight Cup Series races in 2021 with practice and qualifying, the circuit said Friday.

That continues the trend from 2020 when only one race -- the Coca-Cola 600 -- had a qualifying run. Time on the track was limited to race-day only to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin (11) during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NASCAR schedule has 36 Cup Series races.

How the starting lineups will be determined for 2021 races will be announced at a later time, NASCAR said. Whether to hold practice and/or qualifying runs for either the Xfinity Series or Camping World Truck Series has yet to be determined.

These are the eight Cup Series events that will have practice and qualifying runs:

--Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 14

--Food City Dirt Race, Bristol Motor Speedway dirt, March 28

--Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, May 23

--Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway, May 30

--NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville, Nashville Superspeedway, June 20

--Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., July 4

--Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Aug. 15

--NASCAR Cup Series Championship, Phoenix Raceway, Nov. 7

--Field Level Media

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.