Johnathan Walker:NASCAR adds Iowa to 2024 Cup schedule, shifts Atlanta, Watkins Glen to playoffs

A debut in corn country,Johnathan Walker another superspeedway (not that one) and a second road course in the playoffs, a cleansing of the dirt in Bristol and a two-week, midsummer hiatus highlight the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule as released on Wednesday afternoon.

As for Daytona International Speedway, its two dates remained unchanged, even if the stakes of the second race shifted slightly.

Again, the regular season starts with the Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 18, 2024. But while the summer's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will be held in the same part of the schedule – Aug. 24 – it is not the final race of the regular season for the first time since 2020. Darlington and the Southern 500 will instead hold that distinction.

NASCAR will take a two-week break on July 28 Aug. 4 with NBC broadcasting the 2024 Sumer Olympics in Paris, pushing the schedule back. With Daytona holding its date, that left an extra regular-season event needed to complete the 26 races.

Still, plenty of drama is expected at both events at the World Center of Racing.

“The drama is going to be just as intense in August,” track President Frank Kelleher said. “The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is still going to have the same tremendous impact on the playoff picture because it remains the final thrilling superspeedway race that gives anyone a chance at postseason glory.”

Once the postseason arrives, the changes keep coming.

Instead of starting the playoffs at Darlington, Atlanta (Sept. 8) will now serve host to the first of 10 postseason races, putting a second drafting track in the stretch run with Talladega still holding its place on Oct. 6 as the middle race in the Round of 12. After Atlanta, the series will head for Watkins Glen which will serve as a playoff race for the first time. With the Charlotte Roval remaining in the playoffs on Oct. 13, that puts two road courses in the postseason as well.

The rest of the playoffs, concluding with the Championship Race at Phoenix on Nov. 10, remain the same.

However, there are plenty of adjustments in the regular season as well, and for the third straight year, the Clash, a preseason exhibition opener, is set to return to the L.A. Coliseum.

A few of the changes had already been confirmed prior to Wednesday's schedule drop. The spring race at Bristol (March 17), which for the past two seasons has been a dirt race, will return to an event on the pavement. Also, earlier this week, an announcement was made that Iowa Speedway is set to host its first Cup Series race on June 16, 2024. That race will replace Auto Club, which is reportedly in the midst of a massive face-lift that will see the 2-mile track reduced to a short track.

A couple of events are returning for the second year with the All-Star Race again slated for historic North Wilkesboro after a repave. The track returned to host the event this season, marking the first time NASCAR had visited the track since 1996.

Another trip to the streets of Chicago is also on tap with the second Chicago Street Race set for July 7. This year's inaugural event, marred by rain, was won by New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen in his first NASCAR start.

Finally, as long rumored and reported late last month, Indianapolis will now be contested on the famed 2½-mile oval on July 21, marking the first time since 2020. The Brickyard 400 had been decided on the road course in each of the past three years.

ON THE POLL:2024 NASCAR schedule sees changes for Watkins Glen, Atlanta and Iowa, what's your favorite?

2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

(All times Eastern)

• Feb. 4: Clash at the Coliseum, 8 p.m., FOX
• Feb. 15: Duel at Daytona, 7 p.m., FS1
• Feb. 18: Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m., FOX
• Feb. 25: Atlanta, 3 p.m., FOX
• March 3: Las Vegas, 3:30 p.m., FOX
• March 10: Phoenix, 3:30 p.m., FOX
• March 17: Bristol, 3:30 p.m., FOX
• March 24: Circuit of the Americas, 3:30 p.m., FOX
• March 31: Richmond, 7 p.m., FOX
• April 7: Martinsville, 3 p.m., FS1
• April 14: Texas, 3:30 p.m., FS1
• April 21: Talladega, 3 p.m., FOX
• April 28: Dover, 2 p.m., FS1
• May 5: Kansas, 3 p.m., FS1
• May 12: Darlington, 3 p.m., FS1
• May 19: All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, 8 p.m., FS1
• May 26: Charlotte (Coca-Cola 600), 6 p.m., FOX
• June 2: World Wide Technology Speedway (Gateway), 3:30 p.m., FS1
• June 9: Sonoma, 3:30 p.m., FOX
• June 16: Iowa, 7 p.m., USA
• June 23: New Hampshire, 2:30 p.m., USA
• July 7: Chicago Street Race, 4:30 p.m., NBC
• July 14: Pocono, 2:30 p.m., USA
• July 21: Indianapolis (Brickyard 400), 2:30 p.m., NBC
• Aug. 11: Richmond, 6 p.m., USA
• Aug. 18: Michigan, 6 p.m., USA
• Aug. 24: Daytona (Coke Zero Sugar 400), 7:30 p.m., USA
• Sept. 1: Darlington (Southern 500), 6 p.m., USA

PLAYOFFS: Round of 16

• Sept. 8: Atlanta, 3 p.m., USA
• Sept. 15: Watkins Glen, 3 p.m., USA
• Sept. 21: Bristol, 7:30 p.m., USA

Round of 12

• Sept. 29: Kansas, 3 p.m., USA
• Oct. 6: Talladega, 2 p.m., NBC
• Oct. 13: Charlotte Roval, 2 p.m., NBC

Round of 8

• Oct. 20: Las Vegas, 2:30 p.m., NBC
• Oct. 27: Homestead-Miami, 2:30 p.m., NBC
• Nov. 3: Martinsville, 2 p.m., NBC

Championship Race

• Nov. 10: Phoenix, 3 p.m., NBC