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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 NASCAR announces 2009 national series schedules Herald news services DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced Tuesday its national series schedules for the 2009 season, which features realigned dates for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Truck Series. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series there will be a three-way date swap between Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) and Talladega Superspeedway. • Atlanta’s second 2009 race will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, taking the Labor Day weekend slot now held by Auto Club Speedway. • Auto Club Speedway’s second race will be Sunday, Oct. 11 – the fourth week of the “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” a slot formerly held by Talladega. • Talladega’s second event will move to Sunday, Nov. 1, making it the seventh Chase event – the slot formerly held by Atlanta. “The 2009 schedule reflects realigned dates that are good opportunities for everyone involved in our sport – fans, sponsors, tracks and teams," said NASCAR President Mike Helton. The season begins with a tripleheader weekend at Daytona International Speedway capped by the running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15. In addition to that season-opening event for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Truck Series starts its season on Friday night, Feb. 13, followed the next afternoon by the NASCAR Nationwide Series opener. For all three series, the season will conclude with another tripleheader weekend, at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20-22. Other key NASCAR Sprint Cup dates in 2009: • The 31st annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona – a non-points event – will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7. • On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 12, Richmond International Raceway will again host the “Chase cut-off” race, affording the last opportunity for drivers to qualify for NASCAR’s championship playoffs. • New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host the first races in both the “Race to the Chase” (Sunday, June 28) and the Chase (Sunday, Sept. 20). There also will be an additional off-week for NASCAR’s premier series in 2009, prior to the Labor Day weekend event, giving teams a final break before a 12-week stretch that will end the season. Because of the way the calendar falls, NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will have a total of four off-weeks during the 2009 season. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will have a 35-race schedule. Changes from this year include a new event at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1, replacing Mexico City; a switch of the Atlanta Motor Speedway event from March to September; and moving the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve event in Montreal to Sunday, Aug. 30. The NASCAR Truck Series in 2009 again will have 25 races, with one realigned date: The series’ late-season race at Atlanta will be replaced by a night event at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, Aug. 28. (Note: The 2009 schedules follow. All dates subject to change. Starting times and television information will be announced at a later date.) 2009 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE Date Site Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway* Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 22 Auto Club Speedway March 1 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway March 22 Bristol Motor Speedway March 29 Martinsville Speedway April 5 Texas Motor Speedway April 18 Phoenix International Raceway April 26 Talladega Superspeedway May 2 Richmond International Raceway May 9 Darlington Raceway May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Lowe’s Motor Speedway* May 24 Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 31 Dover International Speedway June 7 Pocono Raceway June 14 Michigan International Speedway June 21 Infineon Raceway June 28 New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 4 Daytona International Speedway July 11 Chicagoland Speedway July 26 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Aug. 2 Pocono Raceway Aug. 9 Watkins Glen International Aug. 16 Michigan International Speedway Aug. 22 Bristol Motor Speedway Sept. 6 Atlanta Motor Speedway Sept. 12 Richmond International Raceway Sept. 20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sept. 27 Dover International Speedway Oct. 4 Kansas Speedway Oct. 11 Auto Club Speedway Oct. 17 Lowe’s Motor Speedway Oct. 25 Martinsville Speedway Nov. 1 Talladega Superspeedway Nov. 8 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 15 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 22 Homestead-Miami Speedway * – Denotes non-points event. 2009 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE Date Site Feb. 14 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway Feb. 28 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 21 Bristol Motor Speedway April 4 Texas Motor Speedway April 11 Nashville Superspeedway April 17 Phoenix International Raceway April 25 Talladega Superspeedway May 1 Richmond International Raceway May 8 Darlington Raceway May 23 Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 30 Dover International Speedway June 6 Nashville Superspeedway June 13 Kentucky Speedway June 20 Milwaukee Mile June 27 New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 3 Daytona International Speedway July 10 Chicagoland Speedway July 18 Gateway International Raceway July 25 O’Reilly Raceway Park Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway Aug. 8 Watkins Glen International Aug. 15 Michigan International Speedway Aug. 21 Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 30 Circuit Gilles Villenueve Sept. 5 Atlanta Motor Speedway Sept. 11 Richmond International Raceway Sept. 26 Dover International Speedway Oct. 3 Kansas Speedway Oct. 10 Auto Club Speedway Oct. 16 Lowe’s Motor Speedway Oct. 24 Memphis Motorsports Park Nov. 7 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 14 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway 2009 NASCAR TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE Date Site Feb. 13 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway March 7 Atlanta Motor Speedway March 28 Martinsville Speedway April 25 Kansas Speedway May 15 Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 23 Mansfield Motorsports Park May 29 Dover International Speedway June 5 Texas Motor Speedway June 13 Michigan International Speedway June 19 Milwaukee Mile June 27 Memphis Motorsports Park July 18 Kentucky Speedway July 24 O’Reilly Raceway Park Aug. 1 Nashville Superspeedway Aug. 19 Bristol Motor Speedway Aug. 28 Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 12 Gateway International Raceway Sept. 19 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sept. 26 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Oct. 24 Martinsville Speedway Oct. 31 Talladega Superspeedway Nov. 6 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 13 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 20 Homestead-Miami Speedway

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