2021 NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series (Johnsonverse)

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2021 NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series
Previous: 2020 Next: 2022
Champions | Seasons
Kyle Larson, the current points leader.

The 2021 NASCAR Panasonic Cup Series is the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. The race was followed by the Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway, followed by the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying races, and the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 by STP. Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing enters this season as the defending champion.

Teams and drivers

Complete Schedule

Manufacturer Team No. Race driver Model Tire Sponsor(s)
Aston Martin Delma Cowart Racing 0 Noah Howe DB11 Superleggera Dunlop Craftsman

Sega

Chicken Ranch

100 Chris Vallely RCA

Masters Inn

180 Dave Hawkins General Electric
Butch Jones Enterprises with Geoffrey Bodine 162 Clay Jones Toyo
163 Katie Bell
BMW Team Ohio Racing 64 Kelly Walker M4 Dunlop
65 Rodney Clay
Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports 5 Kyle Larson Camaro Goodyear HendrickCars.com

NationsGuard

Freightliner

Cincinatti

Valvoline

9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts

3M

Axalta

Mountain Dew

Hooters

Kelley Blue Book

Luminar

24 William Byron Axalta

Liberty University

Ally Financial

48 Alex Bowman Lowe's
JTG Daugherty Racing 37 Ryan Preece Malibu Firestone Kingsford
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Kroger
Richard Childress Racing 3 Austin Dillon Camaro Goodyear Dow Chemicals

Cheerios

American Ethanol

AAA Insurance

29 Daniel Hemric T-Mobile
31 Ty Dillon Caterpillar
33 Tyler Reddick Smokey Mountain
Dale Earnhardt Inc. 8 Jeffrey Earnhardt Camaro Hoosier Budweiser
15 Macy Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts

Domino's

Aaron’s

StarCom Racing 199 Quin Houff Malibu Dunlop StarCom Fiber
Phoenix Racing 09 Scott Heckert Malibu Pirelli Miccosukee
50 Brian Vickers Phoenix Construction
67 Brennan Newberry Phoenix Construction
74 Manny Brown Phoenix Construction
Dodge Team Penske 2 Brad Keselowski Charger Goodyear Miller Lite

Discount Tire

Autotrader

Wurth

12 Ryan Blaney Menard's

PPG

22 Joey Logano Shell/Pennzoil

AAA

Evernham Motorsports 93 Kasey Kahne Charger Hoosier Dodge Dealers
153 Wade Davis Stanley Tools
191 Richie Reed Dodge Dealers
192 Stan Mullis Dodge Dealers
Chip Ganassi Racing 1 Kurt Busch Challenger Goodyear Monster Energy
42 Ross Chastain McDonald's
Rusty Wallace Racing 102 Steve Wallace Challenger Cooper 5-Hour Energy
Spire Motorsports 7 Corey LaJoie Charger Hoosier
77a Jamie McMurray 1 McDonald's
Justin Haley 14 Fraternal Order of Eagles
Stewart Friesen 2 Halmar
Ben Rhodes 1 Alpha Energy Solutions
TBA
Ford Front Row Motorsports 34 Michael McDowell Mustang Michelin Love's
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) CSX
Roush Fenway Racing 6 Ryan Newman Roush Mustang Goodyear Castrol
17 Chris Buescher Fastenal
99 Carl Edwards Aflac
Brown Hornet Racing 164 Hal Dixon Mustang Hoosier
Toyota GMS Racing 83 Spencer Gallagher Avalon Dunlop Allegiant
84 Amber Lucky
85 Luke Trigger
Joe Gibbs Racing 11 Denny Hamlin Camry Goodyear FedEx
18 Kyle Busch M&M's
19 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops
20 Erik Jones Dewalt
81 Christopher Bell (R) Rheem
Oldsmobile Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Jimmy Weller III Cutlass Toyo Kodak
Stavola Bros. Racing 08 Carl Maggio Hoosier Circuit City
Plymouth Richard Petty Motorsports 43 Billy Johnson (R) Road Runner (tracks shorter than one mile and road courses)

Superbird (tracks one mile and longer)

Goodyear STP
Spinner-Marcis Auto Racing 171 Zack Brady Falken Team Realtree
Pontiac Stewart-Haas Racing 00 Chase Briscoe (R) Grand Prix Hoosier Hunt Brothers Pizza
04 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's
10 Aric Almirola Smithfield
14 Tony Stewart (C) Home Depot

Bass Pro Shops

Mobil 1

Rush Truck Centers

Office Depot

Old Spice

41 Cole Custer Haas Automation
The Money Team Racing 46 Michael Annett Firebird Michelin Pilot Travel Centers
Live Fast Motorsports 75 BJ McLeod Firebird Goodyear
Go FAS Racing 32 Ryan Ellis Grand Prix Hoosier Old Spice
Mercury Wood Brothers Racing 21 Matt DiBenedetto Cyclone Goodyear Citgo

Menard's

Studebaker Del-War Inc. 172 Ray Black Jr. Commander Cooper Western Auto
Geyser Orange County Racing 86 Jed Thomas Hawk Pirelli
90 Luke George
Honda Doug Yates Racing 28 Elliott Sadler Civic Goodyear Texaco
88 Vinnie Miller UPS
Leavine Family Racing 95 Ryan Reed Accord Hoosier Procore
Nissan MAG Incorporated 58 Lyle White Sentra Michelin
68 Bill Fuller
71 Randall Parker
177 Randy Norton
Stash Motorsports 91 Bo Abraham Hoosier
92 Beau Philips
Buick Bobby Allison Racing 12 Dakoda Armstrong Regal Michelin Miller High Life
152 Kip Branch Raybestos
Rossi Racing 50 BJ Fisher Firestone
53 Tyson Golston
Rudd Performance Motorsports 110 Mike Murphy Toyo Tide
Cadillac Red Tiger Motorsports with Sterling Marlin 170 Tracy Johnson CT5-V Dunlop
Parsons Motorsports 16 TJ Bell Michelin Curb Records
49 Ned Shannon
66 Tanner Berryhill
Lincoln Rick Ware Racing 51 James Davison (R) Continental Yokohama Jacob Companies
Hedrick Racing 141 Dexter Bean Pirelli Kodiak
Audi NY Racing Team 174 J.J. Yeley A7 Hoosier
175 Matt Mills
Marchesi Racing 176 Mark Marchesi General Tire
Maserati Cale Yarborough Racing 94 Simon Stevens GranTurismo Falken Hardees
Slick Poly Racing 69 Mike Maier Michelin
Jaguar Travis Carter Enterprises 23 Ben Rhodes XE Firestone Kmart
55 Matt Carter Discover Card
61 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly Diabetes
Ken Schrader Racing 52 Grant Enfinger Goodyear Federated Auto Parts
Porsche Kenny Bernstein Racing 26 Harrison Rhodes Boxster Bridgestone Quaker State
NEMCO Racing with Carl Long 187 John Hunter Nemechek 991 Yokohama Fire Alarm Services
Hillman Racing 104 Landon Cassill Boxter Michelin
Volkswagen 23XI Racing 123 Darrell Wallace Jr. Jetta GLI Toyo
Kia Junior Johnson Racing 27 James Davison Optima Firestone Midnight Moon
111 Robert Johnson (R)
Labonte Bros. Racing 96 Justin Labonte Pirelli
Hyundai Robby Gordon Motorsports 07 Takuma Sato Aslan Bridgestone Speed Energy
Firestone
107 Kimi Raikkonen
DeLorean Trackhouse Racing Team 299 Daniel Suárez DMC-13 Goodyear

Limited Schedule

Manufacturer Team No. Race driver Model Rounds Tire Sponsor
Chevrolet Beard Motorsports 62 Noah Gragson 1 South Point Hotel And Casino
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 01 Josh Berry Camaro 7 Hoosier Wrangler Jeans
Kaulig Racing 116 Kaz Grala 2
A. J. Allmendinger 2
TBA 6
Dodge Team Penske 02 Austin Cindric 6 Verizon
Ford B. J. McLeod Motorsports 155 Matt Mills 1
Front Row Motorsports 134 David Ragan 1
Toyota Gaunt Brothers Racing 196 Ty Dillon 4 Bass Pro Shops
Harrison Burton 1
TBA 6
Ford 1

Toyota 1

MBM Motorsports 13 Garrett Smithley 1
David Starr 1
Ford 2

Toyota 8

166 Timmy Hill 7
Mike Marlar 1
David Starr 1
Chad Finchum 1
TBA 9

Lend-Lease entries

Manufacturer Team No. Race driver Model Rounds Tire Sponsor
Ford

Changes

Teams

Spire Motorsports will expand into a two-car operation in 2021. On August 24, the team announced they are looking for two full-time drivers for next season.

After weeks of rumors, on September 21, 2020, it was officially announced that driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan would be forming a single car team, 23XI Racing, with Bubba Wallace as the driver. The manufacturer was confirmed as Volkswagen.

On October 7, 2020, Trackhouse Racing Team announced its entry into the Cup Series, fielding a single entry for Daniel Suárez in 2021. Co-owned by Justin Marks, the team will field DMC-13s.

On October 23, 2020, it was announced that B. J. McLeod and Matt Tifft will field the No. 75 full time in 2021. On November 20, McLeod and Tifft announced the team's name as Live Fast Motorsports, with a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, meaning it will field Pontiacs instead of Fords.

Drivers

  • On August 6, 2020, Erik Jones and Joe Gibbs Racing announced that they would mutually part ways at the end of the 2020 season. This opened the door for Christopher Bell to take over the ride, and the official announcement of Bell being brought in-house at JGR to drive the No. 20 was made on August 10. On October 15, Adam Stern reported that Jones was in discussions with Richard Petty Motorsports will drive the No. 43 in 2021.
  • On August 21, 2020, Corey LaJoie and Go Fas Racing announced that they would mutually part ways at the end of the 2020 season.
  • On September 9, 2020, Matt Kenseth mentioned on Sirius XM's Late Shift that he would more than likely not return to the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 team in 2021. On September 21, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Ross Chastain would replace Kenseth in 2021.
  • On September 10, 2020, Bubba Wallace announced that he would not be back in the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 in 2021. On September 21, it was made official that he would be the driver of the new team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
  • On September 15, 2020, Daniel Suárez announced that he would not be back in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 in 2021. On October 7, 2020, Suárez joined Trackhouse Racing Team full-time for the 2021 season.
  • On October 6, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Alex Bowman will move from the No. 25 to the No. 48 team in 2021.
  • On October 8, 2020, Team Penske announced that Austin Cindric will drive in select Cup Series races while competing full-time in the Busch Series in 2021. He will then transition to the Team Penske No. 77 team in 2022.
  • On October 8, 2020, Clint Bowyer announced he would retire from full-time driving at the end of the 2020 season and work as a NASCAR on Fox commentator in 2021. His replacement in the Bobby Allison Racing No. 152 will be announced at a later date.
  • On October 8, 2020, it was announced that Chase Briscoe would run for rookie of the year in a fifth Stewart-Haas Racing car, the #00.
  • On October 19, 2020, NASCAR reinstated Kyle Larson six months after he was suspended from the sport and fired by Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an iRacing event. He will be cleared to resume all NASCAR activities on January 1, 2021. On October 28, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Larson would drive the No. 5 for the team, replacing Alex Bowman, who moved over to the No. 48 to replace Jimmie Johnson.
  • On November 8, 2020, Ryan Ellis announced he will drive full-time for Go Fas Racing in 2021.

Crew chiefs

  • On September 29, 2020, it was announced that the crew chiefing career of Hendrick Motorsports' seven-time championship winning crew chief Chad Knaus would end after the 2020 season, as he would be promoted to Vice President of Competition for the team starting in 2021. His replacement on the No. 24 car of William Byron will be Rudy Fugle.
  • On October 6, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that No. 5 crew chief Greg Ives will join Alex Bowman in moving to the No. 48 team in 2021.
  • On October 28, 2020, Cliff Daniels, formerly the crew chief for Jimmie Johnson on the No. 48, was announced to be crew chief for Kyle Larson in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 car, switching teams with Ives.
  • On October 30, 2020, 23XI Racing announced that Mike Wheeler will be the crew chief of the No. 23 with Bubba Wallace in 2021.
  • On November 13, 2020, Trackhouse Racing Team announced that Travis Mack will be the crew chief for Daniel Suárez in the No. 99. Mack previously served as crew chief for Michael Annett in the JR Motorsports No. 1 team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series from 2019 to 2020.

Sponsorship

Manufacturers

  • DeLorean, Volkswagen, and Subaru have announced plans to enter into NASCAR, fielding the DMC-12 and DMC-13, the Jetta GLI, and the Legacy, respectively. Team Red Bull will return to NASCAR to field two DMC-12s, while Trackhouse Racing will field the DMC-13, and Phoenix Racing and 23XI Racing will field the Jetta GLI.
  • On October 5, 2020, Go FAS Racing announced it would switch to Pontiac in an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Challenges

In addition to the CompuServe 5, Panasonic Million, and Unocal 76 Challenge, two additional challenges were introduced:

  • The Camping World Elimination Challenge: An elimination-style format, the first 16 winners of the season (although, if there are more or less winners, the field is decided on points) compete for a $100,000 cash bonus, with groups of four being eliminated every few races until four are left in the Pepsi 400. Unlike the scrapped Chase format from 2014, this does not affect the championship.
  • The NASCAR Grand Prix Challenge: Involving midweek road course races, the seven-race challenge involves the races at Willow Springs, Road Atlanta, Virginia, COTA, Portland, Heartland Park, and Miller Motorsports Park. The winner of all seven races receives a $350,000 prize.

Management

  • Starting this season, NASCAR instituted a panel of 31 former and current drivers to provide input on key decisions called the Drivers' Council, those being Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Richard Petty, Bubba Wallace, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Ron Hornaday Jr., Cale Yarborough, Daniel Suárez, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Michael Waltrip, Darrell Waltrip, and Macy Waltrip. This was done because CEO Tim Johnson didn't like how the drivers weren't allowed any input in any of the sport's decisions.

Schedule

The 2021 Cup Series schedule was supposed to be released in the spring of 2020, but its release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 schedule has been expected to see a number of significant changes, in large part due to the fact that the five-year contracts signed in 2015 with each track to host races from 2016 to 2020 will be ending. Some of the widely speculated changes to the schedule for 2021 include the addition of midweek races and doubleheaders, which would allow NASCAR to shorten the ten-month-long season. NASCAR had scheduled their first-ever doubleheader on the original 2020 schedule at Pocono, before COVID-19 resulted in Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Michigan, Dover, and Tokyo all gaining doubleheader weekends. NASCAR also had to schedule midweek races for the series for the first time in the modern era as a result of the COVID-19 schedule changes. NASCAR president Chloe Johnson stated on September 1, 2020 that the schedule may be released in pieces due to COVID-19 and the complications of which tracks would be able to host races due to state regulations and guidelines.

A * indicates a race that is part of the NASCAR Grand Prix Challenge. A # indicates a CompuServe 5 race.

No. Race name Venue Track Type Date TV
1 Dodge/Save Mart 350 Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma Road Course January 31 WBC
Busch Clash Daytona International Speedway (Road Course), Daytona Beach Road Course February 9 FS1
Gatorade Twin 125's Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach Superspeedway (restricted) February 11 FS1
2 Daytona 500 by STP # February 14 Fox

WBC

3 New Smyrna Classic New Smyrna Speedway, Samsula Short Track February 17 ESPN
4 Dixie Vodka 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead Intermediate February 21 Fox
5 California Grand Prix * Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, Rosamond Road Course February 28 WBCSN
6 Las Vegas Dirt Derby Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Las Vegas Short Dirt Oval March 6 FS1
7 Pennzoil 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Intermediate March 7 Fox
8 Instacart 500 Phoenix Raceway, Avondale Intermediate March 14 Fox
9 Atlanta Grand Prix * Road Atlanta, Braselton Road Course March 17 ESPN
10 PrimeStar 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton Intermediate March 21 Fox
11 Food City Dirt Race Bristol Motor Speedway (Dirt Course), Bristol Short Dirt Oval March 28 Fox
12 Bojangles 400 Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville Short Dirt Oval April 3 WBC
13 Mopar 200 South Boston Speedway, South Boston Short Track April 7 WBCSN
14 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway Paperclip Short Track April 10 FS1
15 Virginia Grand Prix* Virginia International Raceway, Alton Road Course April 14 ESPN
16 Toyota Owners 400 Richmond Raceway, Richmond Short Track April 18 FS1
17 Hasbro 300 Huntsville Speedway, Huntsville Short Track April 21 WBCSN
18 Geico 500 # Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln Superspeedway (restricted) April 25 WBC
19 Carolina Dodge Dealers 250 Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem Short Track April 28 WBC
20 Union 76 400 Rockingham Speedway, Rockingham Intermediate May 2 WBC
21 TranSouth Financial 500 Darlington Raceway, Darlington Egg-shaped Intermediate May 9 Fox
22 Dog n Suds 200 Wall Stadium, Belmar Short Track May 12 ESPN
23 Drydene 400 Dover International Speedway, Dover Intermediate May 16 FS1
24 Kobalt Tools 250 Caraway Speedway, Ashboro Short Track May 19 WBCSN
25 First Union 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro Short Track May 23 WBC
26 Coca-Cola World 600 # Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord Intermediate May 30 WBC
27 Bank of America Roval 400 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord (Roval) Road Course May 31 WBCSN
28 Mountain Dew 250 The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis Intermediate June 2 FS1
29 Harley-Davidson 250 Road America, Lake Elkhart Road Course June 6 WBC
Panasonic Open Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth Short Track June 12 FS1
The Panasonic
30 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix * Circuit of the Americas, Austin Road Course June 13 WBC
31 Ally 400 Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon Intermediate June 20 Fox
32 QuikTrip Motegi 400 Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi Intermediate June 23 WBC
Tokyo Late Model Classic Tokyo Superspeedway, Tama Superspeedway (restricted) June 24 WBC
33 Tokyo 500 June 26
34 Sony 500 June 27
35 Firecracker 400 at the Brickyard # Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway Superspeedway (unrestricted) July 4 WBC
36 Oregon Grand Prix * Portland International Speedway, Portland Road Course July 11 NBC
37 Foxwood Resort Casino 301 New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon Intermediate July 18 NBC
38 Go Bowling at the Glen Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen Road Course August 8 WBC
Circuit City Summer Shootout Metrolina Speedway, Charlotte Short Clay Oval August 14 ESPN
39 Susan G. Komen for the Cure 250 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Complex Road Course August 18 ESPN
40 World Wildlife Foundation 500 Lucas Oil Raceway, Brownsburg Short Track August 22 WBC
41 Consumer Energy 400 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn Superspeedway (unrestricted) August 29 WBC
42 Tyson Holly Farms 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro Short Track September 1 NBC
43 Southern 500 # Darlington Speedway, Darlington Egg-Shaped Intermediate September 5 WBC
44 Salute to American Heroes Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Greenville Short Track September 11 NBC
45 Luca 400 Walt Disney World Speedway, Lake Buena Vista Superspeedway (restricted) September 15 WBC
46 Pennsylvania 250 by Howard Johnson's Lincoln Speedway, Hanover Short Track September 19 WBCSN
47 Steam Powered Giraffe 400 Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth Intermediate September 22 WBC
48 Cadillac 250 Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem Short Track September 26 ESPN
49 ACDelco 400 Rockingham Speedway, Rockingham Intermediate September 29 NBC
50 YellaWood 500 Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln Superspeedway (restricted) October 6 WBC
51 Tennessee Dodge Dealers 250 Memphis International Raceway, Millington Short Track October 10 TNN
52 Music City USA 420 Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville Short Track October 13 TNN
53 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth Short Track October 17 NBC
54 Texas 400 Texas World Speedway, College Station Superspeedway (unrestricted) October 21 NBC
55 Kansas Grand Prix * Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka Road Course October 24 NBC
56 Utah Grand Prix * Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele Road Course October 27 NBC
57 Hollywood Casino 400 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City Intermediate October 31 NBC
58 Iowa Corn 400 Iowa Speedway, Newton Short Track November 7 WBC
59 Doritos 400 World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison Intermediate November 10 NBC
60 General Tire 250 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack, DuQuoin Intermediate Dirt Oval November 14 NBC
61 Camping World 400 Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet Intermediate November 17 NBC
62 Rush Truck Centers Presents the Eldora Dirt Classic Eldora Speedway, New Weston Short Dirt Oval November 21 WBC
63 Pepsi 400 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach Superspeedway (restricted) November 28 WBC

Schedule changes

  • The most prominent change to the schedule is the permanent addition of mid-week races, rotating from year-to-year and only a select few tracks such as Greenville-Pickens guaranteed to be a part of the schedule yearly; as originally announced, the season was to have a whopping 78 races, beating the record held by the 62-race-long 1964 season, but on November 12, 2020, it was announced that the schedule would be reduced to 63 races, after talks with team owners regarding logistics, travel time and cost concerns, as well as talks with track owners regarding local COVID-19 restrictions; other options discussed included further cuts to midweek races and extending the schedule to end on the second Sunday of December, something that hadn't happened since 1971, the latter being rejected over weather concerns. Many of these tracks will instead be used in lower series and testing for the time being, depending on restrictions, though there is a possibility some or all of these tracks will be reinstated into the schedule in future years; Tim estimates it won't be until 2023 at the earliest, though he stated that NASCAR is trying their hardest to be able to hold more races in the future. Notably, Hickory Motor Speedway was going to be reinserted into the schedule for the first time since 1971, while Greenville-Pickens was going to hold a second race.
  • Kentucky, Brands Hatch, and Delaware will all be removed from the schedule. Kentucky will be removed due to Tim Johnson considering the track "without a doubt, the worst intermediate on the schedule, and unsalvageable short of completely tearing down the facility and starting from scratch"; Kentucky will still be used by the NASCAR Sears All-American Series and ARCA Menards Series, while Brands Hatch and Delaware will be removed due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, though there are plans to reincorporate them into the schedule once the pandemic is over and travel restrictions are lifted. Chicagoland was going to be removed as well before Johnson found out plans to raze the track to make way for a shopping complex and had them torpedoed.
  • Atlanta Motor Speedway will be repaved. The material used for the new pavement will be similar to the material used for the 1996-97 repave. Likewise, Texas Motor Speedway will also be reconfigured back to its pre-2016 configuration. These decisions were forced upon by CEO Tim Johnson, who also insisted that SMI never use the PJ1 compound on the tracks again; he vetoed a proposed reconfiguration for Atlanta and threatened to pull out unless SMI simply repaved the track.
  • Sonoma and Road America will swap spots on the schedule. Since the inaugural running of the Harley-Davidson 250, snow was always a concern, and during the 2015, 2018, and 2020 runnings, snow had to be cleared from the track and the infield areas so it could go forward. Swapping the races would not only allow Road America to be run in more favorable conditions, but it would also allow Sonoma to be run when the hills are green instead of brown.
  • It has already been announced that the Busch Clash will be moved from the Sunday before the Daytona 500 to the Tuesday before (on February 9), in an effort to condense Speedweeks down to one week. The race will also be moved from the oval to the infield road course for the first time, after what Tim described as "the demolition derby of the 2020 running that made the ARCA guys look professional".
  • Darlington, North Wilkesboro, and Rockingham will go back to having two dates, these being the spring dates for Darlington and North Wilkesboro, and the fall date for Rockingham. All three will run with historical race names (TranSouth Financial 500 for Darlington, First Union 400 for North Wilkesboro, and ACDelco 400 for Rockingham).
  • The Cup Series will also race on dirt for the first time since 1970 as the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway will see the concrete half-mile covered in dirt, and several other dirt tracks such as Eldora, Knoxville, DuQuoin, and Las Vegas' dirt course will be added. Mansfield and Davenport were on the original schedule, but were removed.
  • The Geyser/SaveMart 350 will be rebranded to Dodge/SaveMart 350, its name between 2001 and 2006.
  • On December 8, 2020, it was announced that Auto Club Speedway will not host a race in 2021 due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and will be replaced by a race at New Smyrna Speedway (which was to host an event under the pre-November 12 schedule), which will swap dates with the Homestead–Miami Speedway race.
  • WBCSN will broadcast Cup Series races for the first time, all of which will be mid-week races. ESPN will do the same, marking the first time since 2014 they will broadcast Cup races regularly (they had previously been airing qualifying sessions beforehand), as well as their first races overall since 2018.
Scrapped Races
Race name Venue Track Type Date TV
Auto Club 400 Auto Club Speedway, Fontana Superspeedway (unrestricted) February 28 Fox
Lowe's 250 Tucson Speedway, Tucson Short Track March 10 ESPN
Bering Trucks 250 Motor Mile Speedway, Dublin Short Track March 24 ESPN
Liberty Mutual 250 Langley Speedway, Hampton Short Track March 31 FS1
McDonald's 250 Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Greenville Short Track May 5 WBCSN
Orange County Spring Classic Orange County Speedway, Rougemont Short Track May 26 ESPN
Winchester 250 Winchester Speedway, Winchester Short Track June 30 WBCSN
NAPA Auto Parts 250 Evergreen Speedway, Monroe Short Track July 7 NBC
HP Hood Oxford 250 Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford Short Track July 14 NBC
Ohio Dirt Derby Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, Mansfield Short Dirt Oval August 11 NBCSN
Nintendo 250 Hickory Motor Speedway, Hickory Short Track August 28 NBCSN
STP 250 Five Flags Speedway, Pensacola Short Track September 12 ESPN
Alabama Fall Classic Montgomery Motor Speedway, Montgomery Short Track October 3 WBCSN
Iowa Dirt Derby Davenport Speedway, Davenport Short Dirt Oval November 3 NBC
Coke Zero Sugar 250 Volusia Speedway Park, De Leon Springs Short Track November 24 WBCSN

Season summary

Race reports

Round 1: Dodge/SaveMart 350

Chase Elliott started on the pole. This was the first time Sonoma Raceway has hosted a NASCAR race in January, as well as the first time the NASCAR season opener was held in California since 1986. After an eventful day, Elliott dominated and won the race.

Speedweek 2021

In the Busch Clash, Ryan Blaney started on pole. Kevin Harvick spun twice early in the race. Martin Truex Jr. was leading when the competition caution came out but had to restart in the rear due to missing the final chicane while the race was under caution. Late in the race, Truex Jr. wrecked while leading. In the closing laps, Chase Elliott and Blaney were battling for the lead. In the final chicane on the last lap, Elliott and Blaney wrecked each other, which allowed Kyle Busch to pass and win the race.

In Daytona 500 by STP qualifying, Alex Bowman won the pole while teammate William Byron qualified second. At the 125’s, Noah Howe held off Tony Stewart to win the first Duel. The start of the second Duel was delayed by rain. In the second Duel, there were multicar wrecks on lap 36 and with three laps to go in the race; the latter caution sent the race into an overtime finish. In overtime, Austin Dillon held off Bubba Wallace to win the second Duel.

Round 2: Daytona 500 by STP

Alex Bowman would start on pole, as the race was under threat from rain and thunderstorms. Amber Lucky would hit the wall on lap 4 to bring out the first caution while causing damage to Bubba Wallace. On lap 13, "The Big One" would strike in turn 3 as Aric Almirola and Bowman would get turned into the outside wall, collecting 16 cars and sending William Byron into a barrel-roll. Two laps later, the race was red-flagged for 5 hours and 40 minutes due to rain and lightning. Due to Fox not wanting to anger fans of Animation Domination, the remainder of the race was moved to WBC; because it was short-notice, Tim Johnson, Chloe Johnson, and Belle Armstrong, who were at the track, called the race, the first time they had called a non-Tokyo Cup race as themselves. The race would restart with Kevin Harvick as the leader. Defending winner Tony Stewart would dominate as Christopher Bell would lose a left-rear tire and spun collecting Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Jamie McMurray. The final stages would remain caution-free as Stewart, in contention to win the race for the third consecutive time, would pit from the lead on final pit stops, but would fall back to 13th as the pack got single file with Joey Logano leading. On the last lap, Brad Keselowski attempted to pass Logano on the backstretch, but the two would end up colliding creating a fiery crash sending Keselowski into the catchfence collecting Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Wallace, Logano, Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, and Ross Chastain. Michael McDowell would dodge the last lap crash to win, his first-career win, as well as Front Row Motorsports' third win. Keselowski's crash ended up being a near-replay of Kasey Kahne's crash at the 2014 Coke Zero 400 that ended up killing eight fans in the stands, though fortunately, it happened in one of the turns, well away from any fans, and Keselowski's seat remain attached to the chassis. In the hours following the race, Dodge came under scrutiny for the fuel cell design on the Charger, as Chevrolet had with the Camaro's fuel cell design follow Kahne's crash. No announcement about the Charger being temporarily pulled from competition has been made. Tim Johnson was also sharply critical of the single-file racing of the closing laps, chalking it up to fear of making big moves after Ryan Newman's near-fatal crash the previous year, as well as the crash on lap 13 that took out a large part of the field.

Round 3: New Smyrna Classic

Noah Howe started on the pole. This was the first regularly-scheduled midweek race on the Cup Series schedule since 1971, as well as the first-ever Cup Series race at New Smyrna Speedway. At lap 68, there was contact between Ty Dillon and David Stremme. Towards the end, Kyle Larson managed to take the lead from Macy Waltrip and win the race.

Round 4: Dixie Vodka 400

Chase Elliott was awarded the pole. Michael McDowell, who started second, got a flat tire before entering the first turn as Kyle Busch got damage by running into the grass. Kurt Busch spun while leading and then made contact and spun Brad Keselowski the following lap. On a restart, Elliott got into the grass while Kyle Larson spun while battling for the lead. Elliott made the way back to the front, but spun after contact with Hamlin. Joey Logano pulled away from Kurt Busch, but was ran down and passed by Christopher Bell, who would win the race for his first career Cup Series win.

Round 5: California Grand Prix

Brad Keselowski started on the pole. On lap 23, Kyle Busch tangled with Bill Fuller, triggering a large crash. On lap 78, Tony Stewart took the lead from Chase Elliott. After a hotly contested battle between Stewart, Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Macy Waltrip, and Noah Howe, Stewart narrowly edged Howe out to take home his first victory of the season.

Round 6: Las Vegas Dirt Derby

Macy Waltrip started on the pole. This was the first dirt race run in the Cup Series since 1970. Busch Series driver Josh Berry made his Cup debut in the No. 01 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet as the first of seven races to prepare for his 2022 rookie campaign.

Round 7: Pennzoil 400

Kevin Harvick started on the pole. On a restart, Elliott spun after contact with Kurt Busch. Aric Almirola got into the wall after a flat tire. After the final round of green flag pit stops, Larson was able to take the lead from Daniel Suárez and hold off Keselowski for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports and his first win on an mile and a half track.

Round 8: Instacart 500

Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole. Alex Bowman spun after contact with Austin Dillon. Anthony Alfredo slammed the wall after contact with Cody Ware. Tyler Reddick got into the wall while Aric Almirola had to slow for a lapped car and got hit by Kyle Busch. On the restart, Martin Truex Jr. took the lead from Logano and pulled away for the win.

Round 9: Atlanta Grand Prix

Bill Fuller was awarded the pole. Tony Stewart looked to be on his way to the win, but was passed coming out of the last turn by Alex Bowman, who took his first win of 2021.

Round 10: PrimeStar 500

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole. Kyle Larson dominated the majority of the race. Kevin Harvick had to pit early due to a flat tire. The race remained green for the majority of the race except for when Kurt Busch got into the wall after contact with Hamlin and when Chase Elliott blew an engine. Lapped traffic came in play at the end as Ryan Blaney was able to run down Larson and pass him for the lead and pull away to the win.

Round 11: Food City Dirt Race

This was the first dirt race for the Panasonic Cup Series since the 1970 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Larson was awarded the pole after the heat races were canceled due to rain, but had to start at the rear after changing engines in practice. The race was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to the rain. Martin Truex Jr. dominated the race. Several wrecks happened throughout the day. Aric Almirola got turned after contact with Stewart Friesen, Ryan Newman spun as teammates Kevin Harvick and Chase Briscoe got together trying to avoid the incident, and Christopher Bell spun while running second and collected Larson and Ross Chastain. Truex would lose the lead to Daniel Suárez while Larson would wreck again, sustaining serious damage and ending his day while collecting Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece, and Michael McDowell. Briscoe would get in the wall again after contact with Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano take the lead from Suarez late in the going, but was passed on the last lap by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who took his first win of 2021 and the first win for the Chevrolet Malibu.

Round 12: Bojangles 400

Tony Stewart won the pole following the heat races. The first lap saw a Lend-Lease dirt late model driven by defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jimmy Owens get launched off of Brad Keselowski and onto his roof. Tony Stewart passed Joey Logano with four laps to go for his second win of the year.

Round 13: Mopar 200

Joey Logano started on the pole. The race was red-flagged for an hour-and-a-half following a hard crash that split Mark Marchesi's car open; he was uninjured. Tony Stewart paced the field en route to his third win of 2021 and second win in a row.

Round 14: Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole. The race was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to rain. Hamlin dominated much of the race. Kurt Busch got into the wall after contact with Erik Jones while Aric Almirola spun into the wall after contact with Matt DiBenedetto. Brad Keselowski got into the wall along with Daniel Suárez, whose car caught fire. Keselowski again got into the wall along with Jones and Ross Chastain. Chris Buescher got turned and caused a huge stack up that collected Keselowski, DiBenedetto, Ryan Preece, Anthony Alfredo, Alex Bowman, and others. Martin Truex Jr. would outduel the dominant Hamlin and hold off Chase Elliott for his second win of the season.

Round 15: Virginia Grand Prix

Round 16: Toyota Owners 400

Martin Truex Jr. was awarded the pole. Truex, along with Denny Hamlin dominated, but Hamlin won both stages and led the most laps. Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick both spun into the wall after having flat tires. Hamlin continued his domination, but would be passed for the lead by Alex Bowman, who recovered from an uncontrolled tire penalty, with ten laps to go and Bowman pulled away for his second win of 2021.

Round 17: Hasbro 300

Round 18: Geico 500

Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole. Kyle Larson suffered a blown engine on the third lap. Joey Logano got turned and went airborne while Matt DiBenedetto. Hamlin got turned into the wall and collected Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Martin Truex Jr. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall as he spun coming to pit road during green flag pit stops. Truex would suffer a flat tire, sending the race to overtime. Brad Keselowski would drive past DiBenedetto and held off William Byron as the field wrecked on the final lap to score the win.

Round 19: Carolina Dodge Dealers 250

Round 20: Union 76 400

Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole. Kyle Larson dominated the race, but was passed for the lead by Denny Hamlin. Hamlin got into the wall while battling Larson and then got into the wall again after a flat tire. On the restart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun after contact with Austin Cindric. On the following restart, Christopher Bell spun and collected Stenhouse and Ryan Preece. In a two lap shootout, Larson got into Ryan Blaney and both fell back as Kyle Busch held off Kevin Harvick to win on his 36th birthday. NASCAR officials were criticized for their handling of an uncontrolled tire by Tyler Reddick's pit crew. They waited several laps until all the cars had pitted, then belatedly threw a caution, despite the tire presenting little apparent danger. This action disadvantaged several of the drivers. Tim Johnson later fired the responsible officials once he learned they were trying to fix the race in Harvick's favor, having a lot of money riding on him.

Round 21: TranSouth Financial 500

Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole for the second straight race. Aric Almirola slammed the wall after a flat tire while Kyle Busch spun while leading with a flat tire. Martin Truex Jr. dominated by leading the most laps. Cole Custer slammed the wall after contact with Anthony Alfredo while Kurt Busch got into the wall and caught fire after making contact with Bubba Wallace. Drivers split the final laps by pitting for green flag pit stops three different times. Kyle Larson was the only driver to challenge Truex for the lead as lapped traffic caused issues. Truex was able to pull away from Larson, but severely underestimated Tony Stewart, who passed him on the last lap for his fourth win of 2021.

Round 22: Dog n Suds 200

Round 23: Drydene 500

Martin Truex Jr. started on the pole. Kyle Larson dominated, leading the most laps and winning both stages. Aric Almirola got a flat tire and got into the wall before catching fire. Anthony Alfredo spun after contact with Brad Keselowski and collected Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Alex Bowman took the lead from the dominant Larson and pulled away for his second win of the season followed by teammates Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron, making Hendrick the first team since Roush-Fenway Racing to have all four cars finish 1,2,3,4.

Round 24: Kobalt Tools 250

Round 25: First Union 400

Round 26: Coca-Cola World 600

Kyle Larson won the pole in qualifying. Larson was class of the field. Kurt Busch had an issue that sent him to the garage, but when he returned to the race, he blew his engine. Several drivers had tire problems including Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. Larson won the third stage and pulled away from teammate Chase Elliott to over a ten second lead to win his second race of the season.

Round 27: Bank of America Roval 400

Round 28: Mountain Dew 250

Chase Elliott was awarded the pole. On lap 20, there was contact between Jeffrey Earnhardt and Carl Edwards. A crash took place on lap 107, in which Michael Annett made contact with Matt Carter and Mark Marchesi. With ten laps to go, Tony Stewart passed Kyle Busch, and held onto it to take home his 105th career win, tying David Pearson for second in all-time wins.

Round 29: Harley-Davidson 250

Kyle Larson was awarded the pole where he dominated. William Byron spun and slammed into Kevin Harvick and collected Corey LaJoie. Cody Ware went through dirt and slammed into Ryan Preece as Matt DiBenedetto spun. Anthony Alfredo spun and collected Christopher Bell, sending the race to overtime. On the restart, Larson would hold off teammate Chase Elliott for his fourth win of the season.

Exhibiton: The Panasonic

Round 30: EchoPark Texas Grand Prix

Round 31: Ally 400

Round 32: QuikTrip Motegi 400

Exhibition: Tokyo Late Model Classic

Round 33: Tokyo 500

Round 34: Sony 500

Round 35: Firecracker 400 at the Brickyard

Macy Waltrip started on the pole. Tony Stewart dominated much of the race and, after a battle with Kyle Larson in the final laps, emerged as the victor in his 106th career win, surpassing David Pearson to become second in all-time wins behind Richard Petty.

Round 36: Oregon Grand Prix

Results

No. Race Pole Position Most Laps Led Winning Driver Manufacturer/Model
1 Dodge/Save Mart 350 Chase Elliott Chase Elliott Chase Elliott Chevrolet Camaro
Busch Clash Ryan Blaney Denny Hamlin Kyle Busch Toyota Camry
Gatorade Twin 125 Race 1 Alex Bowman Tony Stewart Noah Howe Aston Martin DB11 Superleggera
Gatorade Twin 125 Race 2 William Byron William Byron Austin Dillon Chevrolet Camaro
2 63rd Daytona 500 by STP Alex Bowman Tony Stewart Michael McDowell Ford Mustang
3 New Smyrna Classic Noah Howe Macy Waltrip Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
4 Dixie Vodka 400 Chase Elliott Chase Elliott Christopher Bell Toyota Camry
5 California Grand Prix Brad Keselowski Chase Elliott Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
6 Las Vegas Dirt Derby Macy Waltrip Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick Pontiac Grand Prix
7 Pennzoil 400 Kevin Harvick Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
8 Instacart 500 Brad Keselowski Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex Jr. Toyota Camry
9 Atlanta Grand Prix Bill Fuller Tony Stewart Alex Bowman Chevrolet Camaro
10 PrimeStar 500 Denny Hamlin Kyle Larson Ryan Blaney Dodge Charger
11 Food City Dirt Race Kyle Larson Tony Stewart Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet Malibu
12 Bojangles 400 Tony Stewart Joey Logano Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
13 Mopar 200 Joey Logano Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
14 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Joey Logano Ryan Blaney Martin Truex Jr. Toyota Camry
15 Virginia Grand Prix Chase Elliott Tony Stewart Noah Howe Aston Martin DB11 Superleggera
16 Toyota Owners 400 Martin Truex Jr. Denny Hamlin Alex Bowman Chevrolet Camaro
17 Hasbro 400 Chase Elliott Chase Elliott Daniel Suárez DeLorean DMC-13
18 Geico 500 Denny Hamlin Tony Stewart Brad Keselowski Dodge Charger
19 Carolina Dodge Dealers 250 Brad Keselowski Kyle Larson Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
20 Union 76 400 Tony Stewart Kyle Larson Kyle Busch Toyota Camry
21 TranSouth Financial 500 Denny Hamlin Martin Truex Jr. Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
22 Dog n Suds 200 Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
23 Drydene 400 Tony Stewart Kyle Larson Alex Bowman Chevrolet Camaro
24 Kobalt Tools 250 Noah Howe Chase Elliott Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
25 First Union 400 Tony Stewart Noah Howe Noah Howe Aston Martin DB11 Superleggera
26 Coca-Cola World 600 Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
27 Bank of America Roval 400 Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Chase Elliott Chevrolet Camaro
28 Mountain Dew 250 Chase Elliott Kyle Busch Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
29 Harley-Davidson 250 Chase Elliott Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
The Panasonic Open Jimmy Weller III Bill Fuller Aric Almirola Pontiac Grand Prix
The Panasonic Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
30 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix Tony Stewart Kyle Larson Macy Waltrip Chevrolet Camaro
31 Ally 400 Aric Almirola Kyle Larson Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
32 QuikTrip Motegi 400 Austin Dillon Chase Elliott Jeffrey Earnhardt Chevrolet Camaro
Tokyo Late Model Classic Jeff Gordon Mark Martin Mark Martin Ford Thunderbird
33 Tokyo 500 Jeffrey Earnhardt Kyle Larson Alex Bowman Chevrolet Camaro
34 Sony 500 Bo Abraham William Byron Jimmy Weller III Oldsmobile Cutlass
35 Firecracker 400 at the Brickyard Macy Waltrip Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
36 Oregon Grand Prix Chase Elliott Kyle Busch Kurt Busch Dodge Challenger
37 Foxwood Resort Casino 301 Kyle Busch Brad Keselowski Aric Almirola Pontiac Grand Prix
38 Go Bowling at the Glen Kevin Harvick Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Larson Chevrolet Camaro
Circuit City Summer Shootout Chase Elliott Kyle Larson Hailie Deegan Ford Mustang
39 Susan G. Komen for the Cure 250 William Byron Kyle Larson A.J. Allmendinger Chevrolet Camaro
40 World Wildlife Foundation 500 Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Tony Stewart Pontiac Grand Prix
41 Consumer Energy 400 Kyle Larson
42 Tyson Holly Farms 400
43 Southern 500
44 Salute to American Heroes
45 Luca 400
46 Pennsylvania 250 by Howard Johnson's
47 Steam Powered Giraffe 400
48 Cadillac 250
49 ACDelco 400
50 YellaWood 500
51 Tennessee Dodge Dealers 250
52 Music City USA 420
53 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
54 Texas 400
55 Kansas Grand Prix
56 Utah Grand Prix
57 Hollywood Casino 400
58 Iowa Corn 400
59 Doritos 400
60 General Tire 250
61 Camping World 400
62 Rush Truck Centers Presents the Eldora Dirt Classic
63 Pepsi 400

Cars Used in 2021 Season

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