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NASCAR Cup Series will begin its 73rd season from February 9th, 2021. The 10-month long season culminating in November will be the 50th season in the modern-era Cup Series.
Daytona International Speedway will be the host for the first race of the season. It will be the Busch Clash non-points event. Interestingly, it will also mark the first year of the race being run on a road course.
The Busch Clash race will then be followed by qualifying races and the Daytona 500 thereafter.
The other major national racing series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, flag off on February 13th and 12th, respectively.
FOX Sports and NBC Sports will be the broadcaster that will air the races this year. A total of 23 races will be covered on the two networks put together.
Eleven races will be shown on FOX starting with the season beginning NASCAR Cup Series races, the expected time of beginning of which is 2.30 PM ET on February 14th. It will also air the first-ever dirt race since 1970 at the Bristol Motor Speedway, 3.30 PM ET on March 28th.
The other twelve will be aired on NBC. It includes the NASCAR Cup Series debut at Road America, 2.30 PM ET on July 4th. NBC will also air the business-end playoff races from the Phoenix Raceway, 3 PM ET on November 7th.
The year 2020 in the Cup Series was different in ways more than one. Big names crashed out early and Chase Elliott won his first-ever title thanks to his consistency.
With new teams and drivers added, 2021 has all the making for yet another gripping season.
What to look forward to in 2021 in NASCAR
Hoping that the worst of 2020 is behind us, there is a lot to look forward to when it comes to NASCAR in 2021.
NASCAR will see the addition of new tracks and courses in 2021. Bristol with dirt and Nashville Superspeedway- as a venue- is all set to be revived after 2011.
As many as 8 drivers will be driving with new teams this year. It will be interesting to see how they go about creating camaraderie with their new team members.
23XI Racing, jointly owned by the basketball Hall of Fame Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, will debut in the Cup Series. It will see Bubba Wallace as their single-car team's driver driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry.
All eyes will be on Kyle Busch as he will look to start afresh with new crew chief Ben Beshore. The two-time Cup champion had crashed out in the second playoff round last year.
With only limited number of fans allowed in particular venues as a safety measure, it remains to be seen what other modifications have been planned should the virus persist.
The Next Gen car which is to debut in 2022 will see testing and developmental activities take place all throughout the season of 2021.
The comeback of Kyle Larson from suspension is also one to look forward to. He hasn't been in a Cup car ever since March last year.
While NASCAR has its plans in place for the start of the 2021 season, it also has its work cut out regarding maintaining safety protocols and keeping the sport engaging enough for its fans.
