Few changes made in 2011 NASCAR schedule
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
The movement of dates to Kansas and Kentucky speedways highlights the changes to the 2011 Sprint Cup Series schedule, which was released Wednesday by NASCAR.
As previously announced, Speedway Motorsports Inc. will move one of its two dates from Atlanta Motor Speedway to Kentucky Speedway, marking the first appearance for the series at the 1.5-mile track located in Sparta, Ky., and International Speedway Corp. will move one of its two Auto Club Speedway dates to Kansas Speedway to give that track two Cup races next season.
“NASCAR takes a look every year at the dates and where they are located,” said ISC chief executive officer Lesa France Kennedy, who also is an executive vice president at NASCAR.
“We’ve looked at each market, each of the stakeholders, the sponsors, the team members, the drivers and what made the most sense.”
Daytona will kick off the season with the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 12 and the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, with Phoenix (Feb. 27) moving into the spot previously held by Auto Club Speedway.
Elsewhere, Texas Motor Speedway officials announced Tuesday night their track’s spring event, scheduled for April 9, will be run under the lights.
Kansas’ additional date will be June 5, the weekend following the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, with the Cup Series debuting at Kentucky on July 9.
New Hampshire’s first Cup date for 2011, slated for July 17, will be three weeks later than it had been in previous years.
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will have a slightly different look, as Chicagoland will kick off the 10-race playoff and Auto Club Speedway comes off the Chase schedule.
Martinsville and Talladega race weekends have been swapped, with Talladega’s Chase event coming a week earlier.