The first 26 races of the season before the playoffs is the Regular Season. Throughout the season, they each race at a combination of superspeedways, intermediate tracks, short tracks and road courses. From Florida to California, these weekend events take place all over the United States and even one event in Mexico. There are two exhibition races near the regular season, which means they don't count towards points: The Clash at Bowman-Gray Stadium 2 weeks before the Daytona 500, and the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway the week before the Coca-Cola 600.
Aside from scheduled non-points paying exhibitions, usually occurring for the Cup Series during Daytona Speedweeks and the mid-season All-Star Race, each series kicks off its regular-season slate in February at Daytona International Speedway.
Here is how the regular season is broken down:
The Cup Series most often races on Sundays with 26 races on the regular-season schedule, beginning each year of competition with the iconic Daytona 500. Scattered throughout the schedule are prestigious “Crown Jewels,” which are races that have been historically significant to the sport. In addition to the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway receive this designation.
Every season, the Coca-Cola 600 (often referred to as the Coke 600) is the longest race on the schedule. The 600-mile marathon puts driver’s stamina and team performance to the test. Nearly every other oval race lands anywhere between 300 and 500 miles in length.Around midway through the schedule, Cup Series drivers compete in the All-Star Race for a chance to take home a $1 million check. In this exclusive showcase, drivers who have either won a race during the season or previous season, have previously won an All-Star Race, or have a Cup Series championship qualify to compete. Drivers who do not meet these criteria can choose to compete in the All-Star Open and race their way in via heats or earn the Fan Vote.
During the regular season, drivers earn points for their performance in races and can make the NASCAR Playoffs with enough points or a win.
At the conclusion of the 26 races in the regular season, a regular-season champion is crowned and awarded 15 additional points for the playoffs. Sixteen drivers advance to the playoffs.