CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ I might be relatively new to NASCAR writing, but I've watched enough racing by now to have some thoughts on 2021.
The Cup Series schedule _ which was released in a sort of strange, slow trickle via individual track announcements on Wednesday after advanced copies were leaked to various media outlets _ is characterized by, "The most changes since 1969," according to NASCAR.
The sport's major takeaway from this year and its pandemic-era format seemed to be that change can work, and NASCAR was able to push that fairly far for '21 thanks in part to recent restructuring of track ownership groups. Speedway Motorsports, which owns and operates eight tracks that host Cup races, went private in 2019 as NASCAR finalized a merger with International Speedway Corporation. The resulting restructuring appears to be more flexibility in terms of shifting races between tracks.
Certain details, such as start times and schedules for the Xfinity Series and Truck Series, have yet to be announced, but the initial Cup schedule release gives us plenty to think about.
