NASCAR: Watkins Glen event cancelled in latest schedule release

For the first time since 1985, Schuyler County’s Watkins Glen International will not hold a NASCAR Cup Series event.

NASCAR released its remaining regular season schedule for each of its national series on Wednesday, but the annual trip to Schuyler County will have to wait until 2021.

New York State’s Watkins Glen International will not run their annual events in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series as the auto racing circuit continues to run its full slate in its comeback from the coronavirus pause. The premier Cup Series was set to hold the Go Bowling at The Glen on August 16, one day after the Xfinity drivers ran the Zippo 200 at The Glen. Their races have instead gone to Daytona International Speedway, who will host these summer events on their in-house oval-road course hybrid (known as a “roval”).

“This is an unprecedented time in the history of our nation and Watkins Glen International,” said WGI President Michael Printup said in a statement. “The dynamic situation we are all confronting is impacting our daily lives and activities in unimaginable ways. While we are disappointed we will not experience NASCAR in New York this year, as we look broadly at the current pandemic in our country and around the world, we must focus first on everyone’s safety and well-being as NASCAR seeks the best way to continue delivering a remarkable on-track product week after week.”

WGI hosted its first NASCAR race in 1957 and the Cup Series has visited annually since 1986. Chase Elliott has won each of the past two visits while Tony Stewart leads all drivers with five wins at the 2.45-mile road course near the Finger Lakes. The Xfinity Series has also visited annually since 1991 with the exception of a three-year hiatus (2002-04).

Daytona is best known for hosting the renowned, season-opening Daytona 500. Its summer event, the Coke Zero 400, was moved from its traditional Independence Day weekend slot to the final race of the 26-stage regular season prior to the start of the campaign. This will be the first time that NASCAR races on the Daytona roval, which has staged the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race (previously known as the 24 Hours of Daytona) since 1962. Each of NASCAR’s three national series (including the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series) will run on the roval, as will the ARCA Menards Series (a NASCAR property since 2018).

Despite the loss of Watkins Glen, NASCAR will still make visits to the northeast. Delaware’s Dover International Speedway, commonly known as “The Monster Mile”, will host six races on the weekend of August 21-23, including a pair of 311-lap Cup Series races. A previously announced portion of the schedule revealed that New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon will still host the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on August 2.

Nearing its midway point, the Cup Series will return to action on Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway for the Quaker State 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags