The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series is the 72nd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 49th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash,[1] the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races, and the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. The regular season is scheduled to end with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on August 29. The NASCAR playoffs is scheduled to end with the race at Phoenix Raceway on November 8.
This is the first season under NASCAR's new tiered sponsorship model after rejecting Monster Energy's offer to extend its title sponsorship.[2][3] On December 5, 2019, NASCAR announced Busch Beer, Coca-Cola, GEICO, and Xfinity as the Premier Partners of the NASCAR Cup Series, replacing the sole title sponsor of Monster Energy.[4]
This is scheduled to be the final year for the Gen-6 car, as the Next Gen car (formerly the Gen-7 car) is slated for a 2021 debut.[5]
It was announced that 2020 will be the last full-time season for seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson[6][7] as well as for part-timer Brendan Gaughan.[8] This is also the first Cup Series season without Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard since they began racing during the 2002 and 2003 seasons respectively.
Teams and drivers[]
Chartered teams[]
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1 | Kurt Busch |
| 42 | Kyle Larson | ||
| Germain Racing | 13 | Ty Dillon | |
| Hendrick Motorsports | 9 | Chase Elliott | |
| 24 | William Byron | ||
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | ||
| 88 | Alex Bowman | ||
| JTG Daugherty Racing | 37 | Ryan Preece | |
| 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | ||
| Premium Motorsports | 15 | Brennan Poole (R) | |
| Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Austin Dillon | |
| 8 | Tyler Reddick (R) | ||
| Richard Petty Motorsports | 43 | Bubba Wallace | |
| Spire Motorsports | 77 | Ross Chastain (5) | |
| Reed Sorenson (11) | |||
| J. J. Yeley (2) | |||
| Garrett Smithley (5) | |||
| B. J. McLeod (1) | |||
| James Davison (5) | |||
| Josh Bilicki (3) | |||
| Stanton Barrett (4) | |||
| StarCom Racing | 00 | Quin Houff (R) | |
| Ford | Front Row Motorsports | 34 | Michael McDowell |
| 38 | John Hunter Nemechek (R) | ||
| Go Fas Racing | 32 | Corey LaJoie | |
| Roush Fenway Racing | 6 | Ryan Newman 27 | |
| Ross Chastain 9 | |||
| 17 | Chris Buescher | ||
| Stewart-Haas Racing | 4 | Kevin Harvick | |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | ||
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | ||
| 41 | Cole Custer (R) | ||
| Team Penske | 2 | Brad Keselowski | |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | ||
| 22 | Joey Logano | ||
| Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | |
| Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | ||
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | ||
| 20 | Erik Jones | ||
| Leavine Family Racing | 95 | Christopher Bell (R) | |
| Chevrolet 7 Ford 23 TBA 6 |
Petty Ware Racing | 51 | Joey Gase |
| Garrett Smithley | |||
| James Davison | |||
| Ford 29 Chevrolet 1 TBA 6 |
Rick Ware Racing | 27 | B. J. McLeod |
| J. J. Yeley | |||
| Gray Gaulding | |||
| Josh Bilicki | |||
| Ford 7 Chevrolet 23 TBA 6 |
53 | David Ragan | |
| Joey Gase | |||
| Garrett Smithley | |||
| Bayley Currey | |||
| David Starr | |||
| Josh Bilicki | |||
| J. J. Yeley | |||
| James Davison |
Non-chartered teams[]
Complete schedule[]
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota | Gaunt Brothers Racing | 96 | Daniel Suárez |
| Ford 1 Toyota 35 |
MBM Motorsports | 66 | Timmy Hill |
Limited schedule[]
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Beard Motorsports | 62 | Brendan Gaughan |
| Kaulig Racing | 16 | Justin Haley | |
| Premium Motorsports | 27 | Reed Sorenson | |
| Tommy Baldwin Racing | 7 | Josh Bilicki | |
| J. J. Yeley | |||
| Reed Sorenson | |||
| Joey Gase | |||
| Garrett Smithley | |||
| Ford | Rick Ware Racing | 54 | J. J. Yeley |
| Toyota | MBM Motorsports | 49 | Chad Finchum |
| Chevrolet | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | 78 | B. J. McLeod |
| Garrett Smithley |
Results and Standings[]
| No | Race Title | Date | Pole | Most Laps Led | Winner | Winning Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busch Clash | February 9 | Ryan Newman | Brad Keselowski | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | |
| Bluegreen Vacations Duels | February 13 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr & Alex Bowman | Ricky Stenhouse Jr & Kevin Harvick | Joey Logano & William Byron | Team Penske & Hendrick Motorsports | Ford & Chevrolet | |
| 1 | Daytona 500 | February 16-17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube | February 23 | Kyle Busch | Kevin Harvick | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 3 | Auto Club 400 | March 1 | Clint Bowyer | Alex Bowman | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 4 | FanShield 500 | March 8 | Chase Elliott | Chase Elliott | Joey Logano (2) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 5 | Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 | March 15 | Chase Elliott | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 6 | Dixie Vodka 400 | March 22 | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (2) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 7 | O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 | March 29 | Chase Elliott | Ryan Blaney | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Food City 500 | April 5 | Brad Keselowski | Denny Hamlin | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford |
| 9 | Toyota Owners 400 | April 19 | Kevin Harvick | Brad Keselowski | Martin Truex Jr | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 10 | GEICO 500 | April 26 | Tyler Reddick | Ryan Blaney | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford |
| 11 | Gander RV & Outdoors 400 | May 3 | Chase Elliott | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (3) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | STP 500 | May 9 | Ryan Blaney | Joey Logano | Martin Truex Jr (2) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| NASCAR All Star Open | May 16 | Aric Almirola | Matt DiBenedetto | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | |
| NASCAR All Star Race | Kevin Harvick | Chase Elliott | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | ||
| 13 | Coca-Cola 600 | May 24 | Kurt Busch | Alex Bowman | Brad Keselowski (2) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 14 | Digital Ally 400 | May 31 | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick (2) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 15 | FireKeepers Casino 400 | June 7 | Joey Logano | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick (3) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 16 | Toyota/Save Mart 350 | June 14 | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex Jr | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Camping World 400 | June 21-22 | Kevin Harvick | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (4) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 18 | Kids Free 325 | June 27 | Chase Elliott | Aric Almirola | Kevin Harvick (4) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 19 | Worry-Free Weather Guarantee 350 | June 28 (Rain-shortened) | Ryan Preece | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (5) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 20 | Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard | July 5 | Kevin Harvick | Denny Hamlin | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 21 | Quaker State 400 | July 11 | Aric Almirola | Aric Almirola | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 | July 19 | Aric Almirola | Brad Keselowski | Brad Keselowski (3) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | Consumers Energy 400 | August 9 | Joey Logano | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick (5) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 24 | Go Bowling at The Glen | August 16 | Chase Elliott | Chase Elliott | Chase Elliott (2) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Drydene 400 | August 24 (Rain Delayed) | Kyle Larson | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick (6) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 26 | Coke Zero Sugar 400 | August 29 | Chase Elliott | Joey Logano | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| Cup Championship Playoffs | |||||||
| Round of 16 | |||||||
| 27 | Southern 500 | September 6 | Chase Elliott | Martin Truex Jr | Chase Elliott (3) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Federated Auto Parts 400 | September 12 | Kevin Harvick | Brad Keselowski | Brad Keselowski (4) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 29 | Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race | September 19 | Kyle Larson | Kyle Larson | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| Round of 12 | |||||||
| 30 | South Point 400 | September 27 | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Joey Logano (3) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 31 | 1000bulbs.com 500 | October 4 | Clint Bowyer | Ryan Blaney | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Bank of America Roval 400 | October 11 | Chase Eliott | Chase Elliott | Chase Elliott (4) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| Round of 8 | |||||||
| 33 | Hollywood Casino 400 | October 18 | Kyle Busch | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (6) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 34 | AAA Texas 500 | October 25 | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick (7) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 35 | TUMS QuikPak 500 | November 1 | Brad Keselowski | Joey Logano | Martin Truex Jr (3) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| Championship 4 | |||||||
| 36 | Bluegreen Vacations 500 | November 8 | Ryan Blaney | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin (7) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
Bolded races indicate a NASCAR Major also known as Crown Jewel race
Changes[]
- Further information: History of NASCAR schedule realignments
The 2020 schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series will undergo a series of significant changes.
- The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will move behind the West Coast swing to March 15, 2020, returning to its pre-2010 date of mid-March.
- The Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead–Miami Speedway will no longer serve as the final race of the season ending a tradition that dated back to 2002 and bringing an end to Ford Championship Weekend. The race date will move to March 22, 2020, following the race at Atlanta. This will be Fox Sports' first time carrying the event.
- After 21 years of being NASCAR's Fourth of July weekend event (and 60 of 61 years overall), the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will move to August and become the final race of NASCAR's "regular season". The Brickyard 400, run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will switch race weekends with Daytona.
- The STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway will be run under the lights for the first time on May 9, Mother's Day Weekend.
- Kansas Speedway's spring race, the Digital Ally 400 that has been run under the lights on Mother's Day Weekend will move from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon and be held on May 31, 2020, after the Coca-Cola 600.
- Both events at Pocono Raceway will be run on consecutive days the weekend of June 27–28.
- Dover International Speedway's second date moves to late August, marking the first time the race has not been in NASCAR's postseason.
- The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will move one week earlier than 2018.
- The Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will be held as the first race of the Playoffs as the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will move to the first race of the Round of 12. Also the race will no longer be sponsored by Bojangles'. [122]
- The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will move from mid-August to mid-September, replacing Charlotte and becoming the final race of the Round of 16.
- The Championship Round of the Playoffs will be conducted at Phoenix Raceway on November 8. This will be the first Phoenix race to close out the season. Due to this and the consolidation of the Pocono doubleheader, the 2020 season will end one week earlier than in the past. Usually, the season finale had been held on third weekend in November, falling sometime between November 16–22.
- The Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will become the final race of the Round of 12, replacing Kansas.
- The Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway will be held one week later than 2019, replacing Martinsville and becoming the first race of the Round of 8.
- The Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond will move back to Sunday afternoon, similar to 2015–2017 when it was run on a Sunday afternoon. This was done because the two Martinsville Speedway races will be night races in 2020, as both races will start in the day and end at night.
- There will be two off weeks between Loudon and Michigan to accommodate the NBC networks' coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics, meaning the off week for the U.S. Open Golf Championships that Fox instituted will be removed. This prevents a conflict that happened at the 2016 Olympics, when NBC moved the Watkins Glen race to their USA Network. NBC's half starts on the weekend of that golf championship.
Drivers' Championship[]
1.Denny Hamlin
2.Kevin Harvick
3.Martin Truex Jr
4.Brad Keselowski
5.Joey Logano*
6.Chase Elliott*
7.Kyle Larson*
8.Kyle Busch^
9.Ryan Blaney#
10.Aric Almirola*
11.Kurt Busch^
12.Jimmie Johnson#
13.Alex Bowman^
14.William Byron#
15.Clint Bowyer^
16.Matt DiBenedetto#
17.Erik Jones
18.Austin Dillon
19.Tyler Reddick
20.Christopher Bell
21.Cole Custer
22.Chris Buescher
23.Bubba Wallace
24.Ricky Stenhouse Jr
25.Michael McDowell
26.John Hunter Nemechek
27.Ty Dillon
28.Ryan Preece
29.Ryan Newman
30.Corey LaJoie
31.Daniel Suarez
32.Brennan Poole
33.Quin Houff
34.Reed Sorenson
35.Brendan Gaughan
*Means driver made Round of 8
^Means driver made Round of 12
#Means driver made Round of 16
Further information: List of NASCAR points scoring systems