The delay in the release of the NASCAR 2025 season schedule is making everyone anxious. Recently, a small leak in the schedule made the rounds on the internet but was quickly retracted. NASCAR Latino accidentally posted a 2025 schedule and reported Bristol Motor Speedway races on April 13th and September 13th. BMS has, however, clarified that the official schedule has not been released yet, although they are excited about the upcoming season.

The leaks and rumors of the NASCAR schedule were also discussed in the recent podcast episode of the Dale Jr. Download. Getting into the details of every change from the leaked schedule, Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks about the fate of the Richmond track in 2025 and the reasons for NASCAR booting it.

Is Richmond Raceway not in the playoff schedule?

NASCAR has confirmed a major change to its 2025 Cup Series schedule but has yet to officially announce the full details. In response to a leaked schedule that contained inaccuracies, NASCAR officials have issued a statement clarifying that the information is not entirely accurate. The only confirmed change is the season opener, which will take place at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium after three years at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This will mark the first time the Cup Series has raced at the Madhouse since 1971.

The official 2025 schedule is expected to be released soon, likely in August, following NASCAR’s typical release timeline. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was quick to indulge in the rumors and made big revelations in his podcast episode. First up was the addition of the Mexico City race track, which NASCAR long has been looking to bring in the Cup.

A new road course is most likely coming to the Cup! The road king, SVG, must be delighted if this is true. Dale Jr. talking about the rumor said, “One of the kinds of unknowns was the race in Mexico City. There was a chance that if Mexico City didn’t work out for whatever reason NASCAR couldn’t get the deal done, they would go to Canada. Well, it looks like Mexico City is going to happen.”

The biggest rumor Dale Jr. dwelled in was Richmond losing on a spot. According to him, while the first race will happen, the second race, the one where Austin Dillon took the controversial win, might not be a part of the 2025 season. He is blaming NASCAR’s failed short-track package.

Reiterating this, he said, “Richmond loses a date. Yeah, that’s an unfortunate thing for Richmond. But we kind of saw the writing on the wall with the short-track package being as crappy. As it’s been over the last handful of years since the next-gen car come on, I’m not going to go easy. That’s been terrible, atrocious.” 

Although there is no official statement from NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s arguments do sound convincing. NASCAR in recent times has done a lot of experiments to strengthen its short-track package. Even adding The Madhouse to the list of tracks seems to have been done for the same reason.

NASCAR strengthening its short-track package

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The goal of NASCAR is to make their short tracks as competitive as possible. Bowman Gray Stadium (BGS) is an ideal testing ground, having previously been used to evaluate the Next-Gen car before its debut at the 2022 Clash. The challenging track conditions at BGS push both cars and drivers to their limits, providing NASCAR with valuable data. In another experiment, NASCAR used a different kind of tire at the recent Richmond Race.

Teams faced strategic tire decisions during the race, choosing between the faster but less durable option tires (red lettering) and the more consistent but slower prime tires (yellow lettering). With a limited supply of six option sets and two prime sets, teams had to carefully balance speed and tire life, as poor tire management could significantly affect their race outcome. The experiment did add a thrill, but there were some lapses in the quality of the tires used.

Another NASCAR experiment was the new aerodynamic package, featuring a simplified diffuser design to enhance close-quarter racing and facilitate passing. Despite initial optimism following testing at Richmond last year, the experiment proved unsuccessful, failing to deliver significant improvements in car handling. NASCAR’s short-track package is still far from being where they’d like it to be. In the coming races and seasons, we might see a lot of such experiments. The first one could be at the playoff race in Bristol. Let’s hope NASCAR manages to make short tracks just as thrilling.