Texas Motor Speedway will host only one NASCAR weekend in 2023

When NASCAR announced its 2023 schedule on Wednesday, something was missing: A second race weekend in Texas.

Although officials say the schedule changed very slightly, Texas Motor Speedway is scheduled to host just one race weekend in 2023: Sept 22-24.

That differs from the 2022 schedule when the DFW track hosted All-Star Weekend in May, then has the playoff round scheduled on Sept. 25.

The schedule includes previously announced races at the new downtown Chicago street course and a return to North Wilkesboro in North Carolina.

The 10 playoff tracks are the same (including Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway), the exhibition Clash will return to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Daytona 500 will open the season Feb. 19.

The only notable date change is a second stop at Richmond Raceway being moved from August to July, and the shared NASCAR and IndyCar weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway moved from July to August. The event will again be on Indy’s road course.

NASCAR said the Feb. 26 race at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California will be the last on its 2-mile layout. NASCAR has wanted to convert the facility into a short track but the pandemic delayed any progress.

Speedway Motorsports announced last week it was moving the annual All-Star race to North Wilkesboro Speedway, and the race will be May 21. Texas Motor Speedway hosted the all-star race the last two years, and the shift to North Wilkesboro leaves Texas with only one Cup race for the first time since 2004.

There will be only two Cup races held on Saturday nights next year, at Daytona in August and Bristol in September. Atlanta Motor Speedway will also hold one of its two Cup races, on Sunday, July 9, at night.

Star-Telegram staff writer Dave Ammenheuser contributed to this story.

This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 4:26 PM.