The NASCAR race weekend at Watkins Glen International will have a fresh look in 2026 as the early-season hopes of NASCAR’s three national series will spring up at the historic road course over Mother’s Day weekend in May, NASCAR announced on Wednesday as it released its full schedule for next year.
The Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend, May 8-10, 2026, will once again play host to the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Drivers will get the chance to stop and smell the roses and lilacs as they get a springtime chance to lock themselves into the Playoffs at the 2.45-mile circuit in the Finger Lakes region.
In addition to the schedule news announced today, earlier this week, NASCAR announced a multi-year partnership with O’Reilly Auto Parts that makes the leader in the automotive replacement parts industry the title sponsor of what is now known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“Our fans showed a couple weeks ago how much they love NASCAR racing at Watkins Glen International, and it’s exciting that they will get to see the full slate of national series drivers again on our historic road course,” said Dawn Burlew, President of Watkins Glen International. “Fan are definitely going to see the best of the best put on a great show in an attempt to secure their Playoff spot early in the season next May.”
Below are the dates of the 2026 NASCAR races at Watkins Glen International:
- Friday, May 8 – NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race
- Saturday, May 9 – NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Mission 200 at The Glen
- Sunday, May 10 – NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen
“This is a landmark schedule that demonstrates NASCAR’s continued innovation with a strong mix of beloved venues and exciting new and returning racetracks for race fans from coast to coast,” said Ben Kennedy, EVP, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer.
Two weeks ago, fans saw Corey Heim and Connor Zilisch each record their sixth win of the 2025 season in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series races, respectively. Shane Van Gisbergen set a rookie record with his fourth win of the year in the Cup Series on Sunday.
There is plenty of action left at Watkins Glen International in 2025, with the SVRA Hilliard U.S. Vintage Grand Prix taking place Sept. 4-7.
Fans can purchase tickets to the SVRA weekend and to the 2026 NASCAR race weekend at www.theglen.com.
To view the entire 2026 NASCAR schedule, visit www.nascar.com/schedule.
