Why There’s No NASCAR Race Scheduled for Sunday
NASCAR’s Cup Series will not race on Easter Sunday, April 5. The organization is upholding a long-standing practice of avoiding the holiday.
Fans often ask why no NASCAR race is scheduled on Sunday during Easter weekend. The answer traces to tradition and occasional scheduling choices.
Easter and NASCAR history
Cup drivers have competed on Easter only 14 times in series history. The sport regularly ran on the holiday in its early decades.
From 1953 through 1970, the Cup Series raced on Easter ten times. After that stretch, Easter events became rare.
The only post-1970 Easter race for many years came in 1989. That Richmond date moved to Easter after a February snowstorm forced postponement.
This decade briefly saw Easter racing again, with Bristol dirt events in 2022 and 2023, and a Richmond return in 2024. Yet the schedule returned to tradition in 2025, and 2026 follows suit.
Rockingham returns to action
While the Cup Series rests, the Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will race at Rockingham Speedway. This marks the second consecutive year the track hosts NASCAR national series events.
Prior to last year’s race, Rockingham had not hosted a NASCAR event since 2013. Its comeback brings historic flavor to the early April weekend.
Truck Series — Black’s Tire 200
The Black’s Tire 200 is set for April 3 at 4:30 p.m. The event runs 200 laps and will be broadcast on FS1.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series — North Carolina Education Lottery 250
The North Carolina Education Lottery 250 is scheduled for April 4 at 2:30 p.m. Television coverage will air on the CW.
Cup Series schedule and context
The Cup Series returns to action with the Food City 500 at Bristol on April 12. The green flag drops shortly after 3 p.m., with live coverage on FS1.
This season includes only two bye weeks, the second arriving in early August. NASCAR will still crown its champion in November.
Weekend conversations also touched on Kyle Larson’s Bristol win and Rory McIlroy’s Masters triumph. Filmogaz.com covered those storylines along with the schedule updates.
