NASCAR moves Watkins Glen to September for 2027 season as part of Cup Chase

NASCAR’s move of Watkins Glen to the spring isn’t going to last, as the historic road course confirmed plans to move the Cup date to the fall in 2027.

WGI will be in the Chase for the Championship and barring a dramatic change to the schedule, it will likely be the only road course in the Chase. The Charlotte Roval was taken off the schedule so there are no road courses in the ten-race Chase this year.

Why the May date was uncertain

This is a remarkably quick announcement for next year’s schedule, and comes after controversy over the decision to move the race into early May for 2026 — the earliest in the year NASCAR has ever raced at Watkins Glen. The weather is not only a lot more volatile (snow melt and spring rains lead to muddy conditions in the campground that fans are already battling), but it’s a strange time for CNY and the Finger Lakes region.

Because it’s one of the slowest times of year for tourism in the region, many locals store their campers until Memorial Day Weekend and the main Gorge trail at the popular Watkins Glen State Park isn’t even open yet. Many local tracks (like Oswego Speedway) don't even begin racing until later in the month.

Watkins Glen is another one of the prettier tracks on the schedule but many of the trees are still bare in early May as they just start to grow spring leaves.

NASCAR first raced at Watkins Glen in 1957 and has returned every year since 1986. The race has never been run earlier than July 18... until this year.

The Sanctioning Body’s decision to move the race to early May was an effort to spread out some of the road courses, but this September date will accomplish the same goal.

While no official date has been set for The Glen’s 2027 date the confirmation for September means that it will be in the first-half of the Chase. Watkins Glen was added to the 2024 Chase on September 15th as the 28th round of the season.