The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule was announced recently, and like 2021, the Daytona 500 will kick off the season, while the Coke Zero Sugar 400 will again be the final race of the regular season.
The 64th annual Daytona 500 is set for Presidents’ Day weekend, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. It will mark the 41st straight time (dating back to 1982) The Great American Race has started off NASCAR’s season, and it will be the site of the points-race debut of the premier series anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car.
Next year’s summer classic, Coke Zero Sugar 400, is set for Saturday evening, August 27. Last month, for the second time in history, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 served as the last-chance, cutoff race for the playoffs and delivered in dramatic fashion as Tyler Reddick, through grit and determination, brought home his beaten and battered Chevrolet fifth, good enough to take the final spot in the Cup Series Playoffs. A year ago, in a “must win” situation in 2020, William Byron battled his way to his first career Cup Series win and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
The Next Gen car, a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing and the automotive industry, is designed to give the drivers greater control. It will put an emphasis back on race strategies, team personnel and vehicle setups while returning the ‘stock car’ look to NASCAR. The cars are set to put on great racing for fans, incorporate relevant technology and look more like street version vehicles.
Fans will get to see the Next Gen cars in competition on the 31-degree banks during Thursday’s (Feb. 17) Bluegreen Vacations Duel races as part of Speedweeks Presented By AdventhHealth. The Duel qualifying events will set the starting field for the Daytona 500.
Tickets for the 2022 Daytona 500 can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting www.DAYTONA500.com.
Fans wishing to attend the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 can take advantage of an early access pre-sale. Available online or by phone, tickets for the general public start at $49 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and younger. Fans who attended the 2021 event can take advantage of even lower pricing when renewing by the deadline of Dec. 3. For ticket information on the Coke Zero Sugar 400, fans can log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
The full ’22 schedule can be found at www.nascar.com. Complete schedules for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2022 seasons will be announced soon. Start times and television networks for Cup Series races will be also announced at a later date.