For the third time in as many years, Watkins Glen International will host its annual NASCAR events on a different weekend. The top stock car racing series in the world will make its stop in the Finger Lakes on May 8-10, 2026.
The change is part of an ever-evolving schedule for the three national touring series of NASCAR. The Glen now finds itself part of the first third set of races. The race for the Cup Series will be the earliest the tour has visited since 1965, when the race was held on July 19. The renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, formerly Xfinity, ran races in late June or early July from 1991 until 2001 before a pause in the schedule until 2006 brought it back with the Cup Series that season. As for the Craftsman Truck Series, they return for a second consecutive season. They ran once in May back in the 1998 season at The Glen, while other races have been tied to either the Cup or O’Reilly Series since.
Yet to be announced is whether the ARCA Menards Series returns with the other series. The schedule for that tour is typically revealed during the fall as they wind down their championship run.
Paul is a producer responsible for production of podcasts and streamed content on our network. This includes Finger Lakes Today, FingerLakes1.com’s flagship daily live program. He hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast, too. Have a question? Send it to [email protected].