Watkins Glen International’s NASCAR Cup Series weekend is returning to September in 2027.
The move will give the series a road-course race in the playoffs. This year’s 10-race Chase features only ovals.
WGI President Dawn Burlew was set to announce the news to fans at the track on Thursday, May 7.
“We’re excited to be part of the Chase, that’s the big thing,” Burlew said during an interview earlier in the day. “When you get feedback that the drivers want a road course in the Chase, what better place for us to be in the first part of the Chase, be a road course, and have the drivers want to be part of it?
“For us here at The Glen, we’re thrilled to be able to announce it will be in September of 2027. We have over a year to plan and for our fans to plan. There’s no better place for the fans to hear it first than right here at The Glen.”
The specific race weekend in September will be announced at a later date. NASCAR revealed 2026 schedules for its top-three touring series in late August.
This weekend Watkins Glen is hosting its first NASCAR May event, culminating with the Cup Series’ Go Bowling at The Glen at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 10.
Watkins Glen, a NASCAR-owned track, ventured out of the August spot on the calendar it had held since 1986 when it moved to mid-September in 2024, the track’s first time as part of the playoffs. The 2025 race returned to August.
Burlew said there’s a lot that goes on when it comes to what she called “calendar dancing.” That includes looking at the series and its tracks as a whole, considering emerging markets such as San Diego and Chicago, and taking into account weather and driver feedback.
“We’re a partner, we’re part of the larger organization, so we understand how the decisions are made and we support the bigger picture,” Burlew said.
“We are one spoke in the big wheel of NASCAR, so it’s all of us and all the tracks and all the venues we operate in that make the motorsports industry as strong as it is.”
Burlew said she is not concerned about WGI’s NASCAR weekend moving around the calendar after 37 years of summer stability, minus the 2020 event that was shifted to Daytona International Speedway’s road course because of the COVID pandemic and restrictions on gatherings in New York.
“We’ve had some challenges this week, but we also know we have a great fan base here at The Glen and NASCAR fans overall are pretty hearty and love to travel and support motorsports in general,” Burlew said.
“I think when we tell them we’re going to be back in September to a great time of year that they will support us and come back.”
Weather has been a specific challenge this week. Watkins Glen has cordoned off a couple areas in its campgrounds because they became too wet after significant rain early in the week.
There’s a possibility of rain this weekend. NASCAR is equipped to race in the rain, though not in a downpour or with standing water on the track.
Burlew said campers have been understanding of the situation.
“The fans have been phenomenal about having to be relocated and towed in and things like that,” she said. “They understand it’s an almost 2,000-acre property and there’s been a lot of rain over the last five days.
“The fans have been fantastic to work with, the team here at The Glen has been as responsive as they can be, as quick as they can be, with the number of fans we have in camping coming in.”
Weekend ticket sales
Burlew said ticket sales have been exactly what was planned from a budgetary standpoint.
She anticipates if the weather holds up there will be more walkups for general admission. Grandstand seats are still available.
It has been more than 10 years since NASCAR released attendance figures.
The last rough attendance figure for Watkins Glen’s race weekend was about 95,000 in 2015. WGI announced eight consecutive grandstand sellouts from 2015 to 2023.
May racing at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen’s weekend will include Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series races on Friday, followed Saturday by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, and Sunday by the Go Bowling at The Glen.
Burlew said she expects the racing to be “incredible.”
“One, they can race if it’s damp and if it’s rain,” Burlew added. “But also the temperature, with it being a little chillier maybe than normal. It will also add some intensity to the racing. They’ve done some tire pit changes and things like that.
“I believe the racing is going to be exciting and the fans will have a good show and at the end of the weekend they’re going to be glad they came.”
WGI’s 40-year celebration
Watkins Glen and NASCAR are celebrating the track’s 40th Cup Series race since the track became a regular part of the series in 1986.
Among past drivers who are participating are brothers Geoff and Todd Bodine, who are Chemung natives. Also in the mix will be Ron Fellows, Butch Leitzinger, and Joe Nemechek.
“I’m super excited about 40 years,” Burlew said. “In 1986, that’s when Corning and them opened it back up and we’ve been racing consistently since then.”
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: WGI announces September weekend for its 2027 NASCAR Cup Series event
Reporting by Andrew Legare, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
