Charlotte keeps Coca-Cola 600 and ROVAL 400, loses All-Star Race in 2021 NASCAR schedule

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte Motor Speedway will keep two major races but lose another in the 2021 NASCAR schedule.

As part of NASCAR’s newly announced 2021 schedule, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s crown jewel events, the Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America ROVAL 400, will return to their traditional May and October race weekends next season.

The 62nd running of the Coca-Cola 600 will happen Memorial Day Weekend, Sunday, May 30, while the Bank of America ROVAL 400 will take place on Sunday, Oct. 10.

However, the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race will not be held in Charlotte for the second consecutive year.

According to the schedule, the NASCAR All-Star Race will move to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time, with the annual invitational set for a June 13 date.

The non-points exhibition has been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway for 33 of 35 runnings, with only single All-Star events taking place at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986) and Bristol Motor Speedway (2020).

Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway are all properties owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

“While the new schedule features some dynamic changes with both new race tracks and race dates, we are honored to keep the historical tradition of NASCAR racing in May and October at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. "We will miss the NASCAR All-Star Race on our 2021 event schedule, but we know race fans will be excited to see the show Texas Motor Speedway will produce mid-season as part of the revamped schedule.

Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith provided a statement on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule.

“I’m thrilled with the effort and the ideas that went into developing the 2021 NASCAR schedule. This is a tremendous boost for our entire sport. I’m proud of the collaborative effort amongst our team at Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR, along with FOX, NBC and the race teams, to produce something spectacular for NASCAR fans whether they are watching from the grandstands or on television. We made some bold changes with new markets and new speedways, and we’ve also stayed true to our legendary speedways across the country. I’m looking forward to seeing the 2021 NASCAR season unfold along with millions of NASCAR fans,” Smith said.

Tickets for both of Charlotte’s 2021 NASCAR Cup Series races as well as the upcoming Oct. 10, 2020 Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina are available at www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

The Athletic first reported the news that the All-Star Race would be moving from Charlotte to Texas. In an article written by Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, the writers said NASCAR was planning to hold the race at Texas Motor Speedway while taking one of its two Cup Series points races away.

NASCAR moved their 2020 All-Star Race from Charlotte, N.C. to Bristol, Tenn. due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in North Carolina. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Sullivan County officials allowed for up to 30,000 fans at the All-Star Race in Bristol.

NASCAR schedules for Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series will be released at a later date.

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