Charlotte Motor Speedway announced Thursday that its fall race will move to Sunday, Oct. 8. The race is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
The race had been previously scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 7 on NBCSN. It had been the only night race in the playoffs.
“Charlotte’s so tricky, especially when the sun’s out,” said seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson in a release from the track. “And, the track’s finally aging and getting to a place with a lot of character (so) that a day race will allow us to run so many more lanes and, I think, create such an entertaining and compelling race … I’m really excited for a hot, slick, day race.”
Last fall’s race was scheduled to be run Saturday night but was rained out and moved to Sunday afternoon. Johnson won that race.
This year’s race marks the first time since 2002 that Charlotte’s fall race has been scheduled to be run during the day.
The weekend schedule will feature Cup qualifying Friday night, the Xfinity race Saturday afternoon and the Cup race Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve heard from fans and from several drivers about how much fun it is to race during the daytime at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” Marcus Smith, speedway president and general manager, said in a statement. “A return to ‘Daylight Racing Time’ also builds on our commitment to being ‘FANS FIRST’ by providing families with affordable, world-class entertainment on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone should set their clocks for ‘Daylight Racing Time,’ because it’s going to be an unforgettable weekend of racing.”