NASCAR Cup Series

With addition of Dover dates, '16 Sprint Cup schedule gets clearer

Published Oct. 13, 2015 9:27 a.m. ET

Jared Turner

Although the complete 2016 Sprint Cup Series schedule has yet to be released, numerous tracks have already revealed their race dates -- or at least some of them -- for next season.

The latest track to announce its dates is Dover International Speedway.

NASCAR will return to the Monster Mile in 2016 for two tripleheader weekends on May 13-15 and Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

Curiously, Dover's spring Sprint Cup Series weekend falls two weeks earlier than it has traditionally fallen on the schedule.

The AAA 400 on Sunday, Oct. 2 will again be the third race of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and feature the first four eliminations from the 16-driver championship field. It will be the third consecutive year that the 1-mile Delaware track will host the first elimination race of the Chase.

Here's a quick look at the 2016 schedule, based on everything we know so far:

-- Feb. 21: Daytona 500

-- Feb. 28: Atlanta

-- March 6: Las Vegas

-- March 13: Phoenix

-- March 20: Fontana

-- April 9: Texas (Saturday night race)

-- April date TBA: Bristol

-- May 15: Dover

-- May 21: Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte

-- May 29: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

-- June 5: Pocono