Richmond Raceway moves 2025 NASCAR Cup Series race to Saturday after spring race removed from calendar

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — After Richmond Raceway’s springtime NASCAR race was removed from the 2025 calendar , organizers have announced that the remaining August race will now take place on Saturday night.

In recent years, Richmond Raceway night races have taken place on Sundays — giving time for qualifying and other series races to be held on Saturday the night before.

Officials announced that Richmond’s — now solo — NASCAR Cup Series race for 2025 will be held on the night of Saturday, Aug. 16, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular-season finale taking place on Friday, Aug. 15.

“Returning the NASCAR Cup Series to Saturday night at Richmond Raceway is something our fans have wanted for some time,” said Richmond Raceway President Lori Collier Waran. “It’s going to make for an incredible summer night of racing here in the Commonwealth, and we’re going to make it an unforgettable experience for our fans.”

News broke on Wednesday that the raceway’s other annual NASCAR race, usually scheduled for April, had been cut from the 2025 calendar to make room for a new race in Mexico City. It will make 2025 the first year since 1958 in which Richmond Raceway has only hosted one race.

“We’re still committed to Richmond,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President, Chief Venue & Racing Innovation Officer during a media conference on Tuesday. “It’s an important track, an important market, certainly, as we think about where our NASCAR fans are today. We’ve seen some exciting storylines certainly come out of that track over the past few years and [we’re] excited to continue to be there next year.”

A spokesperson told 8News that a replacement event for the now-empty April spot on Richmond Raceway’s schedule has not yet been found. However, a release from Richmond Raceway said “the track will continue to be active year-round with a multitude of concerts, community events and the upcoming Nitrocross race weekend on Sept. 7-8.”

“Thanks to its amazing partnership with NASCAR, Richmond Raceway has given race fans from across Virginia, the East Coast and beyond a front-row seat to some of the most exciting races over the past six decades,” said Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas. “Henrico County welcomes the continuation of this partnership and stands ready to do all we can to support racing and other events at the Raceway. Along with many fans, we look forward to the return of night racing with the NASCAR Cup Series next August and for many years to come.”

The full NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2025 can be found here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRIC ABC 8News.