2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule
The 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule saw some significant changes from the 2011 edition of the calendar. The 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season welcomes one new race track to the schedule but sheds two tracks which hosted a combined three races last year.
First The Losses
The NASCAR Nationwide Series will not be returning to Nashville Superspeedway or Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (formerly known as Indianapolis Raceway Park) in 2012.
Nashville Superspeedway announced in early August that it had asked NASCAR to not be included in the NASCAR Nationwide Series or Camping World Truck Series schedules for 2012. The general manager of Nashville Superspeedway Cliff Hawks said "without a Sprint Cup race... we simply cannot continue."
In 2011 Nashville hosted two events. One in April and another in July.
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis has hosted the NASCAR Nationwide Series since Morgan Shepherd won the first race on the .686-mile oval in 1982. However the 2012 schedule has replaced this exciting short track battle with a race across town at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This is one of my favorite places in the world to watch a race and I will sorely miss the Nationwide Series event here next year. The stock cars were able to put on some fabulous racing here and the big track across town is unlikely to be nearly as interesting.
Now The Gains
The 2012 Nationwide Series schedule has one new track listed. As mentioned above Indianapolis Motor Speedway has taken over as the companion event for the Brickyard 400. I guess it is nice that race fans don't have to trek across town to see the Nationwide show but I can't imagine that the racing itself will be as good.
The other addition to the schedule is Kentucky Speedway which has added a fall race on September 22nd to its summertime show in late June.
Net Loss
The overall result of these changes is that The 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule is one race shorter than last season. The Indianapolis switch is a one-for-one swap but Nashville left two races on the table and Kentucky only made up for one of them.
After the break is the complete 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.
2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule
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