The 2026 NASCAR schedule dropped, and it’s shaking things up in a big way. Fans are buzzing about a street race at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, a first-of-its-kind event on an active military base for all three national series, Cup, Xfinity (soon to be O’Reilly Auto Parts), and Trucks, set for June to celebrate the Navy’s 250th anniversary.

Chicagoland Speedway’s back in the mix, replacing the paused Chicago Street Race, bringing Cup action to the 1.5-mile oval on July 5 for the first time since 2019. The All-Star Race is leaving North Wilkesboro for Dover’s Monster Mile on May 17, switching to a daytime vibe since Dover lacks lights. Homestead-Miami Speedway reclaims the Cup Series championship on November 8, its first finale since 2019. Watkins Glen’s jumping to Mother’s Day weekend, May 10, a bold shift from its usual August slot.

The biggest news, though, is North Wilkesboro Speedway scoring a Cup Series points race on July 19. It will be its first since 1996. After hosting the All-Star Race from 2023 to 2025, the track’s getting a full-blown championship event, a move that’s got everyone, especially Dale Earnhardt Jr., absolutely pumped.

Junior is excited for NWB comeback

Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t hold back his excitement, tweeting, “The big news for me on the 2026 NASCAR schedule is @NWBSpeedway getting a points race! I can’t wait to call 400 laps of night racing there on July 19. It’s massive for the surrounding community, and every fan of NASCAR is going to feel like a winner next July.” You can practically hear the goosebumps in his words, a mix of nostalgia and pride for a track he’s fought to bring back.

This isn’t just any race; it’s North Wilkesboro’s first Cup Series points-paying event in 30 years. The track, once a ghost town with weeds creeping through cracked asphalt, is now a symbol of NASCAR’s roots reborn. Ben Kennedy, the NASCAR Vice President, confirmed fans were loud about wanting this, with 70% of them, especially younger ones, pushing for a points race. That fan passion, paired with the track’s history, made it a no-brainer to swap the All-Star Race for something with real championship weight.

Dale Jr.’s connection to North Wilkesboro runs deep. Back in 2019, he was out there with a crew, clearing brush and scanning the track for iRacing to preserve it digitally when it seemed doomed. That effort sparked a revival, leading to the All-Star Race’s return in 2023 and now this huge step. He raced there himself in 2022 and 2023 CARS Tour events, finishing third in a sold-out showdown that felt like the 1990s all over again. His push, alongside $18 million in state funding, turned a crumbling relic into a vibrant venue.

The impact goes beyond the track. A 2023 study showed the All-Star Race poured nearly $29 million into Wilkes County’s economy, with a total impact close to $50 million. Local restaurants, hotels, and shops got a massive boost, and a points race is only going to amplify that. Dale Jr.’s right, July 19’s 400-lap night race under the lights will make every fan, and the whole community, feel like they’ve hit the jackpot.

Picture the grandstands shaking, the roar of engines, and the stakes of a points battle on a track built for moonshiners. It’s NASCAR at its purest. When Dale Jr. calls that race, it’ll be more than a broadcast. It’s a storyteller bringing a piece of history full circle, blending the ghosts of legends like Richard Petty and his own dad, Dale Sr., with the drama of today’s Cup Series stars. That’s the kind of night that gives you chills.

Dale Jr.’s love for his pets

Away from the track, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s got a soft spot for his pets, a love that’s been part of his life since childhood. Growing up, he had a yellow Lab named Domino, Rocket the Irish setter, a boxer called Killer, and a crew of cats, Buddy, Cuz, Dude, and Tux, plus hamsters named after Days of Our Lives characters. In 2017, he shared that he and his wife, Amy, had two dogs: Gus, an Irish setter, and Junebug, a Pomeranian. They’d bring them to races when they could, loving the chaos of their excited greetings back home.

This March, Dale Jr. gave a tough update on Junebug, who’d suffered a stroke, causing numbness and fainting spells. Doctors gave him six months, but Amy later shared he was barking again, a small win. On the Dale Jr. Download podcast, a fan asked about Buddy, one of his cats. Dale Jr. lit up, recalling how he and his bus driver, Shane, adopted Buddy in the 2000s. They built him a custom litter box space on the bus, letting him travel track to track. Buddy lived that road life for five or six years until diabetes forced him off the bus after an incident Shane blamed on himself, jumping on the dashboard.

Buddy became the race shop cat, keeping mice at bay for another six to eight years with insulin shots keeping him going. Tux, another cat, patrolled the house for rodents. Years later, Dale Jr. found a Buddy lookalike at a pet store, but got more than he bargained for. This new cat was a fierce scrapper, ready to take on anyone who got too close. Dale Jr.’s stories show a guy who finds as much joy in his pets’ quirks as he does in a sold-out North Wilkesboro night.