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All three of the national NASCAR series are in action on July 7-9. The top drivers will take on a packed schedule featuring an afternoon race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and two primetime races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The schedule on Friday, July 7, only includes one event — the ARCA Menards Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (6 p.m. ET, FS1). However, the Truck Series drivers will practice at the road course at 4 p.m. ET (FS1) before qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET (FS1).
The Truck Series race will kick off the schedule on Saturday, July 8. They will take on the Ohio road course at 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1). The Xfinity Series and Cup Series drivers will then take on Atlanta Motor Speedway for qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET and 5:35 p.m. ET (USA). The Xfinity Series race will then cap off the day at 8 p.m. ET (USA).
The Cup Series race is the only event on the schedule for Sunday, July 9. The top drivers will head to the mini-superspeedway and battle for the win at 7 p.m. ET. USA will provide coverage for the first time in 2023 after two Cup Series races on NBC.
The Pre-Race Events Follow the Superspeedway Format
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GettyCup Series drivers race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
With the three national series competing at two different tracks, there will be a different format used at each location. The Truck Series drivers will still have practice before qualifying while the Xfinity Series and Cup Series drivers will move straight into qualifying.
The two series at the Hampton track will use the superspeedway style of qualifying. There will be no groups as there are at road courses or other ovals. Instead, the drivers will just line up according to NASCAR’s qualifying order and complete one timed lap.
The 10 fastest drivers from the first round will move on to the final round. They will then line up once again and do another timed lap around Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This is the format that NASCAR uses at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Though the season-opening Daytona 500 is unique in that there is single-car qualifying and two races that set the starting lineup.
A New Driver Will Celebrate at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
GettyParker Kligerman celebrates a win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
While there will be several past winners battling at Atlanta Motor Speedway, there will be a first-timer at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The reason is that the only Truck Series driver to win at the road course now competes full-time in the Xfinity Series.
Mid-Ohio joined the Truck Series schedule for the first time during the 2022 season while replacing the departed Xfinity Series. The trucks had no history at the road course, but that did not prevent them from delivering a memorable event.
The inaugural race came down to two drivers — Parker Kligerman and Zane Smith. The two battled throughout the race while combining to lead 64 of the 67 laps. Kligerman ultimately held off a hard-charging Smith on the final lap to capture his first Truck Series win since the 2017 season.
With Kligerman now heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway with Big Machine Racing, he will not be eligible to defend his win. Instead, 36 drivers will try to join him on the very short list of Truck Series winners at Mid-Ohio.
“I love road course racing,” Smith said in a press release. “Winning COTA two years in a row was cool and racing Parker last year for the win here was fun. I expect another great truck this weekend and hopefully this time we get the win with Tipico at their first race.”
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