Richmond Raceway Confirms It'll Host "Chase" Race In 2027

The 0.75-mile short track in Richmond, VA, will serve as one of the 10 venues inside the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship.

Aug 16, 2025; Richmond, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Richmond Raceway became the latest race track to reveal its official 2027 NASCAR National Series race dates, as the facility revealed its dates on Thursday. Next season, the 0.75-mile short track, affectionately known as "The Action Track" will move inside the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Cup.

According to the release from Richmond Raceway, it will host its NASCAR Cup Series/NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series double-header weekend on September 10-11.

We've got a new place in the schedule for 2027! Next year, we'll see you in The Chase! pic.twitter.com/108m4Y1gw7

— Richmond Raceway (@RichmondRaceway) August 13, 2026

The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series event will kick off the race weekend on Friday, September 10, while the NASCAR Cup Series event at Richmond will take place on Saturday, September 11.

The change means that there will be at least two short tracks represented inside the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Cup in 2027. Richmond will join Martinsville Speedway, which previously announced its 2027 dates, inside the Chase.

Bristol Motor Speedway's Night Race, which has been part of the Chasee/Playoffs in recent years, will move back to it's traditional racedate in August.

Perhaps the swapping inside at outside of The Chase for Bristol and Richmond will add heightened intensity to each race next season, given that the stakes will be significantly different for each track than they have been for the last several seasons.

Drivers will now not have to fear (as much) about the championship ramifications as they attempt to route and gouge their way to a win in the famed Bristol Night Race, and Richmond, a less rough-and-tumble short track than Bristol, will now carry the weight of factoring heavily into the championship picture.