NASCAR releases 2014 Nationwide Series schedule

In 2014, NASCAR’s No. 2 national series, the Nationwide Series, will take on a 33-race schedule for the third consecutive season.

The 2014 docket will feature six stand-alone weekends (two at Iowa Speedway, Chicagoland, Kentucky, Road America and Mid-Ohio) as well as three road course weekends (Road America, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio). Three date shifts will take place from this year’s schedule:

Darlington will host its NNS race a month earlier (April 11) as part of its new NASCAR weekend in April 2014.
Iowa’s first stand-alone event, which had been in June, has been moved to mid-May (May 18).
Texas’ NNS race has been moved one week earlier to April 4, 2014.
Additionally, the Chicagoland stand-alone on July 19 will go back to a nighttime format for the first time since 2011.

Also, the series’ “Dash 4 Cash” bonus program for drivers and fans will also return for a sixth consecutive season. More details on the Dash 4 Cash will be revealed at a later date.

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2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule

Date               Site
2/22                Daytona International Speedway
3/1                  Phoenix International Raceway
3/8                  Las Vegas Motor Speedway
3/15                Bristol Motor Speedway
3/22                Auto Club Speedway
4/4                  Texas Motor Speedway
4/11                Darlington Raceway
4/25                Richmond International Raceway
5/3                  Talladega Superspeedway
5/18                Iowa Speedway
5/24                Charlotte Motor Speedway
5/31                Dover International Speedway
6/14                Michigan International Speedway
6/21                Road America
6/27                Kentucky Speedway
7/4                  Daytona International Speedway
7/12                 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/19                 Chicagoland Speedway
7/26                 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
8/2                  Iowa Speedway
8/9                  Watkins Glen International
8/16                Mid-Ohio
8/22                Bristol Motor Speedway
8/30                Atlanta Motor Speedway
9/5                  Richmond International Raceway
9/13                Chicagoland Speedway
9/20                Kentucky Speedway
9/27                Dover International Speedway
10/4                Kansas Speedway
10/10              Charlotte Motor Speedway
11/1                Texas Motor Speedway
11/8                Phoenix International Raceway
11/15               Homestead-Miami Speedway

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Gabby Chaves is set to return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen International later this month.

The Columbian-American driver, who last competed in IMSA in 2016 – with the DeltaWing outfit – will sub for the injured Joao Barbosa – he hurt his wrist in a cycling accident earlier in June – in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

Chaves will partner Filipe Albuquerque and Christian Fittipaldi in the No. 5 Cadillac.

Chaves expressed gratitude for being asked to fill in, but kept his enthusiasm muted, noting that he is getting the opportunity ultimately because another driver got hurt.

“The first thing is of course that you never want to have an opportunity because someone got hurt, so this is an unfortunate circumstance with Joao having his injury,”said Chaves. “But I appreciate the opportunity to join the championship-leading team. Mustang Sampling Racing has had a strong start this year and hopefully I can help the team continue to have those kinds of results.”

Chaves added, “I love Watkins Glen, it is a great track and I am looking forward to racing the Cadillac Prototype there. I’m excited to be going back to endurance racing. With different classes all racing at the same time, there is a lot for the driver to deal with as you work through traffic. So I am looking forward to racing at the Glen again, and I really appreciate this opportunity with Mustang Sampling Racing.”

Chaves’ most recent IMSA event was the 2016 Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, when he finished seventh in the Prototype class.

The No. 5 Action Express Cadillac currently sits tied with the sister No. 31 Whelen Engineer Racing Cadillac of Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr atop the IMSA standings, though Barbosa’s hopes of a driver’s championship are set to take an enormous hit with him missing Watkins Glen.

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