Cup schedule changes...Darlington Labor Day?

This was sent to me this morning from a good source.

The Southern 500 at Darlington (SC) Raceway will return to its traditional Labor Day weekend date when NASCAR announces the 2015 Sprint Cup schedule, perhaps as early as this weekend.

Atlanta Motor Speedway which has raced on Labor Day weekend since 2009 will have its lone Sprint Cup race weekend moved earlier in the season to week #2 Sunday, March 1, 2015.

One other notable change will be the Bristol spring weekend often plagued by weather issues in March, Bristol successfully lobbied for a later date, and will now hold its spring Cup race on Sunday, April 19, 2015.

Oh how we hope this is true.....If it happens I'll order my tickets imed.....thanks

I had this information sent to me last night, Jerry, also by a reliable source. However, as you, I will not make an "official" comment until I see it in writing from NASCAR, and then, only with greatest caution.

Here's a big middle finger to you Nascar, changing all these historic dates and taking away the tracks that made men become legends.

FINALLY, DARLINGTON HAS COME BACK TO LABOR DAY!

"If" true, this should be the death knell for Atlanta. While I love the idea of Labor Day weekend in Darlington, even when we raced mid-March at Atlanta it was an iffy proposition weather-wise. One race a year on March 1 must be a preliminary to Bruton moving that one remaining Atlanta date.

I'll never forget being stranded in an Atlanta hotel with food running out during the snowstorm that postponed the March 14, 1993 Atlanta race.

I agree Dave. Atlanta has been in a free fall for some time. On paper, the winner in this deal in the short run will be ISC. If this date swap indeed happens, I'd think the masses will receive it favorably - and hopefully buy tickets and watch TV accordingly. The short run loser will be AMS and SMI for having the track's single date moved to late winter.

Long term, SMI could still be OK I suppose. Bruton may well shutter AMS and move its date to Vegas. Obviously another schedule shift would have to occur because Vegas already runs in late February / early March.

But I imagine they'll figure that out down the road. Maybe NASCAR will move ISC's Homestead to early March and put the now-new Atlanta date as the season ender at Vegas to benefit SMI. *chuckle* Naaaah, who am I kidding. NASCAR do something to benefit Bruton? Nope, likely not.

I'd really like to say what Bruton Smith and Nascar can do, but I don't think it would be printable here.

Shame on the BOTH of them for screwing the Atlanta market out of the season finale, a Chase date, two dates, and now a Labor Day date. Karma is a bad thing.

I don't know how much responsibility Bruton has for Atlanta getting screwed. Near as I can tell, it's all Francis Ferko's fault . I'm in favor of Atlanta getting the season finale back but would prefer that all the tracks run only one race. Cutting some of the duplicate races would allow for a race at Road America and one in Toronto or Montreal. And more short tracks if they can find them. I think everyone would benefit if the season was about five races shorter, avoiding problems with cold weather.