Winter NASCAR iRacing Series to include Gen 4 Cup in 2026-27 season
November 4th, 2026 by Justin Melillo
Following another successful NASCAR iRacing Series in 2026 that saw more than 15,000 iRacers take on at least one race this year in the Fixed Series and more than 10,000 iRacers in the Open Series, the Winter NASCAR iRacing Series is set to return for the 2026-27 season to fill the gap until NASCAR kicks back off at Daytona next February.
Once again, the Open and Fixed NiS timeslots will transform into the Winter variants starting November 11th, but this year, the NASCAR Gen 4 Cup car will be a part of the equation. The time slots currently occupied by the Fixed NiS timeslots will be the Winter iRacing NASCAR Gen 4 Cup Series this season, while the other four timeslots that housed the Open NiS will be the Winter iRacing NASCAR 87 Series. Both of these new series will utilize Fixed Setups for this season.
The new Gen 4 Cup Series will utilize the two 2003 cars released in iRacing’s 2025 Season 3, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Ford Taurus. As for the 1987 series, they’ll still have the same four classic cars from the third generation of the sport, including the Buick LeSabre, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Thunderbird, and the Pontiac Grand Prix. The two series will share a similar schedule, visiting many familiar NASCAR ovals from past and present.
The two seasons kick off on Wednesday, November 11th at the 2009 version of Michigan International Raceway. The first Gen 4 Cup Series race rolls off at 4 PM ET (21:00 GMT) while the first 1987 Series race on the schedule is scheduled for 9 PM ET (02:00 GMT Thursday). See the schedule listed below.
WINTER iRACING NASCAR GEN 4 CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
| ROUND | DATE | SEASON/WEEK | TRACK | LAPS | TIRE SETS | IN-SIM DATE | IN-SIM TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 10, 2026 | 2026 S4 W9 | Michigan 2009 | 100 | 5 | Apr 5, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 2 | Nov 17, 2026 | 2026 S4 W10 | Phoenix 2008 | 156 | 5 | Apr 12, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 3 | Nov 24, 2026 | 2026 S4 W11 | Talladega | 94 | 4 | Apr 18, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 4 | Dec 1, 2026 | 2026 S4 W12 | Darlington | 147 | 6 | Apr 25, 2026 | Noon |
| 5 | Dec 8, 2026 | 2026 S4 W13 | Las Vegas | 134 | 6 | May 2, 2926 | Afternoon |
| 6 | Dec 15, 2026 | 2027 S1 W1 | Chicagoland | 134 | 6 | May 9, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 7 | Dec 22, 2026 | 2027 S1 W2 | Texas 2009 | 134 | 6 | May 16, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 8 | Dec 29, 2026 | 2027 S1 W3 | Charlotte | 200 | 6 | May 23, 2026 | Late Afternoon |
| 9 | Jan 5, 2027 | 2027 S1 W4 | Martinsville | 250 | 7 | May 30, 2026 | Noon |
| 10 | Jan 12, 2027 | 2027 S1 W5 | Atlanta 2008 | 167 | 7 | Jun 7, 2026 | Noon |
| 11 | Jan 19, 2027 | 2027 S1 W6 | Bristol | 250 | 7 | Sep 5, 2026 | Late Afternoon |
| 12 | Jan 26, 2027 | 2027 S1 W7 | Homestead | 134 | 6 | Sep 13, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 13 | Feb 2, 2027 | 2027 S1 W8 | Auto Club | 100 | 5 | Sep 20, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 14 | Feb 9, 2027 | 2027 S1 W9 | Daytona 2007 | 200 | 8 | Feb 16, 2026 | Noon |
Race Times GMT: Wednesday, 21:00; Friday, 02:00; Saturday, 10:00 & 17:00; Monday, 02:00
Race Times ET: Wednesday, 4:00 p.m.; Thursday, 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 5:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.; Sunday 9:00 p.m.
WINTER iRACING NASCAR 87 SERIES SCHEDULE
| ROUND | DATE | SEASON/WEEK | TRACK | LAPS | TIRE SETS | IN-SIM DATE | IN-SIM TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 10, 2026 | 2026 S4 W9 | Michigan 2009 | 100 | 5 | Apr 5, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 2 | Nov 17, 2026 | 2026 S4 W10 | Richmond | 200 | 6 | Apr 12, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 3 | Nov 24, 2026 | 2026 S4 W11 | Talladega | 94 | 4 | Apr 18, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 4 | Dec 1, 2026 | 2026 S4 W12 | Darlington | 147 | 6 | Apr 25, 2026 | Noon |
| 5 | Dec 8, 2026 | 2026 S4 W13 | Dover | 200 | 7 | May 2, 2926 | Afternoon |
| 6 | Dec 15, 2026 | 2027 S1 W1 | Pocono 2009 | 80 | 4 | May 9, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 7 | Dec 22, 2026 | 2027 S1 W2 | Rockingham 2012 | 167 | 6 | May 16, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 8 | Dec 29, 2026 | 2027 S1 W3 | Charlotte | 200 | 6 | May 23, 2026 | Late Afternoon |
| 9 | Jan 5, 2027 | 2027 S1 W4 | Martinsville | 250 | 7 | May 30, 2026 | Noon |
| 10 | Jan 12, 2027 | 2027 S1 W5 | Atlanta 2008 | 167 | 7 | Jun 7, 2026 | Noon |
| 11 | Jan 19, 2027 | 2027 S1 W6 | Bristol | 250 | 7 | Sep 5, 2026 | Late Afternoon |
| 12 | Jan 26, 2027 | 2027 S1 W7 | Homestead | 134 | 6 | Sep 13, 2026 | Afternoon |
| 13 | Feb 2, 2027 | 2027 S1 W8 | North Wilkesboro | 200 | 6 | Sep 20, 2026 | Noon |
| 14 | Feb 9, 2027 | 2027 S1 W9 | Daytona 2007 | 200 | 8 | Feb 15, 2026 | Afternoon |
Race Times GMT: Thursday, 02:00 & 19:00; Saturday, 02:00; Sunday, 15:00
Race Times ET: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.; Thursday, 2:00 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 p.m.; Sunday 10:00 a.m.
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