eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series returns with new Qualifying Series format for 2026 season
December 17th, 2025 by Justin Melillo
Following a historic and record-breaking 2025 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series championship season, the quest for the Dale Earnhardt Jr Cup continues in 2026 with a renewed schedule and format, with the Qualifying Series kicking things off in February.
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series expands to a 24-race schedule in 2026, and the first 11 races will be as a part of the newly reconfigured eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series from February to April. The remaining 13 races will be in the main eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series, which starts in May.
For the Qualifying portion of the schedule, all iRacing members with an A-Class license and with at least a 2.0 Safety Rating in the Oval discipline can take part in the 2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series season. Races will be held on Tuesday nights, at 8:00 p.m. ET, and the series will utilize multiple NASCAR vehicles throughout the schedule.
The first four races will utilize the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks. Races 5 through 8 will compete using the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series cars. The final three races will be run utilizing the NASCAR Gen 7 (NEXT GEN) Cup Series machines. One drop race will be factored into the final standings, and all splits will be determined by iRating.
When the Qualifying Series concludes in April, the top-30 will continue on to the next phase of the 2026 season — Free Agency. 52 drivers will enter the 2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Free Agency pool. These 30 drivers from the Qualifying Series will join the top-20 drivers from the 2025 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Driver’s Standings and the top-two eNASCAR College iRacing Series drivers from the results of the 2024-25 season. 40 drivers will be selected in Free Agency by the official teams to compete in the 13-race Championship Series season, which will begin on May 19th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
This new Qualifying Series format replaces the former process, which involved three separate Qualifying and Contender seasons, dubbed the Road to Pro ladder. The Qualifying part of the schedule would previously overlap with the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season, with Qualifying Round 1 and Qualifying Round 2 taking place from February to September. Immediately following the conclusion to the main series, the Contender Series would begin, incorporating top Qualifying drivers with relegated Coca-Cola Series drivers from the prior season. Now, the process is streamlined, with everything taking place linearly in the same calendar year.
The Qualifying Series kicks off on February 10th at Daytona International Speedway. The Championship Series will start on May 19th at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Finale at the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be on October 13th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The entire eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season will be broadcast live on eNASCAR.com/live and across iRacing social media channels.
2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series Schedule:
Race |
Date |
Track |
Laps |
Tire Sets |
| NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES TRUCKS SEGMENT | ||||
| 1 | 2/10/26 | Daytona | 80 | 2 |
| 2 | 2/17/26 | Las Vegas | 100 | 3 |
| 3 | 2/24/26 | Rockingham | 200 | 5 |
| 4 | 3/03/26 | Phoenix | 120 | 4 |
| NASCAR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES CARS SEGMENT | ||||
| 5 | 3/17/26 | Homestead | 100 | 3 |
| 6 | 3/24/26 | Auto Club | 70 | 3 |
| 7 | 3/31/26 | Darlington | 100 | 3 |
| 8 | 4/07/26 | Bristol | 175 | 5 |
| NASCAR CUP SERIES NEXT GEN CARS SEGMENT | ||||
| 9 | 4/14/26 | Chicagoland | 100 | 3 |
| 10 | 4/21/26 | Michigan | 70 | 3 |
| 11 | 4/28/26 | Texas | 100 | 3 |
2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Free Agency — May 11th, 2026 to May 13th, 2026
2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series Schedule:
Race |
Date |
Track |
Laps |
Tire Sets |
| CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – SEGMENT 1 | ||||
| 1 | 5/19/26 | Charlotte | 160 | 4 |
| 2 | 6/02/26 | Echo Park | 100 | 3 |
| 3 | 6/16/26 | Iowa | 30/30/90 | 2 |
| CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – SEGMENT 2 | ||||
| 4 | 6/23/26 | Dover | 120 | 3 |
| 5 | 7/07/26 | Mexico City | 12/24 | 2 |
| 6 | 7/14/26 | Indianapolis | 60 | 2 |
| CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – SEGMENT 3 | ||||
| 7 | 7/28/26 | Nashville SS | 100 | 2 |
| 8 | 8/04/26 | Richmond | 25/25/70 | 2 |
| 9 | 8/18/26 | Daytona | 80 | 2 |
| CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – PLAYOFFS | ||||
| 10 | 9/01/26 | Michigan | 70 | 3 |
| 11 | 9/15/26 | Texas | 100 | 3 |
| 12 | 9/22/26 | Kansas | 100 | 3 |
| CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – FINALE | ||||
| 13 | 10/13/26 | Homestead-Miami | 100 | 3 |
For more information on the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, visit eNASCAR.com or iRacing.com/eNASCAR.
For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit iRacing.com.
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