Watkins Glen International announced today that the NASCAR race weekend is officially moving back to the fall and will play a pivotal role in the early portion of The Chase. The triple-header weekend will feature the ARCA Menards, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and NASCAR Cup Series racing from Sept. 17-19.
In addition to the NASCAR weekend in mid-September, Watkins Glen International will host the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) and the Hilliard US Vintage Grand Prix Presented by Mission Foods Sept. 10-12, creating back-to-back weekends of racing excitement for fans.
“The Finger Lakes is destined for an incredible fall in 2027 with the NASCAR race weekend occurring during The Chase, as well as the historic Hilliard US Vintage Grand Prix Presented by Mission Foods weekend,” said Dawn Burlew, President of Watkins Glen International. “Whether you like stockcar racing or those classic cars from years past, there is no better place for automotive aficionados than The Glen next September.”
In 2027, Watkins Glen returns to a fall weekend on the NASCAR schedule, this time helping to crown champions as part of The Chase. As one of the first postseason weekends, fans can witness the culmination of a yearlong goal as drivers go pedal to the metal to catch up in the standings.
Earlier this year, Shane Van Gisbergen defended his 2025 title with a substantial seven second victory at the 2026 Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. When combining his last two races in the Finger Lakes, the New Zealand native led 112 of the 190 laps (58.9%) and had a total win margin of nearly 18.5 seconds. With another win in 2027, SVG would become the first Cup Series driver to complete the three-peat since Jeff Gordon did so from 1997 to 1999.
Below are the dates for the 2027 NASCAR season at Watkins Glen International:
- Friday, September 17 – NASCAR ARCA Menards Series
- Saturday, September 18 – NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Mission Foods 200 at The Glen
- Sunday, September 19 – NASCAR Cup Series
Fans can purchase tickets to the 2027 NASCAR race weekend at www.theglen.com.
— Watkins Glen International —