By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Spring weekend, Pennzoil 400Friday 19 March 2027
- Autumn weekend, South Point 400Friday 8 October 2027
- Where
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Tickets
- Ticketed
- Time of year
- March or October
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts two NASCAR weekends in 2027, announced by the Speedway on 10 August 2026: 19 to 21 March for the Pennzoil 400, and 8 to 10 October for the South Point 400. Ticket sales, session schedules, broadcast details and camping were all stated as coming later, so check the Speedway rather than a resale site.
This is the only thing on the Las Vegas calendar that happens twice, and the two occasions are not interchangeable. The spring weekend lands when the desert is at its best and the city is already at its busiest, so it stacks on top of an expensive month. The autumn one lands in the best weather of the year and in the middle of a heavy convention season. If you are choosing between them for the racing alone they are much the same; if you are choosing between them for the trip around the racing, they are different holidays.
What NASCAR at the Speedway actually is
A superspeedway about twenty-four kilometres north of the Strip, hosting two NASCAR Cup Series weekends a year along with the supporting series that travel with them. The spring meeting carries the Pennzoil 400 and the autumn one the South Point 400, which sits in the championship run-in and therefore usually matters more.
The Speedway is a long way from the Strip by Las Vegas standards, which is the fact that shapes the weekend. This is not an event the city absorbs the way it absorbs a convention; it is a place you go to, and getting there and back is a meaningful part of the day.
Where to watch NASCAR at the Speedway
- The grandstands along the front straight, which is where the start, the finish and the pit action all are. It is the default and it is the right default for a first visit.
- Higher up, for the shape of the race. An oval rewards altitude: from the upper rows you can see the whole circuit at once and follow the running order, which at ground level is largely guesswork between pit stops.
- Turn one, for the racing itself. Corner entry on a banked oval is where the overtaking happens and where a race is decided, and it is the seat to choose once you know you like the sport.
- The infield, if you came for the weekend rather than the race. Camping and infield access are sold separately, put you inside the circuit for the duration, and turn a day out into something closer to a festival.
Tickets and what it costs
The two weekends are sold separately and there is no combined ticket, which is worth knowing because they look like one event on a calendar and behave like two.
Prices for the coming season had not been published when this page was written. The Speedway announced the dates well ahead and said that ticket sales, session schedules, broadcast arrangements and camping would follow, so the official site is the place to check and a resale listing is not.
Camping and infield passes are their own category and sell out earlier than grandstand seats, because the supply is fixed by the site rather than by demand.
Official information and booking: www.lvms.com
Getting there
The Speedway sits north of the city on the interstate, and on a race day the approach is the hardest part of the trip. Traffic builds for hours before the green flag and clears slowly afterwards, and a journey that takes twenty-five minutes on an ordinary Tuesday can take well over an hour either side of the race.
Shuttles run from Strip properties on race weekends and are the sensible option for anyone without a strong reason to drive, because parking is a long walk in its own right and leaving is the slow part.
The two weekends differ in how that feels rather than in how it works. In March the wait outside is pleasant; in October it is warm but manageable. Neither is July, which is the main reason the Speedway does not race here in summer.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Treating the two weekends as the same event
They are sold separately, they fall in different seasons, and the autumn one carries more championship weight. Booking the wrong one because the calendar said Las Vegas is an easy error.
Booking a Strip hotel and assuming the Speedway is nearby
It is around twenty-four kilometres north. That is a short drive on a normal day and a long one on a race day.
Driving yourself without allowing for the exit
Getting in is slow and getting out is slower. The shuttle costs less than the time it saves.
Buying from a resale site before the official one opens
The Speedway announces dates well before it announces ticket sales, which leaves a window where resale listings exist and official ones do not.
Dressing for the Strip rather than for an exposed grandstand
An oval has no shade and a desert spring morning is cold before it is warm. Layers and sunscreen both, on the same day.
Other Las Vegas events
Frequently asked questions
How many NASCAR races are there in Las Vegas each year?
Two Cup Series weekends, one in spring and one in autumn, both at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The spring meeting carries the Pennzoil 400 and the autumn one the South Point 400, which falls in the championship run-in and usually carries more weight. They are sold separately and are best treated as two different events.
How far is Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the Strip?
About twenty-four kilometres north, up the interstate. That is a straightforward drive on an ordinary day and a slow one on a race day, when traffic builds for hours beforehand and clears slowly afterwards. Shuttles run from Strip properties on race weekends and are the easier choice for most visitors.
Which is the better NASCAR weekend to attend in Las Vegas?
For the racing they are much the same, though the autumn race matters more to the championship. For the trip around it they are quite different: the spring weekend lands when the desert outside the city is at its best, and the autumn one lands in the best weather of the year but in the middle of a heavy convention season, which affects hotel rates more than the race itself does.
Where are the best seats at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
Higher rather than lower, if you want to follow the race rather than watch cars pass. An oval rewards altitude, because from the upper rows the whole circuit is visible and the running order is legible, which it is not from ground level. Turn one is the seat to choose once you know the sport, since that is where the overtaking happens.
When do tickets go on sale for NASCAR in Las Vegas?
Later than the dates. The Speedway announces the race weekends well in advance and states that ticket sales, schedules, broadcast details and camping follow separately, which leaves a period where resale listings exist and official sales have not opened. Buy from the Speedway rather than from a resale site during that window.
Sources
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.