WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) - NASCAR released its 2024 season schedule on Wednesday, and Watkins Glen International will be a part of the playoffs for the first time.

Go Bowling at the Glen race weekend will take place September 14th and 15th, making it a part of the opening round of the playoffs.

Watkins Glen International has hosted the penultimate race of the regular season the last two years and the track has hosted NASCAR in August annually since 1986. Watkins Glen International will be the second race during the first round of the playoffs.

"As we started talking about our 2024 schedule and what changes we were looking at making, Watkins Glen moving into the playoff continued to be a topic of conversation just with the incredible racing that we continue to put on at Watkins Glen and knowing that the playoffs it would change the dynamic of that first round, it was just something we thought would be really great for the fans," said Chip Wile, Senior Vice President and Chief Track Properties Officer at NASCAR. "It was fun to be able to get that across the goal line and I know that race fans up in upstate New York are going to be screaming to be able to get to that race in September."

Wile also discussed how the road course will impact the first round.

"It means more, so the playoff field will be set. You basically have the first three races where you can't make a mistake, and it's so easy to do that at Watkins Glen because of the race track and how difficult it is but also the strategy around it.

In 2024, Watkins Glen will host the NASCAR Xfinity Series on September 14th, and the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen on Sunday, September 15th. 

Tickets can be purchased at www.theglen.com, and the full 2024 NASCAR schedule can be viewed here.