BOWMANVILLE, ON - SEPTEMBER 02: Todd Gilliland, driver of the #51 Pedigree Toyota, waits in his truck before the start of qualifying at Canadian Tire Mosport Park on September 2, 2017 in Bowmanville, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

NASCAR Pro series schedule is out, and it contains one big surprise


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When Todd Gilliland returns to the track to try and capture his third straight K&N Pro Series West title next year, he and the rest of the field will have a unique challenge presented to them.

The schedule for the 2018 season was released on Monday, and while most of the tracks will be familiar, there's one big surprise on the schedule. On Thursday, Sept. 13, the series will race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track for the first event on clay since 1979.

Jim Cassidy, NASCAR's senior vice president or racing operations, said in a statement that he's excited to see the new venue added to the schedule.

"The NASCAR K&N Pro Series features a strong roster of race tracks designed to bring out the best in the drivers and teams," Cassidy said via AutoWeek. "Many of the tracks have historic ties to the West Series, and we're excited about the new venues that have been added to the schedule. The fans are going to get a fantastic opportunity to watch these drivers battle it out over the season."

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The season will begin and end at Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, California. The first race is scheduled for March 15, and the season finale will be Oct. 27.

The last West Series race that took place on dirt was at Ascot Park in Gardena, California in 1979. Having a race on that type of surface will be exciting for drivers and the fans.

Here's the entire schedule for the season:

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March 15 -- Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, California
May 5 -- Tucson Speedway* Tucson, Ariz.
May 19 -- Orange Show Speedway San Bernardino, California
June 9 -- Colorado National Speedway Dacona, Colorado
June 23 -- Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California
June 30 -- Douglas County Speedway Roseburg, Oregon
July 15 -- Spokane County Raceway Airway Heights, Washington
July 27 -- Iowa Speedway** Newtown, Iowa
August 11 -- Evergreen Speedway Monroe, Washington
August 24 -- Gateway Motorsports Park** Madison, Illinois
September 13 -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track Las Vegas, Nevada
September 29 -- Meridian Speedway Meridian, Idaho
October 13 -- All American Speedway Roseville, California
October 27 -- Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, California