Thursday saw an early schedule release, which NASCAR vice president Steve O’Donnell called an example of the stock car racing’s “collaborative spirit.”

MORE: 2016 Sprint Cup race winners | 40 cars at Kansas | Favorites

The biggest change: Talladega and Kansas swapped positions in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Talladega becomes the second race in the second round; Kansas takes its place as the final race of the set of three.

That means Kansas, not Talladega, will be an elimination race. That can be viewed as an improvement in fairness. Kansas is a standard 1.5-mile track, comfortable for a large number of drivers. Talladega, a restrictor-plate track, is the proverbial odd sock. Racing there has more danger and requires a different level of competence. Huge crashes are the norm, especially near race’s end.

Other notable changes:

— The spring Texas race will run on a Sunday afternoon instead of a Saturday night.

— Dover’s spring race will be run on June 4, the week after the Memorial Day weekend 600-mile race at Charlotte.

— Michigan’s second race will be run on Aug. 13.

The Talladega-Kansas switch aims to build excitement at the latter track. Talladega, NASCAR senior vice president Jim Cassidy told reporters on Thursday, won’t suffer.

“We know that Talladega no matter where we place it in the Chase is going to provide a very high level of racing action and it just really stands on its own,” Cassidy said.

Kansas stands to be a big winner as an elimination race. Last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman were knocked out after the Chase’s second-round race at Talladega. Big names on the bubble should add excitement at Kansas.

Here are the schedules for NASCAR’s three major national series for 2017. All dates are subject to change. Times will be announced later. Television coverage will be divided between Fox and NBC and their affiliates. Radio by MRN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Sprint Cup

Date: Site 2/18: Daytona International Speedway (Unlimited) 2/19: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona 500 Qualifying) 2/23: Daytona International Speedway (Duel) 2/26: Daytona 500 3/5: Atlanta Motor Speedway 3/12: Las Vegas Motor Speedway 3/19: Phoenix International Raceway 3/26: Auto Club Speedway 4/2: Martinsville Speedway 4/9: Texas Motor Speedway 4/23: Bristol Motor Speedway 4/30: Richmond International Raceway 5/7: Talladega Superspeedway 5/13: Kansas Speedway 5/20: Charlotte Motor Speedway (NASCAR All-Star Race) 5/28: Charlotte Motor Speedway 6/4: Dover International Speedway 6/11: Pocono Raceway 6/18: Michigan International Speedway 6/25: Sonoma Raceway 7/1: Daytona International Speedway 7/8: Kentucky Speedway 7/16: New Hampshire Motor Speedway 7/23: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 7/30: Pocono Raceway 8/6: Watkins Glen International 8/13: Michigan International Speedway 8/19: Bristol Motor Speedway 9/3: Darlington Raceway 9/9: Richmond International Raceway 9/17: Chicagoland Speedway 9/24: New Hampshire Motor Speedway 10/1: Dover International Speedway 10/7: Charlotte Motor Speedway 10/15: Talladega Superspeedway 10/22: Kansas Speedway 10/29: Martinsville Speedway 11/5: Texas Motor Speedway 11/12: Phoenix International Raceway 11/19: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Xfinity Series

Date: Site 2/25: Daytona International Speedway 3/4: Atlanta Motor Speedway 3/11: Las Vegas Motor Speedway 3/18: Phoenix International Raceway 3/25: Auto Club Speedway 4/8: Texas Motor Speedway 4/22: Bristol Motor Speedway 4/29: Richmond International Raceway 5/6: Talladega Superspeedway 5/27: Charlotte Motor Speedway 6/3: Dover International Speedway 6/10: Pocono Raceway 6/17: Michigan International Speedway 6/24: Iowa Speedway 6/30: Daytona International Speedway 7/7: Kentucky Speedway 7/15: New Hampshire Motor Speedway 7/22: Indianapolis Motor Speedway 7/29: Iowa Speedway 8/5: Watkins Glen International 8/12: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 8/18: Bristol Motor Speedway 8/26: Road America 9/2: Darlington Raceway 9/8: Richmond International Raceway 9/16: Chicagoland Speedway 9/23: Kentucky Speedway 9/30: Dover International Speedway 10/6: Charlotte Motor Speedway 10/21: Kansas Speedway 11/4: Texas Motor Speedway 11/11: Phoenix International Raceway 11/18: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Trucks

Date: Site 2/24: Daytona International Speedway 3/4: Atlanta Motor Speedway 4/1: Martinsville Speedway 5/12: Kansas Speedway 5/19: Charlotte Motor Speedway 6/2: Dover International Speedway 6/9: Texas Motor Speedway 6/17: Gateway Motorsports Park 6/23: Iowa Speedway 7/6: Kentucky Speedway 7/19: Eldora Speedway 7/29: Pocono Raceway 8/12: Michigan International Speedway 8/16: Bristol Motor Speedway 8/27: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 9/15: Chicagoland Speedway 9/23: New Hampshire Motor Speedway 9/30: Las Vegas Motor Speedway 10/14: Talladega Superspeedway 10/28: Martinsville Speedway 11/3: Texas Motor Speedway 11/10: Phoenix International Raceway 11/17: Homestead-Miami Speedway