zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
NASCAR On A Boring Track's Road Course Would Be A Huge Improvement
NASCAR On A Boring Track's Road Course Would Be A Huge Improvement-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:26

Many of the 1.5-mile oval tracks on NASCAR’s schedule have an unfortunate nickname: “cookie cutter.” They’re not known for the most interesting racing in the world. However, most do have an alternate, often unique road course layout that other series use. Why doesn’t NASCAR race there instead?

Some kind soul at NASCAR may share our disdain for racing at the same track in different towns over and over again, as A.J. Allmendinger just tested on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 2.3-mile road course, per .

Charlotte is—you guessed it—a 1.5-mile oval. However, its road course cuts into the infield, and can be run in several different configurations. It doesn’t have quite the cachet of Watkins Glen or Sonoma, but dadgummitif Charlotte’s road course wouldn’t be a welcome change in the schedule.

This isn’t the first time Charlotte has suggested they may have NASCAR run their road course. Two years ago, the CEO of Charlotte Motor Speedway operators Speedway Motorsports, Inc., Marcus Smith, told Motorsport.com that they would announce a road course date at their Charlotte track, but no such announcement was ever made. Now, sources told Motorsport.com that Charlotte could use the road course for NASCAR as soon as NASCAR’s All-Star Race, however, Charlotte’s fall date is much more likely to test this idea out.

Of course, Charlotte’s race dates wouldn’t just benefit by being different. NASCAR on road courses is delightful madness, often pushing drivers who are more accustomed to driving on oval tracks out of their comfort zone and inviting “road course ringers” from other series to try out a rowdy NASCAR racer. More road courses on the schedule would fulfill a frequent fan request.

This idea reminds me of a very good suggestion NASCAR driver and occasional Jalopnik contributor Parker Klingerman had to Texas Motor Speedway in an column. Don’t just repave the rain--plagued track, he argued. Redo the whole track to be unique and thus, more interesting. Reconfigure it. Make sure no one needs to rely on huge Texas signage to know they’re at Texas. That’s a great idea!

NASCAR needs more unique venues on its schedule. Going to the same tracks, but using a different layout is a fun and easy way to make that happen.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Nov 9, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Nov 9, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Nov 9, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Nov 9, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Nov 9, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Nov 9, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved