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-July 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
This Is The Route For The 2021 Dakar Rally
This Is The Route For The 2021 Dakar Rally
‘Tis the season to start getting pumped about the Dakar Rally. The prologue kicks off on January 2, 2021 with the full rally beginning on January 3, after all—and now we have a route. While the full list of routes is available via the website, I’m going to share...
Jul 14, 2026
Haas Driver Romain Grosjean's F1 Car Goes Up In Flames, Spears Through Barrier, Splits In Half. Grosjean Walks Away
Haas Driver Romain Grosjean's F1 Car Goes Up In Flames, Spears Through Barrier, Splits In Half. Grosjean Walks Away
At the start of this Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Haas driver Romain Grosjean sustained a frankly horrific crash that saw his car both split in half and burst into flames. While the driver sustained minor burns and the marshals in the area seemed to escape without injury, the images...
Jul 14, 2026
A Hydrogen-Powered Car Will Compete In The Dakar Rally In 2024
A Hydrogen-Powered Car Will Compete In The Dakar Rally In 2024
While most automotive companies have been pivoting to electrification instead of hydrogen when dreaming up more sustainable power sources, some folks are still hellbent on proving that hydrogen works. One of those companies is GCK (or Green Corp Konnection) Motorsport, which is aiming to bring a hydrogen-powered car to...
Jul 14, 2026
Romain Grosjean's Horrific Crash Is Proof That The Halo Was Worth It
Romain Grosjean's Horrific Crash Is Proof That The Halo Was Worth It
Romain Grosjean from the worst Formula 1 crash in years on , and the halo safety structure, mandated on Formula 1 car cockpits since 2018, surely played a role in his escaping nearly unscathed. He sustained burns on his hands but was otherwise fine. Grosjean, who drives for the...
Jul 14, 2026
I Challenge You All To A Round Of Paintball Karting
I Challenge You All To A Round Of Paintball Karting
We all know that karting is fun, but if you do it a the time, it must get tedious. It’s, like, a job. So, how do you spice things up? Hand everyone a paintball gun and tell ‘em to send it. That’s exactly what endurance racer and former Formula E...
Jul 14, 2026
What's Going On With Pirelli's Tires For The 2021 Formula One Season?
What's Going On With Pirelli's Tires For The 2021 Formula One Season?
is struggling. Formula One drivers had a chance to test the different compounds for the 2021 tires during the Bahrain Grand Prix practice sessions, and, at the moment, the prognosis is not good. In fact, it seems like we have a redux of the 2020 placeholder compound, which was...
Jul 14, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved