In my opinion (no offense to ovals, I love them), road course racing in NASCAR twice a year is the best racing all year. What isn't there to like?
Wouldn't it be nice to have more of those road courses on the schedule? It's not that easy, but it would be awesome. You would probably have to take race dates away from race tracks, which would make people angry.
But there's a plus side. Before California had a second race on the schedule, demand for tickets was huge, and the attendance was some of the best. But with the second race, they now have trouble selling out.
When Darlington lost its Labor Day race, everyone was crushed. But Darlington management is now saying the atmosphere at the races and the demand for tickets are bigger than they've ever been.
So, why not add more road courses?
Well there are plenty of road courses in America, but some of them can't accommodate big enough crowds for a Sprint cup event or have garage areas that look like some of a local short track. But here is a list of races I think could make it on the schedule.
Today's Must Reads
Laguna Seca—It can definitely hold enough fans, it has an OK garage area, but Infineon is pretty darn close. But what a race it would be!
Montreal—I think this track would have the best chance of making it, plenty of fans, great garages, and the only race in Canada that could attract plenty of Canadian fans to the sport. Plus all the chicanes and tight corners make this road course one of the best for overtaking and exciting racing!
Portland—Why not? NASCAR does not have a race in that part of the USA. It can hold plenty of fans, and this track has lost its Champ Car race due to the Open Wheel Merger, so they're probably wanting a big race.
Mexico City—The Nationwide series puts on great races here, but the fans have decreased every year. NASCAR could try it out, see how much fans they're getting, and if they're doing well, keep on going. However, race teams don't always enjoy the long trip to Mexico.
Road America—This track would provide good racing, but would there be enough fans? Are the garages good enough?
Brands Hatch—This will probably never happen, but this for some reason is one of my favorite tracks. Though NASCAR going overseas is a big step, plenty of fans would attend and it would be an exciting race.
Mid-Ohio—This would have no troubles putting on a good race and having a good attendance. I don't see why they wouldn't want to.
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4 months ago
nice article. I don't quite agree with adding more road races, but i would go for changing one of the current road races to one on you list. It would keep the oval fans happy and it would allow for a different atmosphere compared to what we have. I vote for getting rid of watkins glen. I like the infineon hairpin turn. Good job with this
4 months ago
"is the best racing all year." - Exactly, becuase it's more "real/core definition racing". Don't get me wrong, I love NASCAR and don't miss a race for anything, but to be an actual race car driver, you have to be able to drive the courses. For me you can't be my favorite driver unless your good with that. My favorite for a long time (until retirement) was Ricky Rudd, who with less of his absolutely awful bad luck throughout his career could have easily taken 10 Road Corse victory's. Gordon is also fantastic, and let's not forget the incredible efforts of Mark Donahue, most likely the Most Underrated race car driver of all time.
But yes, Bring on More of these!! And for some reason I agree and also feel Brands Hatch is a fantastic NASCAR track as well haha.
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