Bristol and the Five Most Unique Tracks on the NASCAR Circuit

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule is a grueling one for the drivers, and everyone associated with the teams. There are many challenges presented to all of these individuals, some which are more difficult than others.

The casual NASCAR fans just think it’s about “going fast and turning left”. Little do they know that each track is different, and presents the drivers and teams with challenges that are so different, no two can really be identical.

Excluding the two road courses (Watkins Glen, Sonoma) the series holds events at an “oval” track every race weekend. While they are referred to as ovals, what some people don’t realize is there is really only a handful of tracks that are actually this shape. There are different twists, grooves, and bumps within each track that make it extremely difficult to drive.

While there are many tracks that could be considered in this top-five list, there just isn’t room for all of them. Failing to make this list, include tracks such as Richmond, Dover, Martinsville, Atlanta, and Talladega. While these tracks provide some of the best racing action on the track in the Sprint Cup schedule, there are five venues that are just a tad bit more unique than those.

Bristol Motor Speedway

We can start with one of the most obvious ones. Bristol is not only one of the smallest tracks on the circuit; it is one of the best races of the season, year after year. I’m not just saying that because the teams will be here this weekend, it truly is one of the best events in all of racing. If you have never been to a night race at Bristol, you haven’t lived. If you have a sports bucket list like I do, this should definitely be on it. . Located in Northeastern Tennessee, “Thunder Valley” has a 36 degree banking, and is the fastest short track, making it one of the most exciting races in NASCAR. Not only is the door-to-door racing great, but there truly isn’t a bad seat to be had. You can see the entire track in the football-like stadium seating.

Daytona International Speedway

It’s impossible to think about NASCAR and not mention Daytona International Speedway. Often referred to as the Super Bowl of the sport, the Daytona 500 is the biggest race in the history of NASCAR. This is the one that every driver longs to win, at least one time in their career. The track not only hosts the biggest race of the series, but it is also the opening race of the season, which really builds up the momentum. After a driver wins ‘The Great American Race’, the winning car is inducted into the Daytona U.S.A. museum for an entire year to be showcased. There have been many drivers that have publicly stated they would rather win the Daytona 500 than a Cup Championship. The 2.5 mile super speedway has held some of the greatest races in history, and being able to draft and get help, is key here.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

While it is clear that the Indianapolis 500 is one of the biggest auto races in the entire world, the Sprint Cup series made their way over here in 1994. Many people thought it was a mistake to bring stock cars onto the track, and while the racing may not be as great as a lot of other tracks on the schedule, the track itself is one of the most unique out there. Not exactly an “oval”, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5 mile rectangle that demands respect from the drivers. The speedway is celebrating its centennial era, and is one of, if not the most famous track in all of auto racing. The races could be a lot better here, there have been a lot of issues with the tires, the passing lanes, and the speeds, but there isn’t a driver out there that doesn’t want to win here. The Brickyard 400 is a special race, not because of the racing, but because of the history and tradition of the greatest race track in the world. Hard to be more unique than that.

Pocono Raceway

Speaking of unique, perhaps the most unique looking track on the circuit is found here at Pocono. No other track in the sport has just three turns, and is shaped like a triangle. The best part about this track may be that each one of the three turns is very different. Each turn resembles a turn at another track. This was done by design of course. Turn one resembles the once used Trenton Speedway, Turn two is designed like Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and turn three is made to be just like the Milwaukee Mile. Some drivers refer the 2.5 mile “Tricky Triangle” as a modified road course due to the use of shifting gears to handle the range between the slowest curve and the fastest straightaway. Safety has been a big concern for many years with Pocono, as there have been some incredible, horrifying wrecks over the years, including a couple of really bad ones in 2009 with Jeff Gordon, and this year with Elliot Sadler.

Darlington Raceway

The first four tracks on this list may be some of the most famous on the Circuit. Darlington may not have the most famous race, but the racing is fantastic, and the track itself presents drivers and teams with many different challenges. Opened on Labor Day of 1950, the “Lady in Black” or “The track too tough too tame” is probably one of the toughest to win. This unique egg-shaped track has a length of about 1.366 miles with one wide turn and one that is shorter and very tight. Darlington is the original Super Speedway of stock car racing, and defines what the sport of NASCAR once was and where it originated. Nearly every driver that has ever taken a car onto Darlington Raceway has earned their “Darlington Strip” because of the complexity of the track configuration. This makes it extremely difficult for the teams to get their car to handle good in both turns, because they are so different from one another.

If you think there is a track that is more deserving to be on this list, feel free to add it, but remember, in order to do that, you must take one of these five off of the list.