NASCAR is the most prominent motorsport series in American culture. Stock car racing has already gained traction on the world stage and NASCAR has been the pioneer of its growth. NASCAR Series have many different divisions that a driver must pass through to race at the topmost level of the sport.
A driver usually goes through Regional Series, Craftsman Series, Xfinity Series before competing in the most elite division, Cup Series. NASCAR cars are manufactured by Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet who partner with the various teams to supply them with a chassis and power unit.
NASCAR has one of the biggest and most interesting racing schedules. The yearly NASCAR championship consists of 36 races held over the premier NASCAR circuits. Among these, four races are considered the most important race in the calendar.
They are known as the “Crown Jewel” races and they consist of the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400. The most successful NASCAR drivers are Richard Petty, Dale Earnahrdt and Jimmie Johnson who are currently tied for seven NASCAR Cup Series championships each. Ryan Blaney is the newest NASCAR champion who has won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title.
NASCAR Track Shapes
A huge stereotype associated with Stock Car Racing is that all the tracks in NASCAR are oval and they are essentially the same. While NASCAR doesn’t have different tracks for all 36 races and they have two races on the same track, the circuits themselves offer a lot of variety.
The circuits in NASCAR generally offer oval racing but they have road courses too, which are full blown race circuits like those on Formula 1 calendars. NASCAR tracks consist of Speedways, Superspeedways, Short Tracks and Road Courses.
Oval racing is considered safe for NASCAR vehicles. They are able to maintain extreme speeds for a prolonged amount of time due to the banking in NASCAR tracks. However, a NASCAR track isn’t entirely oval. It has both oval sections with banking and straightways which are usually banked at a lower slope.
NASCAR tracks are tri-ovals, consisting of three oval sections and two straight sections, which vary in their slope and length providing different variations in NASCAR races. These factors, coupled with the number of laps make up for the team’s strategy decision. The NASCAR ovals require the drivers to turn left, whereas, the road courses require the driver to weave around a circuit similar to the conventional ones.
What is a NASCAR track called?
NASCAR tracks have assigned names according to their layout and length. NASCAR tracks which are generally shorter than one mile in length are known as Short tracks. The Speedways make up the bulk of the NASCAR schedules, they are generally one mile and longer Superspeedways are the longer NASCAR tracks which are more than two miles in length.
The road courses are designed based on general circuits which are used to race in the popular categories. The only two known Superspeedways are Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Circuit of the Americas, Watkins Glen and Road America are some of the best known road courses, with COTA being a common track between Formula 1 and NASCAR. The Charlotte Roval and Indianapolis Road Course are the newest additions which are a combination of two different tracks.
FAQ's On NASCAR tracks
A. NASCAR tracks are oval because it helps with high speeds and sightlines.
A. NASCAR tracks are shaped oval mostly, but the road courses are like normal circuits.
A. Talladega Superspeedway is the fastest NASCAR track.
A. The smallest NASCAR track is the Martinsville Speedway.
A. Daytona is a tri-oval.
