NASCAR TRACK FAQs
Are all NASCAR tracks the same?
All NASCAR tracks are different. They can differ in length, configuration, surface and banking -- even tracks that are the exact same distance (say, 1.5 miles) have characteristics exclusive to that specific facility, making each stop unique to NASCAR. Daytona International Speedway (2.5 miles) and Talladega Superspeedway (2.66 miles) are the only two tracks traditionally seen as “superspeedways.” Both are humungous ovals, and both have used restrictor plates in the past — and currently used tapered spacers — to keep the speed of the car in check. Additionally, the reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway has made that track more of a “drafting-style” track like Daytona and Talladega, despite its 1.54-mile length.
Intermediate tracks are defined as any track greater than one mile in length, with the exception of Daytona and Talladega. Short tracks are less than 1 mile in length – examples include Martinsville Speedway (0.526 miles), Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533 miles), Richmond Raceway (0.75 miles) and Iowa Speedway (0.875 miles) in that category for the Cup Series.
Road courses are not typical ovals. In fact, they aren’t ovals at all. Road courses add right turns into the mix, with longer tracks that often wind through the surrounding scenery. Circuit of The Americas, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway are the road courses the Cup Series currently visits. Instead of a purpose-built track, the layout of the Chicago Street Course is incorporated based on the city streets. The Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval is a combination of a road course and oval track.
How many tracks are in NASCAR?
A total of 33 tracks are currently utilized between the three NASCAR national series. The NASCAR Cup Series races on 29 different tracks, with Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval officially counting as two separate tracks. The NASCAR Xfinity Series adds two tracks (Rockingham, Portland) not on the Cup Series schedule, while the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sereis adds an additional two (Lime Rock Park, Indianapolis Raceway Park.)
What is the biggest NASCAR track?
The biggest NASCAR oval is Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. It measures at 2.66 miles. Watkins Glen International acts as the longest NASCAR track, with the New York road course spanning 2.45 miles.
What about the NASCAR Regional series?
The NASCAR Regional landscape would not be what it is without the incredible local race tracks scattered across the United States and Canada.
These facilities — from short tracks in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to superspeedways, dirt miles and road courses in the ARCA Menards Series — are where future racing stars prove their talent.
Between the three series, almost 100 tracks fill the map for the NASCAR Regional platform. From New Smyrna Speedway in Florida to Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in California and everywhere in between, one doesn’t need to look far to find a nearby NASCAR Regional track.
