NASCAR has significantly increased the number of road courses on its Cup Series calendar, growing from just two tracks—Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen—to six current events, with plans for a possible seventh race in San Diego. This expansion has drawn criticism from prominent drivers like Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, who believe the series includes too many road course events for a sport traditionally focused on oval racing.
Brad Keselowski Calls for a Return to NASCAR’s Oval Racing Roots
Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup champion driving for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, expressed his views on social media regarding the rise in road course races. Keselowski emphasized that NASCAR was originally designed as an oval racing series and pointed out that IMSA continues to lead in road course racing in North America. He stated,
“We went from 2 to 6 road course races, possibly 7 next year,”
Keselowski posted.
“NASCAR was successfully built as a primarily oval racing series. IMSA was built as the primary road course series in North America. IMSA will always do road racing better than NASCAR and that’s ok … Yes, TOO many road courses in NASCAR.”
Denny Hamlin Shares Reluctance Toward Road Course Emphasis but Supports Chicago Street Race
On his weekly podcast, Actions Detrimental, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin expressed similar reservations about the prominence of road courses. He explained,
“I’m not a road course fan,”
Hamlin said.
“I still believe we have too many of them on the schedule … Six is a lot, considering that we are NASCAR. We’re short track racing, oval racing, full contact type racing.”
Despite his overall unease with the number of road courses, Hamlin voiced his support for the Chicago Street Course, deeming it important enough to maintain within the schedule. For other road course events, he appeared indifferent, saying he could “take it or leave them.”
Richard Petty Raises Concerns About Road Courses Impacting Championship Fairness
NASCAR icon Richard Petty also voiced his opinion on road courses, particularly regarding their influence on playoff outcomes following Shane van Gisbergen’s victory in Mexico City. Petty expressed concern about how road course wins can allow lower-ranked drivers playoff entries, which may disadvantage consistent performers. He stated,
“You got somebody that’s 30th in points that’s going to make the playoffs,”
Petty said.
“Hey man, what happened to the guy that 15th, 16th, or 18th (that’s) been running good and finished good everywhere? You’re making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with. From that standpoint, I think they’re going to have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff.”
Road Course Expansion Reflects Broader Changes but Meets Mixed Reception
The increase in road course races on the NASCAR Cup schedule reflects an effort to diversify race formats and locations. Alongside traditional tracks, events now occur at places like the Indianapolis Road Course, Daytona Road Course, Road America, Circuit of the Americas, and street races in cities such as Chicago and potentially San Diego. Yet, this shift has encountered resistance from veteran drivers who feel it detracts from NASCAR’s core identity as a high-speed, close-contact oval racing series.
This debate highlights an ongoing tension between adapting to new market opportunities and maintaining the sport’s traditional fan base and style of racing. The opinions of influential figures such as Hamlin, Keselowski, and Petty contribute to an important discussion about NASCAR’s future direction, especially concerning how road course results affect playoff fairness and overall fan engagement.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. How did Denny Hamlin get so rich?
A. Since he started racing full-time in the Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2006, Hamlin’s career has been remarkable. He has achieved 51 wins in the Cup Series and won the Daytona 500 three times (2016, 2019, and 2020), earning millions of dollars during this time.
Q. Why did Denny Hamlin sue NASCAR?
A. Last year, 23XI and Front Row filed a lawsuit against NASCAR because they did not agree with the new charter renewal deals. They wanted the court to temporarily declare them as chartered teams for the current season. However, on Thursday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, decided in favor of NASCAR.
Q. How did Denny Hamlin get rich?
A. He has built a huge fortune of $65 million through career earnings, endorsements, owning a sports team, and investing in real estate.
The secrets to Hamlin’s wealth include large NASCAR earnings from race victories and contracts. He also has long-term sponsorships with companies like FedEx, Jordan Brand, and Toyota.