As NASCAR returns to Iowa, which other tracks should make a comeback?

SONOMA, Calif. — Ever since Iowa Speedway opened in 2006, fans from the state have clamored for a Cup Series race.

It didn’t appear likely, considering NASCAR bought the track in 2013 and did not run any NASCAR national series races there from 2020-2023. But wanting another short track on the schedule, NASCAR decided last year to take a Cup race to the 0.875-mile oval to the track in 2024.

Most of the drivers have experience at the track as the trucks and Xfinity Series ran there from 2009-2019.

“I remember fans, particularly, always talking about how bad they want a Cup race, so I’m just excited that they finally got a Cup race,” said Cup driver Chase Elliott. “I feel like it’s been a worthy facility for a long time and whatever the reason may be or however long we go, I think it’s good that they have done things right over the years and got one.”

What other tracks fit that bill? Drivers have a variety of opinions.

Elliott’s vote has always been for the Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway: “That would be a really good one,” he said. The track needs upgrades to have a major NASCAR event, and Speedway Motorsports has spent several years trying to come up with a proposal that will allow it (owners of Charlotte, Bristol, Texas, Atlanta and more) to rebuild the city-owned facility and operate it under a lease agreement. So far, it is mired in the Nashville political process with no clear successful timeline.

Ryan Blaney wants to see NASCAR return to Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile track located in Joliet — about 45 minutes outside of Chicago. The NASCAR street race in the heart of Chicago is in its second year of a three-year deal. The intermediate tracks so far have enjoyed some of the best racing with NASCAR’s still relatively new Next Gen car that it is possible Chicagoland could put on a great show.

“Joliet deserves to have a race back at it,” Blaney said. “I definitely think the track we need to revitalize. If we’re revitalizing tracks, let’s revitalize Chicago. You start with that one. The other ones I don’t have too many opinions about.”

There are at least a couple of tracks in North Carolina that are clamoring for races, but NASCAR already has two events at Charlotte, one in North Wilkesboro and two more in South Carolina at Darlington. The 1-mile Rockingham Speedway, which had Cup races up until 2004, has been renovated under private ownership. And NASCAR just purchased the racing promoting rights to the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium, a municipal facility in Winston-Salem that doubles as a football stadium and racetrack.

A race at Bowman Gray likely would be an exhibition, such as the Clash.

The Clash is ending its three-year run at a track temporarily constructed inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It was a novel event and put NASCAR in another big city market.

Some drivers feel that being in big cities is key. NASCAR has shown, with the Chicago street race and the Clash, that it can race pretty much anywhere.

“I like Denver,” said California native Tyler Reddick. “It would be really cool if we could somehow race on the streets of New York City. It probably will never happen, but it would be cool if it did.

“I love [the track] Homestead-Miami, but I wish it was closer to Miami. And we need to be racing in L.A. somewhere.”

They can race pretty much anywhere, including international venues. NASCAR took the Xfinity Series to Mexico City and Montreal in the 2000s to race on the same courses as Formula 1 events.  NASCAR is expected to have one international race on its 2025 Cup schedule.

“Montreal,” said William Byron when asked what track (not just international) he’d like to see added to the schedule. “I’d be excited to see Montreal. That one is high on my list for sure. I grew up watching NASCAR races there on TV. The area is really cool, and I feel like it would bring a lot of excitement to the Cup Series.”

But does NASCAR need to add big cities? Cup champion driver and team co-owner Brad Keselowski said Iowa fits an important role.

“[Iowa] is exposing us to just a different part of the country, different region that’s hungry for our sport and it’s going to embrace us at all levels — whether it be the fans in the stands or the corporate partnerships,” Keselowski said. “I think we get caught up in this flashy New York City or pick your hot city of the day, and we forget sometimes to serve markets that already love us.

“That’s a tough balancing act that I have empathy for NASCAR when they make those decisions. But is nice to go somewhere like that, where the fan base is already there. They’re ready. They’re excited, and they’re committed to our sport.”

Keselowski has an idea for a similar area.

“I feel like if we raced in Toronto, Canada — really multiple areas in Canada, we would experience that same sentiment,” Keselowski said. “Hopefully one day we’ll do that.”

Drivers believe that NASCAR needs to have a new venue or return to a track they previously raced on every year. NASCAR has added several venues in recent years with the L.A. Coliseum, Chicago street race, Circuit of the Americas, North Wilkesboro (for the all-star race) and a short-lived return to Road America (2021-22). 

“Any time we go to a new facility or a new town of any sort, it’s been a home run,” said two-time Cup champion Joey Logano. “Think of Road America. It’s not the biggest town there, but people show up. It’s the unknown. People like change and new things. Adding a new track to the circuit every year makes total sense. Wherever it is, I don’t really care. Let’s go.”

When will the 2025 Cup schedule come out? NASCAR had hoped in May but obviously that goal has come and gone. So now the hope would be by the end of June.

“I can’t say I’ve gotten any great feelings of where the schedule will line up next year — that’s not because NASCAR is not telling us, I think they’re still working through it,” Keselowski said. “I think they would love to tell us.”

Iowa Speedway, located about 45 minutes east of Des Moines in the town of Newton, probably will be on it again.

“It’s been 10 years since I’ve been to Iowa and raced there,” Blaney said. “It’s a really nice racetrack. It always put on really good shows. The track was wide and racy, and it’s like that unique length of racetrack that’s always pretty entertaining for everybody. And it had lanes—- that’s what the drivers liked about it, that character and lanes.

“The fans were really dedicated to the event and to the weekend, no matter if it was IndyCar, trucks, Xfinity whatever it was. It’s good for that area.” 

Keselowski echoed that sentiment when asked about Bowman Gray for the Clash.

“There’s things to like about Bowman Gray — it kind of fits that billing of hitting the areas that want us,” Keselowski said. “I just love to schedule variability. That’s so important in our sport.

“And I think you see that with events like North Wilkesboro and what you’re going to see in Iowa where our fans just are overjoyed to see those events, and we should continue to embrace them.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

---

---