NASCAR: If not Nashville, where will NASCAR go for more short track racing?

Myrtle Beach Speedway

Do you know what’s confusingly absent from the NASCAR schedules? Races at vacation destinations at times of year when people are going on vacation. Outside the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July (August starting in 2020), NASCAR stays landlocked for races in June, July and August.

Michigan International Speedway has Cedar Point a couple of hours away, and Bristol has the Great Smoky Mountains. But there is no track on the current schedules where a family or group of friends can go watch a race and spend another few nights in town.

Enter Myrtle Beach Speedway. Just seven miles away from the beach, with some improvements, the 0.538-mile mini-Rockingham Raceway would be a great home for Cup Series racing. People love going to Myrtle Beach, one of the most popular vacation destinations on the Atlantic Coast.

For those wanting a quieter vacation, North Myrtle Beach isn’t far away, either. Neither are Holden Beach, Ocean Isle or Oak Island. A race at Myrtle Beach Speedway could take advantage of the popularity of these cities.

Currently, Myrtle Beach Speedway only has one notable NASCAR race, the Whelen Modified Tour season opener. The track hosted Cup Series races from 1958 to 1965 and Xfinity Series races from 1988 to 2000.

Improvements: Like most tracks, Myrtle Beach needs a SAFER barrier, infield care center with a helipad and updated grandstands with press boxes. But despite the fact that the track is barely over a half-mile long, there’s plenty of space in the infield for updates.

What it has going for it: Obviously, the location of the track is fantastic. With a spot on the schedule in the middle of summer vacations, or even in March or April for spring break, NASCAR can catch fans already planning a beach vacation.