NASCAR: If not Nashville, where will NASCAR go for more short track racing?
Other candidates
Short tracks are bountiful across the nation. However, only the small handful mentioned could host a NASCAR Cup Series race in the foreseeable future. That said, there are still other candidates. If NASCAR is interested enough, they and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) may help out financially to pay for the substantial upgrades at these other tracks.
Evergreen Speedway
ISC was very interested in bringing NASCAR racing to the Pacific Northwest early this century after sanctioning Truck Series races at Evergreen Speedway from 1995 to 2000. ISC attempted to build tracks in Marysville, Washington in 2003 and Bremerton, Washington in 2004. Since those deals fell through, ISC has halted initial plans of expanding into the northwest, specifically the Seattle market.
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With today’s demand for short tracks and a good facility already existing in the Seattle market, now is a good time for ISC to resume these plans of expanding into the region, either through a similar deal SMI is attempting with Nashville or through flat-our purchasing Evergreen Speedway.
Short track at Texas Motor Speedway
Like Las Vegas Motor Speedway does, Texas Motor Speedway has a short paved oval on track grounds. Unlike the one in Las Vegas, the short track at Texas is nowhere near ready for any kind of major racing. Forget not having a SAFER barrier; the track doesn’t even have walls.
That said, it still has many of the advantages that the Bullring at Las Vegas does. NASCAR and SMI wouldn’t have to rely on another track owner or city to play along, and the necessary work could get done without many roadblocks.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
One of the crown jewels of the Whelen Modified Tour schedule is Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Connecticut’s premier 0.625-mile track is also a fixture of K&N Pro Series East. The beloved venue would need all of the usual improvements for upper series racing in addition to a longer pit road and better parking areas for haulers.
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Everything discussed in this article as a possibility will only be possible if NASCAR president Steve Phelps really wants more short tracks on the schedule and is willing to help fund improvements to these tracks along with SMI and ISC.
We will find out in the coming months when dominoes begin to fall in regard to NASCAR’s negotiations with track owners as well as with some wrongs that Phelps wants to make right, such as sanctioning fees and testing rules, which priced many short tracks around the nation out of hosting NASCAR races.