NASCAR: 3 possible replacement tracks for the championship

Possible Championship Race replacement: No. 2 – North Wilkesboro Speedway

NASCAR returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway seemed like an afterthought for many, but after an iRacing return in 2020, the real track is scheduled to host the All-Star Race, as well as a Truck Series race, in 2023.

While it may be overzealous to think that an all-but-lost speedway that is only just returning would have the infrastructure to hold a championship race and weekend event, this very reason was given as to why any Cup Series return was first ruled out. But once announced, the return of the short track resulted in the event selling out in less than 12 hours.

The demand for the historic track in North Carolina is still present, and the opportunity to pursue greater things is more than appropriate.

As mentioned, the Next Gen car’s short track racing product would benefit from a slight package change, and while it’s unclear how the Xfinity Series cars would perform at North Wilkesboro Speedway, it shouldn’t stop the sport from exploring the option.

The track is still set for a repave itself, which could play a factor in making it the final track on the schedule. Would it be a one-off, or would it become a staple on the schedule going forward?

But location is key, and while NASCAR may be targeting other markets and even metropolises to conduct more street course races in the near future, the championship races may benefit from being contested at one of the most significant and historic tracks the sport has to offer.

If it can hold a Cup Series event next year, the infrastructure will have clearly been far better than the sport once thought, and with two out of the three series already set to return to the historic site, adding in the Xfinity Series would be the next logical move.

With a tweak to the Next Gen car and a successful repave, NASCAR could look into capitalizing on the return to North Wilkesboro Speedway by making it the new host of the Championship 4.