NASCAR: 5 possible additions to the Cup Series schedule

Possible new NASCAR Cup Series track: No. 4 – Long Beach Street Circuit

Track description: 1.968-mile street course

With NASCAR wanting to expand their national and global reach, the Long Beach Street Circuit could provide two keys to that puzzle.

Now that street racing is set to be a reality for NASCAR with the Chicago Street Course in 2023, there is already a growing possibility that more street races in other cities could host a race. With Long Beach’s close proximity to Los Angeles, there are lots of opportunities for NASCAR to drum up interest for such an event across the region.

The other advantage of adding Long Beach? IndyCar also races at the circuit and has done so for almost 50 years. And IndyCar itself also presents another opportunity for NASCAR.

In recent years, NASCAR and IndyCar have worked together to host weekend doubleheaders, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course having hosted several. A fourth such event is scheduled to take place this August.

These weekend doubleheaders have been extremely popular among drivers and fans, and there have been calls for additional doubleheader weekends.

But a NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader on a course such as the Long Beach Street Circuit? It would be an unprecedented weekend that would be entirely different from a doubleheader in Indianapolis.

Potential driver crossovers for the weekend would be easier than ever, and running such an event in a market as large as the Los Angeles area would only boost the attendance and excitement for the event.

Before taking a look at additional street events, the first hurdle for NASCAR to clear is to make sure that the upcoming Chicago street race is a success. Should it be a hit, the Long Beach Street Circuit will almost certainly be on NASCAR’s radar.