At one time the home of the F1 US Grand Prix, today Watkins Glen’s biggest race is its annual NASCAR date that sees its two top tier series competing on a double header weekend. The fast lefts and rights of this upstate New York have seen more than a few daring last lap moves and the “bus stop” on the back stretch is a legendary spot for intrepid drivers to make up time.
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NASCAR’s oldest track has hosted races since the late 1940’s, and while the racing surfaces have changed from dirt, to asphalt, to a hybrid patchwork, the paperclip shaped short track, tucked away in southern Virginia, has never failed to be a high point in the NASCAR season. It is also one of the most important and harrowing races in NASCAR’s version of the playoffs: The Chase.
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NASCAR has two homes. One lies on the beach at Daytona, but the other is far inland in the Charlotte area where most NASCAR teams are headquartered. The one and a half mile and very narrow Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts just as many event weekends as Daytona including the longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600, and the biggest payday of the year, the All-Star Race. And, to top it all off, the final event CMS holds is in the middle of the Chase.
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Ohio's Eldora Speedway, nicknamed "The Big E," was purchased by NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in 2004. Today, the historic half-mile clay racing oval features a video board over turn two and luxury suites atop turn three. In addition to hosting the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the track also hosts The Kings Royal, one of the biggest sprint car races in the country.
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This wild western track at one time had the longest streak in NASCAR of no repeat winners and the race is still one of the most hotly contested races on the circuit. The track itself is plenty wide enough for racing in multiple lanes which makes late race charges to the front all the more likely and more than one race has ended in Texas with a come-from-behind victor holding the trophy six-shooters at the end of the day.
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Arguably the track that invented the concept of bullring style short track racing, Bristol is all about beating and banging to get the upper hand over the field. The formula here is as simple as it is effective. Throw out all the aero R&D, fuel mileage predictions, and careful strategy because this track is all about having the muscle and will power necessary to make the guy in front of you move out of the way.
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The wide and fast eighteen degree banks of this two mile track are situated in the Irish Hills of Michigan, just a quick drive from the headquarters of GM and Ford in Detroit and Dearborn respectively. Ford backed teams have historically dominated the track, but in recent years GM and Toyota have edged their way into Ford’s territory and the race is as competitive as ever.
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Daytona plays host not only as the start of the season, but the mid way point as well. Whether you’re making the track to the beach for the Great American Race or the summer time 400 mile classic under the lights, a forgettable race at Daytona is an extremely rare occurrence.
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Dubbed the perfect race track by multitudes of drivers and fans alike, RR’s 3/4 mile D-shaped configurations has the tight confines of a short track mixed with the multiple grooves and high speeds of a super speedway, and every race is held under the lights so fans can see the sparks fly and the brake rotors glow cherry red. Every show at Richmond is worth the price of admission.
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The track “Too Tough to Tame” is located deep in rural South Carolina and once a year NASCAR’s elite do battle on the egg-shaped oval’s narrow racing surface. The track evokes just as much admiration as it does hatred from the drivers, and, after a nasty brush with the outside walls, Kyle Petty once famously said of the track “They ought to fill this place up with water and turn it into a bass pond.” The fans however, overruled Petty and the track has sold out several times since.
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