NASCAR felt as if it had restored a semblance of its former glory with genuine buzz and anticipation surrounding its return to Nashville Superspeedway. Following a 10-year hiatus, it was evident that there had been an appetite for racing in the Music City, and it delivered.
Aside from a serviceable on-track product, which received widespread positive reception, motorsports fans showed out in a big way. The sellout weekend superseded max capacity, as the track installed additional grandstands to accommodate 38,000. Alvin Kamara, Pitbull, Brad Paisley, and more star-studded celebrities joined in on the fun, and this gave off a “big-time” vibe for the weekend.
Given NASCAR’s rise with mainstream appeal, it begs whether there are opportunities for growth in other booming markets. There’s no denying there’s a demand for both viewing and investing in the sport. But, during a transitional period with new cars, owners, and experimentation in track diversity, why not seek fresh venues while catering to fans’ needs?
Colorado National Speedway – Erie, Colo.
NASCAR fans have been outspoken in their desire for more short tracks to be added to the 36-race schedule, and the .375-mile Colorado National Speedway could be just what they’re looking for. With tracks predominantly residing in the South, this would serve as a great West Coast expansion.
Aside from track length, the biggest thing this venue has going for it is its location. Colorado National Speedways sits just 24 miles outside of Denver — a city ranking among the top-six in population increase over the last 10 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In this time, the Centennial State saw a 14.8% population increase, as the scenery and market have mass appeal to a younger generation. In fact, it was determined that 55.4% of people living in Colorado are within the age range of 1-39 years old, and it’s only trending younger.
Colorado National Speedway has a storied history within the sport, serving as a springboard to NASCAR’s national series with ARCA Menard Series races running there since 1995. In addition, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competed at the .375-mile track from 1995-1997, so there would even be a small sense of familiarity.
The venue seats 7,000, which is nothing worth gloating about, but it would also be a modest sample to see if it’s even worth NASCAR’s time and money to field future races there. Capacity is the biggest obstacle for this track as a Cup race draws tens of thousands of spectators.
Evergreen Speedway – Monroe, Wash.
If NASCAR really wants to please its fans, it should look no further than Evergreen Speedway in Washington. The facility, which could be used as a .375-mile or .646-mile oval, is the epitome of short track, grassroots racing.
Part of the NASCAR Home Tracks program, the Washington-based track hosts everything from late models to street stocks in divisions ranging from ARCA and the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Evergreen Speedway can comfortably accommodate 7,500 within its covered grandstands, but they also have the resources to house 5,000 additional fans.
Similar to Colorado, the state of Washington saw a 15% increase in population over the past decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So this would also be a great opportunity for NASCAR to branch out to the Northwest region.
Transportation and travel costs would be the biggest counter in campaigning for Evergreen Speedway to enter NASCAR’s national series ranks. Teams utilize haulers when moving cars and tools from track to track, and Washington is a long way from home (2,814 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, to be exact).
NOLA Motorsports Park – Avondale, La.
Could it be time for the rebirth of NOLA Motorsports Park on a national stage? Given NASCAR’s recent road course surge in 2021, this could be a daring but potentially perfect fit for how the sport is trending.
Built in 2011, the racing and marketing possibilities would be limitless for NOLA Motorsports Park.
For starters, the track is within 22 minutes from downtown New Orleans, a premier vacation destination. However, it hails compared to Nashville’s demographic and bustling nightlife, which could be a recipe for success judging off the Ally 400 weekend.
From a racing standpoint, there are various options for track layouts. The full course is an astounding 5.37 miles with 27 turns, but a North (2.75 miles with 16 turns) and South (2.69 miles with 11 turns) track.
The motorsports park is predominantly for recreational use and go-karting, but IndyCar and Indy Lights competed there once, albeit disastrously. Inclement weather prevented any consistency on the track and made for a weak crowd.
Scheduling around the weather would have to be taken heavily into consideration, but this could be a viable option in terms of location and how NASCAR is trending.
