When you think of a NASCAR race track, what comes to mind? If it’s an oval shape with cars going round and round, then you’re not entirely wrong, but you’re unfortunately missing the bigger picture.
NASCAR race on 39 Race tracks overall and usually around 26 used in a given season. These can be both road and Oval racetracks. The longest oval track in the NASCAR series is Talladega at 2.66 miles long, and the longest road track is the Road America course at 4.048 miles long.
Across the US and Canada there are 39 different NASCAR tracks of different lengths, shapes and types. The current NASCAR Cup Series races on 26 of those tracks, with a few special ones thrown in like the Charlotte Roval, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and two different ones added on each year to make a total of 30 tracks used annually. Like for the 2022 Busch Light Clash at the The Los Angeles Coliseum.
The variety of tracks brings a lot of special vocabulary into the mix, the most important of which we will try to cover in today’s blog. Let’s see if we can’t get to the bottom of just how long a NASCAR track really is.
Different NASCAR Track Types
NASCAR Tracks: Type
Broadly speaking, NASCAR tracks can be broken down into 3 types when discussing their length. Those tracks that are less than a mile are known as “Short Tracks.” If the track is more than 2 miles in length, then it’s called a “Superspeedway.” Those in between 1 and 2 miles are normally referred to as “Intermediate Tracks.”
Another way that NASCAR tracks are classified is by their banking. This refers to the angle at which the track banks downward from outside to in. The 2 tracks with the steepest banking are Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, and Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Talladega Superspeedway Banking:
- Turns 1 & 2: 33°
- Turn 3: 32.4°
- Turn 4: 32.5°
- Tri-oval: 16.5°
- Back straight: 3°
The banking had become such a concern at one point in 1987 after a crash in Talladega that NASCAR vehicles should use restrictor plates. As time went on, however, drivers complained that the restrictor plates made things worse because they caused drivers to bunch up together in order to draft off one another.
The cars being bunched up was hardly safe since a single car up front crashing could create a mega pile-up! (The Big One) Such a thing happened in 2012 at Talladega involving 25 cars. NASCAR began removing restrictor plates from the 2019 Daytona 500, and then with the Next gen car they are looking at downforce to keep the cars on the track.
Why Do NASCAR Oval Tracks Have Banking?
NASCAR Tracks: Shape
As we mentioned in the introduction, the most common NASCAR track shape is an oval, but others include the tri-oval at the Michigan International Speedway, the quad-oval at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in North Carolina, and the unique track at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina which is an oval with ends of different lengths.
Most unique among the oval tracks is arguably the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, which is a triangular oval shape. (the Tricky Triangle)
Besides the ovals, the NASCAR track list includes a number of road courses. The Cup Series currently visits a number of these including: Circuit of the Americas (Texas), Road America (Wisconsin), Watkins Glen (New York), and Sonoma (California).
In addition, there are the Charlotte Roval (North Carolina) and the Indianapolis Road Course (Indiana) which combine both oval and road course elements.
Both Ends of the Scale – Longest and Shortest
Since ovals are so common, let’s first look at the biggest of them. The largest NASCAR oval track is the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, which has a total length of 2.66 miles. Among all NASCAR tracks, however, it’s above-mentioned Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin that is the longest at 4.048 miles.
- Longest Oval: Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama) – 2.66 miles
- Longest Track Overall: Road America (Wisconsin) – 4.048 miles
When it comes to the shortest tracks, the shortest overall track is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California, with a track length of just 0.250 miles. It’s not just the shortest overall, but the shortest among the “short track” category. Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia is the shortest track on the Cup Series circuit at just 0.526 miles. The shortest road course is the Portland International Raceway in Oregon, measuring at 1.9 miles.
- Shortest Overall: LA Memorial Coliseum (California) – 0.250 miles
- Shortest in Cup Series: Martinsville Speedway (Virginia) – 0.526 miles
- Shortest Road Course: Portland International Raceway (Oregon) – 1.9 miles
However all of these tracks fall well short of the world record longest track. Which you can probably work out. The Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany at 12.9 miles long is the longest permanent race track in the world.
Other Factors: Most Challenging NASCAR Tracks
Pocket Doors FAQs
With most NASCAR tracks being oval in shape, one wonders how you can look at the tracks as particularly “challenging” when compared, for instance, to the intricate nightmares that are presented to Formula 1 drivers, or those who take on the Nurburgring. In fact, NASCAR tracks are arguably challenging because they are seemingly so straightforward.
Above we’ve already made mention of Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway and its infamous banking that made it challenging and dangerous enough to change the face of the entire sport when they introduced restrictor plates in the late 1980s.
Another track known for its trickiness is the Bristol Motor Speedway, a short track in Tennessee. It’s only half a mile in length, but features banking of up to 30° on the turns, and up to 10° on the straights.
An oval track infamous for its difficult shape is the Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. This 1.366-mile track features just 4 turns like many other tracks, but the track is more egg-shaped than an even oval.
That means at one end the turn is much wider and more open, but at the other is conversely much tighter. Switching between the two different styles at high speeds is obviously no mean feat. That’s why they call Darlington “The Track Too Tough to Tame.”
Now, when you get to the road courses, things get very tricky. The most infamous are the Circuit of the Americas (Austin, TX), Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, CA), and Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI). Circuit of the Americas has by far the most turns, numbering 19 in total, 5 more turns than the next most at Road America. Other road courses typically feature 12-13 turns.
However, just to prove that it’s the deceptively simple shape that brings the most problems, the deadliest track in NASCAR is the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, having witnessed the death of 14 NASCAR drivers.
Best Stadium Seat Cushions for NASCAR Tracks.
Records – Fastest NASCAR Track Laps
Here are a few notable laps completed at NASCAR’s most famous tracks: We have included these as the fastest but some times races take a little longer than expected. We have a whole article on the longest races, and the shortest right here. and below.
| Track | Time (sec.) | Driver |
| Talladega Superspeedway (2.66 miles) | 44.998 | Bill Elliott (1987) |
| Darlington Raceway (1.366 miles) | 26.705 | Aric Almirola (2014) |
| Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533 miles) | 13.326 | Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2021) |
| Circuit of the Americas (2.3 miles) | 93.5951 | Jamie Whincup (2013) |
| Daytona Int’l Speedway Tri-Oval (2.5 miles) | 40.364 | Colin Braun (2013) |
| Daytona Int’l Speedway Road (3.57 miles) | 115.677 | Chase Elliott (2021) |
| Road America (4.048 miles) | 101.874 | Alex Zanardi (1998) |
| Martinsville Speedway (0.526 miles) | 18.746 | Greg Sacks (1986) |
What Is The Longest NASCAR Race?
Final Lap
Although Road courses are the longest of NASCAR tracks, it is the ovals that hold the appeal. Having 40 cars speed round the 2.66 miles banks of Talladega Superspeedway is an experience that no other motor sport can offer.
Formula one and Indy focus on road courses and NASCAR has 3 or 4 of these a season, these courses are longer but offer a very different experience. The longest NASCAR Road course as we highlighted is Road America at 4.038 miles long, and due to its nature can’t achieve the speeds of the big Ovals.
Short course racing again like at Martinsville, or the ultra short Los Angeles Coliseum at 0.25 miles (or 10 times shorter than Talladega) , offer something different again.
So whether you like your NASCAR on long or short courses, at least you have the option of both, something many other motorsports don’t offer you.
References
https://www.martinsvillespeedway.com/about-the-speedway/
https://www.redbull.com/my-en/most-extreme-circuits-in-the-world
FAQs
What is the longest straightaway NASCAR? ›
Pocono Raceway
A track with three distinct corners and the sport's longest straightaway, Pocono Raceway presents problems for even the best handling cars. It's also a track from NASCAR's days of old that went many years without real upgrade.
Tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series are anywhere from a half-mile to four miles long. The longest track in the NASCAR Cup Series is the road course at Road America, which is just over four miles long.
What's the shortest NASCAR track? ›At . 526 miles in length, Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. Because of its small size, tight corners and unique shape – described most often as a paperclip – Martinsville offers some of the most exciting and close-quarters racing in the sport.
What are the 3 biggest NASCAR races? ›What are the biggest NASCAR races? The races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule with the most prestige are the Daytona 500, Dixie Vodka 400, and Coca-Cola 600.
What is the most popular NASCAR track? ›Daytona 500
Starting off our list is perhaps the most popular race in the NASCAR world. There is nary a fan of NASCAR (and auto racing in general) who has not heard of the Daytona 500. It is one of the most popular race tracks in the world.
NASCAR's 10-race, season-ending premier series playoff run kicks off Sunday with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, one of the sport's oldest and most challenging tracks.
What is the closest NASCAR finish ever? ›As of 2022, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series is 0.002 seconds. This first occurred during the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway, as Ricky Craven crossed the finish line inches ahead of Kurt Busch.
What car was banned from NASCAR for being too fast? ›The Banned 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona
A huge nose piece and a massive rear wing made it as aerodynamic as possible. With supersonic speed, it went on to win so many high-profile NASCAR races that NASCAR banned it. As it did, the Daytona's sibling, the Plymouth Road Runner Super Bird.
"The Big One" Speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) are commonplace at Talladega. Talladega has the record for the fastest recorded time by a NASCAR vehicle on a closed oval course, with the record of 216.309 mph (348.116 km/h) set by Rusty Wallace on June 9, 2004.
How long is Daytona track? ›The race has been held every February since 1959 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, and it consists of 200 laps around a 2.5-mile (4-km) tri-oval track.
What are the longest NASCAR races? ›
The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual 600-mile (970 km) NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first one held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
What are the two longest tracks in NASCAR? ›The biggest NASCAR oval is Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. It measures at 2.66 miles. For all NASCAR tracks, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, is the longest.
What is the newest NASCAR track? ›NASCAR is bringing its top series to World Wide Technology Raceway for the first time, and that means for many drivers a first look at the egg-shaped oval east of downtown St. Louis. June 3, 2022, at 5:16 p.m.
Do NASCAR tracks have speed limits? ›NASCAR implemented pit road speed limits in 1991, following tire changer Mike Rich's death at the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500. In 2022, pit road speed at tracks hosting points races ranges from 30 mph at smaller tracks like Martinsville and Bristol to 55 mph at 2-mile and larger ovals.
What is the most famous NASCAR race? ›The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other NASCAR Cup Series race.
Where is NASCAR most popular? ›— When drivers show up to race at Kentucky Speedway, the track makes their teeth chatter. But it's not because the drivers are scared. Rather, the surface of Kentucky's 1.5-mile track is bumpier than any other in NASCAR — and that's no exaggeration.
What is the most fun NASCAR race? ›Daytona 500
Starting off our list is perhaps the most popular race in the NASCAR world. There is nary a fan of NASCAR (and auto racing in general) who has not heard of the Daytona 500. It is one of the most popular race tracks in the world.
| Venue | Capacity | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Motor Speedway | 181,655 | NASCAR Cup Series, IndyCar |
| Bristol Motor Speedway | 162,000 | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Talladega Superspeedway | 160,000 | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Suzuka Circuit | 155,000 | FIA Formula One, SuperGT, Suzuka 8 Hours |
What is the most famous race track in the United States? ›
1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Home of the famed Indianapolis 500, NASCAR's Brickyard 400, and Lilly Diabetes 250, this sports venue is probably one America's most famed. Located in Speedway, a suburb of Indianapolis, it sits on 560-acres.
Why did Dodge stop NASCAR? ›Dodge has had multiple stints in NASCAR, most recently from 2001-12, but it left after winning a championship with Team Penske and Brad Keselowski. Penske was switching to Ford, and Dodge said it could not find another top-tier team to partner.
Is there a NASCAR driver that has won at every track? ›Kyle Busch has 207 NASCAR national series wins, and his victories have come on all track types and at every active facility on the NASCAR schedule -- except one. The Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, first run last year, is scored separately from the races on Charlotte's full oval.
Has NASCAR ever done a street race? ›The Grant Park 220 is a future NASCAR Cup Series race that will be held on a street circuit in Chicago, Illinois starting in 2023. This race will be the first ever street race contested in the NASCAR Cup Series.
What do NASCAR teams do with old cars? ›' We send everything out to be recycled. You won't find anything in the garbage can.” Knaus said three cars were sent away to be recycled last year. Other damaged cars were either sold to lower-tiered teams or stripped down for parts.
Is Ford banned from NASCAR? ›Fun Fact. The Ford 427 SOHC engine is the only engine effectively banned by NASCAR before even making it to the track (thus, the legendary status).
Is the Hemi still banned from NASCAR? ›The HEMI engine was a mechanical marvel that was so successful it was banned from NASCAR after its first year. Today, it continues to be the basis of the engine that is used by ALL teams in the NHRA Nitro Top Fuel and Funny Car classes.
How fast is the NASCAR Coliseum? ›NASCAR Clash at Coliseum: Winning Average Speed 21.831 mph; More Violent than First.
What's faster than a NASCAR? ›Formula 1 cars are faster than NASCAR cars.
However, NASCAR and F1 achieve similar speeds during races. The differences in car construction and track configurations between the two series equalize the speeds achieved during competition.
How long is the Indianapolis track? ›
With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, it is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world. Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its construction.
What is the world center of racing? ›The home to the “World Center of Racing” — Daytona International Speedway — offers a lot more than just the renowned…
What is the longest racetrack? ›The longest: Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
Not the first time the fearsome Nordschleife will appear on this list, at 12.9 miles the circuit in Germany's Eifel Mountains is the longest permanent racetrack in the world.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is auto racing's Boston Marathon, a brutal test of endurance where competitors race stunningly fast cars for 24 straight hours at speeds that can exceed 200 mph on the fastest section of the incredibly long 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe road course.
What is the longest running car race? ›The 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event.
Which track is bigger Daytona or Indy? ›Florida newspaper says Daytona 500 is 'bigger than Indy'. We just wanna talk. A Daytona Beach News-Journal article published prior to Sunday's Daytona 500 trumpeted the race's growth in size and popularity — and its print headline did so at the expense of the Indianapolis 500.
Is Daytona the largest track? ›Lights were installed around the track in 1998 to run NASCAR's July race, the Coke Zero 400 at night. The track was the world's largest single lighted outdoor sports facility until being surpassed by Losail International Circuit in 2008.
Why do Nascar tracks only go left? ›From the beginning, our horse races were run counterclockwise, as an act of defiance against the British. Up the rebels! When NASCAR built its speedways, they kept the tradition.
What is replacing the Camaro in NASCAR? ›Early reports suggest that Chevy will replace the Camaro with electric performance sedan released in 2025. With the electric E-Ray set to replace the Corvette, Chevy appears to already have its fill of electric sports cars and will transform the Camaro into something entirely new.
Who owns Nascar tracks? ›Are new NASCAR cars faster? ›
Although the new car teams will race in next month's Daytona 500 is wildly different in design from its predecessors, its primary product—speed—is likely to be much the same.
What is the max speed allowed NASCAR? ›NASCAR races have the slowest cars among these three series because of the weight of the vehicles, which usually reach around 3,000 lbs. These stock cars featuring V-8 engines can reach top speeds of up to 200 mph, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4.
Can NASCAR drivers listen to music while racing? ›Do NASCAR Drivers Listen To Music During Races? In NASCAR, drivers do not listen to music while they drive. The sport of NASCAR requires the absolute focus of drivers, who want to win the race while keeping each other safe.
What engine is in NASCAR? ›The cars are currently powered by EFI V8 engines, since 2012, after 62 years using carburetion as engine fuel feed with compacted graphite iron blocks and pushrod valvetrains actuating two-valves per cylinder, and are limited to a 358 cubic inch (5.9-liter) displacement.
What are longest race tracks in NASCAR? ›What is the biggest NASCAR track? The biggest NASCAR oval is Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. It measures at 2.66 miles. For all NASCAR tracks, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, is the longest.
What are the longest race tracks? ›The longest: Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
Not the first time the fearsome Nordschleife will appear on this list, at 12.9 miles the circuit in Germany's Eifel Mountains is the longest permanent racetrack in the world.
Darlington, South Carolina
With its distinctive egg-shaped design, Darlington Raceway is considered the toughest track in NASCAR.
As of 2022, current NASCAR national-level road courses include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Mosport.
What is the largest race track in the US? ›1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Circuit Indianapolis Motor Speedway is located in Indiana, USA. It has been active since 1909.
What is the 2nd longest race track in the world? ›gt circuit 7.77km
The challenging 7.77km long GT Circuit is the second longest permanent race track in the world (second only to the Nordschleife, Nurburgring). It's suitable for GT and endurance racing as well as the perfect drive experience.
What is the loudest NASCAR track? ›
The unique construction of Bristol Motor Speedway has made it the loudest track in NASCAR. Just 0.533 miles in length, the grandstands at Bristol rise the equivalent of 21 stories, which holds the noise inside the track. How loud is it?
What was the biggest NASCAR race ever? ›“The Track Too Tough to Tame,” as Darlington is known, is fast, unforgiving and treacherous, showing no mercy for even the slightest on-track errors in judgment. Make a mistake here and it will cost you dearly.
What license do NASCAR drivers have? ›You'll need a NASCAR license. To drive in NASCAR's most basic racing circuits, you'll need a NASCAR driver's license. You can apply through NASCAR headquarters or through a local NASCAR-licensed track.
Are all Nascar tracks oval? ›Despite NASCAR races being held mostly on Oval Race tracks in various locations around the USA, there are road races included. For example, the 2017 Cup Series featured races on 21 oval tracks and just two on non-oval road courses.