NASCAR has revamped its 2025 schedule quite a bit. The sport is going across the US borders – it will hold an international points-paying race in Mexico in June for the first time in modern history. Then Bowman Gray will return after 54 years to host the Busch Light Clash race. Despite a slew of other schedule changes, one thing remains intact – the Championship venue, which Brad Keselowski wants to change.

Phoenix Raceway has hosted the Cup title finale since 2020 after it completed a $178M renovation in 2018. The track has sold out seven consecutive Cup Series races. Yet fans keep criticizing the racetrack, calling for a comeback of Homestead-Miami Speedway. However, Keselowski is advocating for an Earnhardt-special venue.

Brad Keselowski sees promise in staple racetrack

Darlington Raceway has been a hallowed racetrack for NASCAR since 1950. Johnny Manz won the first 500-mile race held at the track on September 4th of that year, driving a Plymouth. However, the most cherished memories of the egg-shaped 1.366-mile oval track came at the hands of Dale Earnhardt. The Intimidator ‘tamed’ the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’ not once, but a solid 9 times.

Earnhardt also clinched 19 top-fives. However, bad luck did come his way – in the 1997 Southern 500, he bizarrely banged his black Chevrolet into the outside wall because of a health lapse. Even then, Earnhardt remains one of the topmost winners of the track – which Brad Keselowski wants as the championship-deciding venue.

NASCAR’s COO Steve O’Donnell recently dropped hints about shifting the championship venue. And Homestead-Miami, which fans demanded after Tyler Reddick won in a thrilling finish this year, is not the only track on the table. Brad Keselowski brooded over this and came up with two suggestions – Darlington and Charlotte. “Been thinking about this one for awhile. I really like both @TooToughToTame or @CLTMotorSpdwy as a season finale. What do you all think? I’d do a poll but not sure hot to anymore…” The RFK Racing owner snapped his 103-race winless streak at Darlington this year.

Homestead-Miami was fans’ preferred choice because of the dramatic moments. Tyler Reddick executed a marvelous last-lap pass of rival Ryan Blaney to lock his spot in the Championship 4 this season. Due to the outcry, Steve O’Donnell sent ripples of hope into the community. “I would not limit something just to Miami if we were to rotate it. I think you’d have a broader look at venues that could host a championship but short term we’re in Phoenix, we’re extremely happy there and we want to make sure that whatever we do, we continue to grow the sport when it relates to the playoffs.”

A comeback to Homestead would be great, while a switch to Darlington would be interesting. The latter would uphold Dale Earnhardt‘s heritage – speaking, of which, NASCAR is preparing a blast from the past.

On track to see one of the premier winners

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NASCAR may have shut its gates to Bowman Gray decades ago. But the ‘Madhouse’ has hosted several late-model racing events throughout these years. Tim Brown, a 53-year-old racer from Yadkinville, North Carolina, competes in the track’s Tour Type Modified division. The speedster has cultivated a name for himself, as he is the all-time winningest driver at Bowman Gray with 101 victories.

Brown has made “The Madhouse” his house by augmenting his win tally with 12 track championships and 146 poles. So having this champion at NASCAR’s Busch Light Clash would be a spectacle indeed. Rick Ware Racing (RWR) has tabbed Brown to drive its No. 15 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on Feb. 2 for the Clash race.

Working full-time at RWR as its suspension and drivetrain specialist, Tim Brown is excited to drive a Cup car. “I’ve worked my whole life to try to be a Cup driver. I’m good with working on racecars for a living because it’s still a pretty cool gig, but I always wanted to drive for a living. For Rick Ware and everybody involved here at RWR to give me the chance to go run a Cup race is so humbling and so heartwarming. It’s really cool.”

He added, “Just getting some track time before we climb in the Cup car, which I’ve never driven before other than on the chassis dyno, will be very helpful.”

If NASCAR continues its tradition of pulling in hallowed tracks to important dates, maybe Brad Keselowski’s wish will be fulfilled. However, we would need to wait for the 2025 season to end for any hope of that.