Has NASCAR Neglected These Forgotten Racetracks for the Glamour of São Paulo in ‘The Clash’?

It’s no new information that NASCAR is toying with the idea of an international points-paying race as soon as next year. And as per the most recent rumblings inside the stock car racing community, The Clash exhibition might also find a new home on uncharted lands outside America.

If you didn’t know by now, São Paulo, Brazil, is throwing its hat in the ring to accommodate NASCAR’s global expansion plans. The city and its Interlagos circuit appear interested in bringing The Clash to ‘A Terra do Samba‘ in 2026. Indeed, these are interesting times for the sport, as it is only a few positive decisions away from becoming a certified global phenomenon. But while NASCAR is looking overseas for bigger opportunities, some race tracks right here in the US desperately gasp for a second chance.

From The Rock to the overlooked Pikes Peak International Raceway, here are a few forgotten gems that could help NASCAR greatly if they were to return to the season’s schedule.

Greenville-Pickens Speedway

Granted, the South Carolina market gets its annual fix with the crown jewel ‘Southern 500’ at Darlington Raceway. However, according to Forbes.com, the city of Greenville trailed only its North Carolina neighbors, Charlotte and Greensboro, for the highest household TV ratings (3.9) in the 2024 season.

And rightfully so, considering the area has a long-standing association with NASCAR racing. On 3800 Calhoun Memorial Hwy, the sport held its first-ever televised flag-to-flag race at the half-mile-long Greenville-Pickens Speedway. This historic racetrack hosted 28 Cup Series races between 1955 and 1971.

Despite the best efforts of the grassroots group “Save Our Speedway,” the track closed its doors for the penultimate time last season. Real estate development group RealityLink has plans to build nine industrial buildings on the site to birth what will soon be the “Speedway Industrial Park.” Although the Post and Courier Greenville reported last month that “Currently, there are no plans to remove the track while four industrial buildings and an access road are built nearby. Supporters of the former NASCAR-sanctioned track are still hopeful they can buy or lease it…”

Now, newer reports suggest that RealityLink has put up the racetrack for sale at a hefty price of $5.8 million. On Friday, the listing agent told The State that “he’s received a number of calls about the property in the two days since it was listed.” Some will surely hope for one of those calls to be from NASCAR because it will be a shame to see such a historic track fade into oblivion and the pressures of globalization.

Kentucky Speedway

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Can you believe it’s been four years since we heard the roar of Cup Series engines at Kentucky Speedway? It’s been a rough few years for the Bluegrass State’s crown jewel, but with how things are shaping up, a return to the big leagues might not be as far-fetched as we once thought.

The Next-Gen car has given new life to intermediate tracks, and Kentucky’s 1.5-mile layout is the perfect fit. Plus, with the track already owned by Speedway Motorsports LLC, there’s comparatively less red tape to cut through owing to the organization’s affinity with NASCAR. Sure, the track had issues back in its day. Traffic nightmares, lackluster racing, and dwindling crowds made it a tough sell. But with the NASCAR collective’s increasing want for more intermediates, now would be the perfect time to revive the Kentucky Speedway.

After all, even Denny Hamlin has been vocal about bringing back this much-asked-for racetrack. And let’s be honest, to have a $178 million racing facility act as a soulless rental complex for Ford & Amazon is truly disheartening to watch. So, essentially NASCAR would do everyone a favor by bailing out Kentucky in these dark times.

Rockingham Speedway

When North Wilkesboro made its triumphant return to the Cup Series calendar in 2023, the spotlight also fell on another North Carolina NASCAR staple of the yesteryears—Rockingham Speedway. Known as The Rock to those familiar, this 1.017 miles asphalt oval last hosted a top-3 national series event in 2013. It was a Truck Series race won by Kyle Larson. But since 1966, NASCAR’s premier division has raced on Rockingham ‌42 times. Although it was under the ownership of both ISC & SMI at different points in time, the roar of engines faded because of financial unfeasibility and internal politics.

Regardless, as noted by ‘Daily Downforce,’ the big problem with a NACAR return to The Rock is its location. With the addition of North Wilkesboro, five active NASCAR tracks are currently within a five-hour drive radius of the Rockingham Speedway. This causes congestion in the Southeast market and does not correspond with the sport’s glowering target of reaching newer audiences in the future.

However, the North Carolina budget allocated a post-pandemic stimulus package of 9 million dollars in 2022 to Rockingham for upkeep and renovations. And its owners Rockingham Properties LLC. have been open about the Big Rock being ‘NASCAR-ready’ by the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Other reports suggest Rockingham is well on its way to a complete revival with a new infield garage and media center, although a lot of work remains undone. Apart from that, Cup rookie Carson Hocevar sent tongues wagging on a Twitch stream back in May, when he said, “Rockingham’s coming back, which is really cool. They’re finally gonna take advantage of that one.”

Those rumors were neither confirmed nor denied later by NASCAR or other stakeholders involved in the actual proceedings of a potential future race. The virality of this incident should serve as a reminder of the widespread pull warranted by the facility almost two decades after NASCAR’s silent exit. Without a doubt, Rockingham is consistently among the top choices on online forums and social media discussions about tracks that should make a comeback to the season’s schedule. For that reason itself, Rockingham deserves another shot at premier-tier greatness.

Pikes Peak International Raceway

Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) was once called “the fastest 1-mile paved oval anywhere.” But strangely, the facility only hosted a few Busch and Truck Series races through the turn of the millennium until 2005. It never held a Cup race in its almost three-decade-long tenure.

After NASCAR & International Speedway Corporation’s agreements turned sour with the racetrack, a subsequent sale to new owners included a confusing clause that prohibits professional racing at the facility to this day. That clause silenced the roar of NASCAR’s V8s forever. Safety upgrades, estimated at over a million dollars, further dimmed the hopes of the series making a comeback, in whatever manner. 

While PPIR has found new life by hosting regional events, car shows, and even concerts, it’s a heartbreaking loss for NASCAR fans, especially considering their lack of presence in the entire Colorado market. The track’s pristine location, just between Colorado Springs and the city of Denver, makes it a natural fit for a brand-new NASCAR return. Can you imagine the excitement of these Cup cars screaming around all that, with the Rocky Mountains as its breathtaking backdrop?

Chicagoland Speedway

Once a beacon of hope for NASCAR’s expansion into Illinois, Chicagoland now sits eerily quiet in 2024. But in 2001 the 1.5-mile tri-oval quickly became a staple on the Cup Series schedule. From delivering the closest IndyCar finish in history to witnessing the birth of the phrase “slide job,” courtesy of Dale Earnhardt Jr, this track has seen it all.

But declining attendance and the allure of new markets led NASCAR to explore other options. The final nail in the coffin was the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the 2020 race’s cancellation from the season’s schedule. This opened the door for NASCAR to experiment with different schedules, including the introduction of road courses and the highly anticipated Chicago Street Race. 

While the Street Race has generated a lot of double-edged hype for the city of Chicago, it’s also created uncertainty for Chicagoland’s future. NASCAR has hinted at a return to the 1.5-mile facility, but with the track now partially sold for development to Hillwood Investment Properties, the odds seem stacked against it.

Yet, hope lingers. Fans yearn for the rise of classic intermediate racing in recent times, and Chicagoland has lots to offer in that regard. With its aging asphalt and the Next-Gen car holding an affinity towards the intermediates, the track could once again become a fan favorite. It is important to remember that the Chicago Street Race has another year left on its initial three-year contract. Hence, it will take some time for NASCAR to revisit its decisions, if they do.

With the 2025 schedule still awaiting an official announcement from the top bosses at NASCAR, do you see any of these tracks making the calendar anytime soon?