Phoenix Raceway has probably faced the biggest criticism this year. The 1-mile oval may be located in a warmer climate, but the racing product has dropped fans’ excitement in recent years. Roger Penske’s domination of the championship finale track since 2022 plays a big factor in this. Joey Logano won his third Cup Series title this year under extraordinary circumstances and his second at Phoenix. With matters getting out of hand, Brad Keselowski dropped his preferences for a track shuffle.

Darlington and Charlotte, two highly respected racetracks usually dominated by other drivers, were his suggestions. This suggestion drew overwhelming responses from fans – who are eager to wash their hands of Phoenix.

NASCAR’s hint caught by Brad Keselowski and fans

The first time Phoenix Raceway entered the schedule as the championship race was in 2020. Its mere arrival was shocking, as it replaced Homestead-Miami Speedway, which had hosted the finale since 2002. The latter racetrack is a legacy International Speedway Corporation venue, known for producing thrilling race finishes. Even this year, we witnessed 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick execute a hair-raising last-lap pass at the track to clinch a championship 4 berth. Then Roger Penske continued his dominance of Phoenix Raceway for a third time in a row – eliciting protests from bored fans. NASCAR took this up and dropped some encouraging hints.

NASCAR’s Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell stuck to the claim that Phoenix has been an “incredible host city for the championship.” But at the same time, the executive provided ample legroom for a possible track shuffle. “So it’s going to be hard to replicate if we were to move,” he said, adding that discussions are ongoing.

“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.” No sooner was this piece of news posted and Brad Keselowski shared his thoughts on social media.

In an X post, the RFK Racing owner opted for Darlington, ‘The Track to Tough to Tame’ that he won this year, snapping a 103-race winless streak. The egg-shaped oval has been the playground of Dale Earnhardt, who won 9 race trophies in Darlington. David Pearson tops the list of elite drivers to have won there, owning 10 victories. Then Charlotte Motor Speedway was Brad Keselowski’s second choice. The 1.5-mile track is located within hauling distance of Cup Series garages and hosts NASCAR’s longest and most prestigious race – the Coca-Cola 600.

Accordingly, fans also joined Brad Keselowski’s side. They not only supported his views but also expressed dislike for Roger Penske’s playground.

Discontent with Phoenix scales up

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The Cup Series championship is the most awaited race of every NASCAR season. Under this playoff format, that event decides who the champion will be after three rounds of cutthroat elimination racing. So naturally, fans would want the best tracks to host this important race. One fan agreed with Brad Keselowski‘s preferences, also adding Homestead’s name. “Those two or back to Homestead-Miami are the only tracks that should be in consideration for this… Phoenix clearly isn’t working, and road courses/short tracks/everything else has its own set of issues when it comes to being the championship race…” 

Somebody else leaned more towards Darlington, which has witnessed 22 Hall of Fame winners. They also bashed Phoenix: “Honestly, either would produce better racing than Phoenix. I gotta say Darlington Too Tough to Tame Championship Weekend sounds pretty f**kin great.”

While the past playoff format decided champions early in a season, this format does not allow that. This focuses all the spotlight on the finale. Roger Penske is evidently getting a knack for dominating Phoenix, so fans want to make things harder for him. Somebody produced a list of alternatives: “It should be a rotation of tracks. Among those should be Charlotte, Homestead, Darlington, and Kansas. Throw PHX in the trash.” 

Even a Phoenix resident dialed down NASCAR’s enthusiasm for the oval track. “Living in PHX I’m glad it’s here…but I don’t think it should be one place. The championship race should change every year.”

The original debate around moving the race from Homestead to Phoenix also popped up. Somebody strongly rooted for Homestead-Miami to be the center of attraction again after Tyler Reddick amplified its reception this year. The comment read, “Make it literally anywhere other than Phoenix because Phoenix makes no sense as the final race. There wasn’t a good reason to move it from Miami IMO.”

Evidently, Brad Keselowski’s opinion sent off ripples in the community. Now it is up to NASCAR to make changes in the race schedule or not – which will not happen before 2026.