Although NASCAR might have spread its wings and adopted a modern approach to its brand of racing, the traditional roots of short-track racing have remained relevant. We are accustomed to seeing the racers drive their hearts out on the half-mile tracks. Bristol, Richmond, Iowa, and the Clash at the Coliseum have kept the short-track racing roots alive in the modern era of stock car racing. And going by the latest updates, NASCAR is set to revive another short track.

Dells Raceway Park, a 0.333-mile asphalt track located in Wisconsin, will host the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series from 2025. Well, this wouldn’t have been possible without the intervention of track owner Jerry Auby. The motive behind this partnership for Auby is simple: to promote more regional racers and help them reach the top level of stock car racing.

What’s so special about the Dells Raceway Park?

Now short track racing is more than just going round in circles, notching up the best lap times. Many believe that the Dells Raceway Park is “what a short track should be.” Dick Trickle, a renowned short-track racer from Wisconsin, has a perfect summary that defines the short oval, “You drop low in the corners and then drift high on the straights. You try to make the track into the roundest oval possible.”

Over the years, Dells Raceway has been home to local late-model racing drivers. From 1975 to 1998, the track hosted the ARTGO Challenge Series, which was seen as a gateway for the ARCA and NASCAR series. This announcement is indeed huge as ever since the track opened in 1958, NASCAR hasn’t directly being involved with the racing events. But that will change next year as owner Jerry Auby has extensive plans to bring the Dells Raceway Park back on racing map.

Auby, while speaking to NASCAR, shared his thoughts on this new partnership that will promote grassroots-level racing. “It’s about strengthening the growth of short-track racing in Wisconsin. We can’t lose any more tracks, and we need to have fan-friendly entertainment that people can tie into what they see on TV and see the growth of the sport from the grassroots level and get to NASCAR.”

His efforts have reignited the charm the Dell Raceway once enjoyed. The famous Alive for 5 Series championship, which sees the Super Late Model cars compete in a 5-race mini-series, is a testament to Auby’s efforts. This event also lures in more racers due to its lucrative race and championship purses. “Just having one-off events wasn’t drawing the cars, wasn’t drawing the fans, wasn’t drawing the support that it needed to survive. So we had to make something work, and that’s where the five-race series came from,” Auby explained.

The 2025 season looked packed for the Dells Raceway Park Speedway with the addition of NASCAR weekly races. The festivities will kick start on April 12 with the IceBreaker 100, the first event of the Alive for 5 Series, and this will be followed by the NASCAR weekly race opener on May 3. This trend isn’t just restricted to the root level; the NASCAR Cup Series will also return to its iconic short track to get the ball rolling for the 2025 season.

NASCAR returns to Bowman Gray Stadium

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For the first time since 1971, NASCAR will return to the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium with its special event, Clash. The non-points race was hosted at the L.A. Coliseum for the last two years, but the governing body decided to return to its traditional roots. This race is scheduled for Feb 2, 2025, and will broadcast live on FOX Sports.

The Bowman Gray holds a special place in the heart of the France family. The short track has held weekly races since 1949, the same year NASCAR launched its own stock car racing series. Former NASCAR President Bill France Jr. met his future wife, Betty Jane Zachary, at the stadium in 1957. So you see, there’s a lot of history and cultural significance attached to this racing venue.

“Bringing our Cup Series back there for the first time since the 1970s, it’s going to be another historic event. I’d say in a lot of ways, this is going to be an opportunity to celebrate our roots, our history, and celebrate our NASCAR regional series,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president, said in a press release. However, not everything is jolly when it comes to short-track racing, right from struggling with the short-track package and loss of dates from venues like Richmond Raceway.

Hopefully, NASCAR doesn’t get tunnel-vision in their drive to expand and go international. While the exhibition events and weekly races on short tracks are good initiatives, the same approach can be adopted for the Cup Series as well.