The future of Texas Motor Speedway was discussed by drivers before the event on Sunday, September 25 and many were openly afraid of what might be coming in the venue’s future.
Let’s dive into what the drivers are saying and what Texas Motor Speedway should do to the track.
NASCAR drivers publicly worry about Texas Motor Speedway’s future
NASCAR drivers are openly concerned about Texas Motor Speedway’s future and most of it all links back to one track in particular. That track is Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The venue was repaved before the 2022 season and added two superspeedway events to the calendar. This type of racing is not the favorite amongst the drivers but it provides entertainment for the fans and television.
Joey Logano was one of the major drivers who stepped his foot down when talking about the possibility of Texas Motor Speedway turning into a mini-superspeedway, just like Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“Is that the type of racing fans want to see? When you look at the way that the people finish up front in these superspeedway lately are the ones that are riding around in the back. Do you believe that you should be rewarded for not working? They’re capitalizing on other people’s misfortune for racing up front and trying to win. I don’t think that’s right. That’s not racing.”
Joey Logano on superspeedway events in NASCAR
Logano clearly feels like the competition on superspeedway tracks is not strong as most of the drivers who finish in the front are riding in the back all day due to strategy since it happens almost every single time.
Plus, NASCAR now has six out of the 36-races as superspeedway events. If Texas Motor Speedway is reconfigured into a superspeedway, that would make the total jump to seven or eight races, depending on if the track gets a second weekend.
Daniel Suarez also talked about the track potentially turning into a superspeedway while also acknowledging the new configuration in Atlanta, GA is fun to drive.
“Atlanta was a very good racetrack, and then they turned it into a superspeedway and it’s a lot of fun. I see it as a hybrid. I don’t think we need another racetrack like that, but it’s not my decision to make. Whatever they throw out at us, I’m going to try to be the best I can be.”
Daniel Suarez on adding more superspeedway dates
Most of the drivers in NASCAR agree that Texas Motor Speedway should not be turned into a superspeedway. However, that doesn’t mean the track needs to stay like it is right now.
The future of Texas Motor Speedway is unknown and it wouldn’t shock people if something big happens soon as various racing series beg for a change. What should the venue do to improve its racing and please the drivers as well?
Related: Examining NASCAR’s murky future at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway needs to start from scratch
Texas Motor Speedway needs to be changed but it should not be transformed into a superspeedway track. So, what should the venue do to please both NASCAR and the IndyCar Series?
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson brought forth his idea on what should happen in Fort Worth, TX.
“I would like them to demolish this place first and then start over from scratch. For one, they did a very poor job with the reconfiguration, initial reconfiguration. I would like to see them change it from a mile-and-a-half to something shorter. I don’t know if that means bringing the backstretch in or whatever. If I could build a track, it’d be probably a three-quarter mile Bristol basically, pavement and progressive banking. But I don’t know if that’s even possible here. I’m not sure what they have in mind, but anything would be better than what they did.”
Kyle Larson on what he would do to Texas Motor Speedway
Larson would like to see Texas Motor Speedway see a similar fate to Auto Club Speedway. The two-mile configuration of Auto Club Speedway is being turned into a short track after the 2023 season, which may not be the right decision.
However, this would be an option that makes sense for the track. It is clear that racing is poor at the venue and that anger has only built amongst drivers over time as the track still sees traction compound applied to it.
Another option would be to completely repave and reconfigure the track into the same distance at 1.5-miles. This could allow them to keep the 1.5-mile configuration but redo the damage that was done.
There are a few options that could take place but anything is better than another superspeedway track. Six races are likely the perfect amount and anything more would be a negative for the sport and teams.
The racing on cookie-cutter tracks has been fun to watch this season. The NextGen car has fixed many of them and it is certainly disappointing to see Auto Club Speedway sized down because the racing was really good.
It is definitely a change from what was seen with the Gen 6 car and the 550 horsepower package. The racing on 1.5-mile tracks was atrocious as drivers had less control of the cars.
The topic of conversation revolving around how NASCAR should race at more 1.5-mile tracks is an incredible turnaround and one that many did not expect going into the 2022 season.
Texas Motor Speedway can create better racing but the correct decisions need to be made as change is needed.