Exciting NASCAR Races: High-Speed Thrills and Intense Action

Established in 1948, NASCAR is the ultimate test of man and machine. Vehicles reach speeds topping 190MPH on average and there are over 36 races every year across the United States. With plenty of racing left in the 2024 schedule, including the Coca-Cola 600 expected to take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Playoffs from September to November, and a bracket-style tournament debuting in 2025, which is expected to kick off next summer at Atlanta Motor Speedway, this provides are plenty of opportunities for first-time fans to attend a race on the schedule. Majority of races take place near major cities, making the sport accessible for all ages and demographics. There are also local races with future NASCAR Cup Series stars, consisting of tracks being located in small towns, that are perfect for those who live farther than a two-hour radius and would like to get a glimpse of racing.

The on track action is endless

Superspeedways, including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, allow “pack racing”, which entails groups of cars riding around together, following behind one another and going wheel-to-wheel, side-by-side, three and four rows deep. This year’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta saw Daniel Suarez edge out 2-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch and last year’s champion, Ryan Blaney, in a photo finish, one that will definitely go down in history as one of the most exciting finishes in history. It takes a lot of skill to lead a group of cars while blocking two and sometimes three rows with five laps to go. These races are perfect for those who enjoy adrenaline and being at the edge of their seat every single lap.

Traditional ovals, such as Charlotte Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway allow separation between cars, meaning the fastest cars and best drivers will battle throughout the field. The racing at “cookie-cutter” tracks has been incredible so far with NASCAR’s NextGen car. Most recently, Tyler Reddick, who drivers for former NBA star, Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, and Chris Buescher, who drives for the legendary RFK Racing, battled head-to-head for the win recently at Darlington Raceway. During the closing laps. Reddick slammed Buescher into the wall, which allowed for Brad Keselowski, to win his first race at the 1.366-mile South Carolina racetrack.

Short tracks, which have been fan favorites since the birth of NASCAR, are notorious for their “bump and run” style racing, meaning drivers will utilize their front bumpers to nudge the car ahead of them out the way. The best drivers in the world are typically able to maintain control of their cars, leaving minimal damage on the vehicles. However, when this is unsuccessful, it can lead to a car losing control, sometimes slamming the wall, ending their days and leading to post-race confrontations and fist-fights. Bristol Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway (which is hosting their first ever NASCAR Cup Series race in June) and Martinsville Speedway are some of NASCAR’s most action-packed short tracks, which rarely disappoint.

Road courses are the real test of driver skill, as shifting, getting in the gas at the perfect time and finding the right amount of speed going into the corners are crucial. These tracks consist of right and left turns and the best all-around drivers win road course races, which is why many of the races consist of “road course ringers“. Ringers are drivers that come from other countries and various racing disciplines to compete, as road racing is a global phenomenon, especially in Formula 1 racing. The road courses that showcase the best of the best consist of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL™, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International.

NASCAR is on the rise!

This season has seen a uprise in viewership and closer finishes than last season, which happened to be NASCAR’s 75th anniversary celebration. Last year, NASCAR hosted their first race in the Streets of Chicago last summer during the Fourth of July weekend, which saw a talented V8 Supercars racer from New Zealand winning his first ever NASCAR race, as well as a lot of lot of on-track action on the 2.2-mile Street Circuit. Last night’s NASCAR All Star Race saw a post-race fight between Daytona 500 Champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch. After Busch sent Stenhouse Jr. into the wall on lap 2 of the 200-lap event, tempers flared. Stenhouse Jr. waited outside Busch’s hauler to confront him. The last few months have seen some of the closest finishes in the history of the sport and there are no signs of the action cooling down any time soon.

There are “little leagues” in NASCAR: The NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have a LOT of action on Friday’s and Saturday’s

For those with shorter attention span and would like to see what NASCAR is like, every race weekend at most tracks, Friday and Saturday have racing action as well, for a lower price. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has shorter races, usually around 200 miles, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series races usually end after 300 miles. The action is plentiful prior to Sunday’s main event and rising stars, who expect to go racing in the NASCAR Cup Series prove themselves in the lowest divisions of stock car racing.

What are you waiting for? Get to your nearest racetrack!

There is a lot in store for everybody at a NASCAR race, which is even more of a reason to attend a race one day! Whether you live in a big city, a small town or even Canada or Mexico, there are affordable tickets, interactive fan zones and the big events and free tickets via the NASCAR App, it’s time to give NASCAR a chance if you know nothing about it. For newbies, the App, NASCAR.com and their social media pages are the best places to learn about the sport, both inside and out. The best time to get into the most popular stock car racing series in the world is now and it’s guaranteed first-time fans won’t be disappointed when they attend a race in person. So what are you waiting for? Get to a track near you!