In 2025, the NASCAR schedule wasn’t afraid to break tradition. The Cup Series expanded its footprint with an international points race at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, while Bowman Gray Stadium replaced the LA Coliseum as the home of the Clash, bringing grassroots racing back into the spotlight.
Those bold additions sent a clear message. NASCAR is open to change! As the sport looks ahead to 2026, that openness has sparked fresh conversations among fans. With momentum on their side, the NASCAR faithful are now pushing for an entirely new batch of tracks, hoping the next schedule shake-up goes even further.
Fans debate which familiar tracks deserve a second chance
The conversation picked up steam when a NASCAR fan on Reddit posed a simple but loaded question: “What’s a track that you can realistically see returning to NASCAR?” That single post opened the floodgates. Within hours, fans were tossing out names, memories, and arguments rooted in everything from racing quality to pure nostalgia.
There’s reason this debate feels timely. Over the years, NASCAR has quietly trimmed several tracks from the schedule. Some fell victim to declining attendance, others to lackluster racing, and a few were casualties of NASCAR’s broader push to diversify its calendar. The rise of road courses and, more recently, street circuits has reshaped how the schedule looks.
For 2026, that evolution continues with a brand-new street course planned for San Diego’s Coronado area, signaling that NASCAR isn’t slowing down on experimentation. At the same time, the sanctioning body has shown it’s willing to circle back. Chicagoland Speedway’s return has only fueled fan optimism.
The 1.5-mile oval last hosted a Cup Series race in June 2019 before disappearing from the calendar. While the COVID-19 pandemic played a major role in its removal, lagging attendance and NASCAR’s shift toward new venue types also factored into the decision. Now, with Chicagoland back in the picture, fans see proof that removed doesn’t always mean forgotten.
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That belief has sparked renewed calls for other tracks to get another look. From intermediate ovals to old-school short tracks, fans are sharing their wish lists, arguing that if Chicagoland can find its way back, others might not be as far-fetched as they once seemed.
Tracks that could realistically come back on NASCAR schedule
As Chicagoland’s return reshaped expectations, fans quickly shifted from nostalgia to practicality. They are focusing on tracks that actually have a path back to NASCAR’s top level. One Reddit user pointed to a contingency NASCAR has already acknowledged:
“Last year NASCAR admitted that the Daytona Road Course is the designated backup track for the Cup Series. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it back on the schedule.” That admission alone keeps the door open. The layout proved it could deliver solid racing during pandemic-era shakeups, and its role as a ready-made fallback makes a future return feel less speculative.
Rockingham Speedway was another popular answer, and with good reason. “Rockingham – they already got Trucks and Xfinity back, but I’m hoping Cup will come back too since the track has new owners focused on racing now,” one fan wrote. NASCAR’s 2025 return to Rockingham with both Xfinity and Truck Series races (confirmed again for 2026) has reignited belief that a Cup Series date isn’t far-fetched, especially with ownership reinvesting in the facility.
Wisconsin fans made their frustration loud and clear. “Road America or Milwaukee Mile. It’s insane that there’s no NASCAR presence in Wisconsin,” one comment read. Road America hosted Cup races in 2021 and 2022 before being replaced by the Chicago Street Race in 2023, while the Milwaukee Mile, still the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, remains a glaring omission despite its deep NASCAR history (the last NASCAR race was in 2024 in the Truck Series).
Short-track loyalists pointed to Hickory Motor Speedway. “If Bowman Gray can get the Clash, I don’t see why NASCAR wouldn’t consider a Truck or Xfinity race there,” a fan argued. Hickory’s weekly racing scene, ties to NASCAR history, and modern relevance through events like the 2025 Fall Brawl make it a logical regional candidate for a spot on the main calendar.
Then came the boldest suggestion: “Zandvoort.” With Formula 1 set to exit after 2026, fans noted that Circuit Zandvoort is actively exploring NASCAR as a successor. It’s ambitious, yes. But after Mexico City and San Diego, fans clearly aren’t ruling anything out anymore on the NASCAR schedule.