Brad Keselowski holds a unique position on the Cup Series field. He is a co-owner of the RFK Racing organization and also a driver for it. So, his opinions on matters pertaining to the welfare of the sport come from a very deep dynamic. It is also why special attention has to be given to his stand on the number of road course races in a season.
There are four road course races scheduled for the 2026 season. One of them, in the Circuit of the Americas, just concluded last Sunday and Keselowskifinished 20th in it. Speaking to SpeedFreaks in an interview, he detailed why he thinks that NASCAR has no business holding as many road course races in a single season.
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The RFKdriver said, “I just put on my business owner hat and I don’t understand why the sport wants to run so many road course races. As a business owner, they are the hardest races to sell sponsors for. It has the lowest attendance. That doesn’t make sense to me. We should be going to places where the sponsors wanna be. Where the fans wanna be.”
TV ratings aren’t that great for road course events either. The bad numbers on every category that matters is why he stands steadfast on his view. There can be very little argument about what he said. Road courses do not yet compare to the appeal for oval races among the fans. But there is a strong reason for that. He explained the same.
Why road course races don’t sell as much as oval races
Keselowski said, “I think a lot of fans identify NASCAR with ovals. They understand the concept of what we are doing on ovals and enjoy it more than they do on road courses. That’s my perspective of what I see. I can’t speak for every fan.” He is not alone in this line of thought. There are other drivers who aren’t very fond of road courses either.
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But NASCAR believes that the track type is essential to have variety in a season and engage the younger audience. The unwillingness to let go is why it has also been experimenting ways to address the concerns of drivers. The horsepower for road course races was increased to 750 from 670 this year. Not that it made much difference on the track, but it shows intent.
All said and done, a future without road or street course races on the Cup Series schedule remains tough to imagine.
The post “Doesn’t Make Sense”: Brad Keselowski Stands Against NASCAR’s Recent Road Course Push appeared first on The SportsRush.
