NASCAR is heading into 2026 with a lot of changes. Be it the recently announced return to the ‘Chase’ format for the championship postseason, or the Cup Series raising its horsepower limit from 670 to 750 HP, the new elements are thrilling. However, a popular racetrack’s rumored return to the grid received a setback. The 1.5-mile speedway’s fate may lie elsewhere.

No roads lead to NASCAR?

“With no NASCAR racing, the county in Kentucky where Kentucky Speedway is located now wants to turn it into something else: “Gallatin County officials say the Speedway owners could be interested in selling the land. But a buyer still needs to be identified,” Journalist Adam Stern posted on X.

It has been over 25 years since Kentucky Speedway came into existence. And now, Gallatin County is considering utilizing the property for small businesses, manufacturing jobs, housing, or a combination of these uses. Although Speedway owners are interested in the track, a potential buyer is not yet on the cards.

“Reaching out on the phone and getting Gallatin County on the map, and making sure that they know, we have a 1,000-acre property with a lot of infrastructure ready to go,” said Ryan Morris, judge-executive of Gallatin County. “I was hoping they’d bring back the Speedway, myself. I think they work on it, they probably could.”

Kentucky Speedway, built during a nationwide boom in stock car racing interest in the late 1990s and early 2000s, held its first Cup Series race in 2011. The Truck Series and Xfinity were already there since 2001. However, the track’s attendance and racing quality slowly dwindled in the late 2010s. It held its last Cup race in 2020, when Cole Custer won. Yet the most hyped up race was when Kurt Busch beat his younger brother Kyle Busch by .076 seconds.

“I think Kentucky has as much of a shot as North Wilkesboro,” Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, said last year. However, the 1.5-miler’s fate has grown bleaker in 2026. When the racing stopped, the area was used to store Ford trucks during a microchip shortage in 2021. Then, in August 2025, over 30 influencers were arrested after breaking onto the property and posting videos online.

While Kentucky’s future remains suspended in uncertainty, another track is thriving. It was not only revived, but is now a popular fixture in NASCAR.

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An effusive moment for fans

For years, drivers and fans have clamored for more horsepower. Especially after the Next-Gen’s arrival in 2022, which has led to passing difficulties on superspeedways and excessive fuel saving among other issues. However, NASCAR finally relented to the popular demand ahead of the 2026 season, raising the horsepower from 670 to 750 hp.

And the first taste of this change happened in a test session at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Drivers used the 750-horsepower engine package for the first time. This was a trailer for what will be used at road courses and oval tracks under 1.5 miles in length.

“I hope it’s for the better. I don’t see the power hurting the entertainment factor of the race,” Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports said. “Hopefully, it allows us to have to peddle the cars at some point throughout a run.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Hyak Motorsports added, “Short tracks were somewhere [my team] needed to get better at, no matter what the package was. So, throwing in new horsepower and a different package may help us figure it out, or at least get us closer to everybody else.”

And while Kentucky Speedway’s future remains uncertain, North Wilkesboro will host its first points-paying Cup Series race since 1996. This will be on July 19 with the Window World 450.

NASCAR’s 2026 season is a mixture of happy changes and sad absences. Let’s wait and see where Kentucky Speedway’s future lies.