feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

We have often heard that the NASCAR fraternity is heading to a short track for a race. But what is a short track?

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

A short track is an oval track that is less than one mile in length. The majority of such tracks are 0.5 miles (0.8 km) or less. Drivers looking for a career in oval track racing mostly start their racing from short tracks, prior to climbing to arrangements that contend on bigger tracks. Because of their short length and quick activity, these tracks are regularly nicknamed “bullrings.” Proficient level NASCAR races on short tracks as a rule utilize a 500-lap or 400-lap distance.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

Short tracks as a rule have lights installed and regularly have night races. The short ovals actually structure the foundation of NASCAR in the feeder arrangement. Three race tracks of this sort are scheduled in the Cup Series: Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond.

ADVERTISEMENT

article-image

USA Today via Reuters

Short track races are very popular in NASCAR and the sport also plans to hold more races on these ovals tracks later on.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are several tracks that have the potential for future Cup races. One is the Iowa Speedway, which was built in 2006. The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, which was used as a Cup Series track until 1984, in addition to the Memphis Motorsports Park, which had races of the Busch Series until the 2000s, are also serious contenders.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read More: Who is NASCAR Legend Jeff Gordon’s Wife, Ingrid Vandebosch?

Best racers on NASCAR short tracks

Like all sports, certain members of NASCAR specialize in certain aspects of the sport. As such, there are several NASCAR drivers that perform better on short tracks compared to their rivals.

ADVERTISEMENT

One such driver is Jeff Gordon. He cherished short-track racing and has 17 Short track wins. Kyle Busch, too, is a short track maestro, with 16 wins and 5,510 laps under his belt. He scored his last short-track win in the 2019 race at Bristol. He had a strong season a year ago with two top fives, four top 10s and 268 laps drove in the five races.

Ben Beshore, Busch’s new team boss for 2021, drove Harrison Burton to four Xfinity Series wins last season, including Martinsville.

ADVERTISEMENT

The NASCAR legend and seven times Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson was also fond of short-track racing. Out of his 83 career race wins, 14 came at the various NASCAR short track races.

Martin Truex Jr. has four short-track victories and 1,072 laps drove in the last 10 races. A year ago, Truex posted two top-fives. This includes a victory in June at Martinsville subsequent to fighting back from a pit lane punishment.

ADVERTISEMENT

What do you think about short tracks? And which of the younger NASCAR drivers do you think have potential to become short track maestros? Let us know!

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Abhay Aggarwal

421 Articles

Abhay Aggarwal is sports analyst at EssentiallySports. Having joined ES in early 2020, he has over 300 NASCAR, Formula 1, and Tennis articles to his name. Abhay has been an avid motorsports fan for over a decade, and he even attended the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in 2011. When he's not writing for ES, he can be found reading up about MMA or Baseball (MLB), or even winning one-off karting races in Abu Dhabi.

Know more

ADVERTISEMENT