Ever since Garage 56’s performance at Le Mans, NASCAR has seemingly been looking at where to potentially expand internationally. Adam Stern tweeted about a country that many may not have originally thought of.
India is probably not the first place that NASCAR fans thought of when it comes to places to expand. However, India does have a motorsports history, and it does have venues to race at. What does racing in India look like?
Professional motorsports in India is a relatively recent fad. However, India found itself at the highest level of motorsports beginning in the mid-2000s.
Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian Formula One driver in 2005, running for the Jordan Grand Prix team. His best finish was a fourth in the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix. However, a massive asterisk needs to be added to that.
Karthikeyan was one of only six drivers to start that race due to tire failures for a majority of the grid. His teammate Tiago Monteiro would finish third. Karthikeyan was out of F1 by the end of the season.
In the interim, he would run in different racing series including running nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Races in 2010. Running the 60 car for Jeff Wyler, Karthikeyan would have a best finish of 11th, and he returned to Formula One for 2011 and 2012.
Karun Chandhok would become the next Indian Formula One driver running 11 races between 2010 and 2011. He now works as a broadcaster on Sky Sports F1 coverage.
During this time, India also had a Formula One Team. Force India was founded in 2008, and they would have modest success in F1 before going into administration in 2018. This would effectively end the team’s time in F1.
F1 even had a race in India in the early 2010s at the new Buddh International Circuit. Sebastian Vettel clinched his fourth F1 World Championship at the last race at the track in 2013. Moto GP intends to hold a race in India late this fall, but India has been largely devoid of major motorsports for a while.
In order for NASCAR to race in India, there has to be race tracks for them to go to. India does have a few places that NASCAR could choose to go.
Buddh International Circuit
The most prominent venue is the Buddh International Circuit, which is a 3.1 mile road course. It hosted Formula One between 2011 and 2013, but it has its’ fair share of issues.
According to Christian Sylt Forbes.com, the race was supposed to be held for two more seasons, but the race was called-off after only three seasons. Eventually, Liberty Media had to pay $14.8 million in 2017 as a part of a tax dispute with the track according to Sylt. Yeah this is not the best look for a race track.
Hyderabad Street Circuit
This circuit was built for Formula E, and it hosted the 2023 Hyderabad ePrix. It’s a shorter race track being 1.7 miles in length. If the Chicago Street Race succeeds, and NASCAR wants to run more street races, this could be an option.
However, Formula E cars are not exactly the same as NASCAR cars. Their circuits tend to reflect that, so it is uncertain whether or not this track would suit NASCAR.
Madras International Circuit
Madras International Circuit is a 2.3 mile road course, and it is one of India’s first race tracks. The problem with this circuit is that it has not hosted any major notable racing series, as it mainly is reserved for lower categories. This is probably not much of an option for NASCAR.
Motorsports in India is a relatively new thing with a shaky history. As a result, NASCAR moving there could be seen as a risk. With that being said, the venues are there if NASCAR decides to go there.
Another thing to factor in is that India is currently the most populated country in the world according to World Population Review. It is also a market that Formula One is currently out of. If NASCAR wants to seize a massive market that Formula One is currently not in, India may be the place to do it.
Unlikely as it may be, India is an intriguing option for NASCAR to look at. If NASCAR wants to go international, then they must look at every option possible.
Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
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Corey Day’s run-in with Connor Zilisch at Circuit of the Americas became one of the most discussed incidents from Saturday’s race, even drawing a response from Denny Hamlin as well, who this week talked about his support for Zilisch.
During the race, Zilisch dealt with brake trouble on his No. 1 Chevrolet but worked his way forward from the rear of the field, advancing from P29 to P4 in the closing laps. With five laps remaining, he engaged in a battle with Hendrick Motorsports driver Corey Day as they exited Turn 2, holding the outside line. But as they contested the position, Day moved up behind him, contact occurred, and Zilisch spun off course to finish the race in P21.
After the contact, frustrated, Connor Zilisch initially referred to Day as an “absolute hack” on his radio, describing the clash as part of the latter’s racing pattern. But the JR Motorsports driver later tempered his comments, simply saying he expects an apology from the young Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Given that Zilisch declined to escalate the situation, on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin credited him for calmly managing his response after the race, saying,
“Zillich was smart about this. He in his interview, he’s like, “I looked over at him thinking, come on over here. Come apologize.” And he said he just looked at him with a stare like, I don’t know what it is with these guys. Why, Why can’t they… youth?”
However, he questioned Day’s failure to issue an immediate apology. In fact, he said he was “floored” by Corey Day’s reaction, which involved staring at a frustrated Zilisch rather than apologizing.
The No. 11 JGR driver also raised questions about how Hendrick Motorsports evaluates developing drivers. Organizations invest with the expectation of returns measured in wins and titles, but when a driver continues to make visible mistakes, fans and especially other drivers will start to scrutinize. Hamlin pointed to the balance between development and production, asking how long it would hold.
The COTA incident was not the first time Day’s racing antics were questioned. Last week, during the Atlanta race, Day was involved in a multi-car crash on lap five after attempting a three-wide move that resulted in contact with Ryan Sieg. The move triggered a chain reaction that collected several cars.
Sieg responded over team radio, questioning both the decision and Day’s presence in the series.
Hamlin argued that drivers are allowed to make mistakes as part of growth. At teams with front-running equipment and title ambitions, time frames are shorter. But he questioned whether Day faces a deadline by season’s end or whether the assessment extends into the following year.
In Day’s case, results have not offset the incidents that have drawn attention. Hamlin referenced Kyle Larson as an example, noting that aggressive driving can lead to contact as well as wins.
Do you agree with Hamlin’s take? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Bubba Wallace shared a message on X following the death of a close friend, writing about the weight of the news over the weekend.
“Makes you think about life and how precious it is… That tune… Nutshell- Alice In Chains Love yall,” he continued.
While Wallace did not name the friend in his post, one day before, reports confirmed that Chase Pistone, 42, had died. Pistone competed on short tracks and in NASCAR’s national ranks and later owned a Legends car. His family asked media outlets to share the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, 988. His brothers, Nick and Tom Pistone, confirmed the news to LegendsNation.com.
Pistone, who was the grandson of NASCAR driver “Tiger” Tom Pistone, built his racing career in Legends cars and Late Models before stepping into NASCAR competition.
Apparently, Wallace and Pistone raced each other in Legends cars around 2005. Pistone won four Summer Shootout Championships at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with two titles in the Semi-Pro and two in the Pro divisions. Wallace competed in both Bandolero and Legends categories during that period, winning 35 of 48 Bandolero races in one season.
Both drivers were regulars at the Charlotte Summer Shootout. From there, their paths moved toward the national touring series.
Pistone made starts in ARCA and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2005 and 2006, including an appearance with Green Light Racing at Martinsville Speedway. Meanwhile, Wallace moved into the K&N Pro Series East by 2010.
In 2006, Pistone made a start in the Nationwide Series at Martinsville, finishing 37th. After failing to qualify for the ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona in 2007, he stepped away from NASCAR competition until 2014.
He returned that year for eight combined starts in the Truck and Nationwide Series. In his final season at the national level, Pistone recorded a P9-place finish in the Truck Series race at Gateway, the best of his NASACR Truck career.
Beyond driving, Pistone owned CP Inc., building Legends and Late Model stock cars and offering leasing programs that included equipment, crew, and transport.
