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Road America is gone from the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. While Road America leaving is sad to many it does mean there is a potential open race date for another race track on the NASCAR Xfinity Series calendar. Which race track could take that race date?
Road America sits only about an hour north of the Milwaukee Mile. This race track also recently hosted the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the first time in 14 years. It used to host the Xfinity Series as well 19 times between 1984 and 2009.
With Road America off the schedule, the Milwaukee Mile is the track nearest to the Road America market. However, the issue is the date when the track will be placed on the schedule. Road America left the schedule largely because of its date being in the middle of the Olympics in 2024, and that makes it difficult to see which independent race track could take a date away from potentially a NASCAR or SMI-owned venue unless they lease the track for a weekend.
If NASCAR would like to keep this race on a road course, there is an option to move the race to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It is a midwestern road course that still hosted the Craftsman Truck Series this year. It has a lot of the same benefits as the Milwaukee Mile did aside from being in the exact same market.
However, the issue with the date on the schedule is also a problem with Mid-Ohio. Mid-Ohio is also an independently owned race track, similar to the Milwaukee Mile. Where would NASCAR put it on the schedule with the current Mid-Ohio Truck Series race being the same weekend as Atlanta?
Iowa Speedway has not hosted a NASCAR race of any kind since 2019, unless you count ARCA, which it technically a NASCAR property. However, the track has found new life with Hy-Vee hosting a great IndyCar doubleheader weekend this past summer featuring concerts from Ed Sheeran, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.
The best part is that Iowa Speedway is currently owned by NASCAR, so, NASCAR could still be adding a race date to their portfolio. On top of that, it is a midwestern race track, so, it could work. The issue would be the market with the track being an hour outside of Des Moines, Iowa, which is not a major market.
If NASCAR is having trouble fitting the 2024 schedule into a new calendar slot with the 2024 Olympics, they may need to experiment with when they hold races. Maybe they could host a midweek race, and there is no better place for a midweek race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series than at a dirt track. There is no bigger dirt track stage than Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
This could bring back a dirt date to the Xfinity Series schedule that is now missing with the loss of Bristol Dirt. Now, this may be controversial amongst NASCAR just because midweek racing did do well during the pandemic, but, maybe a big event like this could help. It is also a non-NASCAR-owned track, which means it has to carve its’ way onto the schedule in a unique way.
Eldora Speedway is a race track that has already attempted a NASCAR race before. It was also a midweek race being on a Wednesday night normally. It also happens to be another famous dirt track that could take the place of Bristol Dirt on the schedule.
The issue again is is not being NASCAR-owned, as it is owned by Tony Stewart. NASCAR and Stewart are probably not on the best of terms given the ongoing negotiations between NASCAR and the race teams about how revenue will be split once the new TV deal is signed for 2025 and beyond. Even then, maybe a race at Eldora could happen in the future.
Plenty of places could be a replacement for Road America on the 2024 schedule. Will any of these places be the replacement?
