NASCAR Handicapping Notes by Track

NASCAR Handicapping Notes and Track Descriptions
by Jay Horne of NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service

The following information is a description of all tracks currently on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series’ schedule. Below you will find descriptions for each track along with pertinent handicapping tidbits. In NASCAR betting, it is imperative that handicapping strategy changes with each track because each venue has different requirements to yield success. The notes below provide a baseline of the expectations for success at each venue.

*Stats and notes reflect prior to start of 2023 season

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway unveiled a completely new look during the 2022 season. Following a repave and reconfiguration, Atlanta was essentially turned into a superspeedway and racing was very similar to the racing product produced at Daytona and Talladega. Though the racing surface is a bit more narrow and does not produce huge runs like the other supeedway venues, the racing is very similar with track position being even more important. Going forward, fans can classify Atlanta as another superspeedway style venue.

Auto Club Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is similar in size and shape to Michigan’s 2.0 mile complex. However, Auto Club Speedway’s surface is much more rugged and aged compared to Michigan. In many way’s, Auto Club Speedway is like Michigan but with Atlanta’s abrasive surface. The track surface is rough which causes significant tire wear and grip issues. Despite its size, Auto Club Speedway is not nearly as horsepower dependent as some of the tracks similar in size like Michigan and Indianapolis. This unique “big” track requires long-run speed and drivers that excel in low-grip racing conditions.

Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway is unlike any other short track on the Cup Series schedule. The half-mile bullring has 30 degrees of banking and is known as the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. The track is the epitome of short track racing and typically favors the best short track talents.If you look at Bristol’s history, we can usually see a strong baseline of drivers that run well because ultimately Bristol requires a unique skill set for success. Take proper notice of those drivers that continue to find their way towards the front and pay close attention to historical narratives

Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a sister track of Atlanta Motor Speedway with nearly identical banking, layout, and design. Unlike Atlanta, Charlotte does not provide the extreme tire wear issues and has pretty decent grip for a 1.5 mile track. Charlotte is home of the All-Star Race, Coca-Cola 600, and the relatively new Bank of America ROVAL 400. By the time these races roll around, bettors should have a good idea of the drivers/teams performing well at 1.5 mile venues which should be given the most betting value until practice sessions return.

Charlotte Motor Speedway (ROVAL)
The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL course debuted in 2018 featuring a unique combination of the infield course, combined with the traditional 1.5 mile layout, and added chicanes on each straightaway for a composite ROVAL design. The current ROVAL is listed at 2.28 miles and though it is unlike any other road course venue; the heavy braking zones closely resemble driving tendencies at Watkins Glen and very similar to the new Daytona International Speedway Road Course. In today’s Cup Series environment, a handful of drivers really excel at the road course layouts and they should garner most betting attention until we see a trend reversal.

Chicagoland Speedway
Technically Chicagoland Speedway is the youngest track in NASCAR but the surface has aged significantly since its debut in 2001. The surface is very abrasive and has many bumps that cause handling issues. Due to the handling issues and low grip, this is the ultimate “driver’s track.” Drivers must be able to search for grip and manage tires well throughout each race. There is also an advantage to drivers that can run the high line against the wall. In terms of the driving style needed for success at Chicagoland and the actual track’s surface; both characteristics closely resemble Homestead-Miami Speedway. In fact, GoodYear often uses nearly identical tire codes for the two tracks.

Circuit of Americas
Located in Austin, Texas, NASCAR will visit Circuit of Americas for the 1st time in history among its major racing divisions. Circuit of Americas has primarily hosted Formula One events in prior years with recent IndyCar events in 2019. At 3.426 miles in length, the current layout features 20 distinct turns that promise to challenge every aspect of a driver’s ability. The track has numerous turns that vary in turn angles with swinging S shaped turns similar to Sonoma and heavy braking zones at the far cardinal corners of the track to provide everything imaginable for road course enthusiasts and drivers alike.

Darlington Raceway
Darlington is truly the most unique track in NASCAR. The 1.25 mile track is nicknamed “Too Tough To Tame” due to its raw difficulty. Darlington has very narrow corners that requires drivers to run right against the wall for speed and will often lead to the infamous “Darlington Stripe” on the side of race-cars. Not only is the track extremely difficult for drivers, but it produces heavy tire wear and is notorious for requiring optimal pit strategy. Despite the extreme tire wear, Darlington has a decent amount of grip until the tires fade. As a result, drivers that can manage tire wears and adapt to Darlington’s unique design often continue to be in position for quality finishes.

Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR ‘s most infamous venue lies on the shores of Daytona Beach at Daytona International Speedway. The 2.5 mile superspeedway is the home of the Daytona 500 and is just 1 of 2 superspeedway tracks on the circuit. No longer considered “restrictor plate tracks,” the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega are strictly about pack racing and managing the draft. However, Daytona is typically more handling and aerodynamic dependent and produces fewer “surprise” winners when compared to Talladega. Though still a wild-card by nature, bettors should look at loop data and performance trends for the drivers that consistently run at the front of the pack to find value in betting odds

Daytona International Speedway RC
Daytona unveiled its road course design during the 2020 season to suffice for lost venues of Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The road course at Daytona is not necessarily “new” but just recently used by NASCAR’s Cup Series. The 3.61 mile layout closely resembles Charlotte’s ROVAL. In fact, Chase Elliott won the inaugural Go Bowling 235 at Daytona’s Road Course and Elliott has won the prior 2 races at the ROVAL. Therefore, look at results at the ROVAL for additional handicapping comparisons.

Dover International Speedway
Nicknamed “The Monster Mile”, Dover can be best described as “Bristol on steroids.” Dover is a short 1 mile track that races like a 1.5 mile speedway with high speeds and high banking. Dover is also the only track, along with Bristol, that is fully concrete. Like Bristol, Dover requires an acquired skill set but is also dependent on optimal setups to tame the monster!

Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway has historically been the venue to decide the NASCAR Championship among all series but was moved to an early season date in 2020.  Despite the change in schedule, Homestead remains one of the most exciting 1.5 mile tracks in the sport with progressive banking and an extremely rough surface that lacks grip. Outside of Darlington, Homestead-Miami Speedway may be the biggest “drivers test” in the sport and we always see the top names in the sport emerge at the front of the field. The surface is very similar to Chicagoland.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is likely the world’s most infamous speedway in racing and is home to the Indy 500. The 2.5 mile venue closely resembles a rectangular shape (instead of the traditional oval shape) but produces high speeds while posing similarities to both Pocono and Michigan. Fuel mileage and track position are often very important in this race because passing can be relatively difficult. Typically track position is the name of the game meaning it is not the most ideal venue for bettors

Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is another 1.5 mile surface that predominately compiles the majority of the Cup Series schedule. Kansas Speedway most closely resembles Kentucky in surface composition but requires more aggressive corner speed which favors drivers that can drive the car on the “loose” side of the setup. The racing surface was last repaved in 2012 which produces less tire wear than other similar 1.5 mile tracks. For betting success, focus on the drivers/teams that routinely show the most raw speed and give some credit to historical statistics

Kentucky Speedway
Due to a recent repave and reconfiguration in 2016, Kentucky Speedway is very similar to Kansas Speedway in shape, layout, and banking. The current track surface has a lot of grip but remains bumpy which can cause handling issues. Kentucky is a very difficult track to handicap because the track is extremely aero-dependent and is the closet example to superspeedway racing on a 1.5 mile layout.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is another 1.5 mile track with banking that goes up to 20 degrees. The track is likely most similar to Kentucky and Kansas in terms of banking which is less steep than places like Charlotte, Atlanta, and Texas. Tire setup and compound is usually different than other 1.5 mile tracks meaning it can be difficult for teams to hit the correct setup. Practice speeds have been a more reliable indicator of speed at Las Vegas compared to most 1.5 mile tracks. Since practices will not be held at Las Vegas in 2021 and this race falls 4th on the schedule, bettors should proceed with extreme caution.

Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is a half-mile “paper clip” shaped oval. The flat corners put heavy driver emphasis on corner entry, braking, and consistency lap over lap. Track position is always extremely important. Due to the heavy importance of braking, results often show some linear resemblance to road course tracks, specifically Watkins Glen. Bettors should pay very close attention to historical trends with an emphasis on “recent” historical trends that fall within the same rules package.

Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is largely considered the fastest track in the Cup Series at 2 miles in length. Track has some similarities to Indianapolis in chassis design and setup. However, the driving similarities can be closely compared to Auto Club Speedway with more grip and throttle time. Raw speed is very important to find success which often trends with manufacturer performance.

Nashville Speedway
Nashville Speedway was home to Xfinity Series racing from 2001-2011 before it was removed from the schedule. Last year, the Cup Series made its debut on the 1.33 mile circuit which was highlighted by Kyle Larson’s win in the Ally 400. Nashville Speedway is the longest fully concrete surface on the Cup Series schedule at 1.33 miles in length. The layout closely resembles WWT Raceway at Gateway which currently fields races for both the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series. With the limited history, this race is difficult to handicap because there are not many tracks that closely compare at the Cup Series level.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Nicknamed “The Magic Mile”. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1 mile track with just 12 degrees of banking. The flat corners establishes driver focus on corner entry angle and corner exit speed. New Hampshire is likely the most underrated track in the Cup Series for long run speed which is extremely important because it is difficult to prevent rear tire wear on corner exit. Typically specific drivers excel on flatter surfaces meaning New Hampshire should be given historical observations which should be compared with performance trends from Martinsville and Phoenix.

Phoenix Raceway
Phoenix Race is a one-mile triangle shaped track that is very flat with just 10 degrees of banking and is the new home to the Championship 4. Phoenix has very similar banking and shape characteristics to Richmond Raceway and can be considered similar to New Hampshire in driving style, corner angles and setup.

Pocono Raceway
Known as the “Tricky Triangle.” Pocono is a large 2.5 mile triangular surface with 3 distinct turns that rely heavily on car setup and speed. It is often very difficult to get cars to handle well throughout all 3 corners so teams will put an emphasis on balance and speed. Turn 2 at Pocono mimics Indianapolis Motor Speedway and turn 3 was designed to mirror the Milwaukee Mile. Strategy and track position are extremely important which play into the reason that Pocono Raceway has produced numerous different winners of the years.

Richmond Raceway
Richmond Raceway is the only track in NASCAR’s Cup Series that is 3/4 mile in length. The track has many similarities to Phoenix but results at Richmond correlate closer with New Hampshire due to both track’s short-flat layouts. Drivers that thrive on flatter surfaces tend to shine at Richmond and that requires some additional research. However, the results are usually favorable for handicappers

Road America
Legendary Tim Flock won the first NASCAR sanctioned event held at Road America back in 1956. It took NASCAR’s top division 65 years to return to Elkhart Lake but it was worth the wait. Chase Elliott captured an exciting win over Christopher Bell in NASCAR’s return. Unlike some of the other road course venues, Road America prioritizes corner exit and carrying speed down long stretches of asphalt. While fast equipment helps, drivers that can maximize speed in the braking zones will succeed and that is normally your best road course drivers in the business.

Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway, along with Watkins Glen, is among the long standing traditional road courses venues still on the NASCAR Schedule. Unlike Watkins Glen, Sonoma has sweeping turns throughout the 2.52 mile layout. With minimal heavy braking zones, Sonoma drivers like a flat-short track in many areas of the layout. Handicapping typically favors historical narratives but pit strategy always shakes things up.

Talladega Superspeedway
At 2.66 miles in length, Talladega Superspeedway is the largest oval shaped track in NASCAR. Similar to Daytona, races at Talladega involve parity that coincides with the draft and pack racing. Unlike Daytona, handling is not nearly as important at Talladega because the track is very wide which allows several lanes of drafting. Raw speed, timing, and positioning are most important here for an opportunity at victory. For bettors, it is a complete crap-shoot. Bettors should put focus on managing risks, finding value, and hope for the best.

Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway provides a nearly identical layout and design as Charlotte and Atlanta. The track was repaved and reconfigured in 2017 giving it one of the highest grip levels in the Cup Series. Configuration changes decreased the banking from 24 to 20 degrees in turns 1 and 2 and widened the racing surface by 20 feet. Turns 3 and 4 remained the same. The new surface has tremendous speed and grip which promotes heavy emphasis towards raw aerodynamic package speed for success. Since both Texas races do not occur until the 2nd half of the season, we should have a strong idea of the teams that are providing the most raw speed for 1.5 mile layouts when these races roll around.

Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is the epitome of road course racing with a prestigious racing facility totaling 3.4 miles in length. Fuel/Pit strategy often comes into play because of the enormous size. Unlike Sonoma, Watkins Glen typically favors open wheel and/or road course experience due to the track’s heavy braking zones.