Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing and longtime NASCAR competitor, has taken aim at NASCAR’s increasing road course events, questioning their impact on both business and fan engagement. As NASCAR’s 2026 Cup Series schedule expands to include stops at Circuit of the Americas, Watkins Glen International, Naval Base Coronado, and Sonoma Raceway, Keselowski’s road course criticism highlights broader concerns within the sport about the direction of its race calendar.
NASCAR Shifts From Oval Origins to More Varied Tracks
Traditionally, NASCAR has been defined by its iconic pavement oval tracks. For many years, just two road courses—Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway—were featured annually in the NASCAR Cup Series. In recent years, however, the series experimented with additional venues, bringing races to places like Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course and the urban streets of Chicago. Notably, both the Chicago and Charlotte events were dropped for the new season, yet the number of scheduled road courses continues to rise. In 2026, the Cup Series features four road courses, further marking its shift away from pure ovals.
Financial and Fan Interest Worries for Road Course Events
Brad Keselowski, who now juggles his roles as driver of the No. 6 car and as a business owner at RFK Racing, openly voiced doubts regarding the rationale behind this scheduling trend. During an interview with Speedfreaks, Keselowski stated,
“I just put on my business owner hat and I don’t understand why the sport wants to run so many road courses,”
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner and driver.
He expanded on the difficulties faced by teams trying to market and profit from these races:
“As a business owner, it’s the hardest races to sell sponsorship for, it has the lowest attendance, lowest ratings. That doesn’t make sense to me.”
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner and driver.
From his perspective, road course events are not attractive to the primary entities NASCAR relies on: sponsors, fans, and television partners.
“We should be going places where the sponsors wanna be there, the fans wanna be there and TV gets the best ratings. And road courses, are historically the worst in all of those categories.”
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner and driver.
Keselowski summarized his conviction, adding,
“So, I don’t feel any obligation to that.”
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner and driver.
He also highlighted how the core NASCAR fan base associates the sport with oval racing, claiming that the allure and clarity of oval tracks outshine that of the road courses.
“A lot of the fans identify NASCAR with ovals. They understand the concept of what we’re doing on ovals. And enjoy it more than they do on road courses. That’s my perspective of what I see.”
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing co-owner and driver.
The Road Ahead for NASCAR’s Race Format Decisions
The outspoken commentary from Keselowski arrives as NASCAR continues to experiment with new formats and locations. While the addition of diverse tracks such as those at Circuit of the Americas and Naval Base Coronado shows a willingness to innovate, it also touches a nerve with long-standing fans and key participants in the sport. As sponsors, teams, and audiences weigh in, the league faces pressure to consider both business viability and tradition. The evolving debate, underscored by high-profile figures like Keselowski, will likely shape NASCAR’s future approach to balancing tradition with variety in the schedule.
