NASCAR’s Cookie Cutter Conundrum

[@TheIceberg]

Do you want more or less cookie cutter tracks?

[@micahkinton]

Bring back Chicagoland and Rockingham and we’re good

[@adamstare1137]

Less

[@Cloudy341blade]

Add more since this new car is goated for these tracks like Chicagoland

[@scout222]

2 more, Chicagoland and a 2nd Charlotte oval race. Drop the Chicago SC and Charlotte Roval. I’d also keep Auto Club in its 2 mile configuration

[@AgendaGaming923]

I want Chicagoland back

[@SuperNASCARrocks]

I remember the days where basically the bulk of the schedule was cookie cutter 1.5 tracks. I’m happy that NASCAR is branching out with new tracks and more road courses.

[@bobhope7557]

Road course racing has been pretty good besides Indy

[@DepravedCoTApologist]

​@@bobhope7557 Yeah, fuck the Indianapolis Road Course, all my homies hate the Indianapolis Road Course

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

@@bobhope7557 nah road course racing has been dull. It's too much of a good thing.

[@xavierjuno4572]

Dude just be happy it's not all cookie cutters

[@phoenixrising4573]

​@@xavierjuno4572 we don't have to enjoy the turd sandwich because it's fresh and uses a fancy bun...

[@crystaljon]

The NASCAR fanbase is one that has no idea what it really wants, and the schedule is a clear example of that.

[@GoodOlRoll]

We're just as divided as the Star Wars fanbase.

[@rfk617]

Facts lmao

[@TorrN_]

I personally don’t care what happens as long as Vegas isn’t touched and we eventually get a race up here in Washington

[@tooltime4640]

Nobody wants a race in Washington. Sorry but that’s the reality. Travel to the track like the rest of us

[@densontriton5780]

facts

[@HB-C_U_L8R]

The problem with the short tracks and the road courses isn't dirty air. The problem is the new bigger breaks and all that downforce being generated on the bottom of the car. This has drastically reduced the breaking zone, and on those types of tracks the breaking zone is where the action happens. Nascar is to their credit working on reducing the downforce on the short track and road course packages to force the drivers to break earlier and create overtaking opportunities.

[@johnvandeventer8668]

I honestly miss the Charlotte 500 fall race

[@willengland7336]

To be honest, I would not call Charlotte and Michigan cookie cutters because their designs were original back in the day but any other track copying those two would be a cookie cutter. I think the racing at short tracks and road courses will improve this year if the new package does what it intends to do and if Goodyear doesn’t drop the ball again.

[@S.K.R.E.Inc.]

Charlotte and its clones are cookie cutters since their invention. I agree with Michigan, though. There's only 2 tracks of that kind in place, and one has just shut down

[@ammayhem50]

Seconded. Now that Auto Club is done for as a 2 mile, they should bring a second date back to Michigan.

[@Dratchev241]

@@ammayhem50 and lets face it what would really hurt Michigan in the attendance dept? the cookie cutters. Mich had full houses back in the day it was only after the cookie cutters all got built that things went down hill. Lets say you live in WI,MN,IL why go to michigan when you can see pretty much the same race at chicagoland

[@thatpaintschemeguy8]

Nascar fans a few years ago " get rid of all cookie cutters" NASCAR: "alright" [gets rid of Kentucky ,Chicago, autoclub] Nascar fans: "noooooo Nascar sucks now"

[@TheBucksFan]

Tracks that people really wanted gone was tracks like Kentucky and Texas and a few second dates removed, but Chicagoland and Auto Club were decent at worst and great at best. What an unfortunate timeline we are in.

[@S.K.R.E.Inc.]

Does Auto Club even count as a cookie cutter? It's basically Michigan only lower

[@Nfl_fan_12]

​@Willing Nascar Texas is a good track I say they should change the las Vegas layout it's like the most plain normal track out there

[@brentruvio6556]

Not this guy. I don't miss Chicagoland, or Kentucky. I'm glad Texas has one race. Charlotte was a banger. I like new Atlanta after being on the fence at first. I'm very glad the road courses are abundant. I'm excited for the new aero package on the short tracks and road courses.

[@danielchai6145]

@@TheBucksFan auto club was awful for the majority of its lifespan. It’s not really cookie cutter either.

[@TheNewChevyRoll48]

I still like the direction the schedule is going in. I just hope they figure out how to improve the racing at short tracks and road courses. I'm not sure what they could do for road courses, but for short tracks maybe they could try out a package that uses smaller brakes.

[@xavierjuno4572]

Believe it or not according to bob pockrass, Nascar's trying a smaller spoiler at the short tracks and road courses (minus bristol and dover) and they've even removed the diffuser which was the main problem

[@naparacingfan9275]

I don't like the term cookie cutter but I understand where it came from. Most 1.5 mile tracks are good or great. Thanks to schedule diversity, we are finally getting a good balance of tracks. Tracks considered in this category I want back are Chicagoland and Rockingham.

[@naparacingfan9275]

@@GarbagePlateROC I totally agree but the video and other comments I've seen call the Rock a cookie cutter.

[@MLGProSwag69]

Most 1.5 milers aren’t great, they just happen to have asphalt that races well right now

[@mikeadams42]

Keep Chicagoland off the schedule, bring back rockingham. Chicagoland proved that market wasn’t right for nascar, yet they’re going back to Chicago. For a street course, really?

[@bigdonkerbren5325]

There's a chance we will see Rockingham back, Chicagoland is so hit or miss that I have a hard time seeing it come back.

[@racingaerials4493]

They announced a new rule package for the short tracks, and I'm excited to see the results. Anything will beat what they had.

[@danielfoster3642]

Even if the short track races still end up becoming a snooze fest, we can all agree that the racing will be better. We'll just have to find out how Martinsville, Richmond, and most of all the North Wilkesboro All Star Race performs.

[@hawkszone3310]

NASCAR: Hold my beer…

[@mustangroadracer]

Me too, should allow at least 4 or 5 more commercial breaks

[@Cloudy341blade]

Theiceberg:mentions Chicagoland speedway Me:dont cry dont cry 😢😢 Also Nascar also made a mistake getting rid of good 1.5 mile like Chicagoland that was getting good racing

[@curtisblevins1462]

Yeah, because you look back at how the last two races there in 2018 and 2019 and if the pandemic didn't happen at all, I wonder how the racing could have gone, but I pray we can see Chicagoland return.

[@Cloudy341blade]

@@curtisblevins1462 i just dont look at 2018 and 19 i look at other races like 2014 arguably Chicagolands best race 2013 as well 2015 good race even with a bad package and etc

[@austinemms9772]

The unfortunate thing about the 1 1/2 tracks is that they don’t really have different racing lines, leading to everyone having the same type of racing strategy.

[@ZIGAG1999]

Tbf stage breaks don't help so the strategy always looks the same.

[@seanbierman776]

I think that’s what has always set Kansas and Miami apart for the 1.5 tracks for me, they’ve always been super versatile

[@nascarfanatic2425]

​@@ZIGAG1999 That's why I say get rid of the stage cautions. Stage racing would probably be more accepted if there wasn't always a caution coming out to slow the race down and make the race longer.

[@TheNewChevyRoll48]

With the 2017-18 package, I'd agree. The cars produced so much side force that passing could really only be successful through pit strategy.

[@theultimatekfbfan2721]

I hope that race tracks in particular short tracks stop getting close by real estate and Karen's because racing is amazing real estate and Karen's suck

[@theultimatekfbfan2721]

I'm commenting this cause a lot of these tracks are getting killed by these two groups

[@jeremythurman5261]

NASCAR has a habit of of saturating the marking with one idea. The trend now seems to have shifted away from Super Speedways like Auto Club, Pocono, Michigan, and Indianapolis (super speedway is defined by a track 2 miles or more) to high banked intermediates like Atlanta and short tracks. How do you fix over saturation , add in new fans, sponsors, without losing current fans? Chop 2-3 races off the schedule. Add in 2 or 3 international races at legit tracks. But go to places like Rockingham UK (a European oval), Brazil (big stock car scene, and Australia (Home of the worlds most popular V8 race cars). This will engage new fans, trim the excess fat off the schedule that fans don’t like, increase attendance at some tracks, and bring in big time sponsors that have a global reach. If Supercars can travel internationally, NASCAR has no excuses. Also, bring back Rockingham US.

[@cito1101]

Remember how 1.5 mile tracks used to suck?? Now they seem to be better due to the racing the Next-gen provides. But, we need More Short Tracks

[@S.K.R.E.Inc.]

And not change Auto Club into one, give that to Texas or Phoenix

[@justinromain6786]

How are you going to throw shade at Michigan as a "cookie cutter" when it's been on the schedule since 1969? >_>

[@Dratchev241]

Charlotte and Michigan are not "cookie cutters" they are the originals. Michigan first nascar race 1969. Charlotte first race was 1960. the cookie cutters are the ones built in the 1990s+ modeled off of charlotte or michigan. Had the garbage cookie cutters not been built then Michigan wouldn't have suffered what it suffered. nor would charlotte or Atlanta. and Atlanta should have been kept with its pre 1997 design. Nascar instead of building all the cookie cutters in the late 90s onward should have looked to places that already existed. Winchester, IRP, Milwaukee Mile, etc.

[@dustykh]

1.5s have their problems but I feel like people throw the term "cookie-cutter" around too loosely. Quite a few of the tracks called cookie cutters are unique in their own way, even if they produce similar racing. Should all the 3/8ths mile short tracks across america be called "cookie cutters" because they all tend to produce similar racing?

[@scott4482]

I can fix most of what's wrong with NASCAR with one simple rule change. Get rid of the automatic yellows at the end of each stage.

[@TheSpeedracer1982]

If you played the NASCAR video games in the 2000s you’d know the cookie cutters actually raced different. But nice pork sausage.

[@FMecha]

Homestead-Miami tend to be grouped with the cookie cutters because of it's length, but I noticed it's pretty much not mentioned. Maybe because of it's unique (non-D shaped) shape compared to other intermediates?

[@bigdonkerbren5325]

Homestead has also become a good race year in and year out, plus it only has one date so the anticipation for it is far greater than the other intermediates. Only 2 tracks I can put with it are Charlotte and Atlanta in terms of quality of racing.

[@kjamisial7199]

i mean i get it but thats like saying that football is boring cuz they always play on the same field

[@christianwitte9208]

I really love the diversity of tracks on the schedule and I think it accurately reflects just how good of a driver you have to be to win in this series

[@Vegetaa4242]

One thing I'm kinda excited about is that the Truck series will be coming back to the Milwaukee Mile this summer. Could we get a 1 mile track in cup series

[@tk4083]

Giving the cars some actual HP would solve a lot of problems

[@dalejr183]

Michigan was the first 2 mile in that style and Atlanta used to be unique before the 1996 reconfigured

[@loveracing1988]

They all were cookie cutters because they were all built to the same specs. Chicagoland and Kansas were 1.5 mile versions of California and Michigan. Charlotte, Atlanta, and Texas were all essentially the same and Vegas was an in between. Now Kansas has been given progressive banking, Atlanta was given more banking to make it a mini superspeedway, and Texas was just ruined. So what were all very similar tracks are all slightly different.

[@hunternixonfishing2500]

I actually don’t hate the mile and a half tracks like a lot of people do. Atlanta was one of my favorites until the current configuration now I get it, it was time to repave it. I think homestead is a great track. I think Kansas is still underrated for how good the racing has been. And hopefully Chicagoland does come back

[@tomdanison234]

So, did anyone think about how Johnson won so many championships? How many cookie cutter tracks were in the season when he won those championships? They were just named by our host. Consider that.

[@rdaws73]

Johnson single handedly ruined NASCAR even more during his reign.

[@tomdanison234]

@@rdaws73 I watched a post where Johnson won early in the season thus getting into the playoffs. With the cookie cutter tracks in the playoffs he was able to win five of his championships. All during the new playoff format. Hmm, wonder what Petty would have done if the playoffs were there during his day. Or even Earnhardt?

[@TheMallen07]

Jimmie couldn’t hang with those legends!

[@kennyconnors9513]

With Kansas being my home track, I really enjoy it. I feel like the racing is normally pretty good

[@parkerwalsh3340]

Also my home track!

[@connorbingel7134]

They have enough spare cookie cutters that they could rotate them. Send xfinity and trucks to a repaved track for a few years and then move cup there after it has aged. They can keep as many or as few as they want on the schedule but keep all of them in reserve. Yes costs would rise but hopefully so would cup ticket sales the years that each track has them.

[@musyarofah1]

>complaining about cookie-cutter tracks >getting sad over the loss of OG Fontana/Chicagoland choose one

[@RyGuy8989]

The new short track/road course package wasn’t used at The Clash.

[@aldouscoroza]

Honestly Speaking, NASCAR Fans and NASCAR in General really don't know what they want. I'm cool with 6 Road Courses, 9 Short Tracks, etc. Just not The Chicago Street Course

[@curtisblevins1462]

Amen to not liking the Chicago Street Course.

[@soul-heart]

I think we all knew the problem but blamed it on the tracks. The problem was NASCAR's dumb decision to put giant a** spoilers on the back of gen 6 cars and then cut their power so they could get what they wanted, "pack racing." We had a good thing in 2014 and NASCAR ruined it.

[@fogalicious2644]

Beef up the HP at short tracks and road courses. That'll fix the aero issues

[@jordangarber9803]

No matter what nascar does no one is happy

[@jeremyswanson6513]

Shorter season. Every track only gets 1 race. Tracks can get a 2nd race if they change things up (Daytona or Charlotte road course/Bristol dirt). Easily can cut the schedule down to 30 races.

[@danielfoster3642]

You mean the Roval for Charlotte? They already have a Roval race.

[@SCVM__]

The length of the tracks may have been the same but the banking in the corners and straightaways were not. .... what has changed is viewership is way down.

[@mrnascar9129]

Don't really like Bristol on dirt.

[@Newmanfan4ever39]

the only and i mean the only 1.5-mile track i want them to add back is Chicagoland as i don't see the street course lasting past this year

[@danielfoster3642]

With the Mayor who pushed for the Street Course not being re-elected, Chicagoland might be returning sooner.

[@christianbazen43]

I think to fix the schedule is 1 race at each track and have variety go to some new tracks like airport races, street races if Chicago works out, or new venues like lugna seca, north east, and Midwest, and west coast short tracks like the bullring at Vegas or bowman gray. 3 dirt races Eldora,Knoxville, and the dirt track at texas 3 road courses roval,Waktins glen, Sonoma 3 super speedway races. Daytona,dega,alanta Than the rest between short tracks and speedways This is all my opinion

[@danielchai6145]

I think some tracks deserve 2 dates but they should be the absolute best tracks worth the best history. Daytona, dega, north wilkesboro, Darlington, Bristol, martinsville. I think those should be the ones with 2 but no other ones.

[@vMaxDaniel]

Rockingham should return to the schedule and also a good old type oval, like Atlanta was, should be studied

[@charliepalmer3244]

I like the variety of tracks, the road courses, I think it's working. They should go back to the real Brickyard, and shove Road America back in somehow.

[@danielchai6145]

I honestly don’t thing the car is an issue. NASCAR knows short tracks better than anyone and the early changes this year will make a big difference. Other changes will be made and the racing will be as good as ever. NASCAR fans are just impatient and overreact to every little thing, which is ironic for a sport where patience is so important.

[@tyeelliott9800]

Turn Texas into a short track and that will continue to help

[@chromediesel444]

With NASCAR unveiling the package change for short tracks and road courses today, we will see how does the gen 7 car runs at these types of tracks as soon as 1st Phoenix race.

[@aidanbrazill4885]

Nascar fans: "cookie cutters are so boring, we need more short tracks and road courses" Nascar fans when Nascar adds more short tracks and road courses: "This isn't Nascar, where are muh cookie cutter tracks?" Never can please anyone holy shit, if you don't like the direction the sports going in, don't watch. I understand being critical of something you love, but I swear anytime Nascar tries anything new there's just a lineup of supposed fans waiting to bitch about it.

[@tHarrypy]

I'm sorry but these "cookie cutter" tracks are what makes nascar, I dont need an obstacle course to be satisfied and I've never understood it. I cant remember the last time I watched a road course race all the way through, that shit is so boring. Keep Watkins glen and MAYBE the roval. and also short tracks suck with the next gen dont need anymore of those.

[@modulo3664]

Formula 1 has much the same problem with Tilkedromes

[@larrelllewis9407]

There is an old saying that if you try to please everyone you end up pleasing no one. NASCAR should just focus on creating a diverse schedule that has 1.5 mile, 2 mile, Superspeedway, shorttracks and road courses on them. Once they nail the right racing package for all these types of tracks people won't complain as much but you can't make everyone happy.

[@danielfoster3642]

I agree.

[@AllanSmith859]

Old Atlanta, Chicagoland, and Auto Club. The best racing big tracks we had.

[@loganengland8177]

I want Chicagoland back

[@brentruvio6556]

Put the rock back as the 2nd race of the year.

[@brentruvio6556]

@@johnhaas2523 Rockingham is talking to NASCAR about it. They're doing serious renovations to it as well. Fresh pavement, they got safer barrier already at the track if memory serves correct. It'll happen. Just a matter of when. Not if.

[@patrickracer43]

Of all those early 2000s cookie-cutter tracks, the one NASCAR might want to hold onto the most especially now is Chicagoland, because the Chicago street race might now have it's future in doubt as I just saw a report that Chicago will be getting a new mayor, and administration changes are always a threat to street courses

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

Yep plus the logistics of the Chicago Street Course.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Good I hated the stupid street course I like road courses but I don't think a street course would work well with NASCAR.

[@jessepotts9005]

There is no possible way that Michigan loses a date with Ford and Chevy in the backyard.

[@dageanhardy8929]

Unfortunately Nascar fans will still complain. 800 HP should allow for great racing everywhere!

[@nicsutton3831]

I use to be a big fan of Kansas mainly because it's the closet track but when they moved the spring race from a night race to Sunday afternoon I stopped going, I liked to drive down Friday, catch the truck race, tailgate Saturday, free parking, bring in your own 'beverages', hell I seen pizza boxes in the stands, then drive home Sunday and they screwed it up when everyone loved that night race right when they changed it.

[@marvelous3999]

I actually love the cookies cutter tracks, I thought they were the identity of Nascar racing. I think Nascar should have an even assortment of tracks on the schedule.

[@davidcormier6346]

The cookie cutter tracks aren't the only boring tracks I live a day's drive from New Hampshire I couldn't tell you how many times I've been there and I've never seen a really exciting race there and Pocono is not very exciting either New Hampshire I'd like to see them put a try oval in the back stretch because there's nothing behind the back stretch except parking making a mile and a quarter or a mile and a third something different Pocono I'd like to see them run the road course there just a thought

[@PaperBanjo64]

New Hampshire is just too long, I've seen maybe 2 good races there, old Homestead used to be like that but longer and it really sucked, I hate driving it in NASCAR Thunder 2003, it's so boring even though it's pretty fast.

[@jawmedia7575]

I want Kentucky back. Pleeeaaasseee

[@scottmoody7052]

All of these moves are L moves beshide wilkesboro. And I don't understand why when a track needs to repave they always decide to reconfigure it. Nothing good has come from a re configure in my life time of nascar and I've been at it since 2001

[@sapphirekennedy]

I feel like Auto Club shouldn’t be classified in with the 1.5 tracks, because not only is it a 2 miler, its sister track is Michigan, both built by Penske.

[@justinspiewak1482]

New England needs another race at 1 of the short tracks

[@PaperBanjo64]

Especially since there's so many good short tracks in that area.

[@justinspiewak1482]

@@PaperBanjo64 Literally all the short tracks here all produce great racing so you could go to any of them

[@nicolesgaming8917]

I still say one race date per series per track/layout (e.g., 600 on the oval, fall race on the Roval)- and that includes cookie cutters.

[@buckeyeinmi9950]

Did you see the stands for MIS last year? Definitely fuller than it’s been probably for the last 10 or 20 years.

[@jdsmith1740]

Bring back Rockingham and Chicagoland and it beautiful

[@tsholts5173]

They're just reconfiguring/replacing the wrong tracks. Atlanta had all these amazing races and stories connected to it, fell victim to their fake pack racing that nobody asked for. A repave would've sufficed. Auto Club is wider than Michigan, so idk why they're making the bigger track smaller besides "booming real estate market". Meanwhile, they know everyone hates Texas (NASCAR has gotta be able to convince SMI to make it a short track, right? ). Absolutely nobody likes street courses in other racing series' and it's going to market that doesn't like motorsports, yet it's replacing a very popular road course in a motorsport friendly market. It's their typical "1 step forward, 2 or more steps back"

[@justinc7841]

I'm okay with the schedule, especially with more short tracks. I think work in the road courses and short tracks is much needed. Smaller brakes and maybe narrower tires or a different rubber compound. The cars drive better at these tracks now and the racing suffers for it. You can't out break anyone into the corner because everyone has such grip and breaking power they can drive it in just as deep and make it stick. Passing in tight corners (short tracks and road courses alike) require out breaking your opponent into the corner and it just isn't possible with the grip level and breaks performing so well. I'm excited they are making changes but as Dale Jr. Said, it will be better but simply not enough. Too small of a swing at it. I imagine next year will be another small swing as well and that continue until they dial it in. Just don't touch the intermediate package now. For those tracks, the current car and package is top notch.

[@ARM317]

I like the current mix much better but have always thought tracks should get only 1 race per year (except Daytona and Talladega). Something I'd love to see, yes this will sound crazy, is a 5+ mile rally type course. Really take the sport back to its roots!

[@eggselent9814]

agree, or sth. like bowman gray stadium

[@danielfoster3642]

That would be even crazier than the Bristol Dirt Race.

[@BrassMaster84]

The problem at the short tracks and road courses was that they made the cars TOO good. The car didn't struggle, the passing did.

[@PaperBanjo64]

On flatter tracks it was really hard to pass, but at Bristol they could pass, I was there and they could pass all throughout the field, just not for the lead but I saw Chase Elliott pass a lot of cars that night.

[@robertstone9988]

That's why I like Darlington and Indy to ovals that don't want to be like anyone else.

[@turgid_member8717]

Variety in a schedule is always good, they'll eventually get these cars racing better at the short tracks and road courses. Bulldoze Texas Motor Speedway and salt the earth where it once stood.

[@nascarsteve]

Texas is the only track I don't have to get on a plane and fly to. I've been there 20 of the last 22 seasons. They ruined it when they reconfigured it in 2017. So selfishly it can stay for the proximity for me. I didn't go to either race last year. I may go to the fall race...

[@rickyshawl508]

Great video. I had basically these same thoughts as last season played out. I also agree that NASCAR and the fans are on different pages right now. with that said, this season has a chance to be an absolute banger. the 1.5 milers should present good racing again, and with the newly announced short track and road course package, with the downforce reduction, it theoretically should lead to looser cars, and a better ability to pass, as it should limit the dirty air issues when they get up behind someone. Here's to hoping!

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

The new short track package remains to be seen though. Pfft

[@rickyshawl508]

@@runrafarunthebestintheworld it was confirmed yesterday. it’s a 30% downforce reduction, it’s not gonna lead to worse racing!

[@rickyshawl508]

@@runrafarunthebestintheworld update: you were right. Sh*t racing still. Still can’t pass, but at least they took a step in the right direction in making the cars slightly harder to handle

[@j.cbutterfly3293]

I love 1.5 mile track at LVMS for a better great track looks to rebuild at Las Vegas.

[@syaieya]

While I began to tire of the cookie cutters, the reasoning for focusing on that style of track in the day was sound. Pass in the grass, one hot night, the finales at Atlanta. People were eating that up. The chance to have those highlights so much in the season with more and more people wanting to come to the track all made sense. But by the time Nascar had peaked in popularity, running those tracks had become a sanded down science. Just gut feeling tells me that their presence at key points in the schedule helped Jimmie become the record tieing champion that he did. With Texas, Atlanta, Kansas and especially Charlotte right down the stretch it's no wonder he had that extra level of success. And that too really dampened the feeling of competition around these tracks.

[@YoItzBANz]

No the lessen the cookie cutters, add more half miles or 1 miles like dover & bristol or martinsville, then add a couple more rc's and maybe have at least 5 superspeedways but not alot bc they need to feel special when we have them

[@stevencook388]

Kentucky, Chicagoland, and auto club finally started putting on great races right before they got dumped

[@S.K.R.E.Inc.]

Wait, Kentucky is actually good? Edit: Had to skip commercial, but as I was saying, Chicagoland and California have gotten screwed. At least the former wasn't getting shut down entirely, it's still possible to get it back

[@stevencook388]

@@S.K.R.E.Inc. well that last race there that Custer won had some great racing

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

@@stevencook388 that still doesn't say much about Kentucky though. That track needed to be kicked to the curb while Chicagoland undeserved to be dumped.

[@olie.vini__]

Bring back Kentucky and Chicagoland!!!

[@BIG_Tom_75]

Wild idea cut most tracks back to 1 race unless they offer something different ie Charlotte Bristol, historical reasons ie Daytona Darlington, or provide great racing (ticket sales,ratings,fan out cry) ie martinsville dega so the vast majority of your schedule is a one shot deal no more than 2 or 3 of the same track type in a row not saying it’s a perfect idea or even a truly feasible idea just a wild idea that might would be entertaining to watch week in week out

[@castandblast1852]

I would rather have more cookie cutters and less road courses. If I want to watch road courses, I would watch F1.

[@cmag19]

Even if it’s just a test, please for the love of all things good, BRING THE NEXT GEN TO CHICAGOLAND

[@danielfoster3642]

It might happen sooner than you think.

[@rockies2728]

They made short tracks better with less downforce is what they say

[@danielfoster3642]

Yep.

[@newtoncountry5937]

Charlotte isn't a "cookie cutter" track. Neither is Atlanta. They both opened in 1960. Tracks like Kansas, Kentucky, Vegas, Texas etc. were all built in the late 90s-early 2000s and were quickly given top tier races on the schedule. That's why they are called the cookie cutter tracks. Charlotte and Atlanta, while both are 1.5 mile tracks, don't fall into that category because they were on the schedule decades before the other tracks were built.

[@spd7693]

All in all, I want the oval Brickyard back in the schedule! For all sorts of different reasons I have never been able to watch any race on it live, all have been on the road course! The Indy 500 was broadcasted in my country when we had one or two seasons of the IndyRacing League to be broadcasted - 2004 and 2005, when Dan Wheldon won, I forgot who won in 2004 - but was too late in the night and I was an 11 year old middle schooler then. (Yeah, I am from Eastern Europe, thus lots of these races are late in the night for me.) No wonder I'm longing for both the original Brickyard for NASCAR and if possible the Indy 500 one day too. In fact I fell in love with NASCAR because of my love for IndyCar, believe or not, and had to wait until 2016 (!) for it to be broadcasted in my country. No wonder why I have never seen the old stock cars a lot of people love.

[@joeywarning2229]

Thank you iceberg for responding to my comment from the autoclub video and making a video out of it.

[@StarTrekGeek47]

I know I'm probably in the minority, but I absolute love the "cookie cutter" tracks. Maybe it's just that I'm a 90s kid, but in my mind, a proper NASCAR schedule has two or three superspeedway tracks, two or three half miles, and the rest is the ovals in between. I personally have never liked NASCAR road courses, as NASCAR to me is oval racing, and is unique in that. For road course racing we have WEC, IMSA, F1, IndyCar to a large extent, WTCC, and a whole bunch of other smaller series too. For oval racing, you have NASCAR and nothing else. And I know that oval racing doesn't attract everybody, but that's okay. I'd rather see NASCAR do it well, then take half of their attention and try and run into markets that have less eyes already.

[@darrelladams4188]

I’m okay with the “ cookie cutter tracks “ we don’t have to go to every track every year.

[@dankrolikowski9271]

Not really on the subject....but with Lori Lightfoot being voted out as Mayor in Chicago today...I wonder what that's going to mean to the DT street race going forward.. She was the one that wanted it.. Could be a very short stay there.

[@danielfoster3642]

@@johnhaas2523 I'd be happy if the Street Course ends up being a one year thing.

[@jasonlewis3304]

Here's an amazing idea: let's identify a track that drivers and fans have come to love recently and just completely gut it. Like Auto Club! Yes! Oh and a track everyone hates like Texas? Don't touch it, leave it in the playoffs. Great idea!! - NASCAR, probably

[@garyk76]

Rather watch any oval over a road coarse is boring racing

[@mlippert]

With cookie cutters, hello fresh as a sponsor, and the code ICEBERG65, I wonder why there's not even one food-related pun in this video...

[@curtisblevins1462]

Well, after watching this video, I do agree about bringing Chicagoland back because I think it should have been brought back this year instead of the Chicago Street Course being added to the schedule. Also, when it comes to Iowa Speedway, I still wish that it had been given a shot at hosting a Cup race, but I wonder if that's what The Iceberg meant about Iowa. All-in-all, in the end, that's all I've got to say, so goodbye!

[@dorvinion]

Yes, Iowa Speedway would be the place for a cup race. Some temporary bleachers maybe in the corners and it would do well. Problem for Iowa speedway is the track surface is starting to get old so you could maybe get a couple years good racing and then you'd have to repave it Knoxville raceway is the only other nationally notable track and while its a great track for winged sprint cars I thought the trucks and SRX both were rather lame racing

[@csx4402]

What Nascar should consider is mixing in the cars from yesterday like Gen3, Gen6, Gen5, and excreta. By not sticking to one gen of car could shake up somethings. They could do a mix gen race where drivers draw the body style of the car they will race from a mixed bag.

[@nurabsal0x018c]

The problem was never too many cookie cutter tracks itself, the problem was lackluster results from their packages at those tracks taking up a big chunk of the schedule.

[@robertshunter]

They need as equal a distribution of track configurations as possible, then the series truly becomes a competition for all-out driving talent. It would also allow the series to draw the widest possible fanbase, which in turn helps the commercial side for everyone involved.

[@jjroberts9545]

Since everyone loves Auto Club now, why don’t we turn Texas into a new version of Auto Club?

[@lordkinbote74]

Cover that s**t with dirt. Texas dirt superspeedway. Hell yes.

[@soul-heart]

we had texas world, but because facilities were crap, nascar stopped going there and eventually it ended up closing a few years ago and sold off the land for some sort of development. If nascar realized what they had they would have saved it before it was too late

[@danielfoster3642]

Whatever happens will improve the racing at Texas, no questions asked.

[@satoshiserena4843]

I think each cookie cutter track should only host 1 race per season.

[@S.K.R.E.Inc.]

Tell that to SMI and their spamming of 2 dates for Atlanta, Las Vegas, Kansas, Texas, and Nashville. Out of those mentioned, 3 of them suck

[@C4r0n1k]

@@S.K.R.E.Inc. hmmm, based off of popular opinion, imma guess the 3 u think I suck are Nashville, Texas, and Atlanta

[@satoshiserena4843]

@@S.K.R.E.Inc. Actually NASCAR/ISC owns Kansas but yeah there’s no reason for intermediate tracks to hold more than one race per season.

[@justinraystyles3537]

Short track racing was the best racing!! I wish NASCAR would keep all the old race tracks active and expand the season!! My favorite road course was always Watkins glen! They need to bring back all the 90s race tracks in NASCAR

[@danielfoster3642]

Don't make the schedule too long to the point where you'll burn out the drivers, the teams and the broadcasters.

[@PaperBanjo64]

@Daniel Foster just cut the late 90's/early 2000's boom tracks out and keep the road courses and just add back Rockingham, North Wilkesboro and the Nashville Fairgrounds.

[@danielfoster3642]

@@PaperBanjo64 Good starting point.

[@direflyer]

I think that the diversity of tracks is good, the issue is how well (or in this case poorly) the car performs at the short tracks and road courses.

[@michaeldejesus726]

Bring Chicagoland back!!!!