The AdventHealth 400 race at Kansas Speedway may have provided the best racing action spectators have seen in a while. Since the release of the Next Gen car, there have been complaints regarding a lack of exciting and stale racing experiences. However, when it comes to a mile-and-a-half race, the story changes dramatically. Heck, 95.8% of voters chose Kansas as a good race in Jeff Gluck’s survey, which was a record.
Slowly, a trend has emerged with this NextGen vehicle in terms of how well it performs on mile-and-a-half tracks. The Gen-7 car’s aerodynamic shape allows for greater side-by-side racing action. Given the early stage of the race, the duel between Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson was refreshing.
There is constantly debate over the addition or renovation of historic venues. And, given how modern racing is shaping out to cater to the mile-and-a-half track, Denny Hamlin believes Chicagoland and Kentucky Speedway are ideal events that should return to the calendar.
Chicagoland and Kentucky Speedway are better options than Charlotte Roval according to Denny Hamlin
The 1.5-mile racetrack was once seen as a big opportunity for NASCAR to expand its auto-racing product in the early 200s. However, a decline in attendance and the COVID-19 pandemic saw NASCAR choose to spend its resources elsewhere. This allowed the resurrection of North Wilkesboro Speedway, while also bringing Chicago Street racing events into the mix.
During the recent episode of the ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast, Hamlin was head over heels with the racing at Kansas. He even argued that it’s among the best two venues for racing on the NASCAR calendar. Labeling the mile-and-a-half racetracks as a perfect fit for NextGen car, he proposed a return of the iconic 1.5-mile racetrack, “We should be going back to Chicagoland for sure.” However, such a move would force NASCAR’s hand in ditching a current venue, and in Hamlin’s opinion, Charlotte should be the one to take the fall.
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