NASCAR has continually leaned more towards road course racing in recent years, particularly since the introduction of the Next Gen cars in 2022. There are various reasons for it to do so. But could the lower, grassroots-level racing series follow suit if they wanted to? After all, it is NASCAR that drivers in these series are ultimately dreaming of racing in.
Advertisement
Technically, they could. But there are some high challenges that they will need to overcome. A fan recently tagged Dale Earnhardt Jr. on social media, talking about the state of the Virginia International Raceway, and sought his help in bringing families to the track. The racing icon could do so by scheduling a CARS Tour race at the venue. However, that’s easier said than done.
Dale Jr. replied to the fan by stating the absolute realities. While he would love to have at least one road course event on the calendar, he has learnt through the Dodge deal that his cars would need completely different transmissions and oil pans. There are also multiple other expenditure fronts that every team will have to consider. However, it is not something completely out of the question.
Would be awesome to find a pathway to get one single road course event on our schedule. I’ve learned through the Dodge deal, on the front end we would need different transmissions and oil pans. There’s also a lot more expense per team to consider beyond that. But it’s not… https://t.co/A3I6KW4pkd
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 30, 2026
Jumping in on the conversation, former driver Brian Keselowski wrote, “It’s just so expensive no matter what you do. Hopefully, you can lock guys into running the same chassis, but then 90% of the components are different. Transmissions, Brakes, LF suspension, ball joints(we learned the hard way), axles, rear-ends, shocks, and the entire body placement.”
Dale Jr. replied, “You nailed it. It’s a massive undertaking for teams.”
So, as much fun as it would be to see the CARS Tour or other grassroots-level racing platforms adopt road courses, it is something that comes with serious financial implications. On another side, some fans weren’t even willing to consider such an outcome.
You nailed it. It’s a massive undertaking for teams.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 2, 2026
Already tired of all the road course events on the NASCAR calendar, the last thing they want to see is the fever catching on to other series. They couldn’t comprehend the idea that Dale Jr., of all people, would be open to taking the CARS Tour to a road course. Even as a driver, he wasn’t that great on the road courses, which is what perplexes the fandom.
