When highly technical stock cars with over 500 HP under their hoods appear on a race track, they are there for one purpose: to show off speed. But the maximum pace that they can attain is not solely reliant on their engines and aerodynamics alone. The race track plays a crucial role in facilitating speed. Here’s a short breakdown of the tracks that fuel chaos the most.
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5. Kansas Motor Speedway – The 1.5-mile intermediate track has become one of the favorite destinations for fans in recent years. The fastest qualifying speed recorded in Kansas is 183.107 MPH (2024). The pace was set by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell. The average pole speed at the track is 180.556 MPH.
4. Charlotte Motor Speedway – This quad-oval in the heart of the NASCAR country offers 24 degrees of banking, which makes cars go faster than they would otherwise. The fastest qualifying speed recorded here is 183.955 MPH (2024). The average pole speed is 183.818 MPH. Had it not been for its tighter turns, Charlotte would be higher up this list.
3. Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Sin City’s intermediate venue fills the gaps in the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It has wider turns than its counterpart and offers the same 24 degrees of banking. A result of this is a fastest qualifying speed of 183.355 MPH (2023). The average pole speed is 185.204 MPH.
2. Texas Motor Speedway – The track’s reconfiguration in 2017 was not well received by fans or drivers. They consider races here to be a tad bit too boring. However, the changes have produced amazing speed. It is one of the only two tracks to record a pole speed above 190 MPH in the Next Gen era.
The fastest qualifying speed is 190.369 MPH (2024). It was set by Kyle Larson. The average pole speed is 189.232 MPH. These high numbers are made possible by the surface’s strong grip and the sweeping corners.
1. Michigan International Speedway – This two-mile D-shaped oval in Brooklyn, Michigan, is the fastest track in NASCAR. It has held this position since it was repaved in 2012. Qualifying speeds on it used to consistently be over 200 MPH in the 2010s, but the promotion’s horsepower reduction has brought the pace down. The fastest qualifying speed of 193.382 MPH was set in 2023. The average pole speed is 192.043 MPH.
Average speed during races has not been used to curate this list since races are often slowed down by caution flags. Qualifying speeds are the best measure to determine which tracks are the fastest to race on.
