NASCAR in the 1980s almost went road-course exclusive with spinoff series in the making

Modern-day NASCAR is synonymous with racing on oval tracks for the majority of the season, however, with an ever-growing appetite for road course racing as well. The 2023 Cup Series season alone consisted of seven races held at tracks turning left and right if we include the exhibition-style Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

However, the 2023 season has not been the first time NASCAR has considered dipping its feet in road racing. Stock car racing was on the verge of introducing a road-course exclusive series during the 1980s, which saw a shift in motorsports towards road courses and street tracks.

Premier motorsports series such as the NTT IndyCar Series (known as Champ Car back then) or the IMSA SportsCar Championship introduced several new street course venues to their rosters.

This pushed NASCAR to work towards a similar goal, with a specific car no less. Dubbed the Left-Right car or the L-R car, the series was bound to use shorter wheelbase cars than the Cup Series cars of the time, with significantly lesser weight as well.

The Series was ultimately canceled due to several reasons, the highlights of which saw Dale Earnhardt criticize the new car for its lack of balance. With NASCAR's ambitions to grow as a sport outside of their southern roots, the L-R Series was ultimately sidetracked, in favor of what is referred to as the heyday of stock car racing to date.

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NASCAR CEO addresses calls for more horsepower in Next Gen Cup cars

Speaking on what has been an ongoing argument in modern-day NASCAR, the governing body's CEO Steve O'Donnell recently spoke about several driver's outcry for more power in the Cup Series.

Ever since the introduction of the seventh generation of Cup cars, aerodynamics, and dirty air has been a point concerning ease of overtaking, especially on short-tracks.

O'Donnell told racingnews.co:

“I think everything is up for consideration. We’ve proven that. You have to factor in what are the costs involved as well, right? It’s not as simple as just upping the horsepower. You better be ready for all your OEMs to be onboard. It better make sense for any potential new OEM and technology. It’s not just a short-term answer.”

It remains to be seen what ultimately comes of the back and forth between the governing body and the engine builders as well as drivers advocating for more power.