Governor Shapiro confirms talks of bringing NASCAR racing to Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro weighed in on the talks about adding another NASCAR race in his state, particularly in Philadelphia. Shapiro welcomes the idea, as long as it doesn't spoil the race north of the city at Pocono Raceway.

According to NBC10 Philadelphia's report, Shapiro, who became the state's governor in 2023, is considering Franklin Field as a potential stadium for hosting a NASCAR race. Considering the stadium size, the race would be a short track event similar to Bristol and the now-discontinued LA Coliseum.

The concern is that adding another race in the state could cannibalize the success of events held at Pocono Raceway. Last weekend, the officials at Pocono reported a third consecutive sellout crowd, selling 50,000 grandstand tickets, around 2,000 suite seats, and 3,300 camping spots.

Speaking about the stock car racing series hosting a race in the heart of Philadelphia, which is about two hours away from Pocono Raceway, Josh Shapiro said:

“There’s some conversations [...] First and foremost, we don’t want to do anything that undermines Pocono. But as Ben May (Pocono Raceway president) says, the more NASCAR, the better. The more racing, the better. The more we can turn people on in communities that haven’t been to Pocono yet, to get excited about racing, and then make that trip to Pocono next year, the better.”

“I want to see more NASCAR, more racing. I also just want to see more sports in general,” he added.

While waiting for new developments, Chase Briscoe is the latest race winner at Pocono Raceway. The #19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver started the Great American Getaway 400 in sixth before fending off teammate Denny Hamlin in the closing laps while conserving fuel.

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NASCAR president shares his thoughts on racing in Philadelphia

NASCAR President Steven O'Donnell voiced out some of the stock car racing series' plans for the future. One of which includes adding more races in urban areas, with Franklin Field in Philadelphia now in their crosshairs.

In an interview with the Pocono Record's Mason Smith, O'Donnell said:

“Pocono has delivered for us in terms of fans, but when you look at opportunities, one of the places we looked was Franklin Field. It was one of the only places we could’ve put a race track inside. Those are the type of things that, within a city, we’re gonna look at.”

He added:

“The days of just building a rural track are over, but if we can build a track with some real estate development around it and partner with some people, we’re gonna look at major cities and bring the product to the fan base within the city as well.”

Taken during the 2025 Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway - Source: Imagn

The plan to race at Franklin Field, the oldest football stadium in the US, aligns with NASCAR's initiatives to host events at experimental race locations. Recently, the series held races at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City and on the streets of Chicago. However, neither track is confirmed to return next year despite being considered a success.