NASCAR insiders debate about Charlotte not getting a championship race

A recent tweet by Christopher Hansen has reignited debate over why NASCAR hasn’t placed Charlotte Motor Speedway in its rotation for the season-ending championship race. NASCAR insider, Hansen, who works with KETV Newswatch 7 and is a contributor at Frontstretch, posted on X.

He retweeted a clip from Dirty Mo Media featuring journalists Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi. Hansen captioned the post:

“Charlotte is the central hub for everything NASCAR. The teams are all based in that area and it makes sense from a logistics standpoint that Charlotte be considered in the rotating tracks to host Championship Weekend. #NASCAR”

The clip he shared featured Gluck and Bianchi breaking down the logic behind Charlotte’s strong case. The two agreed that Charlotte “checks all the boxes” for a championship weekend—solid racing, good market, favorable weather, and deep roots in the sport. They proposed turning it into a full-week celebration. As can be heard in the podcast clip:

“So absolutely, Charlotte should be part of the rotation and I would expand it out and say, if you encompass the hall of fame, and do some things with the shops and everything else, you could really make this cool thing.”

While NASCAR was founded in Daytona Beach and is still headquartered there, the heart of the sport beats in North Carolina. Most Cup Series teams are based in or around Charlotte, making it the logistical core of the sport.

As sourced from Dailydownforce, Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord has been integral to NASCAR since 1960. Built by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner, the 1.5-mile quad-oval was one of the first true superspeedways and became home to the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race and one of its three Crown Jewel events. The track then added the ROVAL configuration in 2018, bringing road course racing to its fall race.

Charlotte also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame and countless team shops, bringing an opportunity to create a championship event that’s immersive, practical, and celebratory. Despite all this, the track has not been selected to host a championship weekend since the title race became a rotating event.

From the 1970s to 1990s, more than half the Cup Series schedule took place in North Carolina or surrounding states. Charlotte was right in the center. Bruton Smith’s role in building Charlotte into a motorsports powerhouse—along with other SMI tracks—cemented the city’s position.

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“That race is so much bigger than just about us”: NASCAR drivers on why Charlotte matters

As reported by the Fayetteville Observer, NASCAR drivers are gearing up for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the sport’s longest race and a Memorial Day tradition. Though the championship weekend skips Charlotte, drivers clearly consider it one of the biggest events of the year.

Christopher Bell, last year’s winner, said the race is meaningful beyond the track. In his own words (via Fayetteville Observer):

“You’re racing for so much more than just racing... to honor and remember all the people who have given and who are currently giving to our great country.”

Austin Dillon called it “one of the most special weekends of the year” and laid emphasis on the patriotism shown during the event. Chase Elliott agreed, saying the race perfectly honors the military and that Charlotte has done a great job of upholding that tradition.

Ty Dillon said his favorite part of the Coca-Cola 600 is the Honor and Remember Program, where each car carries the name of a fallen soldier. He said:

“That race is so much bigger than just about us."

Joey Logano spoke about the Mission 600 campaign, where drivers connect with military bases in the lead-up to the race. In his opinion:

“People who are making the ultimate sacrifice... for complete strangers, like you and I—that is the most incredible thing.”

As for the driver who has dominated this track, Chase Elliott holds the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series wins at the Charlotte ROVAL, with two wins. He’s the only driver with multiple wins on the ROVAL layout since its debut in 2018.