Brad Keselowski recently questioned NASCAR’s growing emphasis on road courses in an interview with SpeedFreaks. The 2012 Cup Series champion and co-owner of RFK Racing discussed the business implications for the sport.
Keselowski argued that road course races typically attract lower attendance and TV ratings, making them harder to sell to sponsors. His remarks come amid ongoing debate over the Cup Series schedule, linking his perspective to both fan engagement and sponsor value.
Brad Keselowski Questions Business Value of Road Courses
From the perspective of a team owner, Keselowski said, “I just put on my business owner hat. I don’t understand why the sport wants to run so many road courses.” He emphasized that securing sponsors for these races is particularly challenging due to their lower attendance and ratings.
He argued that the data does not support adding more road events. “That doesn’t make sense to me. We should be going to places where sponsors want to be, where fans want to be, and where TV gets the best ratings,” Keselowski said.
“Road courses have historically been the worst in all of those categories. So I don’t feel any obligation to that, Brad concluded.”
Fans React Across Social Media
Fans quickly responded online after the interview clip circulated. Matthew Bruner commented, “I like road courses; they’re fun to watch. Brad is not the best at road courses, so we shouldn’t be surprised he’d prefer fewer.”
Joshua Reynold offered a compromise: “My proposal has been Watkins Glen, Sonoma, one street course, and one rotating road course. A lot of fans agree with Keselowski, probably the majority, especially older fans. I think younger fans are more receptive to road courses. Personally, I believe four is a perfect balance. Two is too few, but last year’s six was too many.”
“Whether or not he’s factually correct on viewership, he’s right about sponsorship and fan attendance. By and large, road course races, there are a few exceptions, are BORING, D.L. Duggan added. ”
Maui James presented a different perspective: “I wish every race were a road course. Or even better, have a separate championship for road courses, then a playoff including both divisions at the end, like Supercross and Motocross.”
Brian Twining disagreed, writing, “Absolutely NOT. Including even four road courses like this year, and sometimes six like last, opens the door for more racers to potentially get into NASCAR. It also introduces the sport to fans who might not have otherwise seen it. They’re not constructing ovals for one of the races.”
This year’s schedule features four non-oval points races, three road courses, and one street course, a reduction from six in 2025. NASCAR removed the Charlotte Roval after fan feedback. Some fans argue road courses stray from the sport’s oval roots, while others note strong viewership at certain events. For example, the race at Circuit of the Americas drew 4.13 million viewers last year.
Brad Keselowski Pushes for Fewer NASCAR Road Races as Fans Weigh In