5 Best and 5 Worst: NASCAR Cup Series Tracks (Next Gen Era)

Welcome to another edition of "5 Best and 5 Worst", where we examine the Top and Bottom 5 of a particular category in sports. This week, with the NASCAR Cup Series heading to the wildly popular Kansas Motor Speedway, I was thinking about how the track experienced a massive spike in popularity during the Next-Gen Era (2022 to the present) after being a pretty underwhelming stop on the schedule in previous years. I thought it'd be fun to countdown the best and worst tracks from the Next Gen car's run. Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!

#5 (WORST): INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (ROAD COURSE)

While the inaugural road course race was marred by controversy and chaos, that light seemed to fade with the Next Gen car. While the finish to the 2022 race remains iconic, the track never provided the best product over the course of a long run. While the string of winners it had was fun, there's no denying that the sigh of relief fans breathed when the return to the oval was announced was well-warranted.

#5 (BEST): CHICAGO STREET CIRCUIT

The Next-Gen car has generally fallen flat on road courses. Well, except for one. The Chicago Street Race was an exciting change of pace for the series. The track demands extreme precision, and the concrete track was especially entertaining in the wet. The 2023 and 2024 editions of the race were instant classics, and the 2025 race was also a fun affair. While the race is currently removed from the 2026 schedule, fans will look back fondly on this great experiment.

#4 (WORST): CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (ROVAL)

Fans have hated the Charlotte Roval for several years now, arguably ever since the second race. While the inaugural race delivered an instant classic, the following races have proven to fans that the concept has run its course, and the races at the track tend to be unforgettable messes, and the lowest point of the playoffs (save for one race I'll get to soon). Fans dream of the day when this date is omitted for either another road course or a return to the oval's 2nd date.

#4 (BEST): CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (OVAL)

Arguably, the most important race of the 2022 season was the Coca-Cola 600. In its first season, the Next-Gen needed to produce an iconic race to gain the fans' trust. While the first half of the season provided several good races, the Coca-Cola 600 still reigns as one of the greatest races of the Next-Gen era. That's just counting one year; the Charlotte Motor Speedway Oval has provided some iconic races over the last few years and has cemented itself as one of the premier dates on the modern NASCAR calendar.

#3 (WORST): SONOMA RACEWAY

A fixture of NASCAR, Sonoma is one of the longest-running road courses in the series. Nonetheless, the track isn't nearly as exciting as its contemporaries. Be it an old road course like Watkins Glen, or a new invention like Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma is easily the most lacking road course. Little to no drama, lots of drawn-out racing, and little excitement cement Sonoma's place as the worst road course on the calendar.

#3 (BEST): DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

What can be said about Daytona that hasn't been said before? Great three-wide racing, mind-boggling draft racing, and 40 cars inches away from danger moving at speeds above that of airplanes. Daytona has delivered numerous times throughout the Next-Gen era, most notably with the thrilling fall race in 2024. The track is what most people think of when they think of NASCAR for good reason.

#2 (WORST): PHOENIX RACEWAY

All in all, the racing at Phoenix isn't that bad. Don't get me wrong, it's still very bad, and easily the worst of NASCAR's "flat tracks", but the track can deliver exciting restarts and racing from time to time. What really makes Phoenix earn this spot are two things. The first: the double date. While some tracks deserve both their dates (like the Superspeedways and legendary tracks like Darlington and Martinsville), Phoenix needs its second date stripped from them. Which brings to light the second reason this track is hated: its place as the finale. This track should not be the one deciding the finale. Aside from the occasional fun moment, fans are eagerly waiting for Homestead-Miami to take its place as the finale in 2026.

#2 (BEST): KANSAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

No track has received a bigger glow-up than Kansas Motor Speedway. The speedway is a must-watch event for all fans of NASCAR. The wide nature leads to many thrilling instances of 4 and even 5-wide racing. Add in the allure of the track playing host to some of the greatest moments of the Next Gen era, and you have one of the greatest tracks, not only of the Next Gen era, but of NASCAR's modern era as a whole.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (WORST):

HONORABLE MENTIONS (BEST)

#1 (WORST): BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Oh Bristol. A legendary track on the calendar that can deliver from time to time. Only one problem. When the tires aren't literally falling off the cars, these races are the most boring imaginable. The epitome of "nothing ever happens", where one car leads the whole race and coasts to an easy victory. Even when the track produced great racing on dirt, outcry from fans prompted NASCAR to scrap the date in favor of concrete. While it seems that the tire falloff that creates the excitement is here to stay, it still doesn't change the fact that this legendary track is still the worst on the calendar in the Next-Gen era.

#1 (BEST): ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

I still think Atlanta shouldn't have been reconfigured. Texas had much worse racing and was not as much of a historic landmark. However, that doesn't change the fact that this track has delivered arguably the greatest catalog of races in the Next-Gen era. So many incredible moments and hair-raising finishes have ensured Atlanta's placement as one of the greatest tracks of the Next-Gen era.