Michael McDowell took issue with Brad Keselowski’s recent remarks about NASCAR road courses during an appearance on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. The discussion focused on Keselowski’s call for fewer road-course events in the NASCAR schedule, a stance that sparked debate among drivers and fans alike. McDowell challenged Keselowski’s opinion, arguing that fans actually enjoy road-course races and that Keselowski’s view might be biased by his own struggles on these tracks.
Brad is one of those guys that when this Next Gen car came, the road course stuff was over for him,
McDowell said. He added that if you ask fans, they love road-course racing and the excitement it brings.
Sonoma doesn’t hold 100,000 people or have stands for 100,000 people. That place was packed, and it’s a good crowd, and put on a good show. …I mean, you can’t ask a guy that’s not very good at road courses if he thinks there should be more road courses. It’s like asking me if there should be more Dovers. There shouldn’t be more Dovers.
Background on Keselowski’s Road Course Opinions
Brad Keselowski’s comments came after he responded on X, formerly Twitter, to a post by Auto Racing Analytics suggesting there should be a cap of four to five road-course races per NASCAR season. Keselowski argued that the core NASCAR oval track races generate better TV ratings, attendance, and sponsorship opportunities compared to road courses, suggesting a limit on the number of road-course events.
NASCAR Oval track races consistently have significantly better ratings, attendance and sponsorship than road course races,
Keselowski wrote. He added,
Clearly the oval racing crowd should get the W here. 2-4 road course races is plenty enough…
Comparing Performance of McDowell and Keselowski on Road Courses in 2024
This NASCAR season includes six road-course races, three of which occurred within the last month, all won by Shane van Gisbergen. Michael McDowell has had notable success on road courses, securing a fifth-place finish at Mexico City, fourth at Sonoma, and 11th at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) earlier this year. In contrast, Brad Keselowski has faced challenges, finishing 15th at COTA, 25th in Mexico City, 37th at Chicago, and 11th at Sonoma.
Both drivers are currently seeking their first wins of the season to secure playoff positions, with McDowell positioned 19th in the Cup points standings and Keselowski in 27th place. Their contrasting performances on road courses underscore McDowell’s argument that road racing remains an important and popular aspect of the NASCAR schedule.
Fan Reactions and the Future of Road Courses in NASCAR
The disagreement between McDowell and Keselowski highlights ongoing discussions about NASCAR’s mix of race types and the preferences of both drivers and fans. While Keselowski insists that NASCAR’s core audience favors oval tracks, McDowell points to full stands at road-course venues like Sonoma as evidence of strong fan support for those events. This debate could influence how NASCAR structures its schedule in upcoming seasons, balancing traditional oval races with the growing popularity of road courses.
As the playoff push continues, the performances of drivers like McDowell and Keselowski on road courses may play a crucial role in shaping their playoff chances and the broader conversation about the sport’s direction. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how preferences and results evolve over the remainder of the season.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Brad Keselowski Polish?
A. The Keselowski family has Polish roots. Growing up, Keselowski worked a lot at his dad’s race shop, doing tasks like cleaning floors and mowing the lawn. He started racing stock cars in the Factory Stock division in 2000.
