NASCAR Xfinity Series will not return to Road America in 2024

For the first time in 15 years, NASCAR will not race at Road America in 2024. The Xfinity Series is not set to return to the road course next season. With the Cup Series pulling out last year and now the Xfinity Series, NASCAR has fully withdrawn from the Wisconsin venue.

Track shareholders, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, were told that there will be no NASCAR race of any kind at the track next season. That means for the first time since 2009, there will be no Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series action at the track.

Of course, the track is still host to a number of other races and series, including IndyCar. A big reason for the change? The Olympics.

“The Olympics from July 26 to Aug. 11 create a span of three weekends during which much of NBC’s efforts will be focused on Paris and the Summer Games, leaving fewer opportunities for NASCAR and IndyCar, which is also carried by NBC, its USA Network cable outlet and Peacock streaming service,” the Journal Sentinel reported.

While the NASCAR schedule has yet to be released, don’t expect Road America to be among the tracks. With the addition of the Chicago Street Race and subtraction of the Indy Road Course, it might be a sign of things to come.

Clearly, the Next Gen car puts on great races on intermediate tracks. It also happens to drive too well on road courses. So, the racing is boring. NASCAR at Road America is just a victim of circumstances, mostly. Lots of scheduling and television schedules to work around, not a lot of room to work with.

Another road course destination could be the cause, too.

NASCAR fully ditches Road America

So, we don’t have the official NASCAR schedule. However, we can predict a few of the road course races as they stand. COTA is almost surely going to be back. The same goes for Sonoma and Watkins Glen. Those two races are kind of untouchable among the road courses, at least as much as they can be.

The Chicago Street Race is returning, tickets are already being advertised. Indy is out, the Roval – probably staying. The big one that I think keeps Road America off the NASCAR schedule totally has to be Montreal.

NASCAR wants a race in Canada and had success in Montreal with the Xfinity Series a few years ago. Let’s run it back with Cup and Xfinity in 2024 and see how the Canadian fans take it.

For those hoping to see NASCAR back at Road America, this might just be temporary. A year or two away from the track and then come back to a massive crowd. It’s worked at a few other tracks in the past. Let’s see if the same goes for Wisconsin.

For now, Sam Mayer will remain the last NASCAR driver to win at Road America.