NASCAR hasn’t exactly been shy about shaking up its schedule with the addition of new NASCAR tracks in recent years. From the bold downtown streets of Chicago at the Grant Park 165 in 2023, to its long-awaited international return at Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 2025, and now the eye-catching Naval Base Coronado event slated for 2026, the sport has clearly embraced unconventional venues.
Each addition has sparked debate, excitement, and no shortage of skepticism from fans. That backdrop makes the latest idea floating around the NASCAR community especially intriguing. A fan-designed racetrack concept set at the University of Arizona has surfaced online, and while it’s ambitious, the reaction hasn’t been universally warm.
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A fan-built NASCAR track sparks online buzz
The idea, well, it didn’t come from NASCAR headquarters or a major track developer. Instead, it surfaced quietly on Reddit, where a user shared a post on r/NASCAR titled “Idea for track: University of Arizona Speedway.” What followed was a detailed digital, bird’s-eye illustration of a proposed NASCAR track laid out on the University of Arizona campus.
According to the creator, the concept is still very much a work in progress. The proposed layout measures 1.56 miles (2.52 km) and is designed as a traditional oval-style circuit, blending track elements with technical infield sections. The illustration clearly outlines a defined frontstretch and backstretch, turns, and an infield section intended to add rhythm and braking zones to the lap.
r/NASCAR – Idea for track: University Of Arizona Speedway
Key race-day components were also mapped out, including pit road, a designated start/finish line, and general flow between the track portions. However, the creator was upfront about what’s missing. Grandstand seating remains largely undefined, garage areas lack detail, and overall infrastructure is still conceptual rather than polished.
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Rather than presenting it as a finished proposal, the fan openly invited feedback from the community, asking what worked, what didn’t, and how the layout could be improved. That invitation quickly opened the door for debate. And, in turn, set the stage for a wide range of fan reactions that followed across the thread.
Creativity vs. reality checks
As soon as the University of Arizona Speedway NASCAR track concept hit Reddit, the comment section turned into a mix of genuine curiosity, playful school pride, and blunt reality checks. Some fans appreciated the ambition, while others weren’t convinced the idea brought anything new to the table.
One fan pointed out the obvious local hurdle: “Tucson already has Tucson Speedway (formerly Tucson Raceway Park, formerly Raven Raceway). As an Arizona fan, cool concept. Needs to have ‘Bear Down’ on there somewhere.”
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That suggestion struck a chord, especially given how deeply “Bear Down, Arizona” is woven into the university’s identity. Born from the 1926 final words of student-athlete John Byrd “Button” Salmon, the phrase symbolizes grit and perseverance and has lived on through a fight song and generations of Wildcat fans. Several commenters agreed that if the track carried the university’s name, it would need to reflect that heritage visually.
Others questioned the very foundation of the idea. “Is there a lore reason for it being University of Arizona Speedway?” one user asked. “Are they planning to use it for an automotive program? Trying to start a collegiate stock car racing series? Or do they just own the naming rights?” Without a clear academic or institutional connection, the name itself left fans scratching their heads.
Not all reactions were gentle. One of the harsher takes read: “Horrible honestly, another 1.5 mile cookie cutter track that looks as generic as you can get.” The criticism echoed a familiar NASCAR complaint that the sport already has too many similar intermediate layouts lacking personality.
Still, some fans leaned into constructive ideas. One suggested borrowing from Formula 1: garages integrated directly into pit road, paired with a victory lane in the infield grass, similar to Michigan and Auto Club Speedway, to give the venue a more distinctive feel and an immersive experience to the fans like Michigan’s Victory Lane Club, which offers a rooftop deck for views of pit road and the track, plus food, drinks, and VIP access.
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And then came the reality check. “Bulldoze those lousy neighborhoods and displace hundreds of people, and you might be onto something.” It was sarcastic, but it highlighted a serious issue. Modern NASCAR tracks rarely get approved near residential areas. The best-case scenario is a street course similar to Chicago or the upcoming San Diego course at the naval base.
In the end, fans weren’t dismissing the creativity of the NASCAR track. However, they made it clear that inspiration, identity, and real-world feasibility all matter just as much as a clean digital render.
The post Fans Remain Unsold as NASCAR Track Proposal Emerges at University of Arizona appeared first on EssentiallySports.
