When Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith joined the ranks of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks, it sparked widespread speculation that the zMAX CARS Tour would soon begin racing at Speedway Motorsports-owned NASCAR venues. 

Addressing the speculation on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Smith laughed off those suggestions before making it clear that the objective goes much deeper than adding marquee racetracks to the schedule.

Instead, he explained that the focus is on strengthening grassroots racing, pointing to a simple five-word philosophy:

"We've got to provide opportunities."

“I think being able to do things that help the sport of auto racing, and NASCAR is just second nature for us because we grew up in the sport. Then you look back at what we've done with the Legends Cars and Bandoleros for the last 30 years. It's all about growing the grassroots base. I always call it the backyard football of NASCAR. 

"You can't just get a race car out of your garage and race it in your backyard like you can with football, basketball, or baseball. We've got to provide opportunities for people to get started in racing. I think it's a really daunting task to figure out how to get started, and we're providing that opportunity through Bandoleros, Legends Cars, and late model stock cars. It's a ladder system that shows people how to get started.”

Continuing in the same episode of the DJD podcast, Smith added that grassroots racing serves two different audiences. While some young drivers aspire to become the next Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon, others simply want to enjoy racing as a hobby.

According to him, making those entry points easier to access is vital for the long-term health of NASCAR.

Both Dale and Marcus emphasize that this partnership is designed to keep short-track racing vibrant across the country, ensuring that regional tracks remain viable and that young talent has a clear, professional pathway to reach the national series.

What is the future of the All-Star race? 

As NASCAR continues evaluating future homes for its annual All-Star Race, speculation over the event’s next destination has intensified.

While Speedway Motorsports has yet to announce a venue, the SMI COO, Mike Burch, appeared on the Gluckcast, where he noted that the All-Star Race could continue to rotate among tracks. 

“I hope people will understand that we've shown that the All-Star race in its current format is a portable thing. We've done it at Bristol, Texas, Charlotte, North Wilkesboro, and Dover. Why not New Hampshire one day? Why not Las Vegas one day? The fact that you have it for a year doesn't mean that it's going to be there forever,” Burch said.

He also added that the fundamental racing experience, i.e seeing the best drivers competing, remains highly entertaining, regardless of the venue. 

“In a lot of ways, there's no real difference; you're seeing the best drivers in the world out there competing as hard as they can to win a race. The format or all the narrative around it may change, but at some level, racing is racing. I think you'll see the All-Star race continue to move around and maybe even evolve into something totally new and different going forward.”

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason