75 things for NASCAR’s 75th anniversary: Best racetracks
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Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Writer
We are closing in on the final handful of weeks of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, the stock car series’ 75th anniversary campaign. To celebrate, each week through the end of the season, Ryan McGee is presenting his top five favorite things about the sport.
Top five best-looking cars? Check. Top five toughest drivers? We’ve got it. Top five mustaches? There can be only one, so maybe not.
Without further ado, our 75 favorite things about NASCAR, celebrating 75 years of stock car racing.
Previous installments: Toughest drivers | Greatest races | Best title fights | Best-looking cars | Worst-looking cars | Biggest cheaters | Biggest what-ifs | Weirdest racetracks
Five best racetracks
As we continue to roll through our NASCAR 75th anniversary celebration via our weekly top-five all-time greatest lists, we also fight to properly roll through the best racing line, seeking to achieve the perfect balance between crazy and awesome. Like Cale Yarborough qualifying at Daytona in 1983, one lap you can be running 200-plus mph and the next you can totally lose the handle and wind up airborne and upside down.
One week ago, we revealed our top five weirdest racetracks. So, it only makes sense to counter that goofiness with greatness. So, grab a helmet, strap those belts tight and follow the pace car out onto the asphalt (although, please not as close as Dale Earnhardt messing with Elmo Langley back in the day) as we present our top five all-time greatest NASCAR racetracks.
Honorable mention: Charlotte Speedway
No, not the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Not even the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval or the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway. Nope, just plain ol’ Charlotte Speedway, the three-quarter-mile red-clay oval located just southwest of sleepy downtown Charlotte.
It was dirty, uneven, as dry on one end as it was a mud bog on the other. It hosted a dozen Cup Series (then Strictly Stock) events from 1949 to 1956 and crowned eight winners, four of whom are already in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and two more who should be (ahem, Fonty Flock and Speedy Thompson).
The reason it makes this list, though, is because it hosted the first race of what has become the Cup Series and it was the perfectly imperfect place to do so. The track is long gone, but you can still find a historical marker at the site, located between razor wire-wrapped trucking depots and parking lots just north of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
5. Talladega Superspeedway
This place has never made any sense. It’s too big. It’s too fast. It was built atop both an abandoned military airbase and Native American holy ground.
The 2.66-mile monster (which is just a weird measurement, by the way) with the 33-degree turns that measure 26 feet in height has ignited countless “Big One” crashes and even more big controversies. The place was so intimidating that, when it opened in 1969, the superstars of the sport staged a walkout, leaving the inaugural race to be run by journeyman racers called up from lower divisions by a defiant Big Bill France.
In the 54 years since, though, it has produced so many ridiculous finishes (see: Dale Sr. passing 18 cars in four laps to win in 2000) and ridiculous moments (see: Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning four in a row) and ridiculous records (Bill Elliott’s 212.808 mph lap in 1987 is still a NASCAR mark) that can’t be outrun even by an equally long parade of weird and bad Talladega tales. Speaking of those Talladega curses, here’s a list I compiled 15 years ago.
4. Martinsville Speedway
The only track to be included on the OG NASCAR Strictly Stock schedule alongside Charlotte Speedway in 1949 and has never left that calendar since (sorry, North Wilkesboro). This mega-flat, half-mile paper clip tucked into the hills of southern Virginia still very much feels and even smells like it did back when Red Byron won the first of the 149(!) NASCAR premier series races this fabled bullring has hosted, beginning 74 years ago next week.
Sure, it’s been paved since then, but like that day in September 1949, the train still creeps its way along the backstretch so the conductor can check who’s winning, the place is still total hell on brakes, and those famous Martinsville hot dogs are still just as good, and still just as pink. I wrote this love letter to all the above back in 2008.
3. Charlotte Motor Speedway
In 1960, when Curtis Turner and Bruton Smith bankrupted themselves building a mile-and-a-half oval in the middle of nowhere north of Charlotte (Turner even managed to earn himself a lifetime ban), they were viewed by many as foolish and reckless. In actuality, they were a pair of motorsports visionaries. NASCAR was moving into its so-called Speedway Era, beginning its long shift away from a short-track-packed near-nightly schedule in search of weekend venues that were literally, figuratively and financially bigger.
That day in 1960, the uncured asphalt came up in chunks to the point that racers had to wrap their rides in chicken wire to protect their radiators from tumbling blacktop projectiles.
Patiently waiting. ? #BofAROVAL pic.twitter.com/fCjpI8EZgy
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) September 14, 2023
Ever since, Charlotte Motor Speedway has been a future factory, from former speedway president Humpy Wheeler finding funding to get a very young Earnhardt and a very resisted Janet Guthrie onto his racetrack to innovations such as the first speedway lighting grid, the Speedway Club, the Turn 1 condos, the NASCAR All-Star Race and, yes, the Roval. Its double-dogleg D-shaped intermediate layout also became the model for an entire generation of racetracks, for better or worse.
CMS never sits still. Never has. Never will.
2. Darlington Raceway
How awesome is this place? It doesn’t have merely one cool nickname but two! “The Lady in Black” and “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”
Darlington was “Field of Dreams” long before “Shoeless” Joe Jackson wandered in out of the corn, the dream of entrepreneur Harold Brasington, who visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway and left so inspired that he decided to build a big ol’ racetrack in … the sandhills of South Carolina? Brasington plowed under his peanut crops amid whispers from locals that he had lost his mind and ended up with a sufficiently quirky 1.366-mile oval that was egg-shaped because he had had to work around a minnow pond a neighboring farmer refused to sell.
And this is why Darlington Raceway is the best. Look at these before/after photos posted by NASCAR from last night. pic.twitter.com/Te6kkVRHVU
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) September 4, 2023
It was stock car racing’s first asphalt speedway, and although the layout has been slightly altered over the years, to most modern racers with any sense of stock car racing history, Darlington is the place and the Southern 500 is the race where they can truly see and feel how they might have measured up against NASCAR’s moonshine-soaked pioneers who took Darlington’s first green flag on Labor Day weekend 1950.
1. Daytona International Speedway
Yes, this is a very old-school list. And yes, if it weren’t for touchstone racetracks like Darlington and Martinsville, then the World Center of Racing would never have been born in 1959. Of all the top-five lists we have compiled so far, though, this might have been the easiest No. 1 ranking to decide.
That’s because in every corner of this planet, if you say the word “Daytona,” chances are someone in the room, no matter what language they speak, is going to know the name. And speaking of top-five lists, if you asked any longtime NASCAR fan or competitor to compile their roll call of greatest moments in stock car history, there is zero doubt that it would include at least one Daytona moment — and more likely multiple ones.
Lee Petty’s photo finish in 1959. David Pearson vs. Richard Petty in 1976. “The King” and “There’s a fight!” in 1979. Petty’s 200th win in 1984. Darrell Waltrip finally winning the 500 in 1989 with a “Thank God!” Earnhardt finally winning it in 1998 and the world’s longest high-five line. Dale Jr.’s emotional July win in 2001. Kevin Harvick vs. Mark Martin. All of the wild checkers-or-wreckers finishes of recent years.
It’s as simple as this. NASCAR visits so many amazing racetracks every year, and has visited so many countless more over all these decades, but there is only one axis upon which the entire NASCAR world revolves, and it’s that big, beautiful 2.5-mile oval on the Florida coast.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t such an easy decision. When we threw it out to the interwebs, the race between Darlington and Daytona was closer than Ricky Craven edging Kurt Busch …
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko got a present from one No. 14 to another in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 2005 World Series championship run: a jersey signed by noted Chicago fan Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff’s signature on the back during a ceremony prior to the game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star’s last name and “Pope Leo” above the No. 14.
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected on May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.
Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on the way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.
In May, the team unveiled a graphic installation near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment. The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV, along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good friend Ed Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.
Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
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