Unlike other professional sports, NASCAR fans don’t have a “home team” to cheer for. While residence of a city are usually fans of a specific NBA or NFL team because of where they live, NASCAR fans don’t enjoy that luxury. Instead, NASCAR fans usually have a favorite driver and it has nothing to do with their proximity to a specific stadium. This is why it can be more difficult for certain NASCAR fans over others, depending on where they live.
Like most other sports fans, NASCAR fans tend to enjoy a majority of the races from the comfort of a TV but would obviously prefer to attend a race in person. If nothing else, NASCAR fans would enjoy living in a city that shares their passion for the sport. Like Boston for baseball or Detroit for hockey, certain cities appreciate NASCAR more than others. By collecting the data of NASCAR related Google searches, share of NASCAR fans and number of NASCAR tracks within a drivable distance – I have created a list of the 5 best cities to live for NASCAR fans.
Charlotte, North Carolina
- Population: 859,035
- Number of MENCS Races Within 300 Miles: 11
- Google Search Interest: 77 (3rd City)
- Share of NASCAR Fans: 26.9%
Charlotte is essentially the Hollywood of NASCAR. With 4 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races every year, its almost hard to not be a NASCAR fan in Charlotte. It’s not only home to the most-used NASCAR track but also home to the company of NASCAR itself. Mooresville – which is just outside Charlotte – actually has a NASCAR college and the city claims more than 60 NASCAR related business to rightfully earn the nickname, Race City USA.
In fact, the entire surrounding Charlotte area is home to the Memory Lane Museum, Historical Automotive Museum, North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, NASCAR Hall of Fame and 17 of the 18 full-time cup series teams. It should come as no surprise then that seeing a NASCAR driver around the Charlotte area is as common as a movie star in Hollywood.
NASCAR Tracks Within 300 Miles:
- Charlotte
- Darlington: 92 miles
- Martinsville: 128 miles
- Bristol: 158 miles
- Atlanta: 279 miles
- Richmond: 299 miles
Indianapolis, Indiana
- Population: 872,680
- Number of MENCS Races Within 300 Miles: 5
- Google Search Interest: 57 (6th City)
- Share of NASCAR Fans: 25.2%
Indianapolis has a rich history of motorsports. Home of two professional racing leagues – IndyCar and United States Auto Club – Indianapolis hosts more than 500 motorsports companies and racing teams that employ roughly 10,000 people. With the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway considered one of only three tracks dubbed a Triple Crown of Motorsports, racing runs deep in the city of Indianapolis.
Although the city’s motorsport history revolves around open-wheel racing, that doesn’t mean the people of Indy don’t appreciate stock car racing as well. In fact, over a quarter of the adults in Indianapolis are NASCAR fans and the city hosts one of the highest attended Monster Energy Cup Series races, the Brickyard 400. With 4 NASCAR tracks in driving distance, Indianapolis is one of the few cities outside of the South with close proximity to multiple races and is clearly the hub for racing in the Midwest.
NASCAR Tracks Within 300 Miles:
- Indy
- Kentucky: 120 miles
- Chicagoland: 181 miles
- Michigan: 225 miles
Louisville, Kentucky
- Population: 616,261
- Number of MENCS Races Within 300 Miles: 5
- Google Search Interest: 62 (5th City)
Unlike Charlotte or Indianapolis, Louisville doesn’t have a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series track of their own – which makes their passion for the sport that much more impressive. Although the state of Kentucky is much more known for horse racing, auto racing also holds a portion of the state’s history. The Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky has produced the infamous Chevrolet Corvette since 1981 and is the home of the National Corvette Museum.
Although the city of Louisville doesn’t claim a NASCAR track of their own, the Kentucky Speedway – built in 2011 – is only 63 miles down the road. The next closest MENCS track is the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway with another fan-favorite track, Bristol, a bit further. Although the largest city in Kentucky is filled with college basketball fans, Louisville has an abundance of race fans that have a passion for NASCAR.
NASCAR Tracks Within 300 Miles:
- Kentucky: 63 miles
- Indy: 127 miles
- Bristol: 300 miles
- Chicagoland: 300 miles
Roanoke, Virginia
- Population: 99,837
- Number of MENCS Races Within 300 Miles: 10
- Google Search Interest: 70 (4th Metro – Roanoke-Lynchburg)
- Share of NASCAR Fans: 32% (Roanoke-Lynchburg)
By far the smallest inclusion on my list of best cities to live for NASCAR fans, Roanoke has a big passion for NASCAR. Located in the Appalachian Mountains, this little Virginia city appreciates its regional stock car racing history. Although Charlotte is the home of NASCAR, Roanoke has almost as many MENCS races within a drivable distance and 5 tracks.
It may come as a surprise to most outsiders but the Roanoke-Lynchburg area actually holds the highest percentage of NASCAR fans among any other city with 32% of their population. Roanoke-Lynchburg was also the area with the 4th most NASCAR related Google searches. It may not be the biggest city but it’s clearly a dedicated place for race fans and with 4 legendary tracks within driving distance, sounds like the perfect city to live for NASCAR fans.
NASCAR Tracks Within 300 Miles:
- Martinsville: 57 miles
- Bristol: 156 miles
- Charlotte: 169 miles
- Richmond: 187 miles
- Darlington: 237 miles
Orlando, Florida
- Population: 280,257
- Number of MENCS Races Within 300 Miles: 6
- Google Search Interest: 57 (7th City – Altamote Springs)
NASCAR was founded by driving stock cars on the beaches of Daytona, which means Orlando is the closest city to the original NASCAR races – a fact that is not quickly forgotten by locals. Every year, hordes of race fans flock to the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing” to watch the NASCAR season-opener at the legendary Daytona 500. Located just over 50 miles for the Daytona International Speedway, the people of Orlando have a luxury most NASCAR fans only dream of.
Unlike most other NASCAR tracks, local race fans get to enjoy two straight weeks of MENCS entertainment. If enjoying the start of the NASCAR season wasn’t good enough, Orlando is also less than 300 miles to Miami – where the season-finale Championship race is held every year at Homestead. With a rich NASCAR history and privileged schedule, it’s no wonder Orlando is such a popular city for NASCAR fans.
NASCAR Tracks Within 300 Miles:
- Daytona: 52 miles
- Homestead: 264 miles
