The Worst Tracks NASCAR Has Ever Raced On

While there are courses loved worldwide, some of them are detested by drivers, spectators, and even the people who built and managed them. As a result, let's look at what I believe are some of the worst NASCAR tracks that ever appeared on the Cup Series schedule.

Langhorne Speedway - Most of us were not even born when NASCAR drivers were racing on the Langhorne Speedway. However, we can't ignore this one right here. The track was widely considered by many to be the most dangerous circuit in the United States. Situated in Pennsylvania, the Speedway was a one-mile, almost perfectly circular dirt oval. Since the whole track was one gigantic left-hand turn, the drivers were constantly with the pedal to the metal, and any mechanical failure or crash would result in a crash into the outside wall. Actually, the word wall is an exaggeration here because it was just a thin strip of guardrail. Unfortunately, 18 drivers died here, while many more were seriously injured over the years.

The drivers were terrified to race there, but that didn't stop it from being a hit with the fans. NASCAR stopped coming here in the late 50s, but IndyCar pressed on until the 1970s. In the end, one of the founding tracks in the competition was sold and demolished due to its lack of safety features.

Texas Motor Speedway - As a fun fact, the upcoming race in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will take place at the Texas Motor Speedway. It was initially built as a futuristic track that would hold both NASCAR and IndyCar races. In 1997, a month before its first race, it was discovered that the pit lane was too narrow, among other problems.

The track officials made a bunch of improvised last-minute fixes, resulting in a massive crash between multiple cars in the first lap of the race. They spent millions of dollars to reconfigure the track, but all of that created mediocre racing. While Texas Motor Speedway has a top-notch infrastructure and amenities, attendance is lower and lower by the year.

Columbia Speedway - Hosting one of the last dirt races ever in the Cup Series in 1970, Columbia Speedway was a massive draw for all types of motorsport competitions for decades. Its dirt surfaces produced fast racing and intense close battles between the drivers. The racing was so good around here that Columbia Speedway was even hosting up to three races a year.

However, the track was outdated and had some significant design flaws. The walls were just thick wooden planking held in place with telephone poles. Besides, the front stretch wall was made up of three rows of railroad rails, so safety wasn't the biggest advantage of this track. The Speedway couldn't keep up with the modernization process of NASCAR, so it was quickly abandoned. In 2010 the land was reclaimed, and the track is used today as a venue for car shows, concerts, and other events.

Islip Speedway - Built on Long Island, New York, Islip Speedway is credited with hosting the first demolition derby. As a result, many fans came to the track and ended up sticking around for more events.

The Cup Series also came by from 1964 until 1971 and was a hit with the fans from the beginning. However, the track was too small. Actually, it's the smallest track ever to host a cup race at just one-fifth of a mile long. With almost 30 cars in an event, it was hard even to start the race, let alone overtake. Across six races, there were a combined 12 lead changes.

Texas World Speedway - We are going back to Texas for this one. The World Speedway was supposed to represent the future tracks of NASCAR. It was built as a copy of Michigan International with steeper banks. The Texas World Speedway held its first races in 1969 and would hold NASCAR events just a year later.

The track was fast, and drivers seemed to like racing here, but the infrastructure and amenities were not the best. The original builders put all their money into the track itself, so they had to save money where they could. Even at that time, everything except the product on the circuit was pretty bad. As a result, fewer people kept coming to the races, and by the mid-70s, the track was taken off the Cup Series schedule. However, it came back from 1979 through 1981 but was nothing more than a failure. After 1981 the Texas World Speedway was gone for good.

I believe these are the worst tracks NASCAR has ever raced on, but if you know others that are even worse, let us know.