by Joe Beasley

Created on: February 18, 2009

While many wrongfully believe that the fastest tracks in Nascar are the Super Speedways of Talladega and Daytona, the restrictor plate motors that have been in place at these tracks for nearly 20 years have pushed these tracks down to the 5th and 6th fastest tracks in the series, respectively.

Until 2006, Atlanta Motor Speedway held the distinction of being the fastest track on the circuit. Ryan Newman qualified at a blistering 194.690 mph in 2005, which is still the track record since its reconfiguring in 1997. Due to not being reduced in Horse Power by the carburetor restrictor plate, the engine is able to produce speeds topping 200 mph entering the turns. Atlanta was known as Nascars fastest track for nearly 10 years until 2006. Two other tracks that are slower in speeds than Atlanta claim the honor of being faster than Talladega also, Michigan Speedway and Lowes Motor Speedway, with track records being held by Ryan Newman and Elliot Sadler.

The honor of Nascar's fastest track since 2006 has gone to the Bruton Smith owned Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX. With speeds well over the 200 mph mark entering the turns, and a newly repaved surface, this track is by far the track that produces the most speed on the circuit. Brian Vickers holds the track record at Texas with a qualifying lap of 196.235 mph, a feat set in 2006 at the speedway. While many tracks like to claim they are the fastest, Texas Motor Speedway simply has the title, and undoubtedly will for some time.

Before the use of the restrictor plate, Talladega was the quickest lap in the sport. Bill Elliot ran a blistering 212.809 mph in 1987 at the Alabama track. This speed, along with many previous accidents and deaths at the Super Speedway tracks, convinced Nascar that restricting the horse power in the engine is the only way to prevent speeds such as these. This in turn provided very close racing, and also made the draft much more important at these types of tracks.

Rounding out the top 10 fastest tracks in Nascar are the California Motor Speedway (188.245), Chicagoland Speedway (188.147), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (186.293), and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (184.855). While several tracks in Nascar are very close on speed, only one track can claim the dubious honor of calling itself the Fastest track in Nascar. Texas proudly boasts this feat during its racing advertisements. It probably will not be until a re-pavement at a competing track, a new rule that increases speed, or a new track is introduced, that we see Texas Motor Speedway knocked off its perch as the king of speed in Nascar.

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