Texas Motor Speedway GM defends quality of racing, shoots down rumor track will become superspeedway

A lot has been said about Texas Motor Speedway and the racing there lately. Is it all blown out of proportion by NASCAR fans? The Next Gen car has put on some great shows at intermediate tracks and Texas proves to be one of the most difficult for drivers.

In the Gen 6 car, Texas Motor Speedway was…a dud. There were many races in that era that were mostly forgettable. But what about lately? In the Next Gen or Gen 7 era, there have been more cautions, more lead changes, and a closer margin of victory in the Cup Series.

When a rumor came out earlier this season that another intermediate track was going to get the “Atlanta treatment,” many NASCAR fans WANTED it to be Texas. Mark Faber, GM of Texas Motor Speedway, addressed these questions with Jeff Gluck of The Athletic ahead of this week’s races.

“We’re competitive, we’re proud, and we think we have a lot of great things going on,” Faber told Gluck. “We think we’re a really good test in the first part of the year to see who can use it as a springboard to have a successful overall season.”

There is no need for an update to the track, yet, because the racing is starting to get better. At least, that’s how Faber puts it. He listed out the stats for lead changes, margin of victory, and more. That could change.

“So the racing has gotten better, and fans want to see exciting races. They want to see lead changes, they want to see close finishes,” Faber continued. “We’re going to analyze this upcoming weekend and see how that fits into the averages.”

Does Texas Motor Speedway need change?

So, Texas Motor Speedway is keeping an eye on this. I wouldn’t say that the “Atlanta treatment” has been fully eliminated from discussions. When asked directly by Jeff Gluck, Mark Faber said, “Yeah, I mean, that’s just a rumor. That’s just the best way to put it.” Not exactly a full-throated dismissal.

I am concerned about the talk about “lead changes” as if that stat automatically equates to great racing. It doesn’t.

Last season, the racing was fine. After the last month of races being defined by a lack of quality passing on track, maybe this will be better than fans expect. NASCAR fans get into the habit of comparing race tracks in a sport where each venue is unique and totally different. But in this case, it might work in Texas’s favor?

NASCAR fans want this car to be fixed. Whatever that looks like remains to be seen. However, what NASCAR can’t keep doing, is pulling up empty stats to justify the product. There can be 2,500 green flag passes and 50 lead changes a week – that doesn’t mean the racing is good.

At this point, Texas Motor Speedway is in a good position. This weekend they could shine. Or we will see yet another weekend of frustration from drivers, fans, and teams. How long can NASCAR keep its eyes, ears, and mouth closed on this issue?