Here are the fastest race tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule. While Talladega has the all-time official NASCAR track record, this list is sorted by fastest qualifying speed since 2000.
By limiting this list to speeds since 2000 I am throwing out the three fastest qualifying track records in NASCAR history.
- Bill Elliott's 212.809 MPH lap at Talladega in 1987
- Bill Elliott's 210.364 MPH lap at Daytona in 1987
- Geoffrey Bodine's 197.478 MPH lap at Atlanta in 1997
1. Texas Motor Speedway - 196.235 MPH
Texas Motor Speedway was repaved during the 2006 season providing an entirely different racing surface for the drivers when they returned during The Chase for the Cup. Brian Vickers took advantage of the smooth surface and posted a 196.235 MPH lap to take the pole. This vaulted Texas into first place as the fastest race track on the modern Sprint Cup schedule.2. Atlanta Motor Speedway - 194.690 MPH
Until 2006 Atlanta Motor Speedway had held the title of NASCAR's fastest speedway since it was reconfigured during the 1997 season. However it must now settle for second on the list since the quickest qualifying lap posted here since 2000 is Ryan Newman's 194.690 MPH lap. Newman has held this track record since 2005.3. Michigan Speedway - 194.232 MPH
Ryan Newman set the track record at Michigan Speedway in 2005 with this 194.232 MPH lap. The smooth and wide racing surface at Michigan Speedway is not only fast, but provides two and three grooves for some competitive races.4. Lowes Motor Speedway -193.216 MPH
In 2005 Elliott Sadler set the Lowes Motor Speedway track record. Sadler clocked in with a 193.216 MPH lap to vault Lowes Motor Speedway up to the fourth spot on this list. Speeds jumped nearly five MPH from the previous year as a result of the track being smoothed and repaved.5. Talladega Superspeedway - 191.712 MPH
When people think of fast NASCAR race tracks Talladega Superspeedway usually comes to mind first. Talladega holds the all-time NASCAR track record as Bill Elliott sat on the pole with an incredible 212.809 MPH lap in 1987. However, since NASCAR mandated restrictor plate use at Talladega and Daytona in 1988 speeds have been reduced.Since 2000 the fastest qualifying lap at Talladega was David Gilliland's 191.712 MPH lap from 2006.
6. Daytona International Speedway - 191.091 MPH
Daytona International Speedway is another race track where teams are required to use restrictor plates. The official track record is again held by Bill Elliott who posted a 210.364 MPH lap to sit on the pole for the 1987 Daytona 500.Since 2000 the fastest qualifying lap was Dale Jarrett's 191.091 MPH lap which was good enough to put him on the pole for the 2000 Daytona 500.
7. California Speedway - 188.245 MPH
California Speedway is similar to Michigan Speedway but doesn't have quite as much banking in the turns. 14 degrees versus Michigan's 18 degrees. This difference in banking accounts for the six mile per hour difference in track records.Kyle Busch is the track record holder here. Kyle ran this 188.245 MPH lap in qualifying for the February 2005 Auto Club 500.
8. Chicagoland Speedway - 188.147 MPH
Jimmie Johnson holds the track record in Chicagoland with his 2005 lap of 188.147 MPH. Again comparing this race track to Michigan Speedway. Chicagoland and Michigan have the same amount of banking and both tracks are 'D' shaped ovals. However, Michigan is a two mile race track while Chicagoland is just 1.5 miles around. This difference accounts for the roughly six mile per hour difference in speeds.9. Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 186.293 MPH
Indianapolis Motor Speedway's giant 2.5 mile rectangle has just nine degrees of banking in the turns. However, in 2004 Casey Mears hustled his Chip Ganassi Dodge around the track at 186.293 MPH to take the pole for the Brickyard 400.10. Las Vegas Motor Speedway - 185.995 MPH
Las Vegas Motor Speedway saw it's track record shattered by almost ten miles per hour in 2007. Kasey Kahne put his Dodge on the pole with a 184.855 MPH lap which laid waste to Kahne's own previous track record of 174.904 MPH.Kyle Busch then edged that record up to 185.995 in 2009. This closed the gap on 9th place Indianapolis but didn't change Vegas' position on this list.
The reason for the dramatic jump in speeds is that Las Vegas Motor Speedway was reconfigured. The banking was increased from 12 degrees up to 20 degrees in the corners. This boosted speeds and rocketed Las Vegas Motor Speedway into the top ten of NASCAR's fastest race tracks.
